Our Great High Priest

Good evening. If you held your place in Hebrews, keep a marker there, but we're gonna start out in Ephesians chapter two in a moment. For some reason, I don't know, past few days or weeks, The thought of wealth came to my mind, and wealth not so much in a financial aspect, just wealth, and how our perception and our definition of wealth changes over time. Typically, as children, we judge wealth purely by possession. If I have a house that's bigger than yours, if I have a car that is newer than yours, I am more wealthy than you are, and vice versa. We age a little bit, and rather than judging strictly by possessions, maybe we start looking at what others do. Do they take extended vacations? Do they go to exotic places? Do they eat out every meal? They're wealthier than I am if they do these things.

Then more time passes and rather than these possessions or these luxuries, Lord given a person a little wisdom, you start thinking of wealth in terms of Do I have friends and loved ones who care for me and I care for them? How richly blessed, how great wealth a person has who has family and friends who they love and who loves them.

Truly, that's a blessing. Our perspective and our definition of wealth is constantly changing, just like everything else we do changes constantly. But for those of us that God has set apart and given us unto our Lord Jesus Christ, those he has done that for, he's revealed to us something of the unsearchable riches of Christ. The wealth, the exceeding wealth of a man or woman who the Lord Jesus Christ has been made our God. That is invaluable, inestimable. higher than we can imagine. Now as I thought on riches and wealth, the words we have came to the forefront. With wealth, there comes possession, there comes ownership, there comes having. And because of the riches of our Lord, because for Christ's sake we are freely given, There are things that we possess.

And last Wednesday night, William went down this line of thought as well. It amazed me as he was preaching. I already had this in mind and the Lord blesses us from time to time to be on the same thought. But as I was looking at this, my thoughts were, we're going to study and we're going to look at the things we have in Christ. The scripture plainly tells us that we have, but as I got into my study, I came across one blessing that I just couldn't get past. So Lord willing, we're going to spend our time looking at our great high priest this evening. And if time allows, we'll get a glimpse at some of the blessings given to us because of our great high priest. But that will be our focus tonight.

Very briefly, before we get into the good news, we must first establish a baseline. if you will, of what we have if we do not have Christ. And you may, like me, jump ahead and say, nothing. Without Christ, I have nothing. I actually think we would be better off if we had absolutely nothing than what we actually have if we don't have Christ. Romans 5 tells us that without Christ we were without strength, ungodly, sinners, enemies. Galatians says we were kept under the law. We were bound to it. We were condemned by it.

Here in Ephesians 2 verse 1, and you hath he quickened. Paul is addressing those of us that God's been pleased to save, and he's about to tell us what we had without Christ. And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins. And I'm just going to skim through some of this so you can try to follow along or just listen. You were dead in trespasses and sins. Ye walked according to the course of this world.

Verse three, among whom also we all had our conversation, our conduct, our way of living. In times past, in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature, this is what we have without Christ, the children of wrath. Verse 5, we were dead in sins. Verse 12, without Christ, having no hope, and without God in the world.

In John 3.36, our Lord plainly said, He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. And he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. In our flesh, without Christ, we look on those words that our Lord said, and we water them down.

We think in our hearts, God is love. Just how bad can his wrath possibly be? Come to Calvary's cross. Look upon Him, look upon the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Son, the man that when God spoke from heaven, He said, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. But when my sin, when your sin was found on our Lord, the wrath of God fell upon Him.

Romans 8.32 says, he that spared not his own son. Without Christ, the wrath of God without mercy abideth on us. Surely, having absolutely nothing would be far preferred to what we actually have without Christ.

Ephesians 2 verse 4 starts with, but God. Oh, what wonderful words. What words full of hope and grace. But God. He spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all. How shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? For those whom the Father chose to save from the condemnation and wrath we deserve, for those whom the Son lived in perfect righteousness under the law, before the law. And then he shed his precious blood, yielded his life, entered the tomb and rose again. Those whom the son became our substitute for.

For those who the spirit calls and reveals the Lord Jesus Christ, who he is, God manifests in the flesh. to all of those whosoever we are freely given and have, indeed, at this very moment, we have precious riches, one of which, turn to Hebrews chapter four. Hebrews 4, verse 14.

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 a 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." What good news for sinners. We have a great high priest. How inexhaustible are the riches and the wealth contained in those few simple words. We're just going to take a little time and stroll through Hebrews, seeing the character of our Lord as our Great High Priest. We'll start right here in verse 14. Our Great High Priest is Jesus, the Son of God.

God the Son, not a lesser But God Almighty, one with God the Father, one with the Spirit of God, the Almighty God is our High Priest. Our High Priest is Jesus, the man, the man born of the seed of woman, therefore not inheriting the nature, the fallen condition of our Father Adam, But this man is God, manifest in the flesh. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

The Son of God came in the likeness of sinful flesh, and dwelling in the flesh was in all points tempted, like as we are, yet without sin. He experienced all that we experience, hunger, thirst, fatigue, injury, heartbreak, betrayal, even unto death, so that he knows by experience our infirmities and he is able to sympathize with us. Oh, how great is the humility of our Lord. He came in the likeness of sinful flesh. and he made no claim, he brought no attention to himself, no honor, no glory of his own claiming, although he had every right to do so.

