Leadership in Context with Keith Tucci
Episode 037
Jesus the High Priest, pt1
Understanding the book of Hebrews is critical to this debate and controversy referred to as hyper-grace or being unhitched from the Old Testament.
The book of Hebrews was written for the Hebrew people who were radically converted to Jesus. It was written specifically to deal with what part of the law we need to obey and honor now that He has come to fulfill that law.
Two Themes in Hebrews:
1. The deity of Jesus Christ
2. The fulfilling of the sacrificial and the ceremonial law because Jesus was the ultimate priest
What does this have to do with me?
If you are a business leader or a secondary leader in the church, you might be wondering what this has to do with you. It has a lot to do with your appreciation for the Word of God and discipling other people. I trust that these next few weeks as we spend time in Hebrews will help you grow in your faith, not in just some pragmatic principles.
Hebrews 1:1-2
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.
The things that Jesus spoke are equal to the things the prophets spoke.
This passage doesn’t say to disregardthe prophets. That isn’t in the book of Hebrews at all. Hebrews doesn’t say to disregard the law, either. It tells you where the law has been fulfilled. This first chapter starts out stating that Jesus created the world. First off, we see a high emphasis of the deity of Jesus Christ. Throughout the book, the writer of Hebrews continually addresses who Jesus is.
If He is not God, then He is not the Jesus of the Bible. If He is not God, then He is not the Jesus He said He was. If He is not God, then He cannot be a perpetual high priest, and we have to return to sacrifices for atonement of sin.
Hebrews 1:13
But to which of the angels has He ever said, “Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet”?
This quotes Psalm 110. To the cultural theological Jewish believer, this is the same as Matthew 28 is to us. It was the Great Commission.
Hebrews 2:8
You have put all things in subjection under his feet. For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.
This is an admonition of the mission of Jesus. This is also a great embracing of the mission of the Church. Hebrews has some of the strongest local church understanding in the New Testament.
When Peter was preaching on the Day of Pentecost and quoted Psalm 110, it was if he was saying: “Game on. God has not revoked His divine authority over this world to bring all things into subjection to Him.”
Hebrews 2:17-18
Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
Side Note: Therefore
There are more “therefores” in the book of Hebrews than anywhere else. The writer of Hebrews is making deductive conclusions helping believers know where they stand and how they relate, among other things, to the law.
For the first 300 years of the Church, there was a lot of debate about the divinity of Jesus and the fact that He had an earthly ministry where He appeared to be like a man. Throughout the book of Hebrews, instead of discounting the humanity of Christ, the writer of Hebrews exalted the humanity of Christ in correlation to Him being a high priest. He was made like us so He could become a merciful and relational high priest.
Hebrews 3:4-6
For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.
What is the confidence?
What is the boast?
That Jesus’ sacrifice was good once and for all. That He was the high priest that made the ultimate sacrifice. That no other sacrifices have to be made. He became a priest like no other.
Hebrews 4:14
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
What is the confession we are holding fats to?
That Jesus is the Son of God.
Hebrews 4:15-16
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Here is a beautiful picture of Jesus not only being the Son of God, the Creator, the One we will stand before ultimately in judgment, but being the high priest whose empathy with us does not have to be guessed. We can have confidence in that.
I want to encourage you to read the first 4 chapters of the book of Hebrews. We will pick up our discussion on this next week.
Join us next week as Keith Tucci continues to put leadership truth in the context of the local church. And as always, please like, share, rate/review, and invite others to listen. See you next week!
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