An Anchor of the Soul — Rick Leibee

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Jesus Christ as the Great High Priest

Greetings to you by the power and the grace of the loving promises of God. I Hope you have claimed and appropriated some of those promises this week by faith. That God will continue to open things up to you as he shows you who he is and reveals himself to you through Jesus Christ His son and we want to Continue to remember one of the things that I said the very first day is that this week as one of the central themes of the book of Hebrews is Jesus Christ and That little phrase in Hebrews 3 1 it's also in chapter 12 as well where it says to consider Jesus so we're going to consider Jesus again.

We're going to look at him a little bit From another perspective that's been mentioned briefly. But we'll look at a little bit more this morning because the book of Hebrews is unique in several respects and one of the most important ways is it's the only book in the New Testament that presents Jesus Christ as Your great high priest as our great high priest and it is such an important Part of who he is and what he's now doing because when he was on this earth He was not a priest but he is now and it's very important that we understand what a priest does and What Jesus is now doing for you and I?

Before his father there in heaven and with his father. So turn this morning to chapter 5. And we will begin by reading I Think the first six verses here of chapter 5 for 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.

Who can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way? For that he himself also is compassed with infirmity and By reason hereof he ought as for the people so also for himself to offer for sins and No, man, take it this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God as was Aaron.

So also Christ glorified not himself to be made in high priest. But he that said unto him thou art my son. Today have I begotten thee as he hath saith also in another place thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

Thou art a priest forever. See Jesus is now our priest and it seems like that will be one of the Roles one of the functions one of the offices that he will have forever. We know and we sing a lot about him being the king of king and lords of lords forever.

But he's also going to be a priest forever. I Don't understand everything about that. But we want to look at part of that this morning here as we look at these verses now these verses Help us to get a better grip or a better grasp on the definition of a priest.

Some of you may have come from a religious setting where there are still priests. For example, I was Catholic until I was born again 29 years ago. Anybody else here born again used to be a Catholic. Not the only one.

I'm feeling alone. Okay, there's a couple. So, you know what a priest is right and his function in the church as he offers Sacrifices and does things for men some of the rest of you that haven't been around that May not understand the function of a priest.

But in these verses here and as you study the Old Testament and the role in the duty of a priest. You get a little bit of a picture an idea of what Jesus Christ did and is now still doing. You see that he represents man here.

He must be taken in the verse one says here from among men. Meaning that he must be a man and here again is another reminder of the humanity of Christ. And there are many reasons why he had to become a man.

We looked at one the other day was simply so that he could die. But also one of the reasons he had to become a man. Was God looking down the corridors of time knew that he was going to be your priest and to be a priest to represent man.

He must be taken from among men meaning. He must be a man. And so here's another reason that Jesus Became flesh because as a man Representing another man what his job is to represent you before God. And that was the function of the priest in the Old Testament.

They went to the priest and the priest Represented a man before God so a man must represent a man before God now it's also helpful in our minds here to make sure that we draw a distinction in our understanding between a prophet and a Priest in the Old Testament we had both prophets and priests, but what was the difference a prophet represented God so to speak in that he had a message from God and the Word of the Lord would come upon him and then he would go to the people and tell them thus say of God and so he was the Spokesman or the messenger for God, right?

Whereas the priest that seemed like had the other duty didn't he the people would come with their sins and And what they would need they would come with their offerings or sacrifices the priest would take it from them take it into the Holy of Holies take it into God and then offer it to God as a representative for man and so Two different men two different functions both important and both needed but again here in the person of Christ They come together don't they because we've already studied and we already realized from chapter one that while God spoke in time past Through the prophets now in these last days he has spoken by whom his son and so Jesus is The prophet of prophets and in that he has the message of the ages has not only been entrusted in him He is the message of the ages.

He is the way he's not only speaks the truth. He is the truth. Amen, and so He is the prophet of prophets. But now he also Has this unique thing where these two? Functions merge into the life in the ministry of Jesus Christ where he also Became a man so he could be chosen among men to represent men back to God and so prophet and priest Come together in the person and in the ministry of Jesus Christ.

