Sermon #23                                                       Hebrews Notes

 

          Title:            Christ Our High Priest

          Text:            Hebrews 4:14-15

          Readings:     Paul Windrel and Rex Bartley

          Subject:       The Character of Our High Priest

          Date:            Tuesday Evening – July 11, 2000

          Tape #         V-89b

          Introduction:

 

          The title of my message tonight is -- Christ Our High Priest. In the Book of Hebrews we see to superiority of Christ over the angels, over Moses, over Joshua, over all who came before him. However, the primary feature of our Savior’s excellence, supremacy and superiority is in his character as our great High Priest.

 

In chapter one, the Holy Spirit describes him as our great, sin-atoning, almighty, effectual High Priest, who, having put away the sins of his people, is now exalted to the throne of glory. Yonder he sits, a priest upon his throne, our Priestly King, our Kingly Priest!

 

In the second chapter, we are told that our dear Savior, that God who has redeemed and saved us, is a real man. He came into this world in human flesh, that he might become our Savior, our “merciful and faithful High Priest.” If he would be our Savior, if he would be merciful to sinners and yet faithful to his own holy character, the Son of God must become one of us, bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh. As such, he must be made sin, to put away our sins by the sacrifice of himself.

 

Proposition: In our text tonight, the Spirit of God is urging us to persevere in the faith, to hold fast our profession, to keep looking to and trusting Christ. He does so by showing us the character of Christ as our great High Priest.

 

          Let’s read Hebrews 4:14-15 together.

 

·        (Hebrews 4:14-15)  "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. {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."

 

          Don’t miss the argument given in these two verses. We are urged to continue in the faith and in faithfulness to Christ, because he is our great High Priest. If you realize what this means, nothing could be a greater incentive for trusting, honoring, loving, and serving him to the end of our days, faithfully.

 

         

Let us hold fast our profession.”

 

We have, by our words and in believer’s baptism, made a public profession of faith in Christ. Like Jephthah of old, we have lifted our hands to God. Let us never go back! We must not allow the religious world to entice us, the material world to seduce us, or anything else to move us away from Christ and his gospel.

·        The Doctrine of Faith.

·        The Hope of Faith.

·        The Path of Faith – Faithfulness!

 

This admonition is given in such a way that it suggests both the great value of Christ to our souls (“Unto you therefore which believe, he is precious!”) and the danger of dropping him, the danger of letting Christ, his gospel, and his salvation slip through our fingers.

 

The perseverance to which we are admonished, without question, is the gift of God’s free grace. We persevere because he preserves. It is written, concerning all those to whom God almighty gives eternal life, “THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH!” And they shall never perish (John 10:27-28; Ecc. 3:14; Phil. 1:6; 1 Thess. 5:23-24).

 

·        (John 10:27-28)  "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: {28} And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."

 

·        (Ecclesiastes 3:14)  "I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him."

 

·        (Philippians 1:6)  "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:"

 

·        (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)  "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. {24} Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it."

 

Yet, this perseverance is our responsibility. It is something we must do. It is something all true believers will do. We must hold fast the profession of our faith. We must not be moved away from the hope of the gospel. It will require strength and courage that only God can give. Yet, it is a strength and courage which he gives us by his Spirit through the use of appointed means, through the ministry of the gospel and the sanctifying influence of his saints in the assembly of public worship.

 

I urge you, my brothers and sisters, “hold fast our profession ” Hold it without wavering…

·        For Christ’s Sake.

·        For the Gospel’s Sake.

·        For the Glory of God.

·        For the Encouragement of Others.

·        We must do so because it is essential to the everlasting salvation of our souls (Matt. 10:20).

 

It is the priesthood of Christ that the Holy Spirit here uses as an argument to inspire and enforce our perseverance in holding fast our profession. He is the High Priest of it. He espoused our cause and abode by it. He bore witness to the truth of the Gospel. He prays  for the support of our faith. He pities us and helps us. And he has passed into the heavens, where he appears for us, owns us, and will own us forever as his brethren.

 

Now, let’s look at what these things together. Here are seven great arguments for us to persevere in the faith and hold fast our profession of it.

 

I.     The Lord Jesus Christ, whom we trust, is a great High Priest.”

 

          Our Redeemer’s greatness is spoken of both respect to his essential person, as we will see in a moment, and with respect to his priestly work. Here is the greatness of our High Priest.

