Heb.8:1- We have such a High Priest

 

INTRO:  V.1a -   Now this is the main point of the things we are saying:  We have such a High Priest

A.)    The main point / the Focus of Hebrews is on our High Priest

 

B.)    What kind of High Priest is He?  What seen thus far?

     1.)     Compassionate High Priest:  chapter 2:17

     2.)     Crowned High Priest:  King and Priest - chapter 7:1

    

     3.)     Continuing High Priest: v.20 - Ministry forever - never         stops

          ministering on your behalf!  Never takes a break/ vacation

 

C.)    Capable High Priest: v.16,  - Ministry is after the power of        endless life - constant flow - His life, His power

1.) v.25 - Able to save completely - something Aaron's priestly order could

      not do

 

D.)    Consecrated Priest:  As A man/ sinless, holy, blameless

 

 

Chapter 8 is a transitional chapter: Meaning the writer states a few things here he will go into in detail in following chapters

A.)    Better Minister / ministers in Better place / He offered a Better sacrifice / He established a Better covenant - based on Better promises!

 

B.)  If there was any doubt in anyone's mind - concerning Jesus

      being a better Priest - and replacing Aaron - this should cure it!

 

C) Now The primary focus of Hebrews 8 is on the New Covenant. But as an introduction to his discussion of this New covenant

  1)the writer first mentions two more indications of Jesus’ superiority as the

      High Priest of this covenant:

 

D)(1st) His seat at God’s right hand / 2nd His heavenly sanct./ Rd v.1,2

First lets consider the significance of Jesus being seated: Note 2 things 1st Why He is seated /  2nd Consider where He is seated !!!

A) Being a Priest in O.T. was a tough job/  his work was never done, because sacrifices offered were never permanently effective!

 

B) And so They had to be repeated over and over again/ In his ministering at the altar, no priest ever rested - always      continual fire burning - never through

 

C.)So He was always working – always offering sacrifices or ministering in the Holy Place.

1.) no place was provided in all  the tabernacle or temple for the              

     priest to sit down/ no need to sit they were always working

 

D) But here we are told in v.1 that Jesus our H.P. is seated !!! Hebrews 1:3 

"Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right     hand of the Majesty on high" 

    

He sat down! Why? His work wads done it was complete! He was          qualified to sit down – opposite of the Levitical Priest

A)From cross - It is finished! / No need for anymore sacrifices!

 

B.)Now we don't have altars in backyards not sacrificing bulls, goats - but we can still fall into trap of seeking to offer sacrifice -

   1) Performance treadmill/ We can still try to do things - earn acceptance!

 

 A young man once studied violin under a world-renowned master. Eventually the time came for the student's first recital. Following each selection, despite the cheers of the crowd, the performer seemed dissatisfied. Even after the last number, with the shouts louder than ever, the talented violinist stood watching an old man in the balcony. Finally the elderly one smiled and nodded in approval. Immediately the young man relaxed and smiled with happiness. You see, the man in the balcony was his teacher, and thus the applause of the crowd had meant nothing to him until he had first won the hearty approval of his master.

Guys we need to realize that the master is smiling / but it has nothing

to do w/ your performance - but the performance of Jesus!

A) His performance covers you ! is  applied to you / Even the bench warmer gets a ring!

 

C.)    Hey listen : Our High Priest is seated! He did it all. Just respond!

1.) Realize the saving effort of our Lord cannot have anything               added to it! -       

 

D.)    He is seated.  He is at rest! Therefore  He can offer rest

     1.)       MAT 11:28-30     "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy                laden, and I will give you rest.   "Take My yoke upon you and learn                  from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest           for your souls.    "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

    

     2.) " Rest is not a hallowed feeling that comes over us in church; it is the

                   Tranquility of a heart set deep in God."

 

 E) Now the Priestly ministry of Aaron couldn't  accomplish that/ it couldn’t  offer  real peace/ Real rest /  Be Jesus CAN & DOES

  1) So that is why He is SEATED

 

But Notice 2nd, where He is seated!  Right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens.

A.) The Right hand of a Monarch symbolized a place of honor, exaltation and power

 

B.) To stand at his right hand was an Honor / but to sit was a SUPREME HONOR/  Jesus is sitting at the Right hand of the Almighty God

1)   the Place of Supreme Honor !!!!

 

C) Now this idea of sitting at the right hand may have reminded                some Jews of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council / 70    elders.

     1.)     Group had both civil and religious authority - they acted                  administratively as well as judicially

D) Now When the members sat in judgment, a scribe, or secretary                   would sit on each side of the presiding judge

 

E)The scribe on the left side was    responsible for writing condemnations

     1.)     The scribe of the right side was responsible for writing           acquittals.

