Wednesday, October 30 - Hebrews 5

Hebrews 5

New International Version (NIV)

 Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. ² He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. ³ This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. ⁴ And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.

⁵ In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,

“You are my Son;
    today I have become your Father.”

⁶ And he says in another place,

“You are a priest forever,
    in the order of Melchizedek.”

⁷ During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. ⁸ Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered ⁹ and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him ¹⁰ and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

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HIGH PRIEST

    The Old Testament priest's job was to offer the sacrifices, on behalf of the people.  This temporary measure was intended to point forward to Him who would make the ultimate personal sacrifice, once and for all, for all humankind (Jesus).  All the way back in Genesis, God had promised that there was a Messiah coming who would crush the serpents head by His suffering on our behalf.  The sacrificed animal, then, as a precursor to this Messiah, paid for sins only in the sense that a person's evils were laid upon Him in whom the animal sacrifice found its fulfillment.  

   Jesus, as our great High Priest, not only offers the sacrifice on our behalf, but He also IS the sacrifice that is being offered to rescue a sinful humanity.  As the communion hymn Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord declares, "Offered was He for greatest and for least, Himself the victim and Himself the priest."

   Only the sacrifice of the perfect Son of God could truly wash away the guilt of sin for ALL people.  A sinful High Priest could only make sacrifices for himself, but the sinless Jesus could make restitution for all.

   The Concordia Self-Study Bible has a meaningful note on the confusing 5:8-9  .  Referencing "he learned obedience from what he suffered."  it says, "Jesus was made "perfect" through suffering namely, his temptation in the desert and his ordeal on the cross.  Though he was the eternal Son of God, it was necessary for him as the incarnate Son to learn obedience - not that he was ever disobedient, but that he was called on to obey to an extent he had never before experienced.  The temptations he faced were real and the battle for victory was difficult, but where Adam failed and fell, Jesus resisted and prevailed.  His humanity was thereby completed, "made perfect", and on the basis of this perfection he could become "the source of eternal salvation."

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Warning Against Falling Away

¹¹ We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. ¹² In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! ¹³ Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. ¹⁴ But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.