Seated. Brothers and sisters, if you were to carefully read through the instructions, that God gave Demosas concerning the Levitical High Priesthood, you would quickly discover that in God's old covenant arrangement, the job description of the High Priest concerned to major function. Number one, the High Priest would make intercession for God's people. It is to say it was his job to pray for the people of Israel, and in particular to confess their sins before God. Second, it was the job of the High Priest to make atonement for the people of Israel. In other words, acting as their representative, the High Priest would not only pray for the people of Israel, he would offer to God a sacrifice that would seek to cover their sins. He would offer to God a propitiatory sacrifice, a sacrifice that would attempt to turn away the wrath of God, directed against those people who had violated his law. Therein were the two primary functions of the High Priest, to make intercession, and to make atonement. To make intercession and to make atonement, what's more as you read through those old covenant instructions, you discovered that those two priestly functions were designed to be in perfect agreement with one another. That is to say, their correspondence matched perfectly in terms of the people for whom they were being carried out, or if you would allow me to say it even more simply, those for whom the priest would pray, and those for whom the priest would make atonement, or one in the same group of people. Those two priestly functions were co-extensive, and to illustrate this fact, two eloquent symbols were included in the religious vestiments worn by the High Priest. The High Priest would wear what was called an effod, a sleeveless garment that covered the priest's upper body, it had a front piece and a back piece that fastened together on two shoulder pieces, and fixed on each of those shoulder pieces, there was an onyx stone on which had been written the names of six of the 12 tribes of Israel. Six of the tribes named on one shoulder, six of the tribes named on the other shoulder, thus you see defining the people for whom intercession and atonement was being made. Now, were that not enough? Attached to divided chains to the two shoulder pieces of the effod was what was called the golden breast piece, in which had been mounted 12 precious stones, four rows of three stones each, each stone having the name of one of the 12 tribes of Israel engraved upon it. And so you get the idea again. The High Priest was there not to make intercession for the Canaanites, not to make intercession for the parasites, or the Amorites, or the Amalakites, rather born on his shoulder, symbolizing his strength, and bound closely to his heart, symbolizing his affection was a group of specific people brought by name into the presence of God. Well, my friends, when we come to the New Testament scriptures, we see those very same facts associated with the priestly ministry of Jesus Christ. This dual ministry of making intercession and making atonement. Listen, for example, to how the Apostle Paul connects these dual priestly ministries. Romans chapter 8, who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns Christ Jesus who died, his work of making atonement? More than that, who was raised to life, is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us, his work of intercession. He makes atonement for his people, he makes intercession for his people, that dual priestly work united perfectly in the one person of Jesus Christ. Listen to the same dual emphasis, 1 John chapter 2. My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense, Jesus Christ the righteous, his ministry of intercession. He speaks to the Father in our defense. Very next line, he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, his work of atonement. Making intercession, making atonement united in the one person of Jesus. You are in Hebrews 7, turn one page to the right, chapter 9, chapter 9, verse 24, and as I read these few verses, notice again that dual priestly ministry, making intercession, making atonement. For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one. He entered into heaven itself, watch now. Now to appear for us in God's presence. Now to appear in God's presence for us, there is his work of making intercession. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again the way the high priest enters the most holy place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself, his work of making atonement. And so beloved, you see the writer of Hebrews does what the Apostle John does, the Apostle John does what the Apostle Paul does. They all assign the dual work of the old covenant high priest to Jesus Christ. He makes intercession, he makes atonement. And as is the case with the old covenant priesthood, these priestly functions of Jesus Christ are co-extensive, those for whom he prays, and those for whom he makes atonement are one and the same. We see this focus throughout the New Testament scriptures, beloved. In that wonderful high priestly prayer that has been left for us in John chapter 17, Jesus Christ himself defines the scope of his intercessory praying. He says to his father, I pray for them, speaking of disciples, believers, I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, in other words, says Jesus. There is a specific group of people for whom I will make intercession, those given to me by the sovereign prerogative of my father. I do not pray for the world, I pray for those whom you have given to me. In fact, if you are still in Hebrews 9, notice verse 24, the focus of his intercessory ministry for Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one. He entered heaven itself now to appear for