WWUTT 1838 Christ’s Permanent Priesthood (Hebrews 7:20-28)

Christ’s Priesthood Confirmed by God’s Oath

In Hebrews chapter 7, we've been reading about how Jesus is a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. It's a difficult concept for us to grasp, but as we study it, we hear more and more good news when we understand the text.

This is when we understand the text studying God's word to reach all the riches of full assurance in Christ. Find all our videos online at www .wutt .com as well as links to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Here's your teacher, Pastor Gabe Hughes.

Thank you, Becky. In our study of Hebrews, we are finishing up chapter 7 today. I'm going to start off reading verse 20 and go through verse 28 out of the Legacy Standard Bible. This is the word of the Lord.

And inasmuch as it was not without an oath, for they indeed became priests without an oath, but he with an oath, through the one who had said to him, The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, You are a priest forever.

So much more, Jesus also has become the guarantee of a better covenant. And the former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing. But Jesus, on the other hand, because he continues forever, holds his priesthood permanently.

Therefore he is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens, who does not need daily like those high priests to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this he did once for all, when he offered up himself.

For the law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints a son who has been made perfect forever. Once again, what we're reading here in Hebrews chapter 7 is how Jesus is our great high priest and of a priesthood greater than Aaron and the rest of the Levites.

Melchizedek was a priest before the giving of the law, and the oath that was made, which Christ fulfills, was given after the law. Psalm 110, verse 4, you are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.

And we've come to recognize how that was a prophetic statement about Christ, which he and he alone fulfills. No one else could hold this place in the order of Melchizedek but Jesus Christ and him alone.

There were many who were Levitical priests, but Jesus is not of the tribe of Levi. He's not of that priesthood. He's of a higher priesthood. He fulfills those things that were required of priests, those things that were written in the law about the priests, but Christ still of an order that's even higher than that particular priesthood.

And remember that we had read earlier in verses 18 and 19, this was just yesterday, for on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness, for the law made nothing perfect.

And on the other hand, there is a bringing in of a better hope through which we draw near to God. So see, it's not just enough that the commandment was set aside because we couldn't fulfill it anyway.

We could not do anything to keep the law perfectly and gain our own righteousness by our keeping of the law. So the law is, you know, if the law is set aside, it's like, okay, good, because they couldn't make us perfect anyway, but that still doesn't give us a hope.

The law is set aside. So now what do we do? Well, I couldn't keep the law anyway. The law is set aside. Great. But, you know, how do I get to God? That answer has still not been given. How how do we solve this problem of death?

What's going to happen to me when I die? How are my sins forgiven? And so then we have, on the other hand, and on the other hand, there is a bringing in of a better hope through which we draw near to God.

And this better hope is given to us by an oath. So verse 20, and in as much as it was not without an oath. So this is good news for us. Not only is there a better hope, but it's given by an oath. So we know this is our guarantee in the plan is not going to change.

The plan was actually set before the law was given because we have the appearance of Melchizedek in Genesis. And then the oath is given after the law, Psalm 110, verse four. So there is something that we're anticipating or looking toward that's even greater than the law.

So it was not without an oath. It was given to us with an oath. And then we have this in parentheses in verse 21, for they indeed became priests without an oath. Talking about the Levites, they became priests because they were Levites because of the lineage that they were born into.

It wasn't with an oath. But he, Jesus, has gained his priesthood in the order of Melchizedek with an oath through the one who said to him, the Lord has sworn and will not change his mind. You are a priest forever.

Now what we've been reading here has been an exposition of those statements that have been made there in Psalm 110. Remember previously we've done exposition of Psalm 95. Now we're in Psalm 110. But Psalm 110 has been quoted from the very beginning of Hebrews.

We had that in Hebrews chapter one, verse 13. To which of the angels has he ever said, sit at my right hand until I put your enemies as a footstool for your feet. Well that's Psalm 110, the same Psalm where it is said, I have sworn and will not change my mind.

You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. I put that in the first person, but it's actually Yahweh has sworn and will not change his mind. So there's the oath, the oath that would be fulfilled in Christ.

Jesus would be the fulfillment of that oath. It belongs to him. So this has come with an oath, with a promise that the Lord has sworn and will not change his mind. You are a priest forever. Indeed, they became priests without an oath, but he becomes a priest with an oath through Yahweh who spoke these things.

Verse 22, so much more, Jesus also has become the guarantee of a better covenant. So we know this guarantee because it comes with an oath. It's not left for us to try to decipher all of this on our own.

That's one of the beautiful things about the book of Hebrews, incidentally. It's not just left for us to try to figure out, okay, we have this statement about you're a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek in Psalm 110.

Well Melchizedek was a figure back in Genesis that had an audience with Abraham. Abraham gave him a 10th, Melchizedek blessed him. What does all this have to do with anything? Why is it stated again in Psalm 10 or Psalm 110?

And that's the wonderful blessing that Hebrews is because God did not leave us in the dark about this. The preacher here shows us how Christ is the fulfillment of all of these things that had come before in the Old Testament.

