"A Better Hope" Sermon: Hebrews 7:15-19

“A Better Hope” [Hebrews 7:15-19] October 7, 2012 Second Reformed Church How can a person be right with God? That is the most important question a person will ever find an answer to. Last week we saw that the Levitical Sacrifices cannot save a person – it is not possible for a person to keep the Law to be right with God. The reason that this is so is due to the fact that the Levitical Law is temporary and partial – it is imperfect for the work of making a person eternally right with God – because it does not deal with all of the sin of a person's life, nor does it make a person righteous. The Hebrew Christians in the day of the author of Hebrews were facing persecution and wondering if it would make sense to go back to Levitical Law and Sacrifices – even if it meant that would become apostate to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We remember that that means that they would turn away from where they stood – in other words, they would deny the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ – which would leave them in a hopeless state. We began to see that there is a better hope found in a priest of the higher order of Melchizedek. The order of Melchizedek is one to which priests are called directly by God, it is an eternal priesthood, and it is a complete priesthood – so those who seek their salvation through it will find eternal salvation. We ended last week, noting that the high priest – the Final High Priest – Who was called according to the order of Melchizedek is none other than the Son of the tribe of Judah, our Lord Jesus Christ. And so we saw that Jesus, as a priest of the order of Melchizedek is higher and more perfect in His Work than the priests of the line of Abram, Aaron, and Levi and the Levites – and in changing from the Levitical priesthood to the priesthood of Melchizedek there is also a change in the law. Those who believe in Jesus Alone for salvation are not required to keep all of the Levitical Law – we are required to keep the Moral Law, but not for our salvation. The Ceremonial and Judicial Law – and especially the Levitical Sacrifices – have been done away with – they have passed away into the shadows in the light of the coming of Jesus. And so the author continues, “This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek,” – the superiority of the order of Melchizedek is even more obvious when we look at the Priest Who was called after the order of Melchizedek – that is, Jesus. “who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. For it is witnessed of him, ‘You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.’” Jesus did not become a priest based on the legal requirement of succession from father to son, but He was called by God Himself and appointed by God Himself to be a high priest after the order of Melchizedek for all the people He came to save. Jesus became High Priest not according to the tradition of the Levites, and not merely through being appointed to the office, but because He Himself is indestructible. We might ask why the author says that He is indestructible? Isn't it true that Jesus suffered and died – that in His flesh He was destroyed and killed and buried? The focus here is not that Jesus' physical body could not be killed – the note is that Jesus, the Incarnate God, is God Himself, so He can never die. We have said before that the priests of the order of Melchizedek had an eternal office, even though they died. Jesus is the First and Only High Priest of Melchizedek, Who not only holds an office eternally, but He Himself can never die, because He is Divine – He is God in all His Fullness taken on human flesh. And so we see a new dimension of the greatness of the order of Melchizedek. Not only is the order of Melchizedek greater and higher than the order of the Levites, because it is eternal and complete in that the office goes on eternally, but in Jesus Christ, we have, for the first and only time, a high priest Who is Himself God – the Eternal God – raising the position to the highest of heights. “For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.” The author of Hebrews justifies this argument by quoting the Scripture – by turning to Psalm 110. Listen to the whole of the words of this Psalm of exultation: “The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’ The LORD sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours. The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.’ The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth. He