And so we need to understand that as we look at this and You know just as you think about this now you may think well, I'm a Christian now I'm not sure What that means? Brother Rick, I don't think I need a priest.

Well If you've read the New Testament, you'll realize you do and you're thankful for his role as a priest that he's always Interceding for you and I and I'm thankful that God included me when he said in first John and if any man's sin We have an advocate with the father.

We have an advocate with the father. An advocate is one who is a go-between an advocate is one who takes the side of this party and Presents it to the other to obtain favor or to obtain a favorable judgment or response.

That's what an advocate does and Jesus Christ is your priest. Advocate your advocate is your priest and your priest is your advocate the two words merge very closely here and That's one of the reasons why Though I was Catholic and understand what the earthly priest is now that I understand Who Jesus Christ is as the great high priest.

I don't want a man Today to represent me before God. It's not good enough. We have something better. We live in better days better times better covenants better promises. And we have a better priest because we have the great high priest and I don't want a man.

And I don't think any man should take that title today. I can say that as one who has come from a religion who has got it. May I say very carefully for all those dear Catholics that I still love and pray for and and minister to.

They've got it completely wrong. They've got it completely wrong. The whole offering of the mass the whole confessional thing that you have to go to that priest so that he can represent you for God is may I say very carefully heresy, you know, I say that carefully.

But that is what it is. It is wrong something happened in their thinking and their theology that is totally wrong and Just in my own heart before God. I don't want that kind of man to represent me to God.

I want Jesus Christ to be my advocate don't you because he has their credentials. He has the authorization. He's lived the life. He's done all of those things. That's who I want to represent me before God.

I don't want a second best third best or a hundredth best to you. When I have Jesus Christ if any man sin, you have an advocate with the Father. And so this function of priest while you may at first kind of look at it and go well.

Let's skip over that part brother Rick, you know, I'm not interested in priest. You need to be very interested in this priest. You need to be very interested in this priest. He's very important to you very important.

He has passed the test of heaven and you know I Can I don't want you to get confused? I can pray for you and you can pray for me Amen, and I can intercede for you meaning I can pray intercessory prayers for you.

But I cannot represent you To God. I cannot represent your case before God. I can pray for you. But so I'm not taking away prayer here at all. Don't misunderstand me. We as the brotherhood we pray for each other.

We care about each other. We plead to God for each other and all those things, but we pray that Jesus Christ would represent you to the Father and that he would hear that our cries for you and that he would then take all of those Prayers and represent them and plead your case to the Father.

Christ’s Sacrifice and Compassion for Sinful People

Well a Priest must also offer Sacrifices one of the functions in the Old Testament. We don't have time to go over this in any great detail is The priest would take the sacrifices or gifts or offerings of the people because the people had a problem.

What was their problem? Sin, that's right sin. Sin is an awful thing. We don't see in our 21st century Whatever church world or theology. I don't think we have enough right teaching on sin. Sin is an awful thing sin is terrible, you know because we're not arrested every time we commit a sin.

We sometimes don't think it's as serious as it is. You know, we see a criminal. He does drugs. He murders. He gets arrested we think wow, that guy's really bad. Well, you know, you're a criminal before God when you sin only much worse.

Much worse. I I don't have time to paint the picture to preach a message on sin, which we should have. Maybe somebody will preach that tonight or tomorrow night. I don't know but Sin we have an awful problem.

We have a terrible problem and we can't just sweep it under the rug. We can't just pay a fine because we went over the speed limit. Okay, this is not a little thing. We need somebody to offer something because the Bible teaches that without the shedding of blood There is no remission of sin.

So there must be a sacrifice. There must be a life given for Sins because only blood can cover those things and so in Jesus Christ We have one who not only offers blood. It is his blood. He is both the Victim may I say he is the offering and the priest he carries again into that office both of those things.

He carries his blood and he carries the blood himself to God. He not only gives the blood. He takes the blood to God. Because as the priest that's the function of the priest is to take the blood to take the offering to God.