 

A.  His Solitariness – There is only one Priest and Mediator between God and men; and Christ is that Priest.

B.  His Sacrifice – Christ alone has that to offer which God can and will accept for the atonement of our sins. – His own blood by which he has obtained eternal redemption for us.

C.  His Intercession“I pray for them.”

 

·        (1 John 2:1-2)  "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: {2} And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."

 

·        (John 17:9-11)  "I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. {10} And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. {11} And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are."

 

·        (John 17:13)  "And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves."

 

·        (John 17:15)  "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil."

 

·        (John 17:17)  "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth."

 

·        (John 17:20-26)  "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; {21} That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. {22} And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: {23} I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. {24} Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. {25} O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. {26} And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them."

 

Arise, my soul, arise!

Shake off thy guilty fears!

The bleeding Sacrifice

In my behalf appears:

Before the throne my Surety stands,

My name is written on His hands.

 

He ever lives above

For me to intercede.

His all redeeming love,

His precious blood to plead.

His blood atoned for all His race

And sprinkles now the throne of grace.

 

Five bleeding wounds He bears,

Received on Calvary.

They pour effectual prayers,

They strongly plead for me.

Forgive him, O forgive, they cry,

Nor let that ransomed sinner die!

 

The Father hears Him pray,

His dear anointed One.

He cannot turn away

The presence of His Son.

His Spirit answers to the blood

And tells me I am born of God!

 

My God is reconciled.

His pardoning voice I hear.

He owns me for His child.

I can no longer fear.

With confidence I now draw nigh

And “Father, Abba, Father!” cry.

 

 

II.  Now only is the Lord Jesus Christ the Great High Priest, he is ours! -- “Seeing then that we have a Great High Priest.”

 

          What a blessed declaration! This Great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, is mine. “The Lord is my Shepherd;” and the Lord is my Priest!

 

·        By Divine Gift.

·        By His Own Assumption of My Cause.

·        By Personal Faith.

 

III. Third, our text tells us that our Great High Priest has passed into the heavens.”

 

·        (Hebrews 10:9-14)  "Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. {10} By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. {11} And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: {12} But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; {13} From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. {14} For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified."

 

·        (Romans 8:33-34)  "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. {34} Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."

 

IV. Fourth, He who is our Great High Priest is Jesus, the Son of God.”

 

·        He is Jesus who came here as a man on an errand of mercy, to save his people from their sins.

·        And he is the Son of God, God the Son, God manifest in the flesh, who is able to save.

 

·        (Hebrews 7:24-28)  "But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. {25} Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. {26} For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; {27} Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. {28} For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore."

 

V.  Fifth, this God -man, this man who is God, our Great High Priest, is touched with the feeling of our infirmities.

 

          Because he is a Man who has endured all that men endure, and because his heart is ever toward us, our dear Savior, that God who rules the world, is touched by everything that touches us.

 

Illustration: As a Loving Father is Touched

     By What Touches His Child

 

·        Persecution

·        Disease

·        Bereavement

·        Hunger

·        Thirst

·        Weariness

 

VI. Look at the next line. He who is our Great High Priest was in all points tempted like as we are.

 

·        The Lust of the Flesh

·        The Lust of the Eye

·        The Pride of Life

 

          Yet, none of these things would be of any value and benefit to our souls, were it not for this last thing. – “Yet without sin.”

 

VII. He who is our Great High Priest is and must be altogether holy.

 

          No sinful man can make atonement for another man’s sins. Aaron could never make reconciliation for the people. But Christ, our holy High Priest, that One whose very name is “Holy and Reverend,” is a Priest whose Sacrifice and intercession God himself must accept.

 

Application: Let me send you home, my brothers and sisters, to face the trials and temptations which we must endue with the admonition of our text. Remember, the basis of it is the fact that Christ is our Great High Priest. – “Let us hold fast our profession.

 

·        (Hebrews 4:14-15)  "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. {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."

 

          Perhaps you are thinking, “But, pastor, I am weak and sinful, and my temptations are strong. Where can I find the strength to heed this admonition?” Look at verse 16.

 

·        (Hebrews 4:16)  "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."

 

AMEN.