us. This is a book written to believing Christians in Jerusalem. He is writing to believers. He is in the presence of God now making intercession for us. His intercessory work has a particularity attached to it. And what is true about his intercessory work is also true of his atoning work. What is that passage, beloved? We all love to read and quote Ephesians chapter 5, husbands love your wives, just as Christ also loved and gave himself up for her. You sense that particularity? Why should husbands love their wives like no other woman? Because they have a model in how Jesus has loved his bride like no one else. He loved the church and gave himself up for her. It is sung about Jesus Christ in the book of Revelation. You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you were slain. And with your blood you purchased men for God out of every tribe and language and people in nation. I find that fascinating that the writer does not say with your blood you purchased every tribe language people in nation. You purchased men for God out of every tribe and language and people in nation. My dear friends where the high priestly ministry of Jesus Christ is concerned there is a focus, there is a discrimination, there is a particularity just as there was for the high priest under the old covenant. Those for whom he makes intercession, those for whom he makes intertornement are one in the same. Only now the greater high priest needs no breastpiece. Because Jesus Christ knows his sheep by name every one of them. He bears them upon his shoulders and near to his heart as he goes into the presence of God for them. And right here in the book of Hebrews chapter 7 we see these very same things. We see that dual function of the high priest meet together perfectly in the Lord Jesus. If you recall from last Lord's day and verses 24 and 25 we see Jesus in his work of making intercession. In verses 26 and 27 for this morning we see Jesus in his work of making a tone. But in either case I would remind you not for all people without discrimination. Do you remember as we concluded last Lord's day the boundaries that Jesus himself placed on his intercessory ministry verse 25? Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him because he always lives to intercede for them. It's the same narrowness that Jesus spoke about in his high priestly prayer in John 17. I do not pray for the world. I pray for those whom you have given to me. Only here it's just described from the vantage point of human responsibility. I pray for those who come to you through me. The point his intercessory work is defined by particularity. And notice friends that the same thing is implied with regard to his atoning work. Verse 27. Unlike the other high priests he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day first for his own sins. Now watch and then for the sins of the people. Now friends I want to say something. When a Greek language uses a definite article like that it's not the way we use the definite article. When we use it we don't mean anything by it. When a Greek author uses the definite article as he does here it is to lend great significance to this phrase. The people. Notice that it does not say first for his own sins and then for the sins of people. Or first for his own sins and then for the sins of all the people. When the text appears in this fashion using the definite article in this way the people the emphasis is not on all indiscriminately but upon a particular group of people. The people he sacrificed for their sins once and for all. In relationship to the priestly ministry of making atonement like under the priestly ministry of making intercession there is a particularity in view.
Now has it all come together in your minds or have I lost you in the process? Dear friends Jesus Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of all that the old covenant priesthood foreshadowed, a high priest who would make intercession and make atonement for the people of God but of all those similarities now. It is the burden of the writer of Hebrews to expose the one glaring and radically dissimilar contrast, a contrast where it counts, a contrast in efficacy. Is he at the end of the day every old Testament high priest failed miserably in his attempts to bring people near to God? To the contrary Jesus Christ the greater high priest gets the job done. It is his efficacy in contrast to their impotence that now pulsates through this passage. Verse 22 he is the guarantee of a better covenant. Verse 25 he is able to save completely those who come to God through him. Verse 26 such a high priest meets our need. Verse 27 he sacrifice for their sins once for all through and through this thing the efficacy of Jesus Christ resounds. And so last Lord's day if you recall I posed to you a question. Why is Jesus Christ able to accomplish the job that all of those other priests could never complete?
