Subscribe: RSS

Introduction: Paris Olympics

Good morning. This past summer, I watched a ton of the Paris Olympics. I can’t remember if I’ve always watched this much of the Olympics when they’re on, or if this was just a nervous thing that I did because my son was going to be born at any moment. But when you’re watching the Olympics, you’re watching these master athletes competing against each other, and the margins between them are pretty tight, pretty small. No one is leaps and bounds ahead of anyone else. And that starts to make the sport look easy. You take for granted how masterfully these athletes perform. Then I start to think, I bet I could do that. I bet I could swim like that. I bet I could bike the way they’re biking, they make it look so easy. There needs to be an average Joe who competes with them. And this isn’t my own thought. Others have said this before. There really should be an average person who competes in every Olympic event.

That way, you can compare these master athletes and see how much better they are than the average Joe. It gives you a baseline, a point of comparison, so then you can truly see how much better they are at their sports. The comparison that these next-level athletes have in comparison can be a helpful thing. It’s often said that comparison is the thief of joy, and in many cases, that’s true. We don’t want to compare ourselves to others, and we don’t want to justify our actions based on what everybody else is doing.

Jesus is Better

However, comparison is not the thief of joy. In the Book of Hebrews, quite the opposite. Comparison is the fuel of joy. The comparison Hebrews make should ignite your joy and passion, stirring up excitement and worship in your hearts. Hebrews is going to compare and contrast the Old Covenant priesthood with Christ’s New Covenant priesthood. In our passage, we’re examining this morning, a covenant is the promises and commitments made between God and his people. Throughout this book, so far, we’ve seen that Jesus is the perfect revelation of the Father. He’s better than the angels. He’s better than Moses. He’s the more perfect sacrifice. And we’re going to learn today that he is the better High Priest than any who came before. One of the major themes of the Book of Hebrews can be summed up simply in the word better. Jesus is better. The New Covenant is better. And our text reveals the better priesthood of Jesus. And it does so, as we’ll see this morning, in three ways. The priesthood of Jesus is better by an oath. It’s better by stability, and it’s better in its sufficiency.

Better by an Oath

The first comparison made between the two, shows Jesus’ priesthood is better because of an oath. In Hebrews chapter 7, starting in verse 20, the author of Hebrews gives us that comparison between the Old Covenant priesthood and the priesthood of Aaron. And it says in chapter 7, verse 20 of Hebrews, 

“It was not without an oath, for those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath. But the one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him, the Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, you are a priest forever. This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.”

We have the first comparison the author of Hebrews makes between the Old Testament Aaronic priesthood (that’s the priesthood of Aaron, not the ironic priesthood). It compares that priesthood to Jesus’s priesthood, the New Covenant priesthood. This passage follows the arguments made in chapter 7 that the weaker priesthood of Aaron was put aside, making way for the perfect to come. The Old Covenant was made obsolete by the arrival of the New Covenant. And in this comparison, the lack, the deficiency of the Old Testament priesthood, is revealed to us as an aside. We are not saying that the Old Testament priesthood was meaningless or evil, or bad. That is not the judgment the author of Hebrews is making on this priesthood. Instead, he was saying it was lacking. It wasn’t the fullness, it was a shadow. It was all along pointing forward to Christ’s priesthood. And you need to be very clear here that you don’t misunderstand the author of Hebrews. He’s not disparaging the priesthood of Aaron. He’s revealing that it was purposely temporary, and it was deficient. And when the fullness came, the obsolete priesthood was meant to pass away.

This was the plan from the beginning. God delighted to make his saving plan and then reveal it progressively over time, giving more detail as each biblical book was written. So what’s the first deficiency? Hebrews points out that the Old Testament priesthood was deficient because the Old Testament priests were not given an oath for their priesthood. Their priesthood lacked an oath. If you go back to the Torah and you read, God tells Moses to set the Levites aside as priests. That was their portion, that was their inheritance, to serve as priests and to serve in the temple. God sets up Aaron, Moses ‘ older brother, as the first high priest, and all of Aaron’s descendants would be priests after him. But God didn’t give Aaron a promise or an oath. He didn’t swear the priesthood of Aaron, he gave it to him for a time. 

This is not the case with the New Covenant priesthood of Jesus. This one was given an oath. Hebrews highlights that in our passage, and he backs up his argument, quoting Psalm 110, verse 4, we read, 

“The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind. You are a priest forever.” 

