Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• The point of the author was that no Jewish Christian would turn back
• Many are suffering persecution and wanted to turn back
• Many are confused about the trappings of Judaism
• The author's big theme is Jesus Christ
• The great antidote when faced with turning back is to look to Jesus Christ
• Maybe you are the only Christian in your school
• Maybe you are the only Christian at work or in your family
• Look to Christ
• Maybe you are going through a time of suffering (Ps 73)
• Maybe you are dissatisfied with your life (and are attracted to the world)
• Consider Jesus
• Never wander away
• Remember the great saints of old (and their difficulties)
• The theme of Jesus Christ as High Priest
• Mostly concentrated into the book of Hebrews
• High Priestly Prayer - John 17
• The highest human office for a Jew was that of High Priest
• He represented the whole nation before God
• The author points towards a "great High Priest" (4:14) in Jesus

Jesus a Great High Priest (4:14)

• Description of the High Priest's clothes and ritual
• Would come into the 'Holy of Holies'
• There was no seat - no-one ever sat down in this place
• The High Priest would have a rope tied around him so others could pull him out if he died
• The High Priest sprinkled blood on the mercy seat for atonement
• Jesus was a Great High Priest who passed through the heavens
• He did not pass through a curtain
• He offered Himself - He was both priest and sacrifice
• Jesus passed through the heavens into the imeedaite presence of the father
• He sat down at the right hand of God
• Jesus Christ sat down
• The high priests work was never done - they ministered every year
• The high priests died and had to be replaced - Christ is eternal
• The blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin - only the blood of a perfect sacrifice
• Jesus represents us before the Father
• A prophet represented God to men
• A priest represents men to God
• Jesus is both
• Who ever believes in Jesus - there is no condemnation
• Satan wants us to feel our failures but we should look to Christ
• There is nothing in our life that escapes the attention of God (4:13)
• Where can we go if God knows all this?
• We go to Jesus - we look to Jesus
• We "hold fast our confession" - we do not lose our grip on our faith

Jesus a Compassionate High Priest (4:15-16)

• For someone people the thought of a great High Priest isn't enough
• Every Christian can go through real deep dark depression
• We need a compassionate High Priest
• "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." (v15)
• Example of the lawyer vs one who is a friend and brother
• If we are tempted to murmur due to pressures of work - consider the busyness of the Lord Jesus, He understands stress and temptation
• If we are tempted to murmur due to exhaustion - consider Jesus who was asleep in the storm
• Jesus understands bereavement - consider Lazarus and John
• Jesus understands severe temptations (satanic, blasphemous, temptations)
• If we are tempted to hit back or to speak when people are judged - no one was more misunderstood than Jesus - the Pharisees and His disciples
• The sense of isolation - He was abandoned in the Garden of Gethsemane
• If we are fearful of death - consider Jesus' trial before the cross
• If our faith seems small Jesus will fan it into flame
• There is no temptation that we have that He has not experienced - yet He was without sin
• It is good that Christ can sympathise with us but it is another thing if we have somebody who can help us
• Jesus can help us - it is not just words
• We can obtain grace, favour, mercy and direction
• Consider the vision of Zechariah - Christ is King and Priest
• There is a continual store of grace

Jesus a Perfectly Qualified High Priest (5:1-10)

• Can Jesus a man from Nazareth ever be qualified as a great High Priest?
• Qualifications v1-4
• How Jesus fulfills these qualifications v5-10
• The high priest had to be a man, not an angel (v1)
• The priest would offer the gifts of men - they could not offer them directly
• The priest would bring their sacrifice - they could not bring them directly
• The high priest was subject to weakness (v2)
• The high priest was subject to sin (v3)
• The high priest had to be qualified by God - a divine appointment (v4)
• Only if you were of the line of Aaron
• Jesus did not announce Himself as High Priest - The Father has appointed Him (v5)
• Jesus is a priest not in the order of Aaron (death, never finished) but Melchizedek (eternal) (v6)
• Jesus 'earned' the priest hood through His actions (v7-9)
• He matured in His perfection as He learned obedience
• Jesus was fully and totally qualified to become a great High Priest

Closing Remarks

• Have you obeyed Him?
• Have you obeyed that call to trust in Him and to give your life to Him?
• Have you repented of your sin?
• Have you trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ?
• If you trust in Him you shall be with Him forever