So that the sins will be remitted or removed and The Bible says later here in the book of Hebrews that when Jesus Christ does that God not only forgives them. He does something that I still don't understand.

Maybe I won't till I get to heaven. It says he forgets them. He forgets them. It's as if they never happened. He cast them as far as the East is from the West and he says I will remember them when no More what is no more mean?

No more. I mean, isn't that plain? He will remember them no more. What a priest don't tell me you're not interested in Jesus Christ being your priest. Don't tell me that you are very interested. You are very interested in him being your priest.

It's very important one of the next qualifications that we have here in these first six verses is it says that he must be touched with our infirmities and The infirmities here isn't because maybe some of you are sick.

Maybe some of you have a physical handicap. Maybe you have a physical problem. I don't know it isn't talking about that. You have a sickness. You have a disease and it's sin and it's the worst disease that ever was or ever will be.

That is your infirmity and he's touched with it. And again, you try to wrestle with that and you think well, wait a minute. What do you mean touch with our infirmities? Well again in the Old Testament.

One of the reason the priest was chosen among men is because when they came with their sins and he had to take him to God since he was a man. He understood what sin was. Didn't he he couldn't sit there in judgment of the people and think you've done that sin again shame on.

You know, he'd have to think. Oh I've done those things too. I know what it feels like. I know what it is to be a man and so he could go to God with compassion and with understanding couldn't he and Jesus Christ here.

It says We've studied this before is touched with our infirmities. And again, Jesus Christ never sinned. The difference is this he understands the feelings of our infirmities because as we've already Studied earlier this week.

He was tested and proved wasn't he? He was put under the pressure of sin. And so he though he walked the dirty streets of this world. He did not sin. But when he saw man fall into sin and fall down in the dirt just like the woman who was caught in adultery.

He didn't fall down with her, but I believe he got down and helped her back up. Didn't he and said go and sin no more. So he touched what it was like. He lived it. He saw it he related to the people who had it.

And so he had a heart and a compassion though. He didn't fall in the dirt with us meaning he didn't fall into sin yet. He he had to help us back up out of it. He had to rub shoulders with people that sinned and he had to see them and see the destruction and the waste that it did on their lives and out of his heart came pity and Compassion didn't it?

That's what came out of his heart. So he was touched with our infirmities and also finally here. It says that a priest must be appointed by God. It says one does not take upon the honor upon himself and I don't know what to do with all this, you know, and today as we see men choosing religious careers and I Don't know what to say about all those things.

I hope some of them truly are called of God, but It's a dangerous thing. It's a dangerous thing. It's not a career. You know, it's not a career. It's being treated like that being treated like that the ministry is being treated that way and I I Don't believe that's the heart of God according to passages like this.

I don't believe it's the heart of God. Because it says no man here can appoint himself, you know. You know God has to do the appointing. God has to do it and God clearly Gave his only begotten Son. God clearly chose him Lord the before the foundations of this earth to come and to be your priest.

Now and forevermore the Bible teaches here after the order of Melchizedek well Now the one little word here I do want to just make a quick note on says thou art my son today. Have I begotten thee now?

I believe in the in the framework of this passage the moment that Jesus Christ or maybe not the moment. But the time period in which he was becoming a priest Wasn't when he was born in Bethlehem when he says he's begotten him.

He means begotten first among the dead. See by passing through that veil of death. He entered into a whole another area. Not only did he have a glorified body, but he has new glorified ministries and one of them is the priesthood.

And so he's explaining here that part of what happened there on the cross and his death and resurrection. Wasn't just that he was resurrected. Although that's enough. But he also was begotten meaning birthed into something new and here he's being birthed into a new office.

So the begotten here doesn't mean the day that he was born in Bethlehem it means the day that he was born into this new office and resurrected into that and The amazing thing here is because God Appointed him to it and because of the life he lived it proved his worthiness.

