FIRST QUARTER 2022
SABBATH SCHOOL INSIGHT #6
FEBRUARY 5, 2022
“JESUS, THE FAITHFUL PRIEST”

 

 

Memory text: “²⁶ For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens;” Hebrews 7:26

 

Our lesson this week looks at portions of Hebrews 5 and 7 and includes a discussion of Melchisedec and the similarities of Christ as High Priest to Melchisedec as High Priest. Christ is compared with Melchisedec because, like Christ, Melchisedec was “³ without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.” Hebrews 7:3. John 1:1, 2 tells us that “¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God.” So, in this way they are similar, priests in their own right; even Levi paid tithe to Melchisedec because he was superior to Abraham. The audience to whom Christ was writing, were former Jews, new Christians, and had profound respect for Moses (see reference to Moses in Hebrews 3:1-6), and Abraham. Paul here is trying to convince the New Jewish Christians that Jesus was far superior not only to the Levitical priesthood but to Melchisedec who was superior to Moses, Abraham, and the Levitical priesthood (Levi also paid tithe to Melchisedec. So, this information certainly calls forth reverence and respect. But He does not stop there. He demonstrates the true uniqueness of Jesus Christ as our High Priest that no high priest, not even Melchisedec achieved. And this will be the topic of our study this week by way of the memory text.

 

Our memory text is taken from Hebrews 7:26 and provides us with much to ponder about our High Priest. The first part of the memory verse says, “For such an High Priest was fitting for us.” Words are important. Such and “fitting for us” are some of the keywords in this text and are necessary for the understanding of why Jesus Christ is called a faithful High Priest, a great High Priest, and called over and over “such an High Priest.”

 

“Such” is a small word but pregnant with meaning. A. T. Jones, in the Consecrated Way, says this of the word “such,” “This is the summing up of the evidence of the high priesthood of Christ presented in the first seven chapters of Hebrews. The "sum" thus presented is not particularly that we have a High Priest but that "we have such an High Priest." "Such" signifies "of that kind; of a like kind or degree,"--"the same as previously mentioned or specified; not another or different." {1905 ATJ, CWCP 9.2}

 

Jones continues, “there have been specified certain things concerning Christ as High Priest, certain qualifications by which He became High Priest, or certain things which are becoming to Him as an High Priest, which are summed up in this text: "Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an High Priest." {1905 ATJ, CWCP 9.3} It is necessary, therefore, to an understanding of this scripture that the previous portion of this epistle shall be reviewed to see what is the true weight and import of this word, "such an High Priest." We will look briefly at the first chapters to establish the larger context.

 

Hebrews 1:1-3 introduces us to “such an High Priest this way, “¹ God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, ² has in these last days spoken to us by His Son…“³ who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person...” a similar thought to John 1:1-3, ¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. So, in the first chapter of Hebrews, we see the divinity of Christ, Christ as God.

 

The second chapter of Hebrews describes what Christ did with Who He was, God. Hebrews 2:14, 16, 17, “¹⁴ Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, ¹⁶ For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. ¹⁷ Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” ¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” John 1:14. This is “such” an high Priest.

 

A. T. Jones says it this way, “In the first chapter of Hebrews, the exaltation, the position, and the nature of Christ as He was in heaven before He came to the world are more fully given than in any other single portion of the Scriptures. Therefore, it is certain that an understanding of the position and nature of Christ as He was in heaven is essential to a proper understanding of His position and nature as He was on earth. And since it behooved Him to be what He was on earth, in order that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest, it is essential to know what He was in heaven, for this is essential precedent to what He was on earth and is therefore an essential part of the evidence that is summed up in the expression, "We have such an High Priest." {1905 ATJ, CWCP 12.1} “…in heaven the nature of Christ was the nature of God, that He in His person, in His substance, is the very impress, the very character, of the substance of God. That is to say that in heaven as He was before He came to the world the nature of Christ was in very substance the nature of God. {1905 ATJ, CWCP 13.5}. He was the express image of His person.

 

The fifth chapter tells us that He qualified as High Priest because He became one of us so that ^“He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since He Himself is also subject to weakness.” (verse 2). Also, we are told that ⁸ though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. ⁹ And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, ¹⁰ called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchisedec.” Certainly, we see the learning occurring in Gethsemane.

 

“And this is why it is that in order that He should be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God and that He should bring many unto glory, it became Him, as the Captain of their salvation, to be "compassed with infirmity," to be tried by temptation, to be "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;" thus "in all things" to be made acquainted with human experience, so that He truly "can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are not [sic. "out"] of the way." In a word, in order that He might be "a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God," it became Him to be made "perfect through sufferings." {1905 ATJ, CWCP 55.1}

 

With this overview context, we will look at Hebrews 7 and go to the memory text and the surrounding texts for the immediate context. Hebrews 7:20-22, 25, “²⁰ And inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath ²¹ (for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him: “The Lord has sworn and will not repent, ‘You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchisedec’”), ²² by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant. ²⁵ Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him since He always lives to make intercession for them. ²⁶ For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens;”

 

Those words “sworn and will not repent” are highly significant. God swore an oath and will not repent from His oath. What could that be? In His book “The Book of Hebrews” by M. L. Andreasen, this statement is made, “That much was involved in Christ’s appointment to the office of High Priest is evident. The cost to God is indicated in the statement, and will not repent. Great has been the cost of sin to man, this is nothing compared to its cost to God. But despite this cost, God will not repent of it.” Then he enumerates the cost, the death of His Son, the cost to the Son of God was equal to the Father, He must be subject to His own creation, man will become heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, sharing power and responsibility that will elevate man greatly above the angels and make us partakers of the divine nature. This was a plan that They both conceived of before time began with the counsel of peace that was between Them both; and then swore an oath to it (Hebrews 6:17), refusing to repent of it. This to me is incredible. Andreasen says it this way, “God was not forced into a corner because of sin. His original plan involved man’s elevation and his sharing the throne, and all this was included in Christ’s appointment as High Priest.” This is why Christ is referred to as “such” a High Priest. This kind of condescension is beyond our sinful hearts to grasp. But it is true. Christ became the surety, the guarantee of a “better covenant,” our part and His part. Hebrews 3:

 

Our next words we will consider from the memory text are “fitting for us.” Instead of “fitting,” the KJV says “became Him.” ¹⁰ For it was fitting for Him (or became Him), for Whom are all things and by Whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. ¹⁷ Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. ¹⁸ For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. Hebrews 2:10, 18. NB. That which was fitting for Him (Hebrews 2:10) was fitting for us (Hebrews 7:26). What was it that was Fitting for Him and fitting for us? I will let A. T. Jones explain from the Consecrated Way, “in becoming man, it became Him to become such as man is. Man is subject to sufferings. Therefore, it became Him to come to the man where he is--in his sufferings.” {1905 ATJ, CWCP 22.1}

 

“His name is called Emmanuel which is "God with us." Not God with Him only but God with us. God was with Him in eternity and could have been with Him even though He had not given Himself for us. But man through sin became without God, and God wanted to be again with us. Therefore, Jesus became "us" that God with Him might be "God with us." And that is His name because that is what He is. Blessed be His name. {1905 ATJ, CWCP 26.1}

 

And this is "the faith of Jesus" and the power of it. This is our Saviour--one of God and one of man--and therefore able to save to the uttermost every soul who will come to God by Him. {1905 ATJ, CWCP 26.2}

 

In closing, I leave you with this text from Hebrews 3:1, 2 “¹Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, ² Who was faithful to Him Who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house.”

 

Praise God, we have such a faithful High Priest.

 

~Andi Hunsaker