Christ, The Minister of Better Things

GOLDEN TEXT: “He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him.”—Hebrews 7:25

HEBREWS 4:14-16—The typical priesthood of Israel consisted of the high priest and the under priests. Aaron was the original high priest, and his sons were the under priests. Christ is the antitype of Israel’s high priest, and the church, his body members, are the antitypical under priesthood. Hence, when the apostle writes that we have a high priest that is passed into the heavens, the “we” of whom he is speaking are not the unbelieving world, nor are they the merely nominal believers, as was the whole camp of Israel, but the true followers of the Master, the under priesthood.

It is essential to keep this point in mind if we are to understand the Book of Hebrews correctly, for throughout the epistle the consecrated are pictured as the “brethren” of Christ who, being of the Gospel-age priestly order, follow him into the antitypical heavens, where he, as our Forerunner, has entered. (Heb. 6:20) This heavenly inheritance which the church will share with Jesus was foreshadowed by the most holy of Israel’s tabernacle, where only the priesthood was permitted to enter.

Jesus is a sympathetic High Priest in his dealings with the church, the under priesthood, because, as the apostle explains, he was tempted in all points as we are, although he did not yield to temptation. Jesus was “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,” hence he was not tempted in the manner that sinners are tempted; but he was tempted as we are tempted because he walked in the narrow way of sacrifice in which we are walking—in fact, he opened up that way for us.—Heb. 10:20

Jesus was tempted to forego the privilege of sacrifice. He had covenanted to die sacrificially, and all the temptations which came to him were of a nature calculated to turn him aside from the course of sacrifice. And it is in this manner that we are tempted, for we, too, by divine invitation, have entered into a covenant with the Lord by sacrifice, hence we are confronted with the same temptations as came to Jesus. (Psa. 50:5) Having passed through these experiences, he is sympathetic, and through him we can approach the throne of grace with confidence, knowing that there we will obtain mercy as well as help for every time of need.—Heb. 4:16

HEBREWS 7:26, 27—The Apostle Peter explains that we have been made a priesthood in order to offer sacrifice. (I Pet. 2:5) Offering sacrifice is one of the main functions of a priest. But Jesus, unlike the typical priests of Israel, did not need to offer sacrifice repeatedly, because he offered not animals, but himself. This one sacrifice was all-sufficient to make atonement for the sins of the church and for the whole world. (I John 2:2) It was a perfect sacrifice because he was perfect, the undefiled One. It was the exact equivalent of the perfect life of Adam, a corresponding price, which, in the divine plan of redemption, is accepted by God as payment for the sin of Adam, and through him, for the whole world.

HEBREWS 9:23-26—Blood, in biblical symbolism, represents life. Shed blood pictures life poured out, or sacrificed. In the typical tabernacle and its services blood was used freely to purge “almost all things,” the apostle writes. (vs. 22) This, he explains, was a case of the “patterns of things in the heavens” being sprinkled, and that the heavenly things themselves are purged by the blood of “better sacrifices.”

In the antitype it was Christ’s blood that was taken into the antitypical most holy. His literal blood, of course, was not taken into heaven, but as Paul explains, Jesus “appeared in heaven for us.” (vs. 24) This was foreshadowed by Israel’s high priest entering into the most holy of the tabernacle and sprinkling blood upon the mercy seat.

HEBREWS 10:11-14—Here again the oft-repeated sacrifices offered by Israel’s typical priests are contrasted with the one sacrifice of Jesus. As we have seen, that one sacrifice provided atonement for all mankind. In this passage, however, Paul is stressing particularly the value of that one sacrifice as it is used for perfecting them that are sanctified.

The sanctified ones of this Gospel age are the consecrated followers of the Master, the church, the army of true Christians over which Christ is the Captain. (Heb. 2:10) These are the ones mentioned by Jesus when he prayed, “Sanctify them through thy truth, thy Word is truth.” These are sanctified, and in answer to Jesus’ prayer, are made one with him and with the Father in order that later through them the world may believe and be blessed.—John 17:17-23

While the sanctified class are the ones first to receive the benefits of Christ’s sacrifice, the whole world will eventually have an opportunity to believe on him and receive life. It is in this way that the great enemy Death is to be destroyed. But first, the sanctified of this age have the privilege of sacrificing their lives, filling up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ. (Col. 1:24) By nature, these are all imperfect and could not offer an acceptable sacrifice, but because they are purged by Jesus’ blood, they can present themselves as “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.” (Rom. 12:1) It is in this role that the Book of Hebrews pictures the church.

QUESTIONS:

Who are those referred to in Hebrews as “we”?

In what sense was Jesus tempted as we are tempted?

Who are the “sanctified” of the Gospel age?

How is it possible for us to offer sacrifices “holy and acceptable to God”?

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