He is worthy of this office. He is worthy to be our great high priest. He is worthy and One of the reasons I'm spending a few minutes on this is you must receive by faith and Understand in your head and in your heart his worthiness to have this office because there will be days in your Christian life when it seems like all hell will rage against you and Condemn you and say things like you still have your guilt.

Nothing really happened back there at Bible school. You're probably not saved anyway, you know and all these things will be whispered into your ear and I've even Stood by people on their deathbed and some people although they're Christians will have a momentary wave it seems like of This jolt where hell is raging against their spirit.

It seems like and the devil comes at this last hour to whisper. You still have your guilt and the only thing that I think that helps them endure that is the faith and the belief that Jesus Christ is worthy and I am saved because of what Jesus has said.

Am I worthy? No, you're right devil. There's nothing in me. There's no good thing in me. But in Jesus Christ is the worthiness of God and in him is my salvation and he is my priest and he has pled my Case and I believe in him and so we have to get this you have to get this.

There will be moments in your life where you need to believe in the worthiness of Jesus Christ. He is the source of your eternal salvation if we read it on ahead here. In verse 9, we won't get there just yet.

You're going to see that phrase. He is the source of your eternal salvation. Well, I do. I don't want to skip over verse 6. There are two priests after the order of Melchizedek because chapter 7. Practically the whole chapter is about that subject and so Lord willing tomorrow We will look at that and it's very important that we do but this phrase is going to be mentioned two or three times just in This chapter, but we'll move on trusting that we'll be able to look at it in some detail tomorrow.

Jesus’ Suffering, Obedience, and Intercession

Now verse 7 here. I do want to pause on for a moment it's a very May I say unique verse and a very important verse in understanding his office as a priest here. Verse 7 why don't you stand with me as we read a couple of verses here?

Just stand quietly. Keep your Bibles open. Verse 7 who in the days of his flesh when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong Crying and tears. This is Jesus Christ. Unto him that was able to save him from death and was heard in that he feared though He were a son yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered and being made perfect.

He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him. All right, you may be seated now verse 7 here Is a bit of a unique verse it talks about Jesus Christ having strong Crying's and tears now if you've studied the life of Jesus, which I hope you have.

And I hope if you haven't that you've gotten a little bit of your appetite. Wedded this week through the book of Hebrews that you'll go do it a very detailed study of the life of Jesus. That you'll know that it's only recorded in scriptures that he wept three times, right?

Three times that's only recorded three times and yet here it talks about strong crying's and tears. Well, the first time that scripture talks about him weeping was at the tomb of Lazarus when He was there and a lot of people like to say the shortest Bible the verse in the Bible Jesus wept and you wonder Why did he cry because he knew what he was going to do?

He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, but you know what I I don't believe he was crying for Lazarus. I believe he was crying because he was moved with compassion. Because his sisters Lazarus sisters were weeping and mourning and he loved them the Bible says he loved this family and as he saw their tears because of the awful enemy death had come and Taken their brother and his heart was moved as it often was when he looked upon the plight of people with compassion.

And I believe he wept tears of Compassion towards them. That's what I believe happened that day. And you know, I I Think we all understand how that feels. Don't we haven't you ever gone to the funeral of someone else?

Maybe someone died and as you look there you see Someone's brother or sister or mother or father in the grave and you see the tears of the family. Doesn't it move your heart to compassion? Haven't you shed a tear that way I have.

You know, it wasn't your relative it wasn't your whatever but yet you see the other people and something moves within you. Jesus also wept the Bible says when He came upon Jerusalem there and he says Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem.

How long would I've gathered you like a other hen, you know gathers her chicks and he weeps over This may I say Christ rejecting city because he knows as he looks ahead a day or two there in time He knows they're going to reject the answer to life they're going to reject their Messiah and He knows they've killed the prophets and in effect They've rejected God time and time again and just the heaviness of realizing the choices they've made.

He weeps for them. He weeps for that city of Jerusalem. You know, I know there's going to come a day in heaven when The Bible says there'll be no more tears and crying. I don't know if that means there's not any now but sometimes I think he Jesus still weeps today over cities as he sees decisions made in cities like Ephrata and Lancaster and wherever you're from.

