Hebrews chapter four. We are picking up where we just left off. In our Bible study a moment ago, we looked at verses 12 and 13 on the subject of Christ, our prophet. Christ, our word of God. And we started that Bible study by saying the reason we're looking at this today is because throughout this entire world right now, men and women are acknowledging the fact that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, came into this world. And what I'm hoping we can get ahold of this morning is truly why he came into this world. Truly, truly why he came into this world, who it was exactly that came, why he came, and what that means for us.

Let's begin reading in verse 12 again. Verse 12 says, for the word of God And that's Christ. The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. For the Word of God is quick, that means alive, living. The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight, but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

This one who sees all, knows all, exposes all, declares all, the end from the beginning, the scripture says. He is the one who came to us because we needed to hear his words of life. That's why he came. We needed to hear his words of life. Romans 10 says, whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. People hear that and say, okay, I'll do it. Lord, save me. Romans 10 goes on to say, but how shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? What do people believe in today just naturally by nature? Themselves. They believe in themselves. How shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher, without a prophet? And how shall they preach except they be sent? That's why Christ was sent of the Father into this world. He was sent to declare the truth of the Word of God. Christ came to be our prophet. He came to declare God's beautiful words of life. Condemnation and death in our flesh. Redemption and life in Christ. How beautiful are the feet of Christ, our prophet, who came and declared the good news of the gospel to us.

All right, now moving on to verse 14, it says, Seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession, for we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

seeing then that we have a great high priest. Who is it? Jesus Christ, the Son of God. That is why he came to us. Our Lord Jesus Christ was born into this world. He was born of a virgin. He was made flesh and dwelt among us because we needed a priest. We needed a priest, we needed a prophet, and we needed a great high priest.

So let's focus for a minute on Christ, our priest, all right? Jesus Christ, our great high priest. What is a priest? You know, you hear the name all the time. You see people who call themselves priests all the time. What is a priest? Why do we need a priest? Do we need a priest? Yes, we need a priest. Why do we need a priest?

We could look at scripture after scripture all through the Old Testament that would show us what the office of a priest is. All right, for the sake of simplicity, let's just look at Hebrews 5 verse 1. It says, For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.

That is the office of a priest. One who offers gifts and sacrifices to God for men and women because of their sins. A priest is a mediator. A priest is an intercessor. That is the office of a priest.

And until Christ came, until he came into this world, the Lord raised up men to hold that office. and to offer the gift and the sacrifice of blood for the sin of the people. That's the gift and the sacrifice that was commanded, that was required, blood. Without the shedding of blood, our Lord said, there's no remission for sin. So the Lord raised up men to carry out blood sacrifices of lambs and bulls and goats and doves as a picture, only as a picture, only as a picture, only as a type, only as an illustration that only pointed his people to the true priest that would come, Jesus Christ our Lord.

For thousands of years, Priests made sacrifices in the name of putting away the sins of God's people. But here's the thing about it, all right? Here's the truth about it. This is the only problem with it. The sacrifices of all of those priests, thousands of priests, Thousands upon thousands of animals slain. Throughout the Old Testament, there are listed millions and millions of animals that were slain. You ought to see when Solomon dedicated the temple, there are some account, literal historical accounts that the priests were just waiting in blood. So much, just so many animals. And they never actually put away one sin. They never actually put away one sin.

Look with me at Hebrews 10. It says, for the law having a shadow of good things to come. and not the very image of the things. The law is a shadow and not the very thing. You know, if you put the sun, if you put me between the sun and the earth, you'll cast a shadow. And it will look like me, but it's not me. Well, the law is a shadow. That's what the law is. It's a shadow of good things to come and not the very image of the things.

Verse one says, it can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers there unto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? If they really did put away the sins of the people, don't you think they would have stopped making sacrifices? If they were clean, if they were pure, if they were made holy, if they were forgiven, don't you think they would have stopped killing animals?

Verse two, for then would they not have ceased to be offered because that the worshipers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices, there's a remembrance. Why did they keep doing it? Not because it was putting away sin, but it was a reminder every time they made those sacrifices. We need a priest. Blood is gonna have to be shed.

Verse three, in those sacrifices, there is a reminder again made of sins every year, for it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Those priests offered sacrifice after sacrifice, but it was never even possible for the blood of those animals to put away sin. There was not one priest of mankind on this earth that ever put away one sin. Not one human man on this earth has ever put away one sin for anybody. Anybody. All of those Old Testament priests were not truly priests at all in the sense that they did not actually make intercession for the sin of the people. They were not true mediators between God and men. They were only pictures of the one true mediator between God and man.

Turn with me over to 1 Timothy 2. 1 Timothy 2 verse 5, it says, for there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man, Christ Jesus. That's it. He's the only one. He is the only one. That is the office of the priest and there has only ever been one that has truly held that office. There's one God and one mediator between God and man, the man, Christ Jesus.

Those Old Testament priests were not true mediators between God and men because they could not forgive one sin. And I just want to acknowledge that these men today who call themselves priests, okay, just because a man buys a black dress and wears a white collar and says he's a priest, it doesn't make him a priest. And these men who say that they are priests, not only are they not actually priests, they're not actually anything. They're not even a type anymore. They're not even a picture anymore.

Here is why. It's because now that Christ has come in the flesh, Our Lord has done away with the types and the pictures. Types and pictures were established until Christ came, but now that he has come, he's done away with the type of the one who would come in the flesh. He has put away the first, that he may establish the second. He put away all the types and pictures and established the true. So now that he's made himself known, you know, one is coming and this is what all he will be for us. Now that he's made himself known, we do not need to come to an illustration of him anymore. You don't need to go to any man to make intercession to God for you. Only the God-man. Only the God-man, the great high priest, our Lord Jesus Christ. He came into this world to offer the gift and the sacrifice that would reconcile us to God. The only gift and sacrifice that would, and that was the gift and sacrifice of himself.

