Hebrews 5

Order of Service

• Scripture Reading — Hebrews 4:14–5:5
• Lesson
• Prayer of Dismissal

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Sermon Title: The Greatness of Our High Priest

Scripture: Hebrews 4:14–16

I. Background: Humanity's Need for a Mediator

A. The fall created a rupture between God and humanity

1. Adam and Eve hid from God after sinning — shame and exposure before a holy God (Genesis 2–3)
2. Sin renders mankind unable to approach God on their own merit

B. The scene at Mount Sinai illustrates God's holiness and humanity's unworthiness

1. The people were commanded not to touch the mountain; thunder, lightning, smoke, and trumpet blasts conveyed God's terrifying holiness (Exodus 19–20)
2. The people pleaded with Moses to speak for them: "Do not let God speak to us, lest we die" (Exodus 20:18–21)
3. Moses drew near to the thick darkness — the picture of the mediator emerges
4. Hebrews later recalls this very scene (Hebrews 12:18–21)

C. The Day of Atonement illustrated the continuing need for priestly mediation

1. Only the high priest, once a year, could enter the Most Holy Place (Leviticus 16)
2. He could only enter with a blood sacrifice, making atonement for his own sins and the sins of the people
3. This yearly repetition pointed to its incompleteness

D. The office of the high priest addressed the radical problem of human sinfulness (Phillips)

1. The priest represented the sinful people before God
2. The priest actually brought the people back into fellowship with God through his mediating work

II. First Statement: We Have a Great High Priest

A. Christ is called the great high priest — a title unique to Hebrews 4:14 and 10:21; no earthly high priest ever received this title

1. All other high priests pointed forward to him — he is the fulfillment and end-point of the entire priesthood
2. His priesthood is connected to Aaron's but also distinct from it; he comes in the order of Melchizedek (to be developed later)

B. The greatness of his priesthood is explained by where he now serves

1. He has passed through the heavens — a reference to his Ascension
2. He ministers before the Father in the heavenly, eternal Temple — the antitype to which the earthly tabernacle pointed
3. Earthly priests served in the earthly temple; Christ serves at the very throne of God (Hebrews 9)
4. Believers are even now raised up and seated with Christ before the Father (Ephesians 2)

C. The greatness of his priesthood is also explained by who he is: Jesus, the Son of God

1. This is the first time in Hebrews he is explicitly called the Son of God — his divine title
2. The full name holds together his humanity (Jesus) and his deity (Son of God)
3. Both natures are essential to his qualifications as priest — his humanity enables him to sympathize; his deity makes his work sufficient and final

III. First Invitation: Hold Fast Our Confession

A. Because we have such a high priest, the response called for is to hold fast our confession (Hebrews 4:14)

1. To confess is to believe and affirm right doctrine about who Christ is and what he has done
2. The Christian life is a life of confessing — holding to true things about Christ

B. Holding fast the confession is connected to the call to strive in Hebrews 4:11–13

1. Belief and confession are themselves a form of the striving called for in the preceding verses
2. Because Christ is the sufficient and final high priest, clinging to him — and not falling back into a works-based religion — is the heart of perseverance

C. Verses 15–16 (the second statement and second invitation) will be taken up next week