I wonder if he cries over cities today. I think he does. I don't know. I don't know. I know there'll be a day when those tears will stop. But for now, I believe he's interceding on behalf of us on behalf of cities in heaven.

And now this the third time it's recorded That he wept was in the Garden of Gethsemane and that's what this verse is talking about. I believe. You know you wonder sometimes again, how can he sympathize how can he understand what sin is like.

How can he be a faithful high priest and the reason this verse is in here is to take us back on that night? After the Last Supper where he went down through the Valley of Kidron up the side of Mount of Olives and he went to that little grove of Trees on the top of that Mount to that garden where it was his habit to go With his disciples and then he he had the rest of them stay and he chose out three of his more Could we say spiritually sensitive disciples Peter James and John and asked them to come a further distance as he went back into the gloomy dark shadows of Gethsemane that night and he knew what was going to happen and he knew he would need help and for the first time in his whole Ministry on earth.

He did something very unusual. He asked his disciples to help him. He said watch with me pray with me. He was pleading with him to help him. He knew what he was going to face and and he was God, but he was man, too.

And I believe that man part of him was. You know, it was he knew what was coming. He knew what he's gonna face. He said watch with me. First time he asked him for help. Did you ever know that? Yeah, very interesting.

He asked him for a watch with me. Come pray with me and there in that dark gloomy shadows the Gethsemane something happened which there was no prophecy about that. I can find in the Old Testament. There's no prophecy.

There's prophecies about the cross. But you know, I can't find anything in the Old Testament that I feel clearly is a prophecy about what happened that night. But that night here in verse 7 of Hebrews chapter 5 as it tells us there was strong crimes pleadings tears unto God tears unto God and That's what happened that night because in that night Something happened that is very very different for the first time in his ministry here on earth.

He fell to his knees and cried out and I believe what he was crying about is what came upon him there as he drunk that Bitter cup was not only the sense of his impending death. But also this a sense of sin began to settle upon him for the first time.

You ever had a sense of sin settle upon you, you know, I'm talking about maybe it's not that you just go. You just committed a sin that second but you know as you and as you think about sin something settles on you.

Maybe it's sort of like conviction, you know. It's like the weight of sin began to descend and settle upon his frame upon his soul. And I think for the first time in his life He began to feel what it was like to be a criminal before his Holy Father.

And he didn't understand what to do with it. And so he cries with strong crimes and he cries with tears and even begs let this cup pass. Let this cup pass and it wasn't just the death. It was this sense of sin this sense of sin upon this holy perfect person of Jesus Christ settling down and I believe this sense of sin was such a crushing weight to him that I believe it broke His heart to the point where somehow it even affected him physically that his blood seemed to break forth and it came out through his pores and the Bible describes as great sweats of Drops of blood fell to the ground from that crushing of the weight of sense of sin.

That came upon his frame that night and that's what I believe this verse is talking about so. Though he was perfect and he is and he was he had a sense of sin. He was touched with our infirmities and I believe that's one of the things that happened there on that dark and gloomy night At Gethsemane and where it says here in verse Eight though he were a son yet He learned he obedience by the things which he suffered and he suffered physically beyond which any man has ever suffered.

I believe in that crucifixion, but yet the suffering didn't just begin on the cross. Didn't begin on the cross young people. It began on that dark night in Gethsemane. There was such a suffering that he sweat blood.

His heart was crushed with a sense of sin. And then it take us takes us on here a little further verse 9 and Being made perfect. How was he made perfect on the cross? That's the only thing I believe we go from the garden to the cross here.

That was the word perfect here means fulfillment and completeness the full month the fulfillment and the completeness and the perfectness of his life and his ministry was Exemplified in his death and his burial and his resurrection.

He was made perfect. He fulfilled that which we is sent to do it is finished. He cried from the cross the debt is paid the thing was fulfilled. The contract was signed and sealed it was finished. It was a done deal.

