You may have heard someone talking about or thanking God for all that Jesus Christ has done for him in the past-- or what He has done for all of us. It is called witnessing. But, have you thought about what Christ still does for Christians? Stay with us; that's our study today.
Thank you, thank you, my friend for inviting us into your home for Bible study In Search of the Lord's Way. His way is the best way to live in this world that man has ever known. You may know that already. If not, trust me, and try it, will you? And of course, His way is the only way to be saved and to prepare for life in the world to come. Oh say! You will find His way only in the Bible.
Jesus Christ is still in the business of saving men from their sin, and once we are saved He never loses interest in our souls. You see, Jesus Christ is the Christian's High Priest, as well as Savior. As the Bible says, "He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens" (Hebrews 7:25-26). My! What great news that is for Christians! That's going to be our message today-- "Christ, the Christian's High Priest."
If you think you might want a free audio cassette tape or a CD or a printed copy of it, take down this address: In Search of the Lord's Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083. Or by e-mail our address is searchtv@searchtv.org. Or you may make your request by using our toll-free telephone number and that is 1-800-321-8633. If you didn't get it, keep your pen and paper handy because we'll give it to you again at the end of the program. Right now Ken Helterbrand will lead us in singing; and then I'll be back for Bible reading and prayer.
Our Bible reading today is from the 5th chapter of the book of Hebrews, the first six verses. “For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also beset by weakness. Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not glorify himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. As he also says in another place: You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” Now let us go to God in prayer. Holy Father, we are so thankful that You have established us as a kingdom of priests and that we have access to Your throne through our High Priest, Jesus Christ. And it is in His name that we offer all our prayers, Amen!
In most religions (well, I guess I should say all religions) whether it is true religion or pagan, there are two important offices or functions. First (but not necessarily in the order defined by importance) there's usually the prophet, who speaks in behalf of, or relays the message of the deity to the people; and two, the priest whose duties are to primarily convey the prayers, thanksgivings, offerings, sacrifices of the people to their deity. They provide religious leadership for the people. They stand as intermediaries between their god and the people whom they serve. Now, rather than to imagine an influence of pagan religion on true religion, which having heard me say that, someone's certain to attempt it-- the truth is the very opposite. It indicates the power of the more ancient true religion to establish the pattern or the precedent for, well, the more recent man-made religions of our day.
In the very early days of the Bible in the days of the patriarchs from Adam to Moses, the functions of both the prophet and the priest most often resided in the same person. It was the father in the household-- as the head of the family. And it was his by birthright. Therefore, Esau sold the priesthood, too, when he sold his birthright in Genesis 25. And that could very well have been the cause of his great grief.
The first Biblical reference to what some call a "caste priesthood" is in Genesis chapter 14, verse 18 where it's said that, "Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the Most High God." Although there isn't much said in the Bible about Melchizedek, enough is said to know that he was the priest as well as being king. We know, too, that on Abraham's return from the battle of the kings, he paid titles to Melchizedek and Melchizedek blessed him. We also know that the lesser is blessed by the greater (Hebrews 7 and 7) and that the lesser pays tithes to the greater (same scripture). So, Melchizedek was a man of eminence, importance. And the important message in the reference to Melchizedek in the New Testament book of Hebrews is that Jesus Christ was made the Christian's High priest after the order of Melchizedek-- and not after the order of Aaron of the tribe of Levi, as was required by the law of God in the second period of Bible history from Moses to the death of Christ.
In that period of history in Judaism there are two orders of priests, the common priests and the high priests with their several duties. To fully understand and appreciate Jesus Christ as the Christian's High Priest, we need some idea of the nature and the care of the Jewish Tabernacle and later the Temple and the duties which the priests, especially the High Priests, performed there in that Temple or in that Tabernacle. So, right quickly:
First of all, there was the outer court of the Temple, 150 feet east and west by 75 feet north and south. It was an enclosed area which all the people, to which all the people could come. And the tabernacle itself was a tent-like structure 45 feet by 15 feet. And wherever Israel sojourned on their way to the Promise Land, it was in the center of the camp. And, the people dwelt in tents by tribes around it. It was built strictly according to the pattern which God gave to Moses during Moses' forty-day visit to Mt. Sinai (Exodus 25, verse 9).
