Now this evening, for our study
and our message, I want to tell you a little bit, if I can, God
is my helper, about the high priest that we need. The high
priest that is provided by Almighty God to represent his people before,
before God. The high priest that I need. I'm a sinner in need of mercy. Mercy is found in the one to
whom mercy is revealed, and that is in Christ Jesus. Hebrews 9,
look at verse 11 and verse 12 of Hebrews 9. But Christ, but
the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
fulfillment of everything that the law was only typical of.
But Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ being come, and high priest,
the high priest of God. He's the high priest of good
things, good things to come, by greater and more perfect tabernacle,
not made with hands. That is to say, not of this building,
neither, neither by the blood of goats and calves, but rather,
But by his own blood, his own blood, he entered in once into
the holy place, and it's not the holy place made with hand.
It's not any earthly tabernacle. It says in verse 24 that Christ
has entered into heaven for us, to intercede for us. But by his
own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained,
having obtained, eternal redemption for us, eternal deliverance. Now, I'm interested in that.
I love to talk about the priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ, the
priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Throughout the book of
Hebrews, the Lord Jesus Christ is set forth in the glory of
His person, the glory of His person. You remember the key
word in the book of Hebrews? It's the word better. The Lord
Jesus Christ, He's better, better, far superior than any Old Testament
priest. He is far better than any earthly
tabernacle. The Lord Jesus Christ is better. We see in the book of Hebrews,
the glory of His person, the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the glory of His person. Hold your place there in Hebrews
9, and look over Hebrews 1, verse 3. The glory of His person. His person, God Almighty, manifest
in the flesh. Who being, it says in Hebrews
1 verse 3, being the brightness of His glory, God's glory, the
express image of His person, upholding all things by the word
of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sin, put away
our sin, He sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high,
being made so much better. better than any angel, he has
obtained a more excellent, he has obtained an inheritance for
us, and he has the more excellent name. God has given him a name
which is above every name. That at that name, every knee
will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. So in the book of Hebrews, we
see the glory of his person. We also see the glory of his
office. the glory of his office. Now
the Lord Jesus Christ is revealed as prophet, priest, and king. But in the book of Hebrews it
talks a lot about his priestly office. Matter of fact, if my
count is right, 16 times in the book of Hebrews, 16 times we
read about the priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is
the faithful, great, high priest. Faithful in all things. Turn
to Hebrews chapter two, verse 17. He's a faithful one. Faithful
to God. Faithful to his covenant people
faithful to that covenant of grace Hebrews chapter 2 little
verse 17 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 not to attempt to
to make reconciliation. And if you look that word up,
it's actually atonement for the sin of a certain people. The people. His covenant people. So the Lord Jesus Christ is that
great high priest that we need. Drop down and look at Hebrews
chapter 3 verse 1. Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers
of the heavenly calling, consider The Apostle and High Priest of
our profession, who is he? The Lord Jesus Christ. And again,
we see something more about the priesthood of Christ. Turn to
chapter 4, verse 14, and we could read others. There's many others.
seeing then that we have a great high priest. He not only a priest,
not only a high priest, he the great high priest that is passed
into the heavens. Jesus, the son of God, let us
hold fast. Let us hold fast our profession. So we see the glory of his person,
the glory of his office, and then we see the glory, the glory
of his sacrifice. The Lord Jesus Christ as our
High Priest did not bring the typical animal blood sacrifice. He brought something much superior,
much greater. The Lord Jesus Christ brought
Himself as a sacrifice for our sin. Now all three are essential
to secure and accomplish our salvation. The glory of His person,
the glory of His office, and the glory of His sacrifice. He by Himself put away our sin. All three are essential to secure
our everlasting salvation. Without the Lord Jesus Christ
being the appointed High Priest, bringing the appointed sacrifice
at the appointed time, anointed and blessed of God, we would
have no remission for sin, would we? We would have no hope of
righteousness without the Lord Jesus Christ, our righteousness.