Look right here at verse 5, 1 Timothy 2 verse 5. There's one God and one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time. Our Lord Jesus Christ was born of a virgin in the city of Bethlehem. He was sent there by God the Father, and he was sent for this purpose, to offer blood. Not the blood of animals, but his own blood.

Turn with me to Hebrews chapter 2. Verse 14, it says, For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same. They were flesh and blood, so that's what he took part of. Flesh and blood. That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest. in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. He took upon himself the seed of his people, the flesh of his people, so that he could offer himself as a sacrifice to God in the stead of his people.

Look with me at Hebrews 5, Hebrews chapter 5. This is speaking of Christ. Verse 7 says, Who in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and was heard in that He feared, though He were a Son, Yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.

He suffered in the stead of his people. He suffered in the sin of his people. Verse eight says, though he were a son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him. Called of God, and high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

What that means is God received his perfect sacrifice. God accepted his perfect sacrifice. God accounted his people to be made perfect in the perfect sacrifice of the great high priest.

Look with me at Hebrews 7. Verse 19, for the law made nothing perfect. You know, everybody thinks if you want to be perfect, you better obey the law. Well, the law doesn't make anything perfect. That's the only problem. The law is a shadow. The law is a picture. The law is a type of the one who makes men and women perfect.

Verse 19 says, the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did. By the witch we draw nigh to God. The type and picture of the priesthood law, it couldn't wash one sinner clean from his sins, but Christ our promised hope did. Christ our promised sacrifice did.

Look at verse 22. It says, by so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament and they truly were many priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death. Just priest came and priest came. But this man, because he continueth forever, he has an unchangeable priesthood. That means no priest is going to come take his place.

Wherefore, he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, traded places with us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.

who needeth not daily as those high priests to offer up sacrifice first for his own sins and then for the people's? For this he did once when he offered up himself." Once. One time. One sacrifice.

Look at Hebrews 9 with me, verse 6. Now when these things were thus ordained, the priest went always into the first tabernacle accomplishing the service of God, but into the second went the high priest alone, once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the heirs of the people.

The Holy Ghost, this signifying that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while as the first tabernacle was standing. What it's saying is that was a picture of the one who would come and be made manifest. It stood until he came.

Verse nine, which was a figure for the time then present in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience. which only stood in meats and drinks and divers washings and carnal ordinances imposed on them until the time of reformation.

But Christ being come and high priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building, Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Eternal redemption. And I was going to read a bit here in chapter 10. I'm not going to do it. We read the first four verses. The law couldn't do it. Look at chapter 10, verse 11. Every priest stood daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sin.

You know, if they committed this particular sin, they had to bring a dove, kill a dove. So they commit the sin, and they'd have a guilty conscience, and they'd go get a dove and bring it. The priest would kill it. And they'd go back, and they'd do the same thing again. Then they'd have to go get another dove. I did it again. They sat there and they were doing the same sacrifices over and over again, and they never took away anybody's sin. They never took away sin.

Verse 11, every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sin. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God Christ our priest is our great high priest because the sacrifice that he offered was the sacrifice of his own self. And the sacrifice of his own self, his own body, his own blood was so great, it was the only sacrifice God needed for eternal reconciliation with his people. That's why Christ came into the world. That's why Jesus Christ came into the world. It's because we needed the true sacrifice of the only true priest that there is.

And if you are thinking, I'm going to, I'm going to leave you with this. Okay. If you are thinking, you know, Gabe, this message doesn't sound very Christmassy. If you're thinking that, you know, this is the Sunday before Christmas and we all came to, you know, sing Christmas songs and hear a Christmas message. If you're thinking that, let me leave you with this. I've read this to you for the last at least three or four Christmases and I was not gonna do it this time because it's, you know, I thought I've done it every year for the last three or four years, but I'm not tired of hearing it yet. The moment I get tired of hearing it, I'll stop reading this to you. But I just have not reached that point yet. This perfectly summarizes what I've been saying. This perfectly summarizes what I've been trying to say.

Let me end this by reading one more time to you. This is a historical account. on what was the common practice in ancient Israel. Okay, this is just how things went. Mangers were feeding troughs. And in ancient Israel, they were made of stone and very protective. That is why the priest who lived near Bethlehem near a hill known for raising sacrificial lambs. The hill was called Migdal-ed-eder, I think. That is why the priests who lived near Bethlehem, near a hill known for raising sacrificial lambs, would put lambs in them. Not all the lambs. just the ones they thought were without blemish and suitable for the blood sacrifices that took place twice a day. Sacrifices to cover sin.

The priest wanted to keep the lambs without bumps and bruises, so they'd wrap them up tightly, they'd swaddle them, wrapping them in cloths like precious and terribly fragile bottles of wine, and they'd lay them in a manger. There was only a small group of people who would understand this practice and its significance besides the priests, and that was the shepherds, the shepherds of the sacrificial flock. And they were the very ones who heard the words. You will find a baby wrapped in cloths, swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger. Those shepherds knew what the cloths and the manger meant. This will be a sign to you The angel said, and it was. It wouldn't have been a sign to many, but to them, most definitely. And this sign was staggering. The long expected king wasn't headed to a palace. He was headed to a sacrifice. And they knew what that sacrifice meant.

peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled. That's why Christ came into this world. That's the very reason why Christ came into this world. Thank God for Christ, our great high priest, who came into this world to offer the sacrifice of himself. The Apostle Paul called it the unspeakable gift. The unspeakable gift. To him be the glory for it. Amen.