What is it about his priesthood that makes it successful? Why is Jesus Christ an efficacious high priest? I gave you two of the four answers that are made clear to us in this passage. Answer number one do you recall verses 20 through 22 because of the unchangeable promise of God? Jesus Christ occupies the role of high priest by virtue of an oath taken by God himself and as such then his life will serve to guarantee the eternal benefits of the better covenant because of the unchangeable promise of God. There's a second reason why Jesus Christ is an efficacious high priest versus 23 through 25 because of the indestructibility of his life. You see friends because he possesses the very life of God divine life he will occupy his priesthood permanently and what does he do with that indestructible life while he sits on that priestly throne? He gives himself unceasingly to the eternal well-being of his people. He always lives to intercede for them. Thirdly the third answer to our question now why is Jesus Christ an efficacious high priest? The answer is because of his superior qualifications and status because of his superior qualifications and status. I believe I don't know if you've ever thought about this before but if we as sinners are ever to be brought into the presence of God near to God in relationship to God listen now we not only need a perfect substitutionary sacrifice but we need a perfect priest to offer it to God on our behalf. Believe us under the old covenant hadn't either. Now watch what the writer says verse 26 I'll read it as it appears in the original for such a high priest what kind of high priest is this? Those back to the previous verse that permanent high priest who lives to make intercession for all who come to God through him for such a high priest meets our need and the way it appears in the original such a high priest does indeed there's that intensification there that really just doesn't translate into the English that indeed meets our need and what he does is he moves ahead to list five of the superior qualities that set him apart from all previous priests. All of these are true of Jesus Christ none of them are true of any of the Levitical high priest first what does it say he is holy he's holy it speaks of the innermost nature of this priest that he was freed from the slightest spot or taint of our original defilement what did the angel Gabriel say to Mary the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the most high will overshadow you so the holy one to be born will be called the son of God the holy one and throughout the totality of his earthly existence that perfect and absolute holiness manifested itself in how he lived he brews chapter four told us that he had been tempted in every way just as we are yet was without sin Peter says of Jesus Christ he committed no sin and no deceit was found in his mouth this high priest is holy incomparably pure performing the will of God perfectly through and through secondly we're told he is blameless he is holy secondly he is blameless if holy is who Jesus is in himself blameless has to do with his relationships toward other people if being holy he loved God with all of his heart soul strength and mind then being blameless meant that he loved his neighbor as himself it means beloved that his character was free from everything evil and harmful both in actions and motivation and that be said of you free from everything evil and harmful both in actions and motivations could that be said to be true of you certainly couldn't be said to be true of me couldn't be said to be true of any little bit any of the Levitical high praise he was free from all of that even though he was the object of the incessant attacks of other people he himself never injured anybody heter says when they hurled their insults at him he did not retaliate when he suffered he made no friends he never harmed anybody went around doing good went around healing not hurting everything about his life was preoccupied with the well-being of other people third the text says he is pure he's pure and this I think excites me most of all it means that he is undefiled nothing about this friends for 33 years the eternal second person of the godhead took on human flesh with all of its attending limitations short of original sin for 33 years he lived in the immediate realm of this cosmos this world system in rebellion against god for 33 years he lived in unceasing contact with sinners his parents his brothers his sisters his friends his disciples for 33 years he lived with the most powerful temptations that the enemy could muster and yet in all of that time never once did he contact the slightest defile his priest is holy blameless pure three terms that when taken together served to establish the sinlessness of this high priest henceforthly a summarizing phrase he is set apart from sinners set apart from sinners friends what is this we have to be really careful here we're not to think of this as though Jesus wanted nothing to do with sinners that are all costs Jesus refused to rub shoulders with sinners that he would do everything in his power to keep himself at arm's length from sinners to the contrary though he was the only one in the universe who had the right to distance himself from sinners he never did he welcomed sinners and I tell you something beloved I suppose that the longer I live the most precious this fact becomes he had relationships with prostitutes and tax collected Jewish revolutionaries and Roman soldiers hypocritical Pharisees and demon possessed people he received sinners he ate with sinners he drank with sinners Isaiah says that he was numbered with sinners on the cross he died in the place of sinners the fact is Paul tells us in Romans chapter 2 he had to be made like a sinner to pay for the sins of sinners are you a sinner this morning that let me tell you something Jesus Christ is interested in you I don't know what kind of Christianity you've grown up under I don't know what kind of Christianity you've heard about but let me tell you this morning that the Christianity of the Bible is a Christianity that is concerned with sinners are you a liar are you an adulterer are you an alcoholic are you a homosexual are you a user of drugs are you a murderer are you an abortionist let me tell you you've come to the right points because this Jesus is known as the friend of sinners he was no separatist by any stretch of the imagination Jesus would have made a lousy fundamentalist and yet he always remained pure and undefined never infected by the evils around the fact is when he