Hebrews 4:14-5:10 Jesus Our Great High Priest
Memory Verse (KJV) Hebrews 4:15 “ For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
Last Month I wrote an article on my blog titled Jesus, friend like no other. I will encourage everyone to read it. (http://dulcediadem.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/jesus-friend-like-no-other.html)
So far we have learnt that Jesus is superior to Angels, Prophets, Moses, and Joshua. In today’s passage we will study that Jesus is superior to Aaron and the levitical Priests. Jesus is the greatest high Priest.
The Jews were accustomed to having a High Priest; they made commitment and offered their sacrifices to God through the High Priest. Aaron was the first High Priest, he was considered by the Jews to be the greatest of all the Priests.
Characteristics of a Priest
Chapter 5 gives us the description of a priest.
· A Priest must be a man appointed to represent men to God.
· He must be God ordained and ordained for man.
· He must offer sacrifices and gifts for his sins as well as the sins of others.
· He should be able to sympathise with others.
Jesus Superior to Aaron and the Levitical Priests
Hebrews 4:14 tells us that Jesus is the greatest High Priest. Aaron and the other levitical Priests were not perfect, they had to make sacrifices of sin for themselves and others but Jesus didn’t offer sacrifice of sin for himself because he was blameless. He became perfect as a reason of his death on the cross. (Chapter 4:8-9).
Aaron and the levitical Priests didn't give salvation to anyone but Jesus did. He has given us an eternal salvation. Vs. 8.
But while on earth, Jesus was not a priest; he came to represent God to us. He was acting in the office of a prophet. The priestly lineage was from Levi and Jesus came from the tribe of Judah. He was from the kingly tribe not the priestly tribe. God made him a Priest in the order of Melchizedek. Let us look at Verses 5-6. “So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, ‘You are my Son, today I have become your Father.’ (Ps 2:7) And he says in another place, ‘You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.’” (Ps 110:4). From these verses, it is apparent that Melchizedek is superior to Aaron and since the priesthood of Jesus is in the order of Melchizedek, therefore Jesus is superior to Aaron and the Levitical priests.
Jesus is our High Priest
Approaching people about our offences can be very difficult especially if the offences are considered to be very severe. Sometimes we may not have the confidence to tell our fellow believers in Christ or those close to us about our sins because we are scared of what their reactions will be.
We know from Chapter 3:1 and Chapter 4:14 that we have a great High Priest representing us in Heaven.
Before the death of Christ, everyone was a condemned sinner. In the Old Testament, nobody apart from the Priest could approach God and they could only approach him once a year. The Priest had to make sacrifices for their sins before entering the holies of holy.
But now we have a High Priest who has gone into the ultimate holy of holies, the heavens and took his place at the right hand of God. Jesus came to earth as a prophet to bring God to man and went back as a High Priest bringing man to God.
There are things that I might be ashamed to tell my parents or close friends about because I feel they may judge or condemn me. We can always talk to Jesus, he knows and understands us. He will never condemn us. Whenever I pour my heart to Jesus, I always feel better afterwards.
Don’t try to cover your sins from Jesus or front for him. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He understands us and sympathises with our weakness because he was tempted in every way. He went through everything that we are going through
· He was tempted by hunger and poverty.
· He was tired, sleepy and thirsty.
· He cried over the death of a loved one, Lazarus (John 11:33)
· He cried over his suffering, he was tempted to save his life
· He was betrayed by his own
· He was deserted by his loved ones
· He was denied by his own
· He was persecuted
The Invitation
God’s throne is the throne of grace. V 16 invites us to come with confidence into the throne of grace so that we can obtain mercy. God is always giving us free invitations.
The reason why some people are in so much pain or sin is because they haven’t opened their hearts to Jesus yet. Some people have the guilt syndrome they are afraid to approach the throne of grace because they think they are a disappointment to Jesus and their sins are too great for Jesus to forgive.
We might be sacred of confessing our sins to our Pastor or even a fellow believer, but we have been given an invitation to come into the throne of grace because we have a High Priest who understands us like no other. We can now approach God and obtain Mercy because of Jesus our High Priest.
Now that we know who Jesus is, from our study so far we know he is greater than The Prophets, Angels, Moses, Joshua, Aaron and the levitical Priests, let us therefore hold fast to the faith that we profess, and continually fix our thoughts on Jesus our great High Priest. God bless
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