It was completed. It was perfect. Let's move on here a little bit now. Well the one thing the other little point I'd like to make here is he became the author of eternal salvation and us the last Part unto all them and notice this little phrase that obey him see he was obedient to God even unto death.

But you know what? He tells you and I to do Pick up our cross and follow him. So if we obey him Our obedience to him out of love for him. If you love me obey me as he says in John Is picking up our cross and following him then we will be what his disciples?

Indeed. Amen. You want to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? It's not only Understanding these things it's living them out in obedience to him. He met his cross you have yours. You need to pick up your cross and follow him into whatever that means.

Okay, let's keep moving here. We'll skip verse 10 as well because of the keys of that reference, which we'll pick up tomorrow. And we'll finish the rest of the chapter here. Of whom we have many things to say now he's talking about both Jesus and the priesthood of Melchizedek and Hard to be uttered meaning these things are not easily understood.

Sometimes we have to do a little study. Sometimes we have to do a little digging sometimes we have to do a little let God do a little digging in our heart, too. Don't we it's not just all digging here.

We have to be willing to let God touch what in your life and my life needs to come under the obedience of Jesus Christ, don't we and Hard to be uttered seeing you are dull of hearing now isn't again, you know this.

He's not talking about their physical ears. Is he he's talking about they have a heart problem now. He's going to describe it here in a little bit of detail and we need to listen to this. So that we can learn and see and not make the same mistakes for when for the time you ought to be teachers.

You have need that one teach you again. Which be the first principles of the oracles of God and are become such as have need of milk and not of strong meat. For everyone that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness for he is obeyed.

But strong meat belongeth to them that are a full age. Even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern. Both good and evil and so what he's saying here back in verse 12 is for when the time you ought to be teachers.

He's talking about maturity and growing up in the Christian faith. We talked about a little bit yesterday, but we're going to talk about it a little bit more today in the context of this. You can read about it Also a little bit similar passage and thoughts in first Corinthians there.

Where he's talking to the church there and says that they are still babes. They are still even calls them carnal Christians. Still taking in milk. When they should be ready for me. Someone here. I mean as we think about this We need to understand.

That maturity in the Christian faith does not have to do with marking time. It has to do with true spiritual growth or development. Let me illustrate it this way in our home. We have a Four year old son.

His name is Micaiah. We all think he's very cute. We think he says very clever things for his age and all that. But what if? What if? His mind were to stop right now. At age four, but his body were to grow.

Has he grown up? Not really and even may I say and you can catch that in Paul here how sad it is. After all this time that he ought to have grown up you're still a babe. And we would think that of my son wouldn't we you know.

If he were to grow up and be 25 and still act like a four-year-old though, we would still love him. We would think this isn't right. Something's wrong and we would actually be grieved wouldn't we and we would think oh no.

It shouldn't be this way. And that's what that's what Paul here. I believe is saying. He's saying look when time you ought to be teachers when time you ought to be planting churches when time you ought to be.

Stopping all this gossiping and backbiting and jealousies and evil speakings and running, you know back and forth and and getting all these things back right back to the foundations and you tear them apart and you go right back and You you need somebody to explain the gospel to you over and over and over and over again because you just can't get a hold Of faith you just I mean you need to grow up.

You need to move on in your Christian life and You know, you're Christians. It seems like he's calling them Christians here, but he's saying How long are you going to be this way how long. And you know again we need to understand as we listen to this.

There's nothing wrong with milk. Okay milk is good, right? And when you're a baby, you have to have milk to grow your bones and to grow strong and all of that. But again, I'm the example of my little son.

What if at 25 he was still just drinking milk? You know, you'd be thinking there's something wrong with that boy. Wouldn't you well, that's what Paul is saying here. There's something wrong. There's something wrong with these people and they're not growing up to the maturity.

They're just marking time instead of marching forward. Maybe another illustration from the world. From a job situation might help you a little bit. Imagine a principal in a school and he has a position an administrative position.

Maybe assistant principal to fill and he has two candidates one has five years experience one has 20 years experience. He chooses the one with five. Well, the one with 20 comes and says wait a minute.