Jesus wasn't descended from the tribe of Levi. He was descended from the tribe of Judah. So how is he a high priest for us? How does Jesus fulfill those things that the priests did in Israel? If the priests were offering up sacrifices on behalf of the people, Jesus offers up the sacrifice for himself, okay?

I get that. How he's the fulfillment of sacrifices, the fulfillment of Passover. But how is he the fulfillment of the priesthood? How is he himself a priest for us when he's descended from Judah and not from the line of Levi?

And so what the preacher explains here in Hebrews 7 is that Jesus has a priesthood that's even greater than the priesthood of the tribe of the Levites. Had Jesus come in the tribe of the Levites, well, he would still be offering sacrifices continually because all of those Levites had to offer those sacrifices continually.

But Jesus is one as Melchizedek is one. He is one mediator. He's one priest, just as Melchizedek was one priest. There was not a priesthood in the line of Melchizedek that continued on. It was just him by himself.

So Christ fulfills that priesthood. He has a priesthood that is higher than and greater than the Levitical priesthood. The Levitical priesthood was temporary. The Melchizedek priesthood is forever. So therefore, Christ is a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.

And this is how he is a high priest for us and also fulfills those duties that priests had, considering what the priests did, according to the law, when they were assigned in Israel to be offering up sacrifices.

Christ offers his sacrifice once for all that fulfills the priestly duties from the position of an office that's even higher than the one that was given through the Levites. OK, so again, verse 22, so much more.

Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. And we can know there's not another one. We're not looking forward to another one. This is it. The guarantee of the oath. He is the priest forever.

The priesthood is done away with. Those things that Christ fulfills with his sacrifice, that's complete. We're not waiting for a plan B. Jesus has done it. And it's forever. We will not be resuming those sacrifices again.

Do you understand what I mean? Those sacrifices have been fulfilled in Christ. So we continue on here in verse 23. And the former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing.

So there were a lot of Levitical priests. Why were there a lot of Levites? Because they were all men. They were going to die. And the responsibilities of the Levites needed to continue on. So there were numerous Levites that that might be able to continue.

But we also recognize that there were limits there. It wasn't going to be something that would last forever because they died. And the priesthood, the Levitical priesthood, was dependent upon there being Levites.

But if they died, then there could not be any more priests. Whereas with Christ, he died and rose again. And he ascends into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. So his priesthood is established forever.

The Levitical priesthood, just by mere natural observation, we can recognize, would come to an end. It was not going to continue on. It was not going to last forever. But Christ, by observation, once again, cannot be touched by death anymore.

Death has no mastery over him. He has conquered death. He is risen again. He lives forever. And so his priesthood is established forever. It will continue. The Levites do not continue. Christ does. Verse 24.

But Jesus, on the other hand, because he continues forever, holds his priesthood permanently. Now the Greek word that I've shared with you about this is aprobaten. And that Greek word means not only that he holds that office permanently, but he holds that office only.

There's only one who is of the priesthood of Melchizedek, and that's Jesus Christ. That's very, very important to consider. I mean, as you're looking at all this in context, what we've read from chapters five through seven, you can recognize just by the evidence that we have in the text, there is only one who assumes the Melchizedek priesthood, and that's Jesus Christ.

That's plain from the language of the text that's given to us here. Why do I put such an emphasis on that? Well, because there is a religion out there that claims there's a Melchizedek priesthood anyone can enter into.

And what religion is that? That's Mormonism. Mormonism claims that they have the Melchizedek priesthood and the Aaronic priesthood. Like even the Aaron priesthood is continuing on, according to the Mormons.

When right here in chapter seven it says, nope, even the Levitical priesthood was going to come to an end. The Mormons claim the Levite priesthood continues on, or Aaronic priesthood as they call it. And they claim that they have, that church has, the Melchizedek priesthood.

And there are Melchizedek priests in the Mormon church, plural. Even though here in Hebrews seven, it's very plainly singular. There's only one. But the Mormons claim that there are many. In fact, if you wanted to be an elder or a high priest, or you thought you might be able to ascend to the place of apostle or the 70 or one of the patriarchs, you would have to become a Melchizedekian priest in the order of Mormonism.

It is false teaching on multiple levels. It's incredibly blasphemous because the Mormons are claiming that they can hold a priesthood that only Christ holds. Only Jesus is the priest in the order of Melchizedek.

We are not. Though we who are in Christ are given a priesthood. It says in first Peter two, nine, that we are a royal priesthood. As I heard one of my pastor friends say, this means we have the dignity of kings and the sanctity of priests.

We all are fellow heirs with Christ of his kingdom. But then we also are ministers offering sacrifices continually unto his name. Now we don't offer sacrifices like the blood of bulls and goats, but we understand as Romans 12 one tells us that we are to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice unto the Lord, holy and acceptable to him.

