Jesus: The Superior Priest
Hebrews 7:11-19
You have your Bibles, turn to Hebrews 7. For our study tonight, we are continuing in our series in the Book of Hebrews. Come to chapter 7, and verses 11 through 19 will be consideration tonight.
Now, it's been a while since we've been in Hebrews, and so we wanna kinda bring you up-to-date. It seems like today's been the day when we've been getting up-to-date in both of our studies, but we wanna look at this particular portion in Hebrews, but we don't wanna do it in isolation, so let me give you a brief review.
The Book of Hebrews was written to a group of Jews outside the area of Jerusalem, Jews who had apparently been evangelized by the apostles and early prophets. There were some of them who were saved, had committed their lives to Jesus Christ; but were still hanging onto some of the features of Judaism, not really making a clean break. Some of them still worshipping through the ritual of the priesthood of Israel. In addition to them, there were unsaved Jews who had been intellectually convinced that Jesus Christ was their Messiah. They apparently believed all of the data regarding the Gospel, but for fear of being unsynagogued and separated from the life of their people, they had never really made a commitment to Jesus Christ; and then, perhaps in the Jewish community, there were also some unsaved and unconvinced. But to this community of Jews, primarily the saved ones still hanging onto the Judaistic rituals and the intellectually convinced ones who hadn't yet made that final step of faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit pens this letter; and it is designed to present to those Jews the absolute superiority of Jesus Christ; and that, because He is superior, the new covenant is thus superior to the old covenant, and they can let go entirely of the old ritual and the old covenant and embrace Christ, who is totally sufficient; and they need nothing else.
So throughout the Book of Hebrews, we find repeatedly words concerning the preeminence of Christ. In chapter 1:1 to 3, Jesus Christ is superior to everything and everybody. In chapter 1:4 through chapter 2:18, He is superior to angels who mediated the old covenant. In chapter 3, He is superior to Moses who really was the...the one given the old covenant. In chapter 4, He is superior to Joshua, the one who led the children of Israel into the Promised Land; and so all along the Holy Spirit is unfolding the fact that for every man, for everyone connected to the old covenant, as great as they may have been, Jesus Christ is superior. That's His point, so that the Jewish reader understands that the new covenant is total, and that it needs nothing of Judaism to make it complete.
Now, the final superiority or kind of the apex of the whole thing has to do with the priesthood. The most important feature in Judaism, the most important feature in the ritual of Judaism and in the ceremony of Judaism, and in the law of the Old Testament was the function of the priesthood. Therefore, if Jesus is to be superior in all ways to the old covenant, He must be superior then to the old priesthood. He must be a greater priest than was Aaron and all the other priests who followed in Aaron's line through the tribe of Levi; and that then becomes the heartbeat of the Book of Hebrews; and when we arrived at chapter 4, really at the end of chapter 4 in verse 14, this thought was introduced. "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest that has passed into the Heavens, Jesus the Son of God," and then He goes on to describe what kind of a priest He is.
That introduces right there at the end of chapter 4 the whole sweep of the Book of Hebrews, clear on through what we're studying now, and even beyond that as we shall see in later studies. The great crux of the book then hinges on the priesthood of Christ, that he is a superior priest to any of the old covenant, and this is important, for this establishes Christ's new covenant as superior to the old; and throughout the Book of Hebrews, we read about Christ being a mediator of a better covenant, a better hope, with better promises, a better sacrifice, with better substance, a better country, a better resurrection, a country not earthly, but heavenly. It talks about a heavenly Christ, a heavenly calling, a heavenly gift, a heavenly country, a heavenly Jerusalem in contrast, to all the earthly things of the first covenant.
Now chapter 8 verse 1 and 2 summarize the whole feeling, because it says, "Now of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum...or the summary...We have such an High Priest who is seated on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched and not man."
Now, here we have the summary of the whole shot in Hebrews: Christ is the better priest. Christ is the supreme priest, and, therefore, His provision, His sacrifice, His priesthood, and His covenant are the superior ones to the old. Now, it is on the basis of all of that that the Holy Spirit is saying to the Jews, "Put your total confidence in the new covenant. Drop the old completely." The converted Jew who has claimed Christ as his Messiah can let go of all of the temple routine, all of the temple ritual. He can drop all of the sacrifices. He can drop all of the priesthood, because Christ has supplanted it all.
The unsaved Jew, who is hanging on the verge of the decision, can let go of Judaism and come to Christ in full confidence that this is sufficient; and so then the key to the superiority of the new covenant over the old, of Christ over all the Old Testament figures, is the priesthood. This is the issue of Judaism, and this is the heartbeat of Hebrews. Jesus must be a great High Priest, for a man cannot go to God unless he be taken there by one who stands between that man and God.
This is the argument of this entire section of Hebrews. Now, in chapter 4, as I read, He introduced the concept of Christ as a priest. In chapter 4, pardon me, in chapter 5 verses 1 to 10, the Holy Spirit shows how that Christ is a greater priest than Aaron; and Aaron, in the mind of the Jew, was the greatest priest; but, clearly, in 5:1 to 10, as we studied, the Holy Spirit shows that Jesus is greater than Aaron.
Now, then, after 5:10, notice how it ends in verse 10, "Called of God and high priest after the order of Melchizedek." He says here that Christ is of a different priesthood than Aaron, the order of Melchizedek. Now, He wants to say more about that, but He's got a problem. He knows that many of these people aren't even saved yet, and they won't understand this heavy truth; so He stops, and in 5:11, He begins a parenthesis, and He says, "I wanna say more about Melchizedek, but I can't. You can't handle it. You're dull of hearing." And then He enjoins them to get saved so they'll have spiritual ears and understand; and He does that all the way through the end of chapter 6.
As He closes chapter 6, He goes right back and says, "Jesus, made an high priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek." Now, what He's done is a whole parenthesis from 5:11 to 6:20 to say, "Look, people, I'm gonna tell you about Melchizedek, but you'll never understand it until you come to Christ, and then you have spiritual understanding." And so He gives them this parenthetical invitation. Having concluded His invitation in 6:20, in 7:1, He goes right into Melchizedek. "For this Melchizedek," etc., and takes off explaining the priesthood of Melchizedek and how Jesus Christ is a priest after the order of Melchizedek.
Now we studied this passage, chapter 7 verses 1 to 10, and it's been a couple of months ago that we did it; but in it, we saw that He presented to us five ways that the priesthood of Melchizedek is better than Aaron's. First, it was a universal priesthood, and you'll remember that Aaron's was national. Secondly, it was a royal priesthood. He was a priest king. Aaron's was subject to kings. Thirdly, it was a righteousness and peace priesthood. Aaron's could not provide either righteousness or peace. Fourth, it was a personal priesthood. It was based on Melchizedek's own character. Aaron's was based on descent and heredity and had nothing to do with character. Fifth, it was an eternal priesthood, and Aarons was definitely limited by time.
So in those five ways, we saw that the priesthood of Melchizedek is a superior priesthood to that of Aaron. Now that's just a basic point. Now, I want you to get this. You're gonna have to really leave your brain in gear tonight or you're gonna get lost; but if you stick with it, blessing untold will be yours.
Now, in...this is the point, the Jew always felt that there was nothing superior to the Aaronic priesthood, to the Levitical ritual, to whole ceremonial law as given to Moses; but the very fact that there existed another priesthood that had superiority to Aaron's proves that Aaron's priesthood was limited; and the promise that David gave in Psalm 110 was that, when Messiah came, He would not be a priest like Aaron. He would be a priest like Melchizedek, which means that whatever kind of priest Melchizedek is, it must be better than Aaron. Now that's a very important point, and that shows that all along God had designed to set aside Aaron's priesthood. From the very time it was initiated, it was inferior, for even before Aaron's priesthood, Melchizedek's existed, and David said, "When Messiah comes, He will be like Melchizedek," showing that Aaron's was inadequate and would fall by the wayside and be replaced.
Now, this is important, because this is proof positive from the Old Testament that God never intended the covenant with Israel to go on forever, but that it would be replaced by a different priesthood. Now, that's what he trying to prove - that God has set aside Judaism, brought in a new priesthood, not something just out of the blue, but patterned after Melchizedek's; and you'll remember that Melchizedek was very important, because Abraham actually paid tithes to Melchizedek; and Abraham, in a sense, was acting for the whole nation of Israel. So Melchizedek is greater than Aaron, and since Jesus Christ is a high priest after the order of Melchizedek, He is greater than Aaron. There is a better priest then and a better covenant, and Judaism has thus been set aside.
Now, the Holy Spirit is not finished proving that Jesus is superior to Aaron. He goes on in verses 11 to 19 to continue His proof; and what He's doing, and this is what we're gonna look at. It's really exciting. What He does here is He shows that Christ is better, because David prophesied that Messiah would be of another order, which meant Aaron's order couldn't make it. Do you understand that? Messiah would have to come in another order of priesthood, at Psalm 110, I think it's verse 4, that shows that Aaron's wouldn't make it.