We would have no hope at all of any mercy from God without
the Lord Jesus Christ and Him crucified. We would have no hope
of pardon, no hope of forgiveness. we would face certain and swift
condemnation without the Lord Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
No wonder the Apostle Paul was determined when he said, I'm
determined to know nothing among you but the Lord Jesus Christ
and Him crucified. Put away the sin of God's people,
covenant people, God's elect. God in Christ as a sinner's high
priest as our mediator, as our surety, as our substitute, fulfilled
all that the Old Testament priest, the Aaronic priesthood, only
pictured. It pictured the way of representation,
it pictured the way of substitution, it pictured the way of someone
standing in the room instead of another, but it didn't fulfill
or put away our sin, but the Lord Jesus Christ perfectly fulfilled
all that was pictured in that old covenant we call the law. The law having a shadow of good
things to come and not the very image of those things can never
with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually
make the comers there unto perfect. The law was a shadow. Now there's,
I'm not real smart, but there's no life in a shadow. The shadow
points to the true substance. The law is pointing us unto and
pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ. We don't trust in shadow. We
don't hope in shadow. We have a substance. We have
a living redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. He's our great high priest.
But Christ being come, look at Hebrews 9.11, Christ being come. He's our High Priest. He's one
designated of God, sent of God to represent us before God. And
He represents us perfectly. His mediation is perfect. His
advocacy is absolutely perfect. But Christ being come, being
come. Now, did He just end up here?
Did He just wind up here? Did He decide of His own thoughts
or own heart that one day I'm gonna redeem my people. No, my
friend, he came being delivered by the determinant counsel and
foreknowledge of God. He was sent of God to represent
God's covenant people and to put away their sin. In the fullness
of time, God sent forth his son. made of a woman, made under the
law to redeem his covenant people. But Christ being come, he's the
high priest this sinner needs. Think about it, he ever lives,
it says in Hebrews 7 verse 25, that he's able to say to the
uttermost, all that come to God by him, saying that he ever lives
to make intercession for us even right now. Our worship is only
acceptable unto God through our mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ,
right now. He is the high priest that we
need, being come, being sent of God. And he is the high priest
of God. He's not a reformer, he's not
a martyr, he's not an example, but the priest to represent us
and to make, as we read in Hebrews 2.17, to make Atonement for our
sin. It says in this same chapter,
take a look at verse 26. The last part of verse 26 of
Hebrews 9, but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared,
hath he appeared. Now who appeared? You see it's
who he is that gives infinite merit and value to what he did. Now once in the end of the world
hath he appeared to put away sin. by the sacrifice of himself. He didn't merely come and make
salvation a possibility. He didn't merely come and make
an attempt to put away somebody's sin. He actually made, not an
attemptment, but an atonement for His people. He justified them with His blood. He put away their sin. So Christ being come, He is the
high priest that we need to represent us, to make atonement for our
sin, and He is the one who has purchased for us good things. Good things. Now can you think
of some good things that He has purchased for us? I can think
of a lot. But sum it up in this. It says in Ephesians chapter
one that we are blessed in Christ Jesus. God has blessed us and
we bless Him who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings. Now that covers all the bases,
doesn't it? All spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. He purchased for us good things
to come, good things. How about peace? We have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. How about pardon? How
about pardon? Thou art a God. You remember
that prayer in Nehemiah 9, 17? Thou art a God ready to pardon. Good things to come. Righteousness. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord imputeth righteousness without work. We have good things to
come in Christ. pardon, peace, righteousness,
redemption. In whom we have redemption through
his blood, the forgiveness of sin according to the riches of
his grace. In whom we have reconciliation. He has reconciled us unto God
in Christ Jesus. We're reconciled unto him. Blessings
we have in Christ. innumerable blessings we have
in Christ. Abundantly He blesses us. He
has made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and He is our
redemption. But Christ being come, a high
priest of good things, good things to come by a greater, a greater,
more perfect tabernacle, the Lord Jesus Christ. is no mere
mate. The Word was made flesh. The
eternal Word of God, God Himself, was made flesh and tabernacled
among us. Our Lord said on many occasions,
My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me and to finish
His work. finish God's business. You know,
the first uttered word that recorded in scripture, the Lord Jesus
Christ said when he was just 12 years old in the temple, I
must be about my father's business. And then he prayed in John 17,
father, I've glorified thee on the earth. I finished the work
you gave me to do. And then at Calvary's tree, he
finally said, it's done. It is finished. The Lord Jesus
Christ accomplished all of our salvation. He left nothing undone. He secured it, accomplished it,
finished it, and He gives it to us as the gift of His grace. This is a greater, this is a
more perfect salvation. The only Savior of sinners, neither
is there salvation in any other. For there's no other name under
heaven given among men whereby We must be saved in Him. We are
saved in Him. We are justified in Christ Jesus. And it's a tabernacle not made
with hands. It's not this salvation that we enjoy that's of the Lord.
It's not by the will of the flesh. It's not by the will of man.
It's not by any effort on our part. It's not, not made with
our hands. It's not of our doing. It's completely
out of our doing. We're justified freely by His
grace through the redemption that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you have such a high priest?
Is the Lord Jesus Christ your high priest? Are you looking
to some mere man with a funny hat and call him your priest
to represent you before God? Are you looking to the one that's
enthroned, that's seated on the right hand of God, who has accomplished
all salvation for us, seeing that we have a great high priest
that is passed into the heavens? We read that a moment ago in
Hebrews 4 verse 14. You know what the fruit of that
is? Verse 16. Therefore let us come boldly
unto the throne of grace, Hebrews 4, 16. Let us therefore come
boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, find
grace to help in our time of need. For He's able to succor
us, able to save us. Now, apart from the Lord Jesus
Christ coming, accomplishing our salvation, ascending to glory,
seated in the heavenlies on the right hand of the throne of God.
Must be something special about the right hand of the throne
of God. Not many people sat down on the right hand of the throne
of God, not any, but the Lord Jesus Christ and those in Him.
When He ascended, we ascended. When He sat down, we sat down.
But apart from His mediation, apart from His atonement, apart
from His intercession, seeing He ever lives to intercede for
us, we could not approach the throne of God apart from Christ
Jesus. As a matter of fact, He's made
the righteous and holy throne of God a throne of God. grace
unto us, that we might have grace and mercy to help in time of
need. Neither, look what it says in
verse 12, neither by the blood of goats
and calves. You see, look right across the
page in Hebrews 10 verse 4, it is not possible It is not possible
that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sin. Now picture
the way of substitution. You remember that lamb on the
day of Atonement had to be a special lamb without blemish and without
spot. Even that is a foreshadowing
of the Lord Jesus Christ who is called our spotless lamb. Turn over to 1 Peter just a minute.
You see the Lord Jesus Christ as our great high priest He didn't
fetch out to the stockyard to fetch out a lamb without blemish
and without spot. The Lord Jesus Christ, He is
that Lamb. Matter of fact, didn't one called
John the Baptist identify Him as, behold, this Lamb of God
that takes away indeed, He takes away our sin. He takes away our
sin by doing what? By burying our sin in His own
body on the tree and made a complete end of it. Make a complete end
to it. Look at Hebrews, or 1 Peter 1.
1 Peter 1, verse 18, for as much as you know. Now here's what
we know. Believers know this, that we're
not redeemed with corruptible things, such as silver and gold,
such as vain conversation, such as the traditions of men. We
are not, you know, it's good to know what something's not.
One of the things that old John Gill does when you read his commentary,
he spends a lot of time telling you what redemption is not. It's
not this, it's not that, it's not that. But I always look for
this word, but rather. I want to get down to the but
rather. But rather. For as much as you know, you're
not redeemed. We are not redeemed by anything
that's corruptible. Anything that we bring, anything
that we add, anything that we would contribute is corruptible. And that's a big word in scripture,
isn't it? But God, who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith
he loved us even when we were dead in trespasses and in sin. For as much as you know, not
redeemed with these corruptible things, but with the precious
blood of Christ. God, do you realize the Lord
Jesus Christ is fully and totally man, It says over in Hebrews,
don't turn, stay right there in 1 Peter a minute, let me just
read this to you. The Lord Jesus fully and totally
a real man, bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. For as
much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood,
he also himself likewise took part of the same. Now back to
Hebrews, or rather, 1 Peter 1. But with the precious blood of
Christ, as of the Lamb, without blemish and without spot. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Scripture
says of Him that He had no sin. The Scripture says of Him that
He did no sin. The Scripture says of Him that
He had no sin, did no sin, and it also says of Him that He knew
no sin. God made Him sin for us who knew
no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in Christ
Jesus. He is that spotless Lamb of God,
that appointed Lamb of God, that anointed Lamb of God, that one
sin of God, the blood of Christ. God bought the church with His
own blood. He says, for as much as you know,
the Apostle said to the Corinthians, for as much as you know, you
were bought with a price, His blood. Therefore glorify God
in your body and in your spirit. You are no more your own, you're
bought. As I told you before in the past, the Lord's gonna
have what, He's gonna have what He bought. You ladies don't go
to Kroger and buy your groceries and leave them there. Not on
purpose. Now when you get older, sometimes
that happens. But when you go to Kroger or Walmart and buy
your groceries, you make that list. You buy what you want.
