right now, a great high priest. And because, secondly, he's passed
into the heavens, he ministers not in temples made with hands
or tabernacle made with hands. He ministers in heaven itself,
in the presence of God for us. Because he's the Son of God, Jesus, the Son of God, our great
high priest who ministers in heaven, is Jesus, the Son of
God. Turn back to chapter 1 of Hebrews,
and let's read these words about him. Hebrews 1, verse 2, God
hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath
appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds,
who being the brightness of his glory, the express image of his
person, who upholdeth all things by the word of his power, when
he hath by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand
of the majesty on high." That's not a high priest. A great high
priest in the heavens, none other than the Son of God. And he loves
us and he pities us. Look at verse 15. We have not
a high priest. who cannot be touched with the
feeling of our infirmities. He knows our infirmities. He
knows our afflictions. He remembers our frame, David
said. He knows we're dust. How does
he know this? Read the next verse, next point.
He was in all points tempted like as we are. He was a man
born of a woman. Walked this earth just exactly
as we walk this earth. subject to the hunger and thirst
and pain, all of these. He was tempted in all points. He loves us, he pities us, he
understands us. He walked in this flesh just
exactly as we do. But our great high priest noticed
the last three words of verse 15. He's a man without sin, yet
without sin. We have an advocate with the
Father, a mediator, a great high priest who is passed into the
heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, who took upon himself the form
of a serpent, was made in the likeness of me, and was tempted,
tested in all points as we are. He knows our frame. He knows
where it does. He's entered into our infirmities,
yet without sin, without sin. Therefore, listen, verse 16,
let us, that's right, even us, let us, sons of Adam, chief of
sinners, ordinary folks, everyday people, let us. Therefore, because
these things are true, we've got no right to come if these
things are not true, if we don't have a mediator. If we don't
have a high priest, if we don't have an advocate. But because
we do, let us therefore come boldly. Come boldly with confidence. Confidence. Come as we are. Come just like we are. Let us. With confidence, just like we
are. Come without price. Nothing in our hands. The top lady said, in my hands
no price I bring. Sent her to the cross, but Christ
I cling. Come confidently, come boldly,
come as we are. Come without price, come anytime. Anytime, come now. Come at all
times. Unto the throne of grace. Unto the throne of God. But the
only way that folks like us can come to the throne of God is
because the Lord Jesus Christ has taken the justice and condemnation
and made it a throne of grace. We want nothing to do with justice. We want mercy. And therefore
we come boldly, confidently, just like we are now, unto the
very throne of God, the throne of grace. that we come reverently
because it's a throne. It's the throne of God. We don't
come in impotent, insincere fashion. We come sincerely before that
throne that we may obtain mercy. What? Mercy. Mercy. I want you to hold that
scripture out there and turn to Luke 18. Luke 18. Our Lord gave this illustration
of two men that engaged in prayer, two men that came to God before
his throne in prayer. In Luke 18.10, two men, our Lord
said, went to the temple to pray. When you pray, you come to God,
don't you? That's right. One was a Pharisee, one was a
religious man, an outwardly moral man, the other was a publican,
a sinner. a man that most folks with whom
most folks wouldn't have anything to do. And the religious man
stood, and he prayed thus with himself. He pretended to come
to God, but he was just praying with himself. He said, God, I
thank you I'm not, as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers,
even as this publican. I fast twice in the week. I give
tithes of all that I possess. He came before God looking for
praise, looking for acceptance based on the things he had done,
the things he hadn't done. But the publican, verse 13, this
is the Lord speaking now, our mediator, our advocate, this
is Christ, that great high priest. And the publican standing afar
off. would not lift up so much as
his eyes to heaven. He wouldn't wave his hands. He wouldn't lift up his hands,
even his eyes. He felt so unworthy to come before
God that he smote upon his breast. Someone said he was indicating
the area where his trouble began, his heart. He smote upon his
breast. And he cried, saying, God, be
merciful to me, a sinner. Be what? Merciful. So that's
what, seeing we have a high priest, an advocate, with the Father, passed into
the heaven, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, let us come boldly
that we may obtain mercy. Sinners need mercy. Mercy is
God not giving us what we deserve. That's what mercy is. God not
giving us what we deserve. We want mercy. We don't want
