August 5, 2020<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the next 13 days we will be spending time together walking through the book of Hebrews! Hebrews is written to Jewish Christians who were undergoing persecution for their faith and considering running back to Judaism. The author of Hebrews takes an in-depth look at the practices and regulations of the Old Testament as articulated in the Torah and argues for how Jesus is both superior to each of them and supreme over all of them! The author also warns his audience of the grave danger facing them should they choose to now reject Jesus and return to their former way of life. These warnings can and should make us feel uncomfortable as we read through the book together; allow the Spirit to do what He wants to do in your heart through them! Overall, the message of Hebrews is that Jesus, the Son of God as well as our Savior and Messiah, is infinitely superior to anything or anyone else we could give our lives to, and He is worthy of all our devotion and worship. Jesus is greater!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here the author picks up where he left off in 5:10, returning to his description of Jesus\u2019 high priesthood. Through contrasting the high priesthood of Jesus to that which was outlined in the Mosaic Covenant, he demonstrates the superiority of Christ to the Levitical priesthood and all it represented!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several times throughout the letter now, the author has quoted Psalm 110:4, stating that God appointed Christ as a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. If you don\u2019t know who Melchizedek is, go read Genesis 14:18-20 for the only other mention of him in the entire Old Testament. The author of Hebrews here explains some things about Melchizedek and sets him up as a \u201ctype\u201d of Christ, a forerunner of the type of high priest that Christ would one day be for us! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In contrasting the high priesthood of Jesus with that of the Old Covenant, the author points out several big differences: the Levitical priests were made so by descent, but Jesus has been made high priest by an unchangeable and eternal oath; the Levitical priests were mortal and died, but Jesus lives to make intercession for us forever; the Levitical priests were sinful and had to constantly make sacrifices for the people\u2019s sin and for their own, but Jesus is holy and perfect and offered Himself once and for all for others!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because of these things, we can rest assured that Jesus is greater than the priesthood of the Old Covenant; indeed, He is \u201cthe guarantor of a better covenant\u201d (v.22), because where the Old Covenant Law was unable to make us perfect, Jesus is our better hope, allowing us to draw near to God and making us perfect in and through Himself!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him\u201d (v.25). Let\u2019s celebrate His greatness and the comprehensive nature of His salvation today!<\/p>\n\n\n\n