touched a leopard the leopard was clean when he encountered death death was conquered when he met the devil in the wilderness he was spotless justice spotless after the temptations as he were before they ever began so what does he mean then when he says that Jesus is separate from sinners it means that he was separate from the thing that constituted them sinners namely they're sin though Jesus Christ did not keep himself separate from our humanity beloved he did keep himself separate from our depravity back the author here in that little phrase uses the perfect tense which means that Jesus has been and forever will be separate from our sin for superior qualifications holy blameless pure set apart from sinners none of which were true of any of the Levitical high priests all of which are true of Jesus Christ but why does the author mention them here at this point because these are the qualities there are that are absolutely essential to his efficacy as our high priest these are the qualifications that ensure that he will meet our need in what sense you ask together they stress his sinlessness and the fact of the matter is my friends to bring you to God you need a priest who is without sin John Owen said be that was to be a middle person between God and sinners was to be separate from those sinners in that thing on the account whereof he undertook to stand in their stand how could Jesus Christ have offered an all sufficient sacrifice for sins or the sins of other people if he himself had not been entirely free from sin see beloved it's not enough for you to have a perfect sacrifice if the priest who offers it on your behalf is anything less than sin this is the high priest who meets your needs this is why he's efficacious holy blameless pure separate from sinners corresponding to our need and fifth the writer says he is exalted above the heavens he's exalted above the heavens it has referenced to his infinite authority and status it speaks of his place of supreme authority and sovereignty over all of the universe but of course now if you've been around with us for any length of time this isn't anything new to us he told us this very thing in chapter one verse three remember he talks about how Jesus has been raised from the dead 40 days later ascended into heaven and sat down he says in chapter one at the right hand of the majesty in heaven the supreme place of authority and dignity in all of the universe so why does the author now mention it again a second time here because that's where we need our priestly intercessor to be at the right hand of God friends it doesn't take a genius to figure out that for a priest to have maximum efficacy on behalf of those he represents he needs to have continual access to the presence of God our high priest by virtue of his own inherent dignity has that unlimited access or he sits on his own throne at the right hand of the Father such a high priest means our need I pray beloved that you understand that every other means of attempting to enter into heaven will prove to be inferior and inadequate whether we're talking about the means of religion or the means of morality or the means of of good and healthy and clean living any means short of a high priest who is holy blameless pure set apart from sinners and exalted above the heavens now if you have a high priest like that then salvation is no problem for you
if you don't salvation is an impossibility why is Jesus Christ an efficacious high priest because of his superior qualifications instead that's why he gets the job done that's why meets our need now answer number four why is Jesus Christ an efficacious high priest fourthly because of his all sufficient sacrifice because of his all sufficient sacrifice I beloved I want you to look at verse 27 carefully because contained in this verse are three implied contrasts between the Levitical priesthood and the priesthood of Jesus Christ let's just read it but look at it closely now unlike the other high priests Jesus does not need to offer sacrifices day after day first for his own sins and then for the sins of the people he sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself pre-important implied contrasts between the Levitical priesthood and the priesthood of Jesus Christ notice contrast one concerns the nature of these respective priests Jesus is sinless we've just seen that in verse 26 the Levitical priests on the other hand were as sinful as the people for whom they were making sacrifices so well how do you know that before they could ever affect a substitutionary sacrifice for the people they first had to make a substitutionary sacrifice for whom them sound unlike the other high priests he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day first for his own sins and then for the sins of the people they dare not approach God on behalf of another person with their own hands sin stained so God you see made it very clear in the book of Leviticus Aaron shall bring the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household God's word at this point my friends was exceedingly clear you cleanse yourselves first it speaks volumes about the inadequacy of the Levitical priesthood every Levitical priest was sinful Jesus Christ the greater high priest was sinless that's the first contract the second contrast concerns the substance of the offerings made by these respective priests that friends you know this the atonement sacrifices that the Levitical priest offered to God was the blood of brute beast unwilling animals and yet the writer of Hebrews tells us in chapter 10 it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away scene in radical contrast to this notice the end of verse 27 in antithesis to the blood of bulls and goats look at what