justice. So we come before the throne of grace through our mediator,
our great high priest, that we may obtain mercy and find grace. Grace to help us. Mercy to forgive
us and grace to help us. Mercy to forgive us and grace
to enable us. Every step of the way in time
of need. The hymn writer said, Grace first
inscribed my name in God's eternal book. It was grace that gave
me to the Lamb who all my sorrows took. Grace taught my soul to
pray. Grace made my eyes overflow. It's grace that kept me to this
day, and it's grace that will not let me go. Grace, all the
work shall crown Through everlasting days, grace lays in heaven the
cornerstone, and grace well deserves the praise. Let us come boldly,
because we have a great high priest, Jesus Christ, the Son
of God, unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and
find grace to help us in our time of need. Now the priest
in the Old Testament, these priests that were types and pictures
of Christ, turn to Hebrews chapter 10 a moment. These Old Testament
priests who went about the service of the tabernacle and the temple,
the sacrifices and baptisms and washings and sacrifices and ceremonies,
they didn't have the power nor the proper sacrifice to put away
sin. Look at Hebrews 10 and 11. Hebrews
10, 11, these men did not have either the sacrifice nor the
power to put away sin. This is a summary of their ministry. And every priest standeth daily
ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can
never take away sin. They weren't given for that reason.
These priests were not appointed and ordained for the purpose
of putting away sin. They were appointed and ordained
for this purpose, to be pictures of Christ, our high priest, types
of Christ. They were types of Christ, the
great high priest. Look at verse 12. But this man,
this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sin forever,
sat down on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting
till his enemies be made at footstool, for by one offering he hath perfected
forever them that are sanctified." Now down in verse 19, "...having
therefore, brethren, boldness," that's what we read a while ago,
come boldly, boldly, confidently. "...having then, brethren, boldness
to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new
and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the
veil into the shekinah glory presence of God, that is to say,
his place, and having a high priest, having a great high priest,
the Son of God over the house of God, let us draw near." How? With a true heart, with a sincere
heart, with an honest heart. in full assurance that we'll
be received, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience,
our bodies washed with pure water, washed in the blood, sanctified
by the word, let us come before God." Now then, Hebrews 5. How
is he our priest? Who made him our priest? And
what does he do as our priest? Hebrews 5. For every high priest, back in
Old Testament days, taken from among men, is ordained for men
in things pertaining to God. Let's for a moment go to Exodus
28. Let's read about the first high
priest on this earth, the first type, Exodus 28, Aaron and his
sons. They were ordained of God. They
were taken from among men. Exodus 28, verse 1. And Moses
received these instructions from God. Take thou unto thee Aaron
your brother, his sons with him, from among the children of Israel,
that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even
Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, Ithamar, Aaron's sons. And thou
shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and
for beauty." And that's what Hebrews 5 verse 1 is saying.
All these priests were taken from among men. They were men
themselves. Their office was holy, but they
were men. And they were ordained for men
in things pertaining to God. They were ordained, anointed
with oil, appointed to their office. And they presided over
Israel in the name of God. And this high priest appeared
before God in the stead of the people. And this high priest
made atonement. He presented their gifts and
their sacrifices to God. It says here in chapter 5, verse
1, that he may offer gifts and sacrifices for sin. Look at Hebrews
9 a moment, verse 6 and 7. Verse 6 says in Hebrews 9, Now
when these things were thus ordained, the priest, the priest, all of
these men who were ordinary priests, common priests, went always into
the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God, but into
the second. into the Holy of Holies, into
the place where the Shekinah glory of God dwelt between the
cherubims over the mercy seat, where the mercy seat covered
the broken law. Into the second went the high
priest alone, the high priest, once every year, not without
blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins of the people.
These men, Old Testament high priests, The first one was Aaron,
in his holy garments, was appointed by God, ordained by God, set
apart by the men to be their high priest in things pertaining
to God. He went to God for them. He came
to them for God. He offered the gifts and sacrifices.
