Hebrews 8-9: The Main Point - Jesus the Active & Effective Savior

Running the Race, Following in Faith

Spring Disciple Formation Focus

Weekly Reading Schedule - Click Here

SPU Professor Dr. Rob Wall's online commentary - www.spu.edu/lectio


Hebrews 8-9 ... The Main Point
As Our High Priest, Jesus Helps Us Along the Way of Salvation

Think about it.  How many times do you open up the Bible and find the phrase "this is the main point?"  In the middle of a complex message, there's a moment of clarity that calls us to pay attention.

Hebrews 8:1-2

"Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being."

The main point of Hebrews is (drum roll, please....): 

What we need for salvation and the life of faith is fully provided for by a person who right now operates in heaven for our benefit on earth.  This person's role is described as "High Priest."  And this person is Jesus.

Jesus, also referred to in these chapters by the title "Christ," brings us good things; primarily, eternal redemption.  What does this amount to?  Freedom from sin so we might be freed for serving the living God (now and into eternity).  In Hebrews 9:11-15, follow the logic of Jesus' high priesthood and the good things that flow from him to us:

Hebrews 9:11-15 (paraphrased...)

• Verse 11 - Christ is high priest, the mediator & provider of good things.  Because we have Christ, we already have all the good…and this good has an eternal dimension.
• Verse 12 – Christ had to satisfy a prerequisite in order to serve in this role.  He entered the place where he’s doing this good work by offering his blood as a sacrifice once for all.  His sacrifice (his death on a cross) obtains for us redemption with an eternal dimension.
• Verse 13 – The Old Testament sacrifice system was all about making people outwardly clean.
• Verse 14 – Christ’s sacrifice does MORE than this.  His “sinless” blood was offered through the Spirit (who is eternal) and it cleans us in a much deeper way.  Our inner consciences are cleansed from acts that lead to death, so that we might be freed up for life in service to the living God.
• Verse 15 – This freeing-from-sin and freeing-for-service sacrifice is what makes Christ the mediator of a new covenant, in which those who are called receive the promised eternal inheritance from God.

Consider these two quotes from Rob Wall in his Lectio commentary as you think about what Jesus has done, is doing, and how it benefits us:

• "One of the most essential lessons learned from Hebrews is that the central character in Scripture’s narrative of salvation is not some earthly religious institution, but the majestic Son, whose service of heavenly worship orders the way of salvation (cf. Hebrews 8:2)" 
  
• "(The Preacher’s) 'word of exhortation' addresses a redeemed people who now encounter the spiritual tests and daily suffering of their present wilderness, which they must faithfully endure on the way to the Promised Land. The 'main point' of Hebrews is that we have an activist high priest, the majestic Son of God, who offers us heaven’s effective help along the way."

Jesus is operating right now as our eternal high priest, bringing us the benefits of the salvation that he obtained by his sacrifice on the cross.  

From his place in the eternal heavens, by the Spirit, he actively offers us "heaven's effective help along the way" of our journey of faith.  Jesus is the one who leads us on the way of salvation.

Hebrews 7 > Jesus is More...Melchizedek Shows Us Why

Running the Race, Following in Faith

Spring Disciple Formation Focus

Weekly Reading Schedule - Click Here

SPU Professor Dr. Rob Wall's online commentary - www.spu.edu/lectio

Chapter 7

Jesus is More...& Melchizedek Shows us Why

A somewhat strange (strained?) sighting of Jesus the Son of God in a mysterious Old Testament figure

Throughout Hebrews, Jesus is the hero.  We found out early on that he was greater even than the angels, and that (paradoxically) one thing that made him greater is the fact that he was fully a human being who faced all the associated limitations and weaknesses (allowing him to save us with God's power from the human side of the situation).  Later we learned that Jesus is greater than Moses.  And we've been in a long discussion of Jesus being greater than the system of Old Testament priesthood.

Here in chapter 7, we learn what ultimately makes Jesus as our Great High Priest better than the Hebrew priest system outlined in God's law and practiced in the temple.  Throughout the chapter, Jesus is presented in his priesthood as better than the others: “a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God” (7:19), & "Jesus is the guarantor of a better covenant" (7:22).

But in this presentation there's a slight problem to navigate.  Jesus is indeed our Great High Priest who made the final sacrifice for sin and lives in this role in heaven.  But in the Old Testament picture of worship, the priests were from the Hebrew tribe of Levi.  Jesus was not a member of the priestly family!  He was descended from the tribe of Judah – great for his Kingship (in the line of King David), but not so much for the priesthood.

The solution to this apparent problem?  Melchizedek.  Mel-whoza whatsit?

Melchizedek was a powerful man who blessed Abraham when he came to the land following God's call.  He was referred to as a "priest of God Most High" (Gen. 14:17-20).  The preacher of Hebrews identifies the priest Melchizedek as better than the Levitical priests because he predated them (by a long way).  He even predated the founding father of the faith!  (7:4-10)  But the preacher also sees in Melchizedek someone who looks a lot like Jesus.  First, his name means "king of righteousness" and "king of peace" (7:2).  This sounds a lot like we've discovered Jesus to be.  And the most important connection between Melchizedek and Jesus is that he "resembles the Son of God" in that he is presented in the text in somewhat of an eternal spin, without regard to being born or dying (7:3).

The preacher notes that Psalm 110:4 picks up this "forever” dimension in presenting the idea that Melchizedek’s order of priesthood is has an eternal dimension: “you are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

Jesus’ priesthood is also forever.  He permanently operates in the “office” of high priest.  He is perfect, and because of this he has no need to make sacrifice for his own sins, since he was blameless.  His sacrifice was once and for all…and he doesn’t need to keep doing it!

Because of this “he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” (7:25) This kind of ever-serving holy high priest meets our human need for one: “Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.” (7:26)

From the preacher's presentation of Jesus being more because of Melchizedek, we find an affirmation:

Exalted above the heavens in perfect holiness, Jesus our high priest meets our needs, saving completely those who come to God through him by always (full-time, 24/7) living to intercede for us.

Jesus doesn’t have to waste time with more sacrifice.  It’s already been taken care of on the cross once and for all.  He can now dedicate all his divine energy toward “interceding for us,” representing us to God, taking our needs to the Father so that we may find divine help…yes, even the faith needed to run the race with perseverance.

Amen.