 

Which side is Jesus on?  The right side!

A.)    He sits in the seat of honor, of power, but it is also a seat of Mercy!

 

Hosea 6;6  For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, God is speaking desire to show Mercy And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

 

B) Now this really is the crowning argument in Heb. for the superior priesthood of Christ

  1) It is seen in His exaltation into heaven to sit at the Father’s right hand/

  that  place of honor, mercy, and intercession

 

A tragic but beautiful story from the book of Acts comes to mind in regard to Jesus’ sitting at God’s right hand.

A)Acts 7 - Stephan - stoning him - given a vision of heaven

      "I see Jesus standing  at right hand of Father"

 

B.) He wasn't sitting but standing - why?  Well, He is seated in        regards to redemptive work - It is finished / No more sacrifices of sins!

 

C.)But when one of His own falls into trouble, He stands up, taking position of action.

1) His power & His energy are immediately activated on behalf of His

    beloved.

 

D)He is seated as our Redeemer, but is standing as our Helper in time of need.

1)   PC Stood to welcome Stephen Home

 

Q. this aspect of our Lord’s Ministry: The fact that Jesus Christ, in all His glory, in all His magnitude, in all His exaltation in heaven, is still preoccupied with ministering to us is awesome, wonderful, and humbling. He is always serving. He condescends even in His glory now on the throne of God to stand up & minister in our behalf whenever we need Him. He did not receive His majesty as something to be selfishly enjoyed. It is in Jesus Christ that majesty & service are perfectly joined

 

 

So first of all we Notice His Position Seated / Where at the right hand

2nd We notice His Place of Ministry v.3-5

A)The word true here is not used as the opposite of false but is connected to the idea in v 5 of a Shadow

 

B) A shadow has no substance in itself,/  it has no existence or meaning apart from what it is a shadow of

     1.)     It only exists as evidence of the real thing

 

C)The heavenly sanctuary is not an enhanced improved version of  the earthly!

 1) Just the opposite: The earthly tab & temple were a shadow of       heavenly

      

D) That is why Moses was instructed in the Book of Exodus to make sure that He followed the pattern / don’t Deviate

     1) Because the OT pattern was a copy of the Heavenly Pattern

 

E) Now a copy can be helpful: Example copy of contract. Check, names, dates, etc. - but only real thing hold up in court.

1)      A Copy is good for checking terms but only the real contract can enforce them.

 

So here is his point - Why, should anyone be satisfied with a copy when he can have the real thing?

A)Why should a Jew be satisfied w/ the old priesthood & the old sacrifices-which are only copies & shadows of forgiveness & reconciliation.

B)Why be satisfied w/ the shadow when he can have real forgiveness and real reconciliation in Jesus Christ?

1)   My kids when I come home from a trip run out & hug my shadow

 

C) I wonder how many believers are so caught up in all the regulations & rituals – in a sense are hugging the Shadows

 

D) Jesus is a Superior H.P. because He is seated at the Right hand of the Father And Because He Ministers in the True Tab. The heavenly Tab

  1) AND BECAUSE HE HAS ESTABLISHED THE N.C. V.6

 

Now everything that we have seen in the Previous 7 Chapters talking about who Jesus is & His faithfulness

A)Everything that He has been saying up to  this point concerning the Superiority of Christ over the Angels /Prophets / Moses/ Joshua/ Lev. Priest

 

B) It has all been leading up to this – His establishing of a New Covenant

 

C) The Purpose of a Covenant Is to establish the terms of a Relationship between 2 parties

1)    There are several Covenant That God established w/ man that are recorded in the O.T.

 

We read of the first in the book of Gen. 9 Noahic Covenant – Covenant That God made w/ Noah

A)The Noahic Covenant establishes principles whereby man is to rule over God’s kingdom on earth. / Be fruitful & Multiply

 

B)In Gen.12 God made a Covenant W/ Abraham – to bless Him & make Him a great nation / from his seed all the nations of the World would be blessed

1)   This Covenant That God made w/ Abe was Unconditional Covenant It wasn’t based upon anything that Abe would do to deserve it

 

C) It was a Covenant That was Abe –simply embraced by faith – Accounted to him as Righteousness

Later on in the book of 2 Sam. Ch.7 God makes a Covenant W/ David

A)A Covenant Where God promised David the following: “(1) David is to have a child, , who would succeed him and establish his kingdom.

 

B)(2) This son (Solomon) shall build the temple instead of David.