And verse 2 said, he's a man that can have compassion on the
ignorant and on them that are out of the way. For he himself
is compassed with infirmity. These high priests of Israel,
they were ordinary men. They understood these people
because they were sinners themselves. And verse 3 says, And by reason
hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself to offer
for sin. But our high priest, our Lord
Jesus Christ, though he was a man, Yet he was without sin. He had
no sin. And when he went into the Holy
of Holies, he never offered a sacrifice for his sin. He had none. He
offered himself for our sin. Look at Hebrews 7, verse 26. Now, this is so important here. Verse 26, For such a high priest
became us, who is holy and harmless, and undefiled, and separate from
sinners, and made higher than the heavens, who needeth not
daily as those typical 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. For the law maketh men high priests
which have infirmities, but the word of the oath which will since
the law make it the Son, our High Priest, who is consecrated
forevermore." Oh, that's so beautiful. All right, look at verse 4 of
chapter 5 now. And no man takes this honor unto
himself. Aaron didn't volunteer to be
the priest. God made him the priest. God
said, set apart Aaron, his son. No man takes this honor unto
himself, but he is called of God, as was Abel. So also that
great high priest, the Son of God, glorified not himself to
be made a high priest, but I'll tell you who designated, ordained,
appointed, chose him to be our priest, God himself, the one
who said, Thou art my son. This day, today, have I begotten
thee." As our King, he was made of the seed of David. He was
of the house and lineage of David. As our Redeemer, as our Christ,
as our Messiah, as our King, he came from the lorns of David.
But as our priest, he was not of the sons of Abel. He was not
of the tribe of Levi. Turn to Hebrews 7. Hebrews 7, verse 13. No, the
high priest's office through the lineage of Abram stopped
with Christ. He's not of the tribe of Levi.
He's not one of those Old Testament priests. Hebrews 7, verse 12. For the priesthood being changed,
there is made of necessity a change also of the law. For he of whom
these things are spoken, Christ Jesus pertains to another tribe,
not Levi, of which no man ever served as priest. No man ever
gave attendance at the altar. It is evident that our Lord sprang
out of Judah. That's not the tribe from which
the high priest came. That's the tribe from which the
king came, David, Solomon. That's the kingly tribe. The
scepter shall not depart from Judah. The shallow comes. And
he sprang out of the tribe of Judah, of which tribe Moses spake
nothing concerning the priesthood, because he's not like them. He's
not like them. God raised up a special type
of Christ's priesthood. Special. All of these men, Abram
and the rest of them, oh, in many ways they were pictures
of Christ. They were men born of woman. who understood men. They were chosen to be priests,
appointed. They were intercessors in things
pertaining to God. They went into the Holy of Holies
and offered a blood atonement. But in many ways they were not
pictures of Christ. In what way? Well, they were
men only. He's the Son of God. Secondly, there were many of
them, many high priests. Thirdly, they were the tribe
of Levi. He's of the kingly tribe. He's a king priest. They ministered
on earth. He ministers in heaven. Their
priesthood ended in death. He never lives. They offered
many sacrifices. He won. They offered animal blood. He gave himself. Their sacrifices
couldn't put away one sin. His blood cleanses us from all
sin. Their work was never finished.
They never sat down. He, after he offered one sacrifice
for sin forever, sat down on the right hand of God. So Aaron
and his sons of the tribe of Levi served as pictures and types
of Christ, but not effectually. But I'll tell you who does. Turn
to Genesis chapter 14. Genesis chapter 14, when Abraham,
who's the father of us all, Abraham, father of many nations, when
Abraham came out and defeated the kings of Sodom, the wicked
kings that had taken his friends into captivity, verse 16, Genesis
14, and he brought back all the goods. He also brought again
his brother Lot and his goods, and the women also, and the people.
And the king of Sodom went out to meet Abraham after he returned
from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with
him, the valley of Shabbat, which is the king's dale, and Melchizedek. Underline that word, Melchizedek. King of Salem, king of peace,
brought forth bread and wine. He was a priest of the Most High
God. Where is his lamb? Where is the blood? He brought
bread and wine. The priest of the Most High God,
and he blessed Abraham and said, Blessed be Abraham, the Most
High God, possessor of heaven and earth. Now let's turn to
Hebrews 7, see something about this man Melchizedek. In Hebrews
7 verse 1, this is the effective picture of Christ, our high priest.