He did not confer upon himself the title of high priest. Hebrews 5 verse 5 says, so also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest, but he that said unto him, thou art my son, today have I begotten thee? As he saith also in another place, thou art a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek. Verse 4 says, and no man taketh this honor of being ordained as a high priest unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. The Lord Jesus Christ didn't come into the world and lay claim to this title for himself, but God who sent him called him into the office which he would fulfill. Now what is the calling of the high priest? What is his primary responsibility? Verse one here in chapter five.

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. The primary duty of the priest of old was to stand for the people before God and offer gifts and sacrifices for sin. These Old Testament priests, before they could stand for the people, had to offer gifts and sacrifices for their own sins. But our Lord, our great high priest, was not like unto them.

Turn over to chapter seven, verse 26. Hebrews 7, 26. For such an high priest became us. This describes our high priest. Holy, harmless, undefiled, Separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens, he did not need a sacrifice for himself. Isn't it so amazing? He is so high, so glorious, so magnificent, yet he is able to have compassion on us in that He was tempted, yet without sin. We've seen what we are without Christ.

Sinners, enemies of God, children of wrath, the penalty of which is death. An offering must be made. Our sin must be paid for. Hebrews 8, verse 1. Now of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum. We have such a high priest who is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens, a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man. for every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices, whereof it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer." The priests of the Old Testament spent their time bathed in the blood of sacrificial offerings, picturing the office and the work that Christ would come to fulfill. but our high priest has a far greater offering than those priests. Chapter 9, verse 11. 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. Our high priest did not offer a sacrifice that typified payment for sin and didn't actually accomplish anything.

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. Our sin, our iniquities, our separation, all that we are, our Lord Jesus Christ, God the Son, took upon himself. He shed his own blood. He laid down his life as our sacrifice.

The high priest of old, here in verse seven, but into the second, into the holiest of all, behind the second veil of the tabernacle, into the second went the high priest alone, once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people. The blood of the sacrifice was taken beyond the people's reach into the holiest of all, again, a type and figure of what Christ would accomplish. Where did our high priest take his precious blood of his sacrificial offering?

Verse 24. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which is a figure of the true, but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us. While the Old Testament priests were required to go in year after year after year, our Lord's sacrifice accomplished the salvation of his people. Verse 24, For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others.

For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world. But now, once in the end of the world, hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." Those Old Testament priests were ever working and never finding rest. The gifts and the sacrifices had to be continually offered. What of our great high priest? Chapter 10, verse 11. And every priest standeth daily, ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

But this man, After he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever set down on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool, for by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Once Christ Jesus came, made the seed of woman, Once he was made under the law.

Once he walked in the flesh fulfilling righteousness. Righteousness we need but can never accomplish. Once he bore our sin in his body on the tree. Once he shed his blood. Once the wrath of God fell on him. Once he laid down his life. Once he entered the tomb. And once he arose from the tomb and ascended back into glory where he continues evermore.

Hebrews 7 verse 23 Hebrews 7.23, And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death. But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. 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." That God should love us and give himself as our high priest and as our sacrifice, we are wealthy beyond all imagination. Because of his greatness, because of his finished work, because of his abundant love and mercy, we have him and with him so much more.

Romans 5.1. We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. There's no more enmity.

Ephesians 2.14 says, for he is our peace, who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, so making peace.

Romans 8.15, ye have received the spirit of adoption. We are made to be the children of God. Family. No longer the children of wrath, but the children of God.

1 Corinthians 2.16, you have the mind of Christ. No longer fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, but having the mind of Christ. Seeking him, desiring him, that he should be glorified and not this flesh.

Ephesians 1.7, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. Our sins and iniquities have been paid for, redeemed through his blood, and we have forgiveness, the release from bondage of our sins.

Ephesians 2.18, For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Having a high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. We who were separate from God, without God and without Christ in this world, Because of our great high priest, our Lord Jesus Christ, we have access unto the Father. This is just some of the things we possess. There are many others, but for this final thought, We have this that we now possess, given to us because we have a great high priest who ever lived.

1 John 2.1 says, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous.

Our Lord asked in Matthew 16.26, For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Oh, the exceeding riches and wealth of that man or woman who has the Lord Jesus Christ. That person is blessed to have Christ and so much more. How great a God we worship. Amen.

Our Great High Priest

Sermon Transcript

Comments

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Music

Recent Comments

About

Legal

Subscribe

Account

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Recent Comments

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Collections

Music

About

Legal

Subscribe

Our Great High Priest

Sermon Transcript

Comments

More from Obie Williams

Related Sermons

Same Scripture

Where this book stands in the tradition

Plato

Augustine

The Western Christian Tradition

This Book