This is the oath that God gives to Jesus’ priesthood, the promise that he will be a priest forever. And it says that the Lord will not change his mind. And that’s something we know about God. He doesn’t change his mind. There’s no variation or shifting shadow in him. He does not change. Remember that before the foundation of the world, the Lord had planned to set in place the Old Covenant Priesthood for the purpose of training the people about redemption, about their need for intercession, and about sin, to prepare the way for when Jesus’ perfect priesthood was set up. This was all God’s plan from the beginning. He’s not changing mid-course here. That’s very important for you to see in this text. This priesthood is not a course correction for God. He’s not changing up his plan because something went wrong in the Old Testament priesthood. Rather, the entire point of the Old Testament priesthood from the beginning was to prepare for the coming of Jesus’ priesthood. The Old Testament priests were the shadow of Jesus and His priesthood is the reality. 

So in light of the promise, the oath that God makes, the author of Hebrews goes on to say, this makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant, the new covenant. God has promised the new covenant, and Jesus will secure it. He will make sure that this covenant comes in its fullness, that every promise made in this covenant will be fulfilled, and all at the right time. Now, maybe this example is on my mind because my wife and I are in the process of buying a house, and it is a lot. When you go to apply for a mortgage or an apartment, the bank or the property manager investigates you like a hawk. Not from some morbid curiosity, simply because they’re trying to see if what you’re promising, you’re going to be able to do that. You’re going to be able to execute all the payments that will be required. You’re committing by contract that you have all the funds that you can manage this. So they’re examining your records, your past history, anything they can get a hold of to see are you really going to be true to your word? Do you really have the resources to fulfill this contract? Let’s say I’m filling out a mortgage contract, and they look at my background, and they say, we don’t think you have the resources for this. You don’t have the credit history. We are not going to give you this mortgage. And as they’re explaining this, billionaire Warren Buffett walks in the door with all his billions, and he says, I will sign Daniel’s mortgage as a guarantor. Which means I promise that Daniel will be true to his word. And if he isn’t, I will hold myself personally and financially liable on his behalf. I, billionaire Warren Buffett, will be responsible for him and his mortgage. No mortgage company or bank in their right mind is going to turn away Warren Buffett. He has way more financial power behind him than it takes to fill my measly home loan. 

Even more so with Jesus. He can do far more than is required to guarantee the new covenant. If you ever questioned your salvation, and I’ll admit at times I have too. So you are not alone if you have, but if you have, you struggle thinking maybe you’re not a good enough Christian. Maybe you don’t do all the right Christian things all of the time. Maybe you just don’t measure up. Or maybe do you over-commit yourself to do as many projects as possible, thinking that maybe God will love you more if you sacrifice more and more, thinking that burnout will somehow earn you a place in God’s kingdom, or at least cover up some of your sins. If you’re thinking along those lines, I would encourage you gently to turn away from that damaging thinking and instead remember this. Jesus is the guarantor of the covenant. He is the Savior. The work of redemption rests on his shoulders, not on your work or performance. Keep it close in your mind that if salvation were up to you, then it would never happen. Instead, be assured and be ever thankful that Jesus is the One who secures your salvation and guarantees that he will keep you to the end. If you are in Christ, it is based on his work that redeems and restores, and saves you. He is the guarantor of the covenant. And he will guarantee that any and all who come to him in faith, all that the Father has given to him, will be saved. He won’t lose one of them. 

Jesus is the guarantor of the covenant. He holds Himself personally responsible to make sure that this covenant comes to its fruition, that all of God’s promises and obligations that he has made will be fulfilled. You don’t need to sweat for even a second because Jesus has far more power and ability to secure this covenant than is needed. He is the guarantor of our better covenant, and that should cause us an extreme amount of peace this morning.

Well, the first comparison between the Old and the New Covenant priesthood has been made. The Old did not have an oath. The New was made with an oath. Jesus is the guarantor of that better covenant. Being an Old Testament major, I’m always concerned that people understand the Old Testament well. There are a lot of pitfalls you can fall into. There are a lot of errors you can fall into. There are a lot of ways that we can misunderstand, misinterpret, or misapply the Old Testament, and Hebrews stands out for us as a tool to help us understand the Old Testament rightly. How does the Old relate to the New? And how does the New relate back to the Old? The author of Hebrews is exhorting the reader not to go backwards in the saving plan of God. You are part of the New Covenant. You have been given the complete revelation of God. Unlike those in the Old Covenant. You’re not anticipating more revelations to come. Further details on God’s saving plan. You now have the complete full revelation of God in the Bible, and you have access to it anytime you want. Don’t trade the perfect for the imperfect. Don’t go back to the obsolete.