   (3) The throne will not be taken away from him (Solomon) even though

          his sins justify chastisement.

   (4) David’s house, throne, and kingdom shall be established forever.”7-1

 

 

These were all major Covenant That are seen in the O.T. – but there is one more / it is the one that the writer of Hebrews is referring to O.C.

A)The Law the 10 commandments that God gave to Moses in Ex. 20 / main Covenant Because it was made w/ the nation / not just individual

 

B) The Covenant That God made w/ Noah / Abe/ David were Covenant That were made to individuals but that had national implications

  1) The O.C. – was made w/ the nation of Israel

 

C) The O.C. was purely conditional – God said that if they kept his commandments that He would bless them & lead them into the land

1)   But there was a Problem w/ this Covenantv.7-9

 

D) No problem there wouldn’t have been a need for another

     1) The team that wins the super bowl doesn’t fire its O & D Cord.

 

E)Problems as we noted on Sunday was w/ man’s inability to keep it

 

So the Lord says that I am going to establish a New Covenant That is based upon Better Promises

A)First was conditional – Your Performance / the N.C. unconditional based solely on the performance of Christ

 

B) Now v.8-12 are a direct quotation taken from Jer. 31 . The Lord spoke of this coming Covenant During the time that Josiah was king in Judah 

C) After yrs of Rebellion from the Lord – Josiah became King of Judah when he was only 8 yrs old / Josiah loved God / Good King

1)   He reigned as King for 31 yrs

 

D) Well when Josiah was 26 yrs old he came upon a copy of the law of God

1)   That is how removed they were the Law wasn’t even around

 

Wasn’t hanging in their houses / wasn’t posted in their schools /

A)When ever a people or nation forsakes the law of God – wickedness will be the RESULT

 

B) Josiah upon finding the law seeks to enact it – calls the nation back to repentance & there is this – Momentary Revival / short lived

1)   Josiah is Frustrated at He & the people’s inability to keep the law of God

 

C) And it was during this time of frustration that the Lord spoke thru Jer. The Prophet concerning this N.C. He was going to send .Rd. v.10-12

 

D) House of Israel & Judah ( Divided Kingdom )– Prophetic implications to Israel / that will be fulfilled in the Millennium

1)   But it has Present Applications to the Church / Jesus N.C. in my Blood

 

Now we began to look at this Covenant In detail on Sunday morning and we are going to spend several Sun. am’s considering it

A)Key to N.T Living – tonight briefly mention the 3 components

 

B) First is seen in the first part of v.10 – The Lord says I am going to do an Internal thing – write my will on Your heart

1)   O.C. was purely external rules & Regulations

 

C) The N.C. is God doing a work on the Inside / Ezk. 36 New Heart / place my spirit in you cause you …….. focus on Sunday .

 

The 2nd aspect of this N.C. is found in the 2nd part of v.10 & in v.11 described as a New Part – ( Focus this Sunday)

A)The Lord says that they shall be my people / and all of You shall Know me

 

B) This was impossible under the O.C. – No one could know the Lord in a personal & intimate way

1)   Only the H.P. could even approach that place where God’s presence dwelt & that was only once a yr./ day of Atonement 

 

C) The Priest were the teachers – but now everyone could teach / because of the Access that Christ made for us

1)   Because of the Presence of God’s spirit w/ in us

 

 

3rd Aspect of this N.C. is what I would call a New Start v.12

A)Sins forgiven & forgotten by the Lord

 

B) I want talk at length of these things in coming Sundays but that is it in a Nutshell

 

C) That is what the Levitical priesthood couldn’t accomplish

1)   Couldn’t accomplish complete forgiveness & cleansing / couldn’t accomplish intimacy w/ God

 

D) And it didn’t provide any POWER TO LIVE THE LIFE

1)   But the New Covenant does  all of that !!!!!!

 

One last thing v.13 the New makes the Old Obsolete / does that mean that we don’t have to pay attention to the Law / Ignore it

A)First of all the Old is not obsolete to those who are not believers

 

B) Gal. 3:24 – Tutor

 

C) 2nd For Believers the OC is obselete in this sense it is no longer the way that we try to earn favor w\ God –

1)   We now accept it by faith – thru Christ

 

D) But it is Valid in the sense that every Commandment is mentioned in the N.T. in way form or another

1)   Jesus said all of the commandments are summed up in these 2 love God & Love each other

 

E) And that is what the H.S. is writing in our Hearts / that is what the H.S. is seeking to convict us about

1)   Wants to enable us to do

 

Be a people who love God w/ all that we have / then shows his love to others