Lesson 7: Jesus Our Great High priest (Heb )
Observation
Outline
We Have A Great High Priest (-16)
Selection of Earthly Priests
(5:1-3)
Divine Appointment of Eternal High
Priest (5:4-6)
The High Priest Made Perfect
(5:7-10)
Key Words/Phrases
Great High Priest, passed through
the heavens, Son of God, hold fast our confession, sympathize, weakness,
tempted, grace, mercy, compassion, called by God, Melchizedek, learned
obedience, suffered, perfected, author of eternal salvation.
General Analysis
1a. He
can sympathize with our weaknesses ().
He was tempted in all points ().
He was appointed to represent men pertaining to God [i.e. in matter related to
God] (1:3). He offered sacrifice for sins (5:1,3). He
can have compassion (5:2). He was appointed (5:4-6).
1b. He
has passed through the heavens ().
He is the Son of God (; 5:5,8). He was without sin ().
He is a priest forever (5:6). He is a priest in the order of Melchizedek (5:6).
Segment Analysis
1. God’s
word reveals and makes us aware of the weaknesses and sins in us. But assures us that Christ is a High Priest
who can sympathize with our weaknesses, although He Himself was without sin.
Therefore, we can come boldly before the throne of grace just as we are to
obtain mercy and find grace in time of need.
2. Because
Jesus is a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, and because He
is the Son of God, our faith in Him is surely not in vain. He is the supreme
God and He has conquered sin. We have every reason to put our trust in Him for
our salvation, and we should hold on to such a conviction to the end.
3. He
was in all points tempted as we are. He has experienced the suffering of
temptation when He was in the flesh ().
That is why He can understand what we are going through and can be merciful to
us.
4. He
was without sin.
5a. “Throne”
represents power and sovereignty. But this throne is not the throne of
judgment, which conjures up the feeling of fear. Instead, it is a throne from
which grace is granted. We can come to God, who is high above all things but
yet loving enough to care for our needs. Thus, the throne of grace gives us a
sense of both awe and assurance.
5b. We can obtain mercy and find grace at the throne of grace.
Mercy relates to Jesus’ humanity, for His mercy is based on the fact that He
was also in the flesh just as we are and suffered temptation just as we do.
Grace relates to His divinity because, as God Himself, only He has the
authority to freely pardon us of our sins and justify us through faith in Him.
5c. We can come to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ our
great High Priest (cf. -22).
This means putting our faith in the Lord Jesus, confessing our sins, asking for
His help, and obeying His word.
5d. We are urged to come boldly to the throne of grace. Despite
our sins and wretchedness, we can approach God confidently through the blood of
Jesus Christ.
6. Just
as the earthly priests were required to offer sacrifices for sin, Jesus also
offered a sacrifice for sin. But instead of offering bulls and goats, He
offered His own body and shed His own blood (10:5-10,19).
7. Jesus
did not confer the honor of priesthood upon Himself. He was called by God to be
High Priest just as Aaron was. In this sense, He was a true High Priest.
8. “My
Son,” ‘forever,” “according to the order of Melchizedek.”
9. Jesus
prayed the Father to take the cup from Him if it was His will, but He asked
that the Father’s will be done nevertheless (Mt 26:39; Mk ; Lk ). He was heard because an angel appeared from heaven
to strengthen Him (Lk ),
and consequently, the Father’s will was fulfilled on the cross.
10. He
was heard because of His godly fear. Jesus had committed Himself completely to
God and surrendered His own will. His prayers and supplications were all
centered on the Father’s will.
11. Jesus’
reverent submission serves as a model for our prayers. Instead of demanding
things we desire, we should ask that God’s will be done, even if it may be
contrary to our will. We also ought to imitate Jesus’ earnest in prayer. Just
as He offered up prayers with vehement cries and tears, we can also pour out
our hearts and pray with importunity, asking that God’s will be done through
us.
12a. This does not mean that Jesus was initially disobedient.
Rather, it means that although He was not required to be obedient, being God
Himself, He chose to empty Himself, took the form of a servant, and obeyed to
the point of death (Php 2:6-8). He learned obedience
in the sense that He actually went through the experience of obedience.
12b. In
order to endure sufferings, He had to deny Himself and obey the Father’s will.
As much as He desire to be delivered from the bitter cup of the cross, He chose
the path to Golgotha out of His obedience.
12c. Obedience
to God is not just in matters that we agree with or like. More often than not,
obedience entails sufferings. Only when we are willing to suffer can we be
ready to obey in all circumstances.
13. Jesus
was the glorious Son of God. He has the power to save. But He was not just a
God who was high above us and unfamiliar with our weakness. He was also the
obedient Son. It was only after He was perfected through sufferings that He
became fit to be the author of eternal salvation.
14. He is the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him (9).