But perhaps the audience of the Book of Hebrews was tempted to stick with the Old Covenant. After all, the Old Covenant was familiar. It had been around for many, many years. They were comfortable with it. The old was familiar. The new was harder. And it called them to learn more and to meditate. I’m wondering if there are ways that maybe you’re wanting to go backwards or wanting to stay where it’s comfortable. The Book of Hebrews has already exposed this warning before, and it’s a warning that’s going to continue throughout this letter. Spoiler alert. Are you wanting to stay with the easy milk of simple things instead of moving on to the meat of maturity? Do you only want to focus on the basic doctrines of Christianity because they’re easier to understand? Because they don’t take as much time and effort, and meditation to process through? Are you tempted to go backwards? Don’t be lured into settling for what comes easily in your faith. Don’t be lazy. The New Covenant has difficulty. There’s more gray area. There’s more required meditation and maturity. It calls us to suffering and persecution. But you have a helper. The New Covenant gives you the Holy Spirit to help train you up into maturity. So don’t neglect him and don’t neglect his training.

We’ve often quoted C.S. Lewis in this church, and I hope this practice continues. He has a wonderful way with words. There’s a quote from Lewis that’s always stood out to me that I love, and I think it fits well here about how we often settle. We don’t push on into maturity out of a wrong kind of contentment. And Lewis said that “so often we are like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

Better by Stability

The second way that Jesus’ priesthood is better is that it’s better by stability. We continue in our passage in Hebrews as this letter gives us the Comparison between the two priesthoods in Hebrews 7, verse 23. The Scriptures say the former priests were many in number because they were prevented by death from continuing in office. But He holds his priesthood permanently because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

The next weakness of the Aaronic priesthood, the priesthood of Aaron, is exposed. It was weak because they were many in number. There were many high priests. Over time, Aaron might have been a wonderful high priest, but over the course of time, hi,m being mortal, he passed away, which means the job has to go to the next guy. Aaron’s son now has to take over, and that could be a good thing. Maybe Aaron’s son will be just as devoted to the Torah, just as devoted to his duties as priest. He might be a gifted administrator. He might be dedicated with all of his heart to serving the Lord. But maybe he won’t be. Maybe the new high priest will be a dud. He might lead the nation into idolatry or syncretism, blending the worship of God with the worship of false gods. Or he might just be lazy and negligent in his duties, and there’s nothing that they could do to change what the next person would be like. Since it’s a hereditary office. A historical podcast says this wonderfully. I love the term that they use for this. The hereditary office is a role of the genetic lottery, and the podcast was referring to monarchs, but it fits the same here.

Whoever the son is, whether he’s gifted or not, you’re stuck with him. You just have to sit back and take the role of the genetic lottery. The dice may come up good, and you’re fine. Or you might get stuck with someone who’s a bad administrator, an idolater, or who might, through his wickedness and idolatry, lead the people away from God and right into the jaws of exile. There’s a lot of stress that came with the passing of each high priest. The high priest is not going to live forever, even the good ones. You’re not going to be guaranteed that the next one will be good. We have a similar situation for us that comes up every four years. As an election cycle hits us, it generates a lot of anxiety and fear and nervousness in us, worrying will the right person be elected into office? Worrying, will there even be good candidates to choose from in the first place? We might, for a time, have a good person in office. But what will happen when the cycle hits us in the face again and they leave office? Will the next person elected mess it all up? Or will they be just as good an administrator?

This is a great weakness of the priesthood of Aaron. The priests were many in number because they died and had to be replaced. Who knows the quality of the replacement. With that in mind, we now move on to Jesus’ priesthood. It’s superior because Jesus is eternal. His office of high priest is never vacated. It’s never given over to the next guy. He is the most perfect high priest that ever lived. No one was more holy, more spotless, or blameless than Him. We couldn’t hope for a better high priest to hold the office than Jesus. And we don’t ever have to fret that he’s going to leave that office because he lives forever to make intercession for us. He’s never going to leave his office. I wonder how many of you have thought of that, that you’ve never had to be anxious or worried about who your next high priest was going to be. You’ve never had to think about that because you’ve had one high priest and will always have one high priest forever. And that high priest is the best one you could hope for, better than you could have dreamt up. An ample burden and anxiety have been lifted from the believer’s soul by this great gift of Jesus’ priesthood.

It has become so familiar to us that we don’t even realize there would have been anxiety and burden to begin with. We’re so used to this blessing that we don’t really reflect on how wonderful it is that we have one less thing in life to worry about. Jesus will never be replaced. He will function in his role forever. The author of Hebrews here has given you an antidote to your anxiety and worry. You have been given a steadfast high priest who will always be your high priest, never leaving you, never forsaking the duties of his office. Jesus is the perfect high priest. He is the guarantor of your salvation, who always lives to intercede for you. And if you cling to him, he will always be there. He is stability itself.

