| The Christian Life | January 1945 |
“Altogether Lovely”
“Looking Unto Jesus”
“Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”—Hebrews 12:2
THROUGHOUT the Book of Hebrews, the Apostle Paul extols Jesus Christ as the great Redeemer and Messiah sent by God. The method therein pursued by the apostle was to call attention to the prominent characters of the Old Testament, showing how great they were and how wonderfully God used them; and then, to call attention to Jesus Christ as the greater Hero of faith and as the One who has been and will be most outstandingly used by God. In the twelfth chapter, Paul reaches his climax when he tells us to look unto Jesus as our great example and helper in running the race for the prize of the high calling by the Heavenly Father.
In the first two chapters, the apostle throws the spotlight of attention on the angels. The fact that the Law Covenant was “ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator” (Gal. 3:19) was a source of pride to the Israelites because it indicated the great importance of their Law Covenant. Note how aptly the apostle quotes Scripture after Scripture from the Old Testament, acknowledging the glory and the official station of these angels. Then he turns the reader’s attention from the angels and focuses it upon Jesus, describing the still greater honor and glory that belong to Him.
Notice especially his words in Hebrews, chapter one, verses 4 to 8: “Being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said He [Jehovah] at any time, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son? And again when He bringeth in the first-begotten into the world, He saith, And let all the angels of God worship Him. And of the angels He saith, Who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire. But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the scepture of Thy kingdom.”
Then the apostle refers to Moses, explaining how he was highly favored of God as the mediator of the Law Covenant. We also see his faithfulness as the head of a house of servants. Again, the apostle makes a comparison with Jesus, and we see Him as the Mediator of a better covenant and the Head of a house of sons, all of whom are faithful to God. In the third chapter, verses 3 to 6, we read:
“For this Man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who hath builded the house hath more honor than the house. For every house is builded by some man; but He that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; but Christ as a Son over His own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.”
Our High Priest
Next our thoughts are directed to Aaron, the high priest under the Mosaic Law Covenant arrangement. God Himself chose Aaron for this position. The Aaronic priesthood played a very important part in ministering to the people in connection with their cleansings from sin and defilements under the typical covenant. Likewise Jesus was chosen by God to be a High Priest. Jesus also was well qualified to serve in His office of High Priest. His ministry in this respect will be vastly more effective. Paul says in chapter 5, verses 4 and 5: “And no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. So also Christ glorified not Himself to be made an high priest; but He that said unto Him, Thou art My Son, today have I begotten Thee.” Note also chapter 7, verses 26, 27: “For such an High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for His own sins, and then for the people’s: for this He did once, when he offered up Himself.”
A Kingly Priest
In the seventh chapter, Paul proceeds with his eulogy of Jesus, by reminding us of Melchisedec, another prominent character of the Old Testament, and contrasting his greatness with much superior greatness of the Master. Melchisedec was not only a priest but also a king, whose rank was recognized even by the patriarch Abraham. He received his priesthood directly from God and not by heredity. The apostle writes:
“For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by Him that said unto Him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec;) By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better covenant.”—Heb. 7:1-3,21,22
We can imagine someone asking, “But was not the Law Covenant entirely satisfactory and adequate?” Paul answers this question by revealing the weak points of the Law Covenant. He shows in Hebrews 8:6-8 that it is an old and broken covenant of works, which could not give life to the Israelites because the animal sacrifices under that covenant were not able actually to remove the curse of Adamic condemnation to death; and also because there was no adequate arrangement to bring the Israelites up to human perfection, so that they could keep not only the letter but also the spirit of the law and thus escape the condemnation of death and gain the reward of everlasting life under the terms of their covenant.
Then Paul shows Jesus as the Mediator of a better covenant, which will accomplish for mankind all that they need in order to gain eternal life. “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, He saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. … For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put My laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts. … And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know Me, from the least to the greatest.”
The Antitypical Tabernacle
But how about the imposing ritual of the tabernacle service? This the apostle also discusses, and causes the grandeur of the typical tabernacle to fade out as he contrasts the brilliancy of the antitypical tabernacle with its better sacrifices and its better High Priest, Jesus Christ. “But Christ being come an High Priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be” purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.”—Heb. 9:11,22-23
This brings us to the eleventh chapter, where we are shown a whole gallery of portraits. Each one pictures the faith and loyalty of some ancient worthy of the Old Testament. “Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.” “Enoch was translated that he should not see death.” “Noah … prepared an ark to the saving of his house.” “Abraham … went out, not knowing whither he went.” “Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed.” “Abraham … offered up Isaac.” “Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.” “Jacob … blessed both the sons of Joseph.” “Joseph … made mention of the departing of the children of Israel and gave commandment concerning his bones.” “Moses … was hid three months by his parents.” “Moses … refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter … kept the passover and … passed through the Red Sea.” “The walls of Jericho fell down.” “Rahab … received the spies with peace.” Paul concludes his listing of the faith heroes with the statement: “And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise; God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.”
Then the apostle reaches his grand climax in the twelfth chapter as he again moves the spotlight to the greatest of all heroes of faith, telling us to “look unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Thus we are left thrilled with a realization that Jesus richly deserves this honor, and is indeed not only our Redeemer but also our forerunner and example, who is able and willing to help us to win in this race that is set before us.