I. Introduction
A. Last week, we talked about how God created all of the religious personnel, ceremony and furniture of OT Judaism in order to prepare them for the coming of Jesus.
1. Specifically, we talked about how God established the office of high priest in Israel to be something like a human prophecy of the coming Christ.
2. And now the NT book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is the ultimate high priest, the fulfillment of the OT high priests, the reality of which they were only a picture.
B. Jesus as high priest on the Day of Atonement
1. There is something that every 1st century Jew would have immediately associated with the high priest that most Americans know nothing about. There was one duty of the high priest which overshadowed everything else he did. It took place in the temple in Jerusalem on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
2. The layout of the temple and its surrounding courtyards was an architectural object lesson.
a. There were four outdoor areas going out from the temple building itself, divided by barriers. The outermost area was the Court of the Gentiles, and then the court of Women, then the Court of Men, then right outside the temple was the Court of Priests, where the sacrifices were made on the altar.
b. Then there were two rooms in the temple building itself. The front (and only) door led into the Holy Place, into which only priests doing their priestly duties could go (like Zacharias when he went there to perform duties in Luke 1:8-11).
c. Then, through the Holy Place, the presence of God dwelt in the innermost room, called the Most Holy Place or Holy of Holies.
d. A very thick, heavy curtain with two layers separated the two rooms, so that no one but the high priest ever even saw into the Holy of Holies.
3. The day of atonement
a. No one was ever allowed to go into Holy of Holies, because that’s where God lived, except one man (the high priest) for a few minutes on the Day of Atonement, to offer sacrifices for the people.
b. It was the highlight of the whole year in Israel. The high priest had to prepare himself, wear special clothing, and make atonement for his own sins first.
c. The legend that there was a rope tied around the high priest’s foot in case he was struck dead while in the Holy of Holies is probably not historically accurate, but it shows how ominous that Most Holy Place was.
4. What is so evident here is all the barriers keeping mankind from God. The Jews were the only nation on earth which enjoyed the miracle of access to the holy God, albeit very limited, partial access.
5. The object lesson comes to a culmination when Jesus dies on the cross, and the curtain not the Holy of Holies was torn from top to bottom, signifying that in the death of Jesus the barrier dividing us from God has been broken down (Matt.27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45). Jesus as the great high priest didn’t just tiptoe sheepishly into the Holy of Holies. He crashed in, He crashed through the curtain, not only widening the access to the presence of God, but tearing down the barrier altogether.
II. Explanation of Hebrews 5:7–9 — Let’s look at each verse individually.
A. 7 “In the days of his flesh, Jesus 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.”
1. Jesus prayers during His life on earth
a. We know that Jesus often prayed, and we have a few of His prayers recorded in the NT. For instance, at the Last Supper, Jesus prayed what we call The High Priestly Prayer, which begins like this: “He lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you.’ ” – John 17:11
b. But the main thing Hebrews 5:7 has in mind is Jesus’ prayers at...
2. Gethsemane, since it refers to the “prayers with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death.”
a. On the night before the crucifixion, after Jesus had a very emotional Last Supper with His disciples, after He had spoken to them His final words, He led them to the Garden of Gethsemane. He told His disciples to sit in a certain place and pray while He went off to talk with His heavenly Father.
b. Three times He prayed something like this: “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. If you are willing, remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
c. Mark 14:33 tells us that during this time Jesus became “greatly distressed and troubled.”
d. Now since He had gone off at a distance from the disciples, and since it was dark, it seems that the only way the disciples could have known this was from hearing Him. That’s why it refers to “loud cries and tears.”
e. This is consistent with what Luke 22:44 says, “Being in an agony (Greek: AGONIA) he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”
3. The Father, of course, did not in fact save him from death, but nonetheless it is true that Jesus cried out “to the one who was able to save him from death.”
4. But if God didn’t save Him from death, how can it say “he was heard because of his reverence”?
a. This point is so important and so precious!
b. God heard Jesus’ prayer but didn’t do what Jesus asked.
c. We know that God hears everything. But this isn’t what is meant here. Here it means that God took it to heart.
d. But He still didn’t do what Jesus asked. Why? Well, Jesus Himself knew the reason why. He had said earlier that evening, in John 12:27: “Now my soul is troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.”
5. Jesus didn’t want to suffer, but there was a mission to accomplish, the mission of our salvation.
6. Jesus’ prayers were heard as our prayers are often heard: not with immediate deliverance from suffering but with strength to endure the suffering — and with eventual deliverance from the suffering.
a. (For Jesus’ resurrection is probably also in mind in this reference to Jesus' prayers being heard.)