Because this Melchizedek is Christ. Is Christ. You read this word
in Hebrews 7 and tell me how Melchizedek can be anybody but
Christ himself. Hebrews 7, verse 1, this Melchizedek,
king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham
returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,
to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being, by
interpretation, king of righteousness. Now you tag that title on anybody
but Christ, king of righteousness, king of holiness. And after that also, King of
Salem, who's the King of Peace, the Prince of Peace, without
father, human father, without mother, with human mother, without
descent, without pedigree, having neither beginning of days nor
end of life, but made like unto the Son of God, a priest continually. That's our high priest, that's
Christ, and the Lord God Here, these days, way back yonder,
before the law, before Moses, before Abraham, gave us a picture
of our great high priest who has a continual priesthood without
beginning of days or end of days, a priest forever. And that's
who he is, verse 5, so Christ glorified not himself to be made
a high priest. But he that said to him, You
are my son, today have I begotten thee. As he said in another place,
Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek." How
can I make that any clearer? That's so plain. Who in the days
of his flesh, in the days he walked this earth in human flesh,
He offered up prayers with tears and supplication with strong
crying. He was a man of solace, acquainted
with grief. This shows the enormous weight
and grief our sins brought upon our Savior, our Redeemer. He was a man of solace. He offered
up prayers with tears and strong crying unto God, who was able
to deliver him. He was a man, and he must be
delivered. He was a man, and he must have strength. He was
a man, and he had to be glorified. He was a man, and he had to be
sustained. He said, Father, help me. Help
me. My soul is exceeding sorrowful
unto death. Let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless
not my will, but thy will be done. And he was heard. He cried
with strong crying and tears unto the Father who was able
to save him, deliver him, help him in this awesome undertaking
to bear the guilt and shame and filth and sins of all his people,
of all generations. No human heart or mind or spirit
could possibly survive under such a burden except his, by
the strength of his Father. And he was heard in that he feared
because of his piety, in that he obeyed, in that he loved God
with all his heart, mind, soul, and strength. But though he were
a son, though he is the Son of God, if he's to redeem a people,
he can't be exempt from suffering. Though he were a son, he can't
be exempt from death if he's to redeem a people. Though he
is a son, he must be obedient to God in all things. He must
experience suffering, and he must do it perfectly. The task
set before him is one which must be performed to perfection. Though
he were a son, he must be lifted up. Though he were a son, he
must die. This is no stage. This is no
type like the Old Testament priests. types, going about an ordered
form and ceremony. This is reality. This is the
center meeting God and dying. This is the center experiencing
hell, the wrath of God. This is no stage. This is no
game. This is no play like as the children
say we play like, we play like. This is righteousness earned.
by full obedience. Though he was sun, he learned
obedience by the things he suffered. This is a righteousness earned. This is a debt paid in full. That's the reason it's so precious.
That's the reason you can rest in it so confidently. That's
the reason you can have a hope of eternal life. This is no game. The Old Testament priests played
a game. Many of them didn't even know God. Many of them didn't
even know God. Most of them didn't. But this man, though he were
a son, he learned obedience for the things he experienced and
suffered. And because in this obedience,
this righteousness in death, because he was perfect, being
made perfect, I always pleased my father. This is my son in whom I'm pleased. Therefore, because he did it
all perfectly, he became the author, the giver of eternal life. Eternal life. He became the giver, the sweet
giver. He'll quicken whom he wills.
He'll save whom he wills. He'll show mercy to whom he wills.
He became the author of eternal life unto all them that will
obey him, called of God, a high priest, not after these fellows, not even from their tribe, after
the order of Melchizedek. King of Salem, bless my soul,
make this guilty sinner whole. King of righteousness and peace,
every captive son release. Hail Melchizedek, Melchizedek
divine, great high priest, you're mine, and all my soul before
thee falls. Don't take my tithes, take my
all. That's my high priest, Melchizedek. All right, we're going to pick
up there, the Lord willing, tonight, about where we left off this
morning.