Before the Tabernacle or tent of meeting, in the outer court stood the brazen altar on which the animal sacrifices were slain. Those sacrifices typified the crucifixion of Christ as "the lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29). He was slain without the camp, also (Hebrews 13:13). Between it and the Tabernacle entrance was the laver at which the priests washed their hands and their feet before entering the Tabernacle. This washing was a foreshadowing of the washing of baptism before one enters the New Testament holy place, which is the church.
The Tabernacle itself consisted of two rooms or compartments which were separated by a heavy curtain suspended from the roof. The first room was 30 feet by 15 feet, and was called the "Holy Place." It is a type of the church in the New Testament and none could enter the Holy of Holies-- or the Most Holy Place (representing Heaven) without passing through the Holy Place.
In the Holy Place were three pieces of "furniture" (we'll call them furniture now, whatever they might have been). On the south side, to the left as one entered, the seven golden candlesticks which symbolized the light of God's Word. On the north was the table of shewbread, teaching the soul's ever-present need of the spiritual food-- the word of God. And immediately before the "veil"-- or the curtain which separated the two rooms was the altar of incense, which was the type of the prayers of the saints in the Christian period.
The common priests entered into the Holy Place daily to make their offerings of incense, and so on, but the people didn't enter into this "Holy Place." However, in New Testament Christianity, there is no "caste priesthood." Every Christian is a priest himself. You may never have heard of such a thing before, but it is true nonetheless. Let us look at what is in the Scriptures say about it. Revelation chapter 1, verses 5 and 6 tell us that Jesus Christ "loved us and washed us (Christians) from our sins in His own blood, and He made us kings and priests to His God and Father...." Just as sure as Christ has loved each of us and washed each of us in His blood-- at baptism (Acts 22:16), He has also made us priests. Read it again in Revelation 5, verses 8 through 10.
And the Holy Spirit moved the apostle Peter to write, too, "You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (I Peter chapter 2, verse 5). Again he said, "You are a chosen generation, a royal (or a reigning) priesthood, a holy nation" (I Peter 2:9). So Jesus Christ has made every Christian a "priest" but He is our only "High Priest."
As has already been said, the second room in the tabernacle was called the "Most Holy Place" or "the Holiest of All" (Hebrews chapter 9, verse 3). It was entered only by passing through the first room, the Holy Place. As its name says, it was "most holy" to the Lord and to the people. It was 15 feet in length, width and height and in it was-- (1) the ark of the covenant containing the two tables of stone on which were written the Ten Commandments; (2) a pot of manna (Hebrews 9:4); Aaron's rod that budded (Numbers 17 and 10). And here is where God's glory was seen. Here is where God dwelt among His people. Only the High Priest entered the Most Holy Place-- and He did so only once a year on the Day of Atonement to offer the blood of the sacrificial animal for atonement for his own sins as well as for the sins of the people of Israel. And that is Hebrews chapter 7, verse 27.
Later when Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem, it was built on precisely the same pattern only in permanent form. For the remainder of our time today, let's focus on the ministry of the work of the High Priest so we may understand more fully what Jesus Christ, our High Priest, continues to do for Christians.
First, He is seen as the Sacrificial Lamb offering for the sins of the people (John 1:29). As the Christian's High Priest, He has taken His own blood into the Holiest of All (which is Heaven), where He made atonement for us. While that may seem to be a past event for Christ, let's remember that "He is able to save to the uttermost (meaning down to the last limit of life) those who come to God through Him" (Hebrews 7:25).
And, "since He always lives" He is not only able to do that, but He is able to keep on doing it-- and He is also able to keep making intercession for the saved. Look: the next verse says, "For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heaven; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people; He did once for all (He did all of that once for all) when He offered up Himself. For the law (the old Levitical law) appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who had been perfect forever" (Hebrews 7:26, 27, and 28). Man needs a sinless High Priest and Jesus Christ is that for him.
However, His sinlessness-- His absolute perfection-- does not immunize or hinder Him in any way from understanding our weaknesses and our imperfections and infirmities so as to prevent His coming to our aid. Look, "Inasmuch then as (we) the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham (meaning human beings just like us). Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted" (Hebrews chapter 2, verses 14 through 18).
Yes! First: He is an able High Priest because unlike priests in other religions, even in Old Testament Judaism, He is High Priest without sin. Secondly: He has successfully and triumphantly endured every temptation and hardship to which human beings are subjected, by having lived in a body just like ours and overcome all its trials. He empathizes with us. He has been there and experienced what we know, and He knows how it all is. And He is both able and willing to go to God in our behalf. He is able and willing to help us like no other person can!
We struggle with the infirmities of the fleshly body. We seek in vain to conquer earthly disease, yet, "It is appointed to a man once to die" (Hebrews 9:27). We need a High Priest who is a Helper and an Encourager to intercede for us at the throne of God. We grapple with obstacles that an evil world cunningly plants in our pathway. We need a Friend who has been there and knows the tremendous enticement of drugs and alcohol, and adultery and fornication, and dishonesty and deceit, and, well, of greed and of pride, of mediocrity, of inferiority, of bitterness, of anger, and lust and lewdness, and, well, of weakness and failure of every kind. And, the Christian has just such a person in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is our High Priest.
Say my friend, are you a Christian? If not, you need Jesus Christ, not only as your Savior but as your High Priest. I pray you will promptly and quickly become a child of God. Confess faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of the living God, just as we are taught in Romans chapter 10, verses 10 and 11. Repent of your evil ways as we are told in Acts 17:30 that God commands all people to repent. And be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins just as we are commanded to do in Acts 2:38. Those people were told to, “repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Be a Christian, live the Christian life, and die a Christian. Oh, I hope you will. Let us help you if we may. Now let us pray. Father, again we come before Your throne and we place our petitions and our prayers there in the name of Jesus Christ. And we pray our thanksgiving to You today; we offer our thanksgiving through Him today for His priesthood, His High Priesthood, the salvation which He offers, the intercession which He makes for us. Amen!
My friend, Jesus said in Matthew chapter 7, beginning at verse 21, “Not every one that saith to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied (or preached) in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name done many wonderful works? Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who work lawlessness (or iniquity in the King James Version).
And then He went on to give the parable of the two men who built their houses. One built upon the sand and it fell. One built upon the solid rock or the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ and it stood all the tests. “Not everyone that says to me, Lord, Lord will enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Oh, that is so important for us to know. Don’t delay in becoming a Christian. I pray that today you will become a Christian.
Yes! And in New Testament Christianity, every Christian is a priest to offer up his own sacrifices and his prayers to God, and as well as his praises. Without any human intermediary he can do that. But, every Christian also has one High Priest in the person of Jesus Christ. Every Christian's High Priest is not only able to save; He is also able-- and understanding, and willing to help the struggling Christians-- and to make continual intercession for the Christian before the Throne of the One Almighty and True God. I'm glad you were with us for this study today. This High Priesthood isn't a ministry of our Lord that is talked about a lot-- not much preaching done about it and not much teaching given on it in most churches and on TV. Our youth-- and sometimes the whole congregation where I worship sings "You Are The Great High Priest." But, I often wonder-- in spite of the biblical admonition in First Corinthians chapter 14 and verse 15 to sing with the spirit and with the understanding, I now just wonder how much we know and how much we understand about what we're singing about.
Well, if you would like a free CD or audio cassette tape or printed copy of today's program, please mail your request to In Search of the Lord's Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083. Our e-mail address is searchtv@searchtv.org. Or, if you would like to talk with someone here in the Search offices, please feel free to use our toll-free telephone number and call us. And that number is 1-800-321-8633. No, we'll not accompany your requested material with a plea to send a gift of money. We will not add your name to a mailing list to hassle you the rest of your life about money. We are here due to the loving generosity of your friends who are members of churches of Christ in the viewing area of this station. And I pray that you will pay them a visit real soon. They would delight in having you. We will be back next week. Hope you will, too. God bless now. We love you.
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