A Study in Hebrews-Week 5

(Get your Bible out and read the verses as we study.)

Hebrews Chapter 05

The definition of a priest is important, because Paul calls Christ a priest. A priest engages in Sacrifice; Substance; and Prayer. A Priest is one who offers gifts and sacrifices. He must be: 1) Taken from among men…he must be a person; 2) Be acceptable to God…ordained by God and 3)Be ordained for man…Representing man to God

A priest goes from man to God to represent man to God. A prophet comes from God to man with a message from God. A priest does not tell us what God has to say. He represents us before God. The only one who can represent us is the Lord Jesus, Christ. The priesthood is not for lost sinners but for saved sinners.

We tend toward either an emotional or a ritualistic approach to worship. We need to come to Him simply and rid ourselves of the meaningless trappings.

The verses:

Verse 1 - The gift Christ offers to God for the forgiveness of our sins is Himself. No other gift would have been sufficient. He is our advocate (lawyer), and the best advocate there is.

Verse 2 - Jesus was sinless, but can have compassion on those who commit sins of ignorance (Leviticus 4:2.). Christ takes care of those sins. He does not lecture us about how badly we have behaved…he just cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

Verse 3 - The priest had to make sacrifices for himself as well as for others. Christ did not have to make an offering for Himself.

Verse 4 - He is the highest priest because He is acceptable to God

Verse 5 - The beginning of His priesthood has to do with the resurrection.

Verse 6 - Aaron’s order is not adequate…Christ is a Son, Aaron was just a servant. Melchizedek is only mentioned in Genesis 14. He brought forth food and wine for Abraham as the priest of the Most High God. Psalm 110 the prophecy of Christ in the order of Melchizedek.

Verse 7 - Three occasions Jesus wept: At the grave of Lazarus; over Jerusalem; In the Garden of Gethsemane. Some theologians teach that “Let this cup pass” refers to His dying in the garden; that He did not want to die there. Actually, if when He prayed in the garden to “let this cup pass” and that meant He didn't want to die on the cross, His prayer was not heard. In a very real sense, He wanted to go to the cross! He found the cross joyful…He submitted to God. That is unfathomable to us.

Verse 8 - He only offers eternal salvation. If you can lose it tomorrow, it wasn’t eternal, was it? (See John 3:16)

Verse 9 - Why did the Son of God need to learn obedience by suffering? The only answer is that God got something out of  the death of Christ that has made Heaven more wonderful.

Why did the one who was perfect need to be made perfect? These are two significant mysteries. Lots of theologians have given their answers, but none of them can even begin to be satisfactory.

Verse 10 - “Designated” comes from the word for “salute.” Melchizedek was a “type” of the priesthood of the Lord, Jesus, Christ.

Verse 11 - As a group, we are not very good learners. We are “dull of hearing.”

Verse 12 - We think we are teachers, when we, ourselves still need to be taught. What we need to learn is not the depth of the Word. Paul says we need to learn the elementary truths of the Word…milk, not solid food. And we need it again and again. We may move to more solid food, but we will forever need the milk as well, to remind us of what Christ has done for us.

Verse 13 - Turn this around and realize that too many of us teach what we call “righteousness” when it is really nothing more than “behaviorism.” Not the same thing at all. Righteousness is imputed to us by Christ, not something we achieve.

Verse 14 - Ask yourself the question: Am I mature enough to absorb the solid food of the Word?

If we are not growing, we are dying, both personally and corporately as the church. Let us grow as the Body of Christ, into mature, Word-filled people of God.