You select out what you want and you purchase it. Then what
do you do? You take it home and enjoy it.
The Lord Jesus Christ is not going to leave us behind. He
bought us with His own blood. He's going to have us. He's going
to keep us. He says, I give unto them eternal
life. and he'll never perish. You see,
it says in the text here that he obtained for us eternal redemption. Now look to 1 Peter again, I'm
back in 1 Peter, but with the precious blood of Christ as the
Lamb without blemish and without spot, this special designated
Lamb of God. Now watch verse 20, who was barely
foreordained. Foreordained before the foundation
of the world. You see, before there was ever
a sinner, There was a Savior. Before Adam ever sinned, the
Lord Jesus Christ, it tells us in the book of Hebrews chapter
seven, verse 22, that the Lord Jesus Christ stood as a surety,
a mediator of that everlasting covenant of grace. He is our
surety, who was verily ordained before the foundation of the
world. You remember that verse over in Hebrews, well, I mean,
Revelation 13? He's a lamb slain. from the foundation
of the world before Adam ever sinned. The remedy stood, the
surety stood, the mediator stood. Guarantees our salvation who
was verily ordained before the foundation of the world but was
manifest in these last times for you, for you. Now back to Hebrews 9, Hebrews
9. Neither by the blood of goats
and calves, but by His own blood. His own blood. It's just not that blood was
shed. There were many Jews crucified. Many Jews crucified. It's who
this man is. He's no ordinary man from Nazareth. He's God Almighty manifest in
the flesh. His own blood He entered in once
into the holy place. What kind of holy place we're
talking about? Look at verse 24 of Hebrews 9.
For Christ did not enter into the holy places made with hands,
which are figures of the true, but into heaven itself. now to
appear now he appears for us he appears in the presence of
god for us right now he appears for us intercedes for us back
to verse 12 of hebrews 9 but by his own blood he entered it
once into the holy place now what did he do well he was delivered
for our offenses right Romans 4 25 he was delivered for our offenses
and raised again because he did indeed justify his people and
put away all their sin you see what it says they're having obtained
eternal redemption for us he is our Redeemer who has obtained
something for us and this is what he has obtained eternal
redemption now the salvation that we enjoy he saved us with
an everlasting salvation the redemption that we enjoy and
the forgiveness and the pardon of sin in whom we have forgiveness
redemption through His blood. We have this right now. He obtained
for us eternal deliverance. The salvation that we enjoy is
an eternal salvation. It's not something that He gives
and then we lose. It's not something that he gives
and then it fades away. It loses its value. It loses
its power. It loses its worth. It's not
like that at all. He actually indeed obtained for
us eternal forgiveness, eternal pardon, eternal justification. We have in the Lord Jesus Christ eternal redemption. You know,
everything about our salvation is eternal. He gives us, He said,
my sheep hear my voice, I know them and I give unto them eternal
life. And because He gives unto them
eternal life, because He has purchased for us eternal redemption,
eternal deliverance, you reckon, you reckon there's any for whom
the Lord Jesus Christ died and put away their sin. You reckon
there's any that will perish? You reckon there's any that will
wind up in hell? Not for whom the Lord died, because
He obtained for them eternal redemption. He obtained for them,
it says again, that He put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Now my friend, I know you know
this, but if you don't, and if you do, I've often heard that
people like to be told what they already know. You like to hear what you already
know. And I do. I like to hear about the Lord
Jesus Christ who didn't make an attempt to bring in obedience
to the law, who didn't attempt to come in and obey every precept
of the law, who didn't attempt to put away the curse of the
law. He redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a
curse for us. every precept of that law. The
Lord Jesus Christ magnified it. It says that in Isaiah 42, 21. The Lord is well pleased for
His righteousness sake. He will magnify the law and make
it honorable. The Lord Jesus Christ, His obedience
is a perfect obedience unto God. Every jot, every tittle, every
word, every thought, every motive, His obedience is complete. Perfect! God Almighty said, this is my
beloved son in whom I am well pleased. You see two things a
believer has to have. He has to have a righteousness
that's accepted of God. He has to have a righteousness
that's provided of God and that righteousness is only The Lord
Jesus Christ himself, he is the Lord, our righteousness, and
I must have not only a righteousness, I must have in the Lord Jesus
all my sin put away. I must have redemption. Now turn
to Hebrews chapter 10, and I'm gonna wind this up. Hebrews chapter
10. I love to talk about the Christ
of God, the priest of God that can't fail, that can't fail. You remember Isaiah 42, four?