7. Sometimes you pray and God hears you and gives you what you ask for.
a. Other times you pray and God hears you and He DOESN’T give you what you ask for, but stores up your prayers as in a bottle until the time when He knows it is best to answer that request.
b. And when that happens, it’s hard, it’s painful. But you know what? When that happens, we can remember Jesus. “The fact that the cup was not removed qualifies him all the more to sympathize with his people; when they are faced with the mystery and trial of unanswered prayer they know that their high priest was tested in the same way.” – FF Bruce
B. 8 “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.”
1. This verse sounds strange, doesn’t it? Did Jesus BECOME obedient or was He obedient from the beginning?
2. Well, before we jump to conclusions, let’s let the author of Hebrews explain himself. Numerous times in the book it is made clear that Jesus was sinless:
a. Hebrews 4:15 says that Jesus was “tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
b. Hebrews 9:14 says that Jesus “offered himself without blemish to God.”
c. Hebrews 7:26–28 goes into more detail. It tells us that Jesus is “a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He has no need...to offer sacrifices...first for his own sins... For...the word of the oath [i.e. the new covenant] appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.”
3. Here is how FF Bruce explains v.8: “ ‘Son (of God) though He was...’ He learned obedience in the context of suffering. Not that He went from disobedience to obedience, for He was already set on obedience at birth. But He learned obedience in the sense that He did it as a creature, He experienced it as a human being, He went through it on earth.”
C. 9 “And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.”
1. This doesn’t mean He was imperfect and was then made perfect. It means that He underwent everything necessary to become our high priest and savior.
a. E.g. he had to become human in order to be our high priest and savior. He had to be a descendant of Adam & Eve – to take the place of man and to be a seed of the woman. This doesn’t mean He was imperfect. But it does mean that He had to be made to be our perfect savior before He could save.
b. There were many things He had to do in order to be our perfect savior.
(1) He had to be a descendent of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. He had to be born into the tribe of Judah.
(2) He had to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5). He had to come into history during the Roman Empire (because of the prophecy of Daniel 2).
(3) He had to live a sinless life, resisting Satan’s strongest temptations. He had to be a miracle-worker. He had to be betrayed. He had to hang on a tree.
c. Since He fulfilled all the qualifications, He was able to save all who obeyed Him. Having thus been made perfect to save, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.
2. Now it might be tempting to read this “salvation to all who obey him” in terms of works, but that’s not what it’s talking about at all. Obeying him here simply means obeying the gospel, not salvation by our works.
a. Obeying the gospel means obeying Christ’s call to come to Him, to embrace Him in faith, to repent of your sin, including your damnable good works, and out your whole hope on Christ alone.
b. The rich young ruler did pretty well at obeying the law, but he didn’t obey the gospel, did he? (Mark 10:17-22)
III. Application
A. “He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.”
1. There are many earthly saviors, people who save you from disaster, from predicaments, even from death itself. But earthly salvation is not enough.
2. There’s going to come a day when you will need an ETERNAL Savior.
3. On that day, when you appeal to Jesus to intercede for you, you don’t want Him to say to you, “Depart from Me. I never knew you.”
B. There is One who is perfectly suited to be your savior.
1. Your greatest need has been provided for. All you need for salvation has already been provided.
2. You don’t need a track record. You don’t need a set of accomplishments. You don’t need to be religious. You don’t need a virtuous heart. (In fact, if you think you have a virtuous heart, you’re going to have to get over that.)
3. Everything has already been provided for you.
a. A fabulous banquet of salvation has been laid out before you at enormous cost. So much work has been done for you. All you have to do is eat. You don’t have to chop things up. you don’t need to come up with a recipe. You don’t have to cook it. You don’t have to pay for it. You just have to put it in your mouth and eat it.
b. Isaiah 55:1–3 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and hear, that your soul may live.”
c. Don’t like taking charity? You insist on paying your own way? The problem is, you can’t afford it. The only way to enjoy the food is to receive it as a gift.
C. Salvation doesn’t come to everyone.
1. It comes to those who obey His call. The feast doesn’t do you any good unless you eat it.
2. How tragic to have such a great provision but have it go in vain.
a. My daughter in Africa sometimes works with parents whose children are very sick. She knows what’s wrong with them and how it can be cured. But sometimes she’s unable to convince the parents, because of what the witch doctor has told them. Sometimes they actually let their child die because they won’t believe in the cure.
3. Many hear and hear and hear, but never listen, never obey, never come to Jesus.
4. Those to whom salvation doesn’t come often claim that Jesus isn’t the perfect savior.
a. Not many will say, “Yes, I believe Christianity is true and Jesus is who the Bible says he is, but I’m just too lazy or proud or rebellious to give my life to Him.”
b. No, it’s the nature of man to justify himself. As it says in Rom.1:32 “Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”
c. Instead of saying, “There’s something wrong with me!” they claim the problem is with Jesus.
5. God’s word is not saying that Jesus conforms to what the WORLD thinks is the perfect savior. He conforms to what God knows is the perfect savior.
6. You will spend your life hearing people tell you that you are a fool if you believe in Christ, that the Bible is a ridiculous book, that Jesus just ruins peoples lives. “Jesus is not the perfect savior, he’s the perfect nightmare.” I used to say these things myself, before God opened my eyes.
7. So here it is. The feast is laid out before you. Will you come and eat?
8. Jesus has broken down the barrier which prevented people from coming to God. Through His death, through His forgiveness, He has provided us an unparalleled opportunity.
9. Right now His invitation is open, and it extends to each one of us.
10. “We are ambassadors for Christ; God is making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” – 2Corinthians 5:20