Get Back on the Horse! - Hebrews 5:1-10
"Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was. 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. " And he says in another place, "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek."
Hebrews 5:1-10
So the previous passage ends with the author claiming that Jesus is able to sympathize with our weaknesses so we should come to God with confidence knowing that is the place we will receive mercy and find help in our time of need. Now the author is explaining why Jesus qualifies as our sympathetic High Priest.
1. When Jesus became like us in every way (Hebrews 2:14&17), He subjected Himself to weakness. In theological circles there is a question that is asked about the possibility of Jesus falling into sin. Personally, I do not think that it was possible for Jesus, though fully human, to sin because He was fully God at the same time. Some believe that Jesus had the ability to sin, but chose not to. The answer to that question will probably be debated for ever, but one thing is for sure... He knows how difficult it is to be obedient! If you think it's not difficult to be obedient, than I guess you figured out something that our sinless Savior didn't. Doubt it! He knows the lure of this world, He knows about the potent potential for pride, and He knows the power of the enemy! Hebrews tells us that Jesus was tempted in every way! There is not a temptation that you face that He has not faced, so He sympathizes with our weaknesses. Hebrews tells us that while Jesus walked this earth He cried out to His Father, offering up prayers and petitions knowing His Father could save Him from death. He suffered but yet was obedient. This qualifies Him to be a sympathizer of people. Just because Jesus never gave in to temptation, doesn't mean He can't relate to the struggle. Oh yes, He struggled yet overcame.
2. He was appointed by God to be our High Priest! The Son did not appoint Himself to the our High Priest, He was given that honor by the Father.
3. He was sinless! When He died on the cross, He did not die for His own sins! He didn't have to because He was sinless, however, he became the sacrifice for sin!
So He is the perfect and appointed High Priest who can relate to His people in every way! It is in Him that we receive mercy and find grace to help us in times of struggle! He is our great High Priest, therefore, "let us hold firmly to the faith we profess." (Hebrews 4:14)
I don't know where you are at in your journey with the Savior! So often we beat ourselves up to a point that we cannot breath let alone enjoy the Savior. I have a newsflash for you... God is not interested in you being perfect, but rather in a process of becoming perfection. We are weak and we prove that often, but don't forget that we have a great High Priest. In Him we receive mercy and find grace to help us in times of need. This doesn't give us a license to sin but rather hope for our reality. Pursue Christ and don't give up because you failed again! Get back on the horse! We have a great High Priest!
Comments
1For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: 2Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. 3And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. 4And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. 5So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. 6As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. 7Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; 8Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 9And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
10Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
There is so much information in these verses that we could probably write a heavenly symphony to score the emotions of hell and challenge anybody that’s called out today. The word priest sends my mind to a chastity collar offering a majestic Eucharist for the nobility of a foreign King to partake in our blood; therefore, as the protestant reformation details let’s forget all saint’s day and make the score for His return! This morning I was reading (not in Hebrews) Ezekiel chapter one while surfing images of the four headed creature described by this Prophet. The Catholic church still keeps Christ on His cross when its clear, He got off! A warrior bow points away from the One who sits on this throne of a crystalline stage that’s upheld from these four faced figures; yet, how many times have you seen Christ depicted with the full circle of color around his head? I’m not trying to tie erroneous scripture or make things out of context I’m simply sharing from what I reflected on before writing here today. The god Enlil suffered a banishment to Kur because of a rape, did our High Priest cover that Sin (so to speak.. Sin was also another god) or is the rebellious actions of negating the new covenant guilty of witchcraft?
Henry Drummond (1851–1897)