Jesus, Our High Priest

August 20, 2017

Partial Outline: FULL PDF HERE

Hebrews 4:14-16

Hebrews is one of the greatest Christological books in the Bible. It teaches that Jesus is better than the prophets, angels, Moses, or Joshua. Hebrews chapter four shows Jesus is better than the O.T. priesthood.

I. His ROLE as high priest.

Three divinely ordained offices—PROPHET, PRIEST, and KING. Jesus is the only one who held all three: (1) He was a prophet when He came to earth about 2,000 years ago. (2) He is coming again to reign as king. (3) Today, He ministers in heaven as a priest.

A. His PERSON fulfilling the role — Our High Priest is “Jesus the Son of God,” not Mary or some dead saint.

“Jesus” is His human name —identifies Him with us and His earthly ministry.

“Son of God” affirms His deity—unites Deity and humanity, so He can bring us to God, and bring to us all God has for us.

B. His POSITION of the role—A priest is a mediator between God and man. Under the O.T. Levitical system a man could only approach God through the Jewish priest.

Jesus Christ is now at the right hand of God (Heb. 8:1). “There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5). I don’t need a earthbound priest when I have Jesus interceding for me at God’s right hand.
Any religion or church that has a hierarchy of earthly priests is a false religion. In the N.T. every Christian is a “priest” who serves under our great HIGH Priest (cf. 1 Pet. 2:5, 9).

II. His RELATIONSHIP as OUR priest.

A. He is SENSITIVE to our circumstance (v.15). Our high priest is not insensitive to our problems like some earthly priests.

“Touched” means to become one with. He “feels” our pain… grieves with our griefs… He knows how we are tempted (cf. 2:17-18). We are part of His body.

B. He is SINLESS in character. Christ was tempted ”without sin.” There were no scandals in the life of our High Priest. Jesus did not molest any young boys or girls or have illicit affairs with women as so many priests do today. That is the kind of priest I want! A sinless priest.