Better by Sufficiency 

The third comparison is going to flow straight from that, showing that Jesus has this perfect resume as High Priest. His priesthood is better by its sufficiency. Reading on in Hebrews 7, starting in verse 26, the Scriptures say, 

“For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest. Holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.  He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifice daily, first for his own sins and those for the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests. But the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a son who has been made perfect forever.” 

Jesus, as we read, is holy, perfect, unstained, and innocent. He’s not like sinners. None of the high priests that ever were could compare with this perfect resume, these outstanding character qualifications that Jesus can present as our high priest. He is the most capable high priest to ever hold that office. And as our passage says, he lives constantly making intercession for us. He is steadfast, he is committed. He is zealous for his role as high priest. But what about the priesthood of Aaron? Well, the Aaronic priesthood was entirely composed of sinners. Every high priest under the high priesthood of Aaron was a man born in sin, carrying a sin nature and sinning throughout their lives. They were all stained by this. And that means for them to be a good high priest and intercessor, they needed to do the work of caring for their own souls first, before making intercession for others. They had to clean themselves up. Their focus would always be split. 

This reminds me of when the security announcements go on before a plane takes off. You probably all memorize them. You hear them so often. They talk about if the oxygen masks come down from the ceiling, there’s a warning given to you to secure your mask before helping others. So if you’re a parent, you need to put your mask on before you put your child’s mask on. Why do they have you do this? Doesn’t it seem random? Because you need to make sure you get oxygen, otherwise you’ll pass out, and you can’t help either one of you. The priests of the priesthood of Aaron had to work first in getting their own masks secure before they could turn around and help the Israelites. And to continue to stretch my illustration here, Jesus is not like that. He does not need an oxygen mask. Jesus has no sin to atone for first. The millisecond that Jesus is appointed as our High Priest of the New Covenant, the millisecond that happens, he is ready to intercede for you. There is nothing he has to work on himself first before he can help you. That alone makes him so much better of a high priest than all that came before him.

Think for a moment about the Old Testament sacrificial system that the priesthood of Aaron was in charge of overseeing. There was so much work to be done. There were grain sacrifices and peace offerings and burnt offerings, and festival offerings. There were personal offerings. On the Day of Atonement, there was a scapegoat and the sin offering. All of these animals, goats, sheep, doves, bulls, grain oil. Year after year, month after month, week after week, offering all of these sacrifices continually. They’re busy at their work, busy with all of these animal sacrifices, all of these offerings, all of these grain offerings and festival days and purifications and washing. Go read Leviticus. I want you to get bored reading all of the obligations in the Torah. Overwhelmed by how much they had to do, busy working to fulfill the Old Covenant Law. Vividly picture in your mind all of these sacrifices, all of these priests running to and fro, constantly busy with sacrifices for the sins of people. Hundreds of thousands of animals constantly sacrificed year after year after year. Picture in your mind, and now Jesus has sacrificed his sacrifice as High Priest once. He sacrifices himself once, and it covers the sin of all people, past, present, and future.

That is the comparison that shows the mighty power and sufficiency of Jesus. For hundreds of years, year after year of sacrifice and offerings in the Old Covenant and in the New, by Jesus, over one day, one sacrifice, he pays for everything. That is what it means that Jesus is the all-sufficient sacrifice. That is the power of his priesthood. When you come to him, you don’t have to go and make a new sacrifice. He doesn’t have to go and make a new sacrifice for you, he intercedes on your behalf using his completed work of redemption on the cross.

Summary

These are the three comparisons that are made between Jesus’ priesthood and Aaron’s. And Jesus’ priesthood is better because of an oath. It’s better because of stability, since Jesus is eternal. And it’s better in its sufficiency, since Jesus is the perfect sacrifice, and he can intercede for us without having to cleanse his own sins first. When we understand this, it’s no surprise that the Scriptures call us to rejoice in all seasons, to be grateful in all things, without grumbling. Why complain in light of all that God has done for us? Why be bad-tempered if Jesus is for us always? Through Jesus, you have been given peace with God, who the Scriptures tell us is really the only person you’re supposed to be afraid of anyway. Now, through Jesus, you have peace with God. Why then should we, as people who have been given this great High Priest, this blessed assurance, this impregnable stability, this steadfast love purchased by Jesus, be afraid or lack confidence in our standing? You have access to God directly in prayer. The love of Christ holds you fast to Himself.