it says he sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself the perfect priest offering the perfect sacrifice the perfect priest offering the perfect substitute man for man perfect man for sinful man so the apostle Peter tells us or you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from your empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers but with the precious blood of Christ a lamb without blemish or defect a perfect priest offering the perfect sacrifice he offers himself and so Jesus tells us in John chapter 10 no one takes my life away from me I lay it down on my own energy. Mark chapter 10 verse 45 for the son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his own life as a ransom for many they were imperfect priests offering unwilling and imperfect sacrifices he was a perfect priest offering a perfect sacrifice that of his own life and finally contrast 3 it concerns the frequency with which these respective priests offered their sacrifices the lividical sacrifices were repetitive and unending characterized by that little phrase there in the middle of verse 27 day after day day after day every single morning every single night day after day after day week after week month after month year after year decade after decade century after century unfold millions of sacrificial offering beloved the fact of their frequency proves their inadequacy over old lamb after lamb goat after goat bowl after bowl interminable repetition on the other hand verse 27 he sacrificed for their sins once for all one of the sisters asked me after the first servant what is that all referred to once for all time after day week after week month after month once for all and since he was the perfect sacrifice offered by the perfect priest accomplishing with those bulls and goats could never accomplish that is satisfying the demands of a holy god all need for a perpetual ministry of sacrifice was brought to him once for all that do you hear the error of finality in that once for all it speaks of completion satisfaction sufficiency accomplishment and my friends how important is this idea to the writer of Hebrews i'll tell you every time he in this book that he uses the phrase once for all it's always in connection to this work of atonement look in the next next page chapter 9 verse 12 he wants his readers to understand this my friends chapter 9 verse 12 Jesus did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves but he entered the most holy place once for all by his own blood having obtained eternal redemption once for all verse 26 then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world but now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself chapter 10 verse 10 and by that will we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all once for all once for all it is the apostolic counterpart to Jesus Christ it is finished it is finished once for all the book of Hebrews oh my friends the contrasts here cry out of the efficacy of this high priest they were sinful he was sinless they brought the blood of bulls and goats he offered his own perfect life they sacrifice day after day after interminable day he sacrificed once for all two dispensations two epics of redemptive history two covenantal systems they share in common the fact that they both established their own high priesthood but that's where the parallel ends the inability of the former is superseded by the efficacy of the latter and so the summary of it all chapter 7 verse 28 the whole chapter is summarized in this neat and clean little phrase for the law of points as high priests men who are weak that's right the contrast the oath which came after the law appointed the son who has been made perfect forever the old covenant law temporal by design as we have seen appointed to the priesthood men who were defined by their glaring weaknesses they were sinful and they were mortal the new covenant oath eternal by design appointed to the priesthood the son of god who is now defined by his eternal efficacy my friends in that last little line when it says he has been made perfect forever we're not to think that Jesus endured some process of moral improvement the perfection about which the author here speaks is not a moral perfection it is a vocational perfection he has been made perfect as our high priest in other words as the consequence of his sacrificial death Jesus has been perfected qualified to be our high priest bread the one who can the one who can bring to completion god salvation plan for all who will come to god through him why is Jesus Christ an efficacious high priest beloved the table tell us because of the all sufficient sacrifice that he made on our behalf the all sufficient thing my friends there is nothing nothing that you can bring to god this morning not one thing to expect god to save you on the basis of something you bring to the equation is to spurn the accomplishments of Jesus Christ regardless of how small or seemingly insignificant that thing might be the sacrifice was perfect the priest who offered it was perfect you cannot add to the priestly work of Jesus Christ in any way it is finished once for all you can only receive it with empty and isn't this what the hymn writer tells us nothing in my hands I bring simply to the cross I claim make it come to thee for dress helpless look to thee for grace foul I to the fountain fly wash me save you or I die salvation was his to earn and he earned it it is now his gift to give and he gives it those who are trusts exclusively in him the bringing to god this is the efficacious high priest is he your high priest I pray that if he isn't you will not allow one more day in your life to pass without making sure that he lets pray together shall we