I. Explanation of Hebrews 7:23–28
A. 23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever.
1. Here the author is addressing his readers who, as Jews, have converted to Christ, but have now come under intense persecution from their former friends, who are pressuring them to return back to Judaism.
2. So the author, and we don’t know who it is, is trying to persuade them to stay with Christ.
3. To this end, he’s been arguing that Jesus is a far better high priest than the priests they formerly had in Judaism.
4. Here in 23-24 he is contrasting the fact that there had to be many Jewish priests since each could only serve for a limited amount of time. Jesus, on the other hand, is now the only priest required, since He is eternal.
5. For us, this passage is a simple but majestic presentation of Jesus.
B. 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
1. “he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him” – this is the gospel.
2. And “drawing near to God through Christ” is a great definition of saving faith.
a. Last fall I listened to a set of lectures on which was trying to prove that justification was not by faith alone. One of his “proofs” was that there are many verses which say we’re saved by other things besides faith, for example, we’re saved by coming to Jesus, we’re saved by receiving Jesus, we’re saved by receiving Him, we’re saved by calling on His name, etc.
b. The problem with this is that all these things are just synonyms of faith. And in v.25, drawing near to God through Christ is another way to say coming to God through faith in Christ.
3. “Save to the uttermost” — The priests in the OT made sacrifices which were said to cover sins. But actually their work merely symbolized the taking away of sin and pointed to Jesus, “the lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29)
a. But Jesus saves to the uttermost. He saves all the way! He doesn’t just promise salvation. He doesn’t just symbolize salvation. He doesn’t just point forward to salvation. He carries out salvation to the very end. He’s the Alpha and Omega of our salvation. It’s His doing from beginning to end.
4. “he always lives to make intercession for them”
a. What does a high priest do? Imagine yourself arrested and charged with a serious crime, of which you are guilty. You want the best lawyer, the best advocate. Your welfare is in his hands.
b. A high priest is like your lawyer before God. (The Greek word translated intercede is used for both.) He represents you before God. He pleads your case before the Judge of the earth.
5. Jesus intercedes before God on behalf of His people.
a. This ministry of intercession began when He was here. He prayed for Peter in Luke 22:32. He prayed for His church in John 17 (aptly called the High-Priestly Prayer).
b. We must not just think of what Christ has done for us in the past, nor of what He will do for us in the future. The fact is, He is doing much for us right now, and we must not neglect it. He knows our troubles. He knows our frailty. He understands everything we’re going through.
c. Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Why? Because Jesus “always lives to make intercession for us.”
C. 26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.
1. This verse says two confusing things:
a. “it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest”
(1) What does this mean? It certainly doesn’t mean that we deserve it!
(2) Bruce translates it this way: A high priest like this, in fact, suited our case.
(3) The NEB puts it this way: “Such a high priest does indeed fit our condition.” ther words, He is exactly the kind of high priest we needed!
b. “separated from sinners”
(1) Right after saying that we draw near to God through Jesus, we’re told that Jesus is “separated from sinners.” The idea is not that RELATIONALLY separated from sinners, but that He is separated in terms of character and location. Here is what FF Bruce says:
(2) The fact is, “although he came to earth ‘in the likeness of sinful flesh,’ lived among sinners, received sinners, ate with sinners, was known as the friend of sinners, yet he is set apart from sinners, ‘in a different class from sinful men.’”
(3) “His separation is, on the one hand, inward and moral, and, on the other hand, the consequence of his being now exalted to the right hand of God, withdrawn from the midst of a sinful world.”
(4) A lot of attention was drawn earlier in the epistle to the fact that Jesus as high priest was made like us. Here we see the other side of the coin. Jesus was made like us but in a number of ways Jesus is also very different from us.
D. 27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.
1. The Jewish high priests were sinful and needed forgiveness themselves. Jesus is sinless and must only work to secure forgiveness for others.
2. Here in this verse we see the case Jesus brings before the Father. He doesn’t just go before the Father on our behalf to plead for mercy. He goes to plead for justice: “Father, I took the penalty for My friend’s sin. It would be unjust to punish twice for the same sin.” (Cf. 1John 1:9)
3. “he did this once for all”
a. He did it. It’s done. His final words on the cross before He died were, “It is finished!”
4. There are many who are uncomfortable with this. Here’s why: If it’s already done, if it’s already accomplished in Christ, then people will be tempted to passivity and ease. It’s better if salvation is something we’re helping to accomplish. Then we have daily motivation to do good.
a. But the NT clearly and repeatedly teaches that Jesus “did it once for all when he offered up Himself” on the cross. Our good works are the result of salvation. They prove our salvation. But in no way do they accomplis salvation. Our salvation is something Jesus “did once for all when he offered up Himself.”
E. 28 For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.
1. Here we see the contrast between the law (the old system) and the oath (the new covenant). And, again, it is the promise/oath/guarantee aspect of the new covenant which is emphasized here.
2. Here we see the inferiority of the law as compared with the promise of God.
a. The law sets up weak high priests, whereas the word of oath sets up the perfect Son of God.
II. Application
A. All this raises the question for each of us: You are guilty. You can’t face God on your own. Who is going to help you before God? Another mere human being, who is weak and sinful, just like you and me?
B. Many will claim they can do it for you. And each of us is tempted to look elsewhere for help.
1. “What I really need is fun, pleasure, escape, human approval, money, to find Mr. Right.”
C. I know that nobody confuses me with Jesus. One thing I think I’ve done a pretty good job at as a pastor is making that contrast sufficiently clear. But Christianity isn’t about the pastor. The pastor isn’t the one who is your intermediary with God. The pastor isn’t the one who makes it work.
1. There’s only one who can. And the word of God presents Him to us and invites us to draw near to God through Him.
2. It’s Jesus! Jesus is our high priest and our advocate and our king and our shepherd.
3. The word pastor means shepherd. It’s related to the word pasture. But the Lord is our shepherd. Pastors are just undershepherds. In 1Peter 5:1ff., it tells elders to “shepherd the flock of God that is among you.” And then it says, “when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” He’s the chief Shepherd. We pastors are just His little helpers.
D. Jesus is the holy, innocent, unstained Son of God, able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him. He is not here, He has been exalted above the heavens, from where He always lives to make intercession for His people.
E. Remember when Stephen is stoned in Acts 7? He looked up to heaven and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father. Ordinarily we’re told that Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God in heaven, but here we find Him standing at God’s right hand. He has risen to His feet in order to intercede on behalf of Stephen.
1. We all need Jesus to stand up for us before the great God and judge of all.