Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. (24) But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. (25) Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him; since He always lives to make intercession for them. (26) For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefined, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; (27) who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. (28) For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.

The author of Hebrews is unknown but it is written to Hebrew Christians to avert the danger of their returning to Judaism under the threat of persecution. In our verses today, the author wants us to see the superiority of Jesus as our High Priest. Jesus is a priest forever. In contrast to the Levitical priests, Jesus offered no sacrifice for Himself as He was sinless and only sacrificed for the people. (The Old Testament priest had to offer a sacrifice for his own sins before he could offer one for the sins of others.) The sacrifice of Christ completely satisfied God. Jesus did not offer that sacrifice annually but once and for all. The sacrifice He offered was not of animals but of Himself; perfect, sinless and anointed with all power and authority in heaven and on earth. Jesus remains our High priest forever. The earthly Levitical priesthood was temporary but Christ’s priesthood is eternal and superior. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, not mere man. What we cannot do for ourselves God has done for us in Christ. No other sacrifice is necessary. None will be accepted. None is possible.

Someone who needs salvation is lost, incapacitated and in immediate danger of perishing; he/she cannot save themselves. Spiritually, every person needs to be saved from God’s wrath and eternal judgment. We are born spiritually dead. We cannot see the light of the gospel nor do we want to. In this condition we don’t even want to be saved. We are hopeless, helpless and lost. But God, while we were dead in sin made us alive in Christ. What man cannot do Jesus is able to do. We are saved totally the instant we trust in Christ. What God begins at this moment He promises to bring to completion. We are easily tempted to turn away from Christ when trials or disappointments hit – to turn to the world that offers techniques for coping. Or, we salve our pain by pursuing material comforts of worldly pleasures. Jesus is able to save – salvation is not a joint project between God and man. God saves us through faith – we are responsible to believe in Jesus Christ but we are unable to believe the gospel unless God grants faith to us as His precious gift.

We cannot save ourselves. God has done it for us. The work of salvation has been completed in Christ. Nothing can be added to the value of what Jesus has done.