He, God said in verse one, behold my servant, my elect and who
my soul delighteth. And then it said down in verse
four, he can't fail. The Lord Jesus Christ, the high
priest we have is an absolute success. His atonement is a success
story. He is the victorious savior. Thanks be unto God who has given
us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Because He's won
the victory over sin, death, hell, and the grave. He said,
I'm He that liveth and was dead. Behold, I'm alive forevermore.
I have the keys to hell and death. He's a victorious Lord. And I
tell you, believers, they are really victorious in Him. In Him. Because His atonement,
look what it says here in Hebrews 10. I'll let you go. He taketh
away the first, verse nine, that he may establish a second. He
takes away the first, that is the first covenant revealed,
the law, by fulfilling it, every precept, every penalty of that
law, that he may establish, establish the second, by the which will,
by the which will we are sanctified. Now whose will? His will. We are sanctified through the
offering of the body of the Lord Jesus Christ once. Once, one
time, one offering for all for whom he represents. For every
priest daily, standard daily, ministering, offering oftentimes
the same sacrifices year after year after year, which could
never take away sin. But this man, this high priest,
this God-man mediator, this man, after he'd offered not many sacrifices,
one. One sacrifice. He offered one
sacrifice for sins forever. This one the Lord Jesus Christ
sat down on the right hand, the right hand of God. The Old Testament
tabernacle. All the pieces of furniture,
you can study them all. There was never, and I never
read about a chair in that tabernacle where the priest sat down. He
was always ministering about always standing because his work
was never done. The Lord Jesus Christ offered
one sacrifice and sat down. Why did he sit down? His work
was done. For but one offering, verse 14. Well, let's read verse 13. From
henceforth expect him till his enemies be made his footstool.
The reference there is to Psalm 110 verse 1. For but one offering,
that one offering, the offering of himself, he hath perfected
forever them that are sanctified. Wherefore the Holy Ghost also
is a witness unto us. For after that he said before,
this is a covenant that I'll make with them after those days,
saith the Lord, I'll put my law into their heart and in their
mind will I write them and their sins, verse 17, and their iniquities. God said, I will remember no
more. Now you talk about success. You
talk about victory. I tell you, believers are living the victorious
life. We are victors in Him, in our
champion, the Lord Jesus. Their sin and their iniquities
will I remember no more. No more. As far as the east is
from the west. That's a fair piece, isn't it?
That's infinity. So far hath He separated our
sin from us. They're cast behind the back
of God, the scripture said. Wherever that is, they're gone.
They're completely gone. They're cast into the depths
of the sea. They're blooded out as a thick cloud. All those are
references, most of them in Isaiah. But here's the point. We have
a great high priest who's brought in everlasting righteousness,
who obtained for us eternal redemption, and he completed all things for
us. Now, look to him. Rest in him,
delight in him, rejoice in him. He said, come unto me and rest
all you who are laboring, heavy laden. He said, don't do that,
rest. We have, seeing that we have
such a great high priest. Let us come boldly to the throne
of grace that we may obtain mercy, find grace to help in time of
need.