Now that brings us to our passage, verses 11 to 19, in which He discusses this situation. As we look at it, the key phrase I want you to draw attention is in verse 19, and we'll build our message around this phrase. "For the law made nothing perfect...but the bringing in of a better hope did, by which we draw near unto God." Now, there's the phrase I want you to get. "We draw near unto God." That's the key to the whole thing. The goal of God in all that He does in behalf of man is that man might come into His presence. Drawing near to God is the goal of Christianity. That's the whole point. This is the essence of Christianity. This is its highest experience. This is the design of God for Christianity. Access to His presence, coming into His presence with nothing between.
Now, I think sometimes we forget this. Christians look at their Christian life usually three or at least three ways. Some look at their Christian life, and they see Jesus Christ only as a means to salvation and personal happiness; and that's about how they look at their Christian life. They're looking for happiness. They're on a quest for security. They've found Jesus. There's their happiness. There's their security, and that's about as far as it ever goes. Other people look at their Christian life like this. They see it as a relationship to Jesus Christ, and they seek to know Christ better. Now, that's fine, just as No. 1 was fine; but, still, they haven't grasped really what Christianity is. It's not just security and happiness. It's not just knowing Jesus Christ deeper and deeper.
Thirdly, and this is the key. This is what Christianity really is. Some Christians understand that Christianity is drawing nigh unto God. That is the essence of Christianity. That's what it is. The fullest expression of our faith is to enter into the presence of God, into the Holy of Holies, and to sit on the throne with Him. That's the fullest expression of our faith. Jesus is the door to God; and, in a sense, many Christians fellowship with the door and never get into the Holy of Holies. We need to understand that the design of God in our faith is to bring us into a full kind of access to the God of the universe.
Now, friends, that is something that Judaism could never do. Could never do...In Ephesians chapter 3, Paul makes that thrilling statement in verse 17, when he says this. Well, starting in 17, "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God." This is Christianity. Fullness with God.
Then you go to 1 John chapter 1, and he says, "These things write unto you that you might have fellowship with us, and our fellowship is with...whom?...the Father and with His Son." As we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another." The Father, the another means the Father. That is Christianity. It is access to God. It is the knowledge of the holy. That is the real goal of our faith.
Now, Judaism never brought a man into the presence of God. Never in the purest and fullest sense. It's only in the new covenant that it's possible. Only by the blood of Jesus Christ. Only by His priesthood interceding at the right hand of God. Only by His perfect sacrifice on Calvary was access to God opened...and the great recurring themes in Hebrews are the new covenant, the priesthood, and the sacrifice; and it is the new covenant, the priesthood of Christ, and the sacrifice of Calvary that gave us access to God. Aaron's priests couldn't do it. Aaron's sacrifices couldn't do it. No matter what they did, what always hung between them and God? What hung? The veil, and it never was removed; and only the high priest once a year go in; and he had to go in and get out fast, because never could Judaism open the way for a man to go in and sit down with access to God.
The fact that the Messiah was priest after the order of Melchizedek opened up an entirely new thing, because Aaron's priesthood had necessarily been set aside, because it was inadequate. It could not bring man into access with God...The fact that perfection was not brought till Christ offered Himself shows that imperfection was attached to the Aaronic Levitical priesthood.
Now, the design of these verses is to clearly show that truth; and if you haven't gotten it already, you'll get it as we go. And the point is to encourage these Jews to break with the old system and come to Jesus Christ. Now, this was not an easy thing for the Jews to understand. For them to understand that the Mosaic economy was temporary and inadequate and defective and unable to bring perfection was an unbelievable thing for a pious Jew to handle. All their lives, they had been taught that the Levitical system was perfect, that it was instituted by God, that it was sufficient, and that it was permanent; and how you gonna convince them differently?
Well, the Holy Spirit uses invincible logic here and shows that the Levitical system was imperfect; and because it was imperfect, it had to be superseded; and the reason we know it was imperfect was it couldn't do what all God's religion is designed to do - bring a man into the presence of God. It couldn't do it...and, thus, when Jesus came, the whole old system had to be destroyed. It had to be dropped, and Judaism is now defunct.
Now, let's divide the text into two parts, one dealing with the imperfection of the inferior priesthood, and the other with the perfection of the superior priesthood. In verses 11 to 14, we'll see the imperfection of the inferior priesthood. Now this is thrilling, because it so clearly shows the transition and what the new covenant means.
Look at verses 11 to 14, and we'll consider them verse by verse after just an introductory remark. It was never - now mark this - it was never the intention of God that the Levitical priesthood would remain forever. Never was. For the Old Testament, God prophesied another priesthood was coming. Psalm 110:4. Now, if God predicted that another priesthood would come, that assumes that the old one would be done away, does it not? And so it is never indicated in the Old Testament that the Aaronic priesthood is permanent...