Be a Different Kind of People

This means we should be a different kind of people. You shouldn’t be marked by constant complaining. It’s too hot, it’s too cold, things are too expensive, Life is too unsure. Man, things aren’t going my way. Instead, always hold before your eyes that whether famine or persecution or sword, Jesus will fulfill his promise to you. He will save to the uttermost. He will be the guarantor of the covenant. But if we’re no different, if we’re not different people, after knowing Jesus, after experiencing this great gift of God, then the author of Hebrews says rather pointedly, examine yourself. You don’t receive this kind of love and blessing, and security. You don’t receive a great high priest like this. You don’t get the anxiety removed from your shoulders, this heavy yoke of sin removed from your shoulders. And then you’re the same person you were before. When you meet with the living God who has sacrificed himself for you while you were in your lowest estate, mired by sin and shame, and he reaches down for you and saves you and gives you a new heart and a sure hope, you are never going to be the same person again. You can’t help it, you will never be the same after receiving this from the living God. Bask in the glory of Jesus’ priesthood. What a gift and privilege it is that God has given it to us. Because this is a gift that has been sworn by an oath by God and secured by the guarantor, Jesus Christ Himself. There is nothing that we need to do to earn it. Take time this Lord’s Day to sit back, relax, and rest in the better priesthood that has been given to us.

Rest in the Comfort of Jesus’ Priesthood

Life is going to be very hard. I was unfortunately not with you all the past two Sundays. Molly and I missed you all dearly. But we were up in Oxford, Ohio, and I was performing the funeral for my Gram. Life is really hard, and there are a lot of challenges that often hit us, and we’re completely unaware that they’re coming. I can only imagine and guess the numerous hardships facing each person here this morning. But I can say this for the believer, for those in Christ, you can find such a great source of comfort in his high priesthood. He is stable. Be comforted that your high priest is your high priest and he always will be. There’s no need to worry about who the next guy will be. There’s no worry about his adequacy for the office or his zeal to intercede for us. You can be comforted that your souls are secure because of Jesus’ never-ending priesthood. Rest. Rest this Lord’s Day in that comfort. As we look at the better priesthood of Jesus, there should be excitement.

The Christian beauty and glory of our God is on full display in our text this morning. Jesus is being lifted up and compared against the old covenant so that, by comparison, he looks so much brighter and more glorious. Aaron’s priesthood is that average Joe compared to the Olympic-level priesthood of Jesus, running far past him. The author is lifting up Jesus to your gaze this morning so you can see how glorious and bright he is as our perfect High Priest. If that seems boring to you, if that doesn’t stir much in your heart, if it’s quickly forgotten, that is a litmus test, a diagnostic of where your heart is at. Those who have been redeemed by Christ get excited by the things of Christ, and there is nothing more paramount to be excited about than Christ Himself. Examine your heart if Jesus doesn’t seem that exciting, if the deep and mature things of Christ aren’t stirring up your heart. This is a warning the author of Hebrews has been given throughout this book when he holds up Jesus to your gaze. If the reader is unaffected by this vision of Jesus, then be warned. Hebrews says you may have a hard and unbelieving heart.

 Closing- Nothing can Separate us from Christ’s Love

I will close this morning with the words of Paul in Romans 8. After Paul has reflected on the tribulations and hardships that we face as Christians, and that despite all that, if God is for us, we do not need to fear or worry. So at the end of all of that reflection in Romans, he shares this in Romans 8, starting in verse 38. 

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

Nothing, nothing can separate us from the love of God that he has pointed towards those who are his. Because of the finished work of Christ, he now mediates for us, interceding for us every moment of our lives. We are now secured in God and his love, now and forever. All praise to our great and faithful High Priest. Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, you have been abundantly kind and gracious to us. And when we examine our lives and we took a moment earlier to confess our sins to you, we realize that there was nothing in us that would cause you to delight in us, to be merciful towards us. But you did it anyway. Because you’re good, you’re faithful. Lord, you gave us the Old Testament priesthood of Aaron to train us, to tutor us, as the scriptures say, so that when the perfect came, we, we would be ready. Lord, help us to be a people who are eternally thankful, Lord Jesus, that you are our great High Priest, you are faithful, and you are always our High Priest or Jesus. We love you. Help us to be excited about you and about the glory that is in you. Soften our hearts from being hard-hearted or unbelieving. Help us, Lord, in our unbelief. May we all grow in knowing you better, Lord God, delighting more in you. And may we take time this Lord’s day to have our gaze fixed upon you so that we see the glory and brightness and beauty that is your majesty. Lord, we thank you this morning. We thank you for the gift that it is to be your church. We thank you for your gospel. May our lives never be the same after meeting with your gospel. Lord Jesus, we pray all of this in your name. 

Amen.