Welcome back to our study of the book of Hebrews, today we’ll look at Hebrews 5:3, 9-10. This portion deals with Jesus Christ superior sacrifice in comparison to the Levites. In the past couple of weeks, we’ve been looking at the function of the high priest. The writer has been comparing the former priests ( the Levites) to Jesus. And in every category highlighted so far, ordination and compassion, we’ve established that Jesus Christ completely obliterated the Levitical priesthood. We briefly introduced Melchizedek and saw that Jesus’ priesthood was established after the order of this mysterious figure of the Old Testament. Today the writer is going to zero in on the fact that Jesus offered a superior sacrifice to that of the Levites.
Jesus Christ Superior Sacrifice Revealed
The Passage
5 For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. 3 Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. 4 And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.
5 So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him 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,
after the order of Melchizedek.”
7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus[a] offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
Notes
Verse 3
We’ve been looking at the function of the high priest and last week we saw that one attribute that he had to have was compassion. And the reason why the high priest could sympathize with the people ( his fellow humans ) was because he himself not only was a human but he also experienced the same weaknesses they experienced. As a result of this fallibility of both the high priest and the people he led, he had to offer sacrifices for his sins and that of the people. God instituted the sacrificial system to show His grace even before the advent of Christ and His subsequent work on the cross. We’ll see in later chapters that the sacrificial system couldn’t expiate sins , all it did was serve as a covering, so that people could be ceremonially clean. While they were externally clean , the guilt of sins still remained because the blood of goat and bulls couldn’t take away sins. We’ll look more closely into that in chapters to follow. All this shows that the sacrificial system was weak, and there is a reason why the writer is making this observation. The people were being tempted to go back to the sacrificial system due to persecution and he wanted them to not give in to this temptation. He had to prove to them that this system was over with and compared it to the perfect sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, and this leads us to verses 9 through 10.
Verses 9-10
Jesus didn’t have to offer sacrifices for Himself because He is without sin. We already established that after making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God. We also saw that God gave Him the name Son ( at the resurrection God glorified His humanity ) by sitting Jesus at His right hand. He has passed through the heavens, we also established that. He didn’t have to offer any sacrifices for Himself because He is sinless. In verse 9, the writer informs us that Jesus has become the source of eternal salvation to all who obey the truth ( who put their trust in Him ) because He has been made perfect. What does being made perfect mean ? The writer already mentioned this in Hebrews 2:10( For it was fitting that He, for Whom and by Whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.). To reconcile us to God ( in bringing many sons to glory ) it was necessary that Jesus died , it was fitting that He became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God. The work of salvation was made complete ( perfect ) when Jesus breathed His last on the cross and said it is finished ( John 19:30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished,” and He bowed His head and gave up His Spirit. ) God accepted His sacrifice and He became the only source of eternal salvation to those God has called , those who obey the Truth ( who put their trust completely in Jesus).
The former high priests were weakened by their own sinful nature and couldn’t offer but only a covering for sins. Jesus died once and for all and accomplished an eternal salvation for those who obey HIM. And in v10 we are reminded that HE is a priest after the order of Melchizedek again.
Let us go to Acts 13:33-40 as a way to close this portion.
33 this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm,
“‘You are my Son,
today I have begotten you.’34 And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way,
“‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’
35 Therefore he says also in another psalm,
“‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’
36 For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, 37 but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. 38 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and by him everyone who believes is freed[a] from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. 40 Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about:
In verses 34 and 35 ,we are told about the fact that Jesus rose to die no more. He died once for sins and He rose and has been glorified. And His kingdom has been established forever as we will see in 1 Chronicles 17. David died and saw corruption, Jesus died but didn’t see decay because God raised Him on the third day and glorified His humanity and made Him a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. One whose ministry is endless. Now let’s go to 1 Chronicles 17:1-15 to see the promise God gave to David concerning His offspring ( Jesus) according to the flesh.
17 Now when David lived in his house, David said to Nathan the prophet, “Behold, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent.” 2 And Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.”
3 But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, 4 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: It is not you who will build me a house to dwell in. 5 For I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up Israel to this day, but I have gone from tent to tent and from dwelling to dwelling. 6 In all places where I have moved with all Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ 7 Now, therefore, thus shall you say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people Israel, 8 and I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 9 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall waste them no more, as formerly, 10 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover, I declare to you that the Lord will build you a house. 11 When your days are fulfilled to walk with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He shall build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. 13 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who was before you, 14 but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.’” 15 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.
In our other presentations, we saw how verses 13-14 apply directly to Solomon, David’s son but the ultimate application of theses verses are to Jesus, David’s seed. Solomon died and his throne was not established forever. But Jesus died and rose again not to ever see corruption again, and God glorified His humanity by sitting Him as His right hand until His enemies are put under His feet. And His kingdom has been established forever.
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My name is Tayib Salami and I started Tayibs.com for the sole purpose of exploring difficult questions about the Christian faith that most of us shy away from. In 2017, I entered a very dark time in my life and it’s only by the grace of the Living God that I’m still alive today. It led me to really go deeper in my faith and consider a myriad of questions that I never thought about asking myself or others before. Welcome and enjoy the ride with me.