In Genesis 14, Melchizedek was first met; and in Psalm 110...the prophecy given to David. You remember that the greeting comes to the Messiah there, "Sit Thou at My right hand, for Thou art a Priest forever after the order of...not Aaron, but whom?...Melchizedek. There's coming a greater priesthood." Now, if Messiah then was to be a different priest in a different order, then the Aaronic priesthood must be imperfect, or there would be no need for a change. Do you see that? That's the point, verse 11. Let's look at it.
"If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood...skip the parenthesis for a minute...what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchizedek, and not be called after the order of Aaron?" Do you see? If perfection was brought by the Levitical priesthood, what need would there be for a priest after the order of Melchizedek? If Aaron's priesthood brought it all, and it was sufficient, who needs the one of Melchizedek? That's simple enough, isn't it? That's just what He's saying. If God had intended the Aaronic priesthood to introduce the age of perfection, the time of perfect access to God, why would He then have prophesied Messiah to be a priest of a different order?...
You see, when God set aside Israel, that was no accident. God had planned that way back in the Old Testament, even before the world began. God knew Messiah would be a different priest, because He knew the Aaronic priesthood was imperfect. Now, I wanna take a moment to look at some details. Look at the word perfection. Now, this has caused a lot of confusion in people's understanding of the Book of Hebrews. We dealt with it in chapter 6 verse 1. Lemme deal with it again.
The word perfection used by the Apostle Paul has to do with spiritual maturity. We read it in Ephesians 4 when he talks about perfecting the saints. We read about it in Colossians when he desires to present every man perfect. When Paul uses the term perfection, he uses it to mean mature, complete, full-grown. That's Paul's use of it; but in Hebrews, it is a word used to refer to the goal and the aim of Christianity - access to God. In Hebrews, it does not mean spiritual maturity. It essentially has to do with salvation in Christ.
Compare for a moment verse 11 with 19. Look at verse 11. "If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchizedek?" Now what is the goal then that God has in mind? It is what? Perfection. It couldn't come by Aaron, right? So God had to bring Melchizedek's priesthood. The goal in verse 11 is perfection.
Now let's see the goal in verse 19. "For the law made nothing perfect." The law couldn't bring the perfection that was the goal, right? "But the bringing in of a better hope did, by which we get perfection." Is that what it says? No. "By which we draw near to God." That's the synonym for perfection, do you see? In the Book of Hebrews, perfection is access to God...It is the full goal of our faith. It is not spiritual maturity of those who are already Christians.
I illustrate it another way. Chapter 10 verse 14, "For by one offering," now that is Christ by the one sacrifice of Himself, "For by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." In other words, He has given them positionally full access to God. You see? That's perfection in Hebrews.
Now, go back to chapter 6 verse 1, some of you were confused in that chapter when we began to teach it. Listen to it now. Now, He's saying to the Jews who are still stirring around in Judaism, "Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrines of Messiah, let us go on unto...what?...perfection," which means what? Access to God. You can't gain access to God through the repentance from dead works. You can't gain it through the washings, and the laying on of hands, and all of that. You must go on. If you're going to come into access to God, it's only through Jesus Christ. You've gotta get off the ABCs of the Old Testament and get to the new covenant. Perfection means access to God.
Now, the Levitical priesthood could not provide this full access. Jesus said, "No man cometh unto the Father," and He said it to Jews, and what was the rest of His statement? "But by Me." There could be a covering of sins. The old covenant covered them over. Never got rid of 'em, it just covered them over. Look at chapter 10 verse 1...Now watch this. "For the law, having a shadow of good things to come...you see?...and not the very image of those things, can...what's the next word?...never, with those sacrifices which they offered year by year, continually make those who come to it...what?...perfect." It can't give access to God, verse 2, "For then would they not have ceased to be offered?"
You see, if the sacrifice got anybody into God's presence, they coulda stopped offering the sacrifices. Then He goes on, "Because the worshipers had purged, or once purged, should have had no more consciousness of sins." So now the point of verse 11 is clear. If the Levitical priesthood could've brought this perfection, which is access to God in Hebrews and salvation, in the fullest sense, if the Levitical priesthood could've brought that, why would God have predicted another priesthood? Oh, this is so important for Jews to hear this. It shows that the Levitical priesthood couldn't bring men to perfection.
There are so many verses jumping into my mind. Hope you don't mind. Chapter 10 verse 4, here, this is as simple as it can be. Here's the...here's the whole Levitical priesthood. "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away...what?...sins." That...that economy couldn't do it. Verse 5, "Wherefore when He cometh into the world, He saith, 'Sacrifice and offering Thou wouldest not, but a body hast Thou prepared Me." In other words, "God, You don't want anymore sacrifices and offering. You want Me to be the final sacrifice." You see the new economy, the new covenant, the new priesthood