Hebrews 7:11-28 Complete in Christ
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Intro
Intro
Israel Tour
November 2024
A couple of weeks ago I took my son Caleb to a worship concert in Fresno for his birthday
The two guys headlining were Phil Wickham and Brandon Lake
They are by far the two most popular worship leaders
We stood for close to two hours with 7,000 other people and worshipped
It wasn’t just young people at the concert
Since I didn’t have to buy six tickets we were able to splurge and get floor seats
Caleb was by far the youngest person in our section
It was nothing but grey hairs
My point I’m trying to make is that it was people of all ages worshipping the Lord with hands raised
People are drawn to worship because it draws them in close to the Lord
It wasn’t about the worship leaders, there wasn’t any crazy stuff going on, it was just people singing their hearts out
People want to be drawn to the Lord because it makes them feel complete
That’s a natural feeling because we are made to worship the Lord and if we don’t worship Him we will worship something else.
Don’t believe me? Turn on your TV to Fox or CBS this afternoon and watch thousands worship 22 men on a field
Read Hebrews 7:11-15
Read Hebrews 7:11-15
Transition:
Last week we looked at Melchizedek and how his order of priesthood is better than the order of Aaron
This week we are going to see Jesus as that better priest and how it makes us complete in Christ
Priest = A sacred person serving at God’s altar but not necessarily implying that he is also holy
That was true of the priests during Jesus’ time
Jesus can bring us into the presence of God and make us complete
The words translated “perfect” and “perfection” are key words in this epistle
For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
In Scripture, the word perfect is often used in the sense of maturity or completion, of being what something or someone is meant to be.
Sometimes it means full-grown. Paul often uses it in this way.
In Hebrews, however, it is used to refer to the goal and aim of Christianity.
The Old Testament priests could not by their ministry complete the work of God in the heart of a worshiper
The animal sacrifices could not give any worshiper a perfect standing before God
The Mosaic system of divine Law was not a permanent system. It was “added” to serve as a “schoolmaster” to prepare the way for the coming of Christ
Yet Jesus, with one act on the cross, makes us complete
Your faith in Jesus means that you lack nothing
We are going to see five ways that Jesus makes us complete
Access to God vs. 11-14
Access to God vs. 11-14
We are made complete in Christ because Jesus opened access to God
This shows the need for a different order of priesthood.
If perfection could come through the Levitical priesthood, there would be no need for another priesthood.
Yet God described another priesthood in Psalm 110:4.
The simple fact that God describes a priest… according to the order of Melchizedek in Psalm 110:4 shows there is something lacking in the priesthood according to the order of Aaron.
God would never establish an unnecessary priesthood
If your could be made perfect through the levitical priesthood we wouldn’t need to discuss this
Every Jew knew that the priests and the law fell short
It was intended as a temporary solution until God’s plan of redemption was put in place
The Jews had turned it into a merit system to judge others
They had worshipped the temple instead of the One who the temple was built for
Jesus being the Son of God granted us access to God
The priesthood of Aaron was a dead end while the priesthood of Melchizedek brought life
A Better Hope vs. 15-19
A Better Hope vs. 15-19
We are complete in Christ because Jesus has given us a better hope
The word “another” in Hebrews 7:15 means “another of a different kind.”
The levitical priests were made priests by the authority of a temporary and imperfect Law.
Jesus Christ was made Priest by a declaration of God. Because the Law was “weak and useless”, it could not continue forever.
But because Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, He lives by “the power of an endless life” (Heb. 7:16).
What a contrast between the profitless Law and an endless life!
For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,
The writer kept in mind the temptation his readers were facing to go back into the old temple system.
In its weakness and unprofitableness, the law made nothing perfect.
The law does a great job of setting God’s perfect standard but it does not give the power to keep that standard.
This is why he reminded them (Heb. 7:19) that Jesus Christ has accomplished what the Law could never accomplish: He brought in a better hope, and He enables us to draw near to God.
Since now, in Jesus, we have a better hope, through which we draw near to God, we are wrong to go back to building our Christian walk on the law.
Therefore the law is “annulled” or set aside in the sense that it no longer is the dominating principle of our life, especially of our relationship with God.
To go back to Judaism would mean losing the enjoyment of their fellowship with God through Christ.
The only hope Judaism had was the coming of Christ, and that blessing these believers already had.
Hope = Drawn near to God
We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,
When Jesus cried out “It is finished” he gave up his spirit and died. At that moment the curtain surrounding the tabernacle was torn in two
Access was granted for everyone to come directly to God
The better hope is that we can draw near to God and have that close relationship
Through the Holy Spirit we are drawn into perfect community and that’s what it means to be made complete
There resides peace and joy
A Better Covenant vs. 20-22
A Better Covenant vs. 20-22
We are complete in Christ because Jesus initiated a better covenant
The old covenant was based on the law
It was instituted by flawed priests who were temporary
The old covenant shows us where we fall short
I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died.
Jesus came and was made a priest in the order of Melchizedek by an Oath from God
The better covenant is based on the righteousness of Christ
But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.
Able to Save vs. 23-25
Able to Save vs. 23-25
We are complete in Christ because Jesus is able to save
This ancient Greek word has the idea of “remaining as a servant.”
Jesus continues forever, and He continues as a servant, even after He ascended into heaven.
He is also able to save to the uttermost: The unchanging nature of Jesus’ priesthood means that the salvation He gives is also unchanging, permanent, and secure.
The old priestly system was incapable of bringing people to God or forgiving sins
They were limited by time and space in that they had an expiration date
It needed to be a fresh start
So God brought him from the order of Melchizedek
This priesthood is permanent and continues forever
Most importantly it is powerful
He is able to save, forgive, and draw you near to God
Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,
Able to keep you from stumbling & present you blameless
No human priest or pastor will ever be able to do that
There is one more principle here that would be easy to overlook
It says that “He always lives to make intercession for them.”
Jesus stands before God, day and night, making intercession for you
Intercede means to stand in the gap
Jesus fills in that Gap that is caused by our humanness and sin and he seeks God on our behalf
Above the Heavens vs. 26-28
Above the Heavens vs. 26-28
We are complete in Christ because Jesus is exalted above the heavens
The one who intercedes for us is different
He is holy = pure
He is innocent = No charge will stick
He is exalted above the heavens = No other name is above his
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
He doesn’t have to offer sacrifices for his sins then for the people
He did this once for all when he offered up himself