And this is our spiritual act of worship, walking in holiness in this way as part of his kingdom. This is how we are also called there in first Peter two, nine, a holy nation. So we are to live every day unto Christ, not unto our flesh, not unto the world, certainly not following after the schemes of Satan.

Every day we are to be in obedience unto the Lord. And as also said there in Romans 12 one, this is our spiritual act of worship. So this is who we are to be in Christ. Don't settle for these imitation priesthoods and certainly don't be fooled by the priesthood of this fallen world.

We are royal priests in the service of Christ. We have been made fellow heirs of his kingdom. We have been made holy. We are to walk in holiness, offering ourselves as continual sacrifices unto him. He presides over this kingdom of which we are a part.

We've been made a part by faith in Jesus Christ. And so just as it is said in Exodus 19, six, you shall be unto me a kingdom of priests. God said that to Israel. So he says to his church, we are his royal priesthood.

And the high priest on top of this is the one, the only one who could hold the office of Melchizedek aprobaten by himself and permanently Jesus Christ. He holds his priesthood forever. Verse 25. Therefore, he is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

Once again, more great news for us in this salvation that we have in Christ. More assurance that we're not waiting for a plan B. It's all fulfilled in Christ. There is no greater savior. He is our great savior.

And through him forever, we are able to draw near to God. Even here in these moments, like right now, you and I are in the presence of God because we've been made citizens of his kingdom and we are his royal priests.

So we are constantly giving unto him in service to our king. We draw near to God. You can pray to him right now. You can call upon him as father and know the great creator of the entire universe wants to hear from you, listens to your prayer because of what Jesus has done for us, because he entered into that place for us.

And through him forever, we draw near to God now and forevermore. We will be in his presence. When we die or the day that Christ returns, whichever comes first, we are able to draw near to God through him since he always lives.

Jesus never will die again. He always lives to make intercession for us. He is interceding for us and he intercedes only for us, not for the whole world. He intercedes only for those who are in Jesus Christ.

Christ’s Once-for-All Sacrifice and Perfect Priesthood

Verse 26, for it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens. Jesus was sinless when he was in this world. He was sinless even when he died.

Though we have it said in second Corinthians 521, for our sake, he became sin who knew sin that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Yes, that said in second Corinthians 521, but at no time while he was hanging on the cross, was he ever a sinner?

He became sin for us in the sense that our sins were placed upon him and he took the wrath of God upon himself on our behalf. But Christ was never sinful. He was never the spotted lamb, the tainted lamb.

He was always the spotless lamb who was sacrificed for us. He was separated from sinners. He has been exalted above the heavens. Those things that are corrupting in the world, which we have to deal with every day.

Christ is above that. So we know we are appealing to the one who is, who has been here, been through that, yet was without sin, as said earlier in Hebrews. And he has exalted the place where he is above those things.

So we are calling to the one who was sinless, has exalted high above and is interceding for us before the father. For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest. Verse 27, who does not need daily like those high priests talking about the Levites to offer up sacrifices first for his own sins and then for the sins of the people.

Jesus doesn't need to do that. He's died once for all. He does not need to continually be sacrificed because this he did once for all when he offered up himself. So you've got like the Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Church, the Greek Orthodox Church.

They claim to have the true communion, but the communion that they offer is a continual sacrifice. The Catholics believe that the Eucharist, the bread transforms into the literal body of Jesus to be broken again for us.

And the cup transforms into his literal blood to be poured out for the forgiveness of sins. These are continual sacrifices. These are sacrifices that Jesus is still offering according to how these churches define communion.

It's a false church. It's a false communion. Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself up. He does not need to make continual sacrifices. He's made these sacrifice once for all. And we can know that our sins are forgiven through that sacrifice, not having to continually offer sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins.

Christ accomplished that. He completed it. The work is done. He said on the cross, it is finished. It is done. Verse 28, for the law appoints men as high priests who are weak. The law appoints men. The Levitical priesthood, again, that was established by the law.

And those priests are weak. They died. But the word of the oath, back to Psalm 110, verse four again, which came after the law appoints a son who has been made perfect forever. And so once again, on the opposite side of the law, before the law and after the law, we have this order of Melchizedek.

Melchizedek is mentioned when he has an audience with Abraham. That was before the law was ever given. And then a statement is made again, post-law in the Psalms, during the time of David, that there will be a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek, and that's Jesus Christ.

So on opposite sides of the law is this Melchizedek priesthood, which only Christ fulfills. He has been appointed and he has been made perfect forever. And so we have a great high priest, which we are going to continue to read about how he, in his high priestly office, does such wonderful, gracious things for us when we continue our study in the book of Hebrews in chapter eight, God willing, next week.

Heavenly Father, thank you for this good word that we have read. Thank you for the assurance of salvation that we can glean from here, knowing that our sins are forgiven and we have fellowship with God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Teach us what it means as your priests, as that royal priesthood, to live unto God today, offering a sacrifice of ourselves, holy and acceptable to you. And this is our spiritual act of worship. Guide us as we desire to live in holiness each day unto our Lord, who is holy for us.

It is in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen.