Sermon – Hebrews 5:1-10 – Our Great High Priest

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon – Hebrews 5:1-10 – Our Great High Priest
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
October 18, 2009

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This morning I am continuing with my series of sermons on the topic of biblical transitions. We all experience transitions in our lives. We feel ok, get sick and then get better. We get into relationships, fall out of relationships and get into them again. We all get older every day and this pushes us into new stages of life. Transitions are a part of life. So it is important to see what God says as people transition from one stage of life to another.

Last week we looked at Moses’ transition as he was no longer able to get around and accompany God’s people into the Promised Land. So God had Moses write the law down so that these instructions for life could accompany the people as they transitioned from being nomads in the desert into being settled farmers and shepherds in the land God had promised. And God gave them three pieces of wisdom for dealing with transitions: be bold and courageous, remember that God is with you, and have no fear.

Today we will be looking at another transition. This one was happening to the Jewish followers of Jesus who found they could no longer enter the temple in Jerusalem and then watched with horror as the temple was destroyed leaving them without a way to communicate with God and know that God was ready to forgive them of their sins. But before we get to this very important work, please pray with me.

Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)

Hebrews 5:1-10 NRS Hebrews 5:1 Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; 3 and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. 4 And one does not presume to take this honor, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was. 5 So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, "You are my Son, today I have begotten you"; 6 as he says also in another place, "You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek." 7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; 9 and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10 having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

I have been watching a transition occur during Rosie’s ESL class on Tuesday nights. I take care of three children ages 5, 7 and 9. I have been trying to get them interested in some of the games we have in the youth room. So far they have been playing with the games rather than playing the games. They take the game pieces and move then around, throw them in the air, pretend they are cars with the appropriate sound effects and do all the things you expect little kids to do. But last Tuesday a transition occurred. They wanted to play a version of Monopoly that uses Eagle Rock businesses and organizations. This time I announced that I would be the banker and chief rule enforcer. I sat next to the five-year-old to even the playing field. And I organized all the properties and money and verbally summarized the rules. Then the game began. To my surprise all three played the game seriously. And it held their attention for two solid hours. These kids are growing up and everyday they and their parents are experiencing transitions.

There are other transitions going on in this church. A couple of you no longer drive and need help getting to church on Sundays. Some of you have always had good memories but now forget the some of the most basic things. And all of you are in one way or another preparing for the pastoral transition that will happen next month.

In the first century the Jews who became the first followers of Jesus Christ experienced a major transition. In the year 70AD the Roman Empire used military force to subdue a rebellion and in doing so destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem. This caused a major disruption in the way the people of God related to God because a sacrament that God had provided and the people depended on for forgiveness was gone forever.

In ancient times God had provided the people with the sacrament of sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin. The process was simple. When people became aware that they were separated from God, as a result of their sin, they would come to the temple in Jerusalem and present a goat or a lamb to the priest. If they were too poor to afford a goat or a lamb they could bring a couple a birds or even a container of flour. The priest would then sacrifice the offering on the altar and burn the blood of the sacrificed animals, the smoke of which symbolized the prayers of the people going up to God. Then the priest would enter the Holy of Holies into the presence of God and deliver the prayers of the people. The priest then would return to the people and speak the words that sealed the gracious love of God on God’s people, “you are forgiven”. Sacrifice was a sign and seal of God desire to forgive people who confess and repent. But with the destruction of the Temple this sacrament disappeared forever. There were no more altars, no more priests, and no more sacrament of sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins.

The author of Hebrews was a pastor who needed a way to assure his people that God loved them very much and still graciously forgave of all their sins. But with no priest and no temple, how could he assure his congregation? He did what all good pastors do; he meditated on God’s word to find something from God that would comforted his people. And he found this in the second psalm. Psalm 2:7 7 I will tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my son; today I have begotten you”.

Jesus, the begotten son of God, was a flesh and blood human. He experienced joy and pain, even the pain of death. He went through his own transitions in life. He felt the loss of a dear friend, Lazarus, and the great joy of the people he healed. Jesus could have used his power as God, but chose the path of humility and experienced our weakness. Because of all of this Jesus can empathize with us and understand us. And thus Jesus has the experience needed to hear and understand our prayers as our priest. Moreover the resurrected and ascended Jesus Christ can deliver our prayers not in a symbolic Holy of Holies in a temple in Jerusalem but in the real Holy of Holies in heaven. So Christ would be the perfect high priest. The pastor who wrote Hebrews wanted to proclaim this to his people, but there was a problem.

The author of Hebrews knew very well that Jesus could not be our High Priest. His Bible, our Old Testament, was very clear that God only calls High Priests from the tribe of Levi. And high priests must be descendents of Aaron and Zadok. But Jesus was not of the tribe of Levi; he was from the tribe of Judah, descended from King David. Jesus could be the king and the long waited for messiah, but he could not be the high priest who brings our prayers to God. The pastor who wrote Hebrews knew that he still did not have a way to tell his people that God hears their prayers, and forgives their sin. So he went back to meditating on the Word of God.

As the author of Hebrews searched the scripture he ran across a Psalm that was very familiar to his congregation. It was Psalm 110. Jesus had said that this psalm was talking about himself. But the author of Hebrews’ eye fell on a different verse that he had not noticed before. Psalm 110:4 4 The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, "You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." There was the answer that he was looking for. Jesus was a priest but not of the line of Aaron and Zadok. Jesus was called by God to the priesthood of Melchizedek. Melchizedek was a priest who ministered to Levi’s great-grandfather Abraham. He was the king of Salem who blessed Abraham after a battle. And Abraham responded with the gift of a tithe, ten percent. Therefore Jesus was called by God to a priesthood far older and more important than the levitical priests of Israel. Melchizedek is the Hebrew word that means “king of righteousness”, and Salem or shalom is the Hebrew word that means “peace” and “well being”. So Jesus was called by God to be a priest of righteousness from the land of peace and well being.

The pastor who wrote Hebrews then told his flock that just as Jesus had often prayed for his people while on earth, Jesus is now praying for us to God as our Great High Priest. Jesus has the experience to be a priest because of his experience of being a man. And Jesus has been called by God to the priesthood of the ancient order of Melchizedek. And therefore if we confess our sins and repent, Jesus will hear those prayers, draw upon his own experiences to understand what we are going through, and will communicate our prayers to God the Father. Then you will hear the ancient priestly words spoken by Jesus through the mouth of his pastors who say “in Jesus Christ you are forgiven.”

This is why we reenact the ancient sacrament of sacrifice every day at this church in worship and early morning prayers. We begin each day by confessing our sins both together as a congregation and silently as individuals. These prayers are heard by Jesus, who understands what we are experiencing, communicates our prayers to God, and speaks to us the words of forgiveness.

So as you experience the transitions in your lives and as the church experiences transition in pastoral leadership, remember that your Great High Priest does not change. Your prayers will always be heard by Jesus, a priest of the order of the king of righteousness from the land of peace and well being. Jesus will know what you are experiencing because he experienced it too. And Jesus will communicate your prayers to God and you will hear the ancient words, “you are forgiven.”

Lord Jesus we come to you today with our prayers and our sacrificial offerings. We ask that you hear our petitions and bring them to God. And we long to hear from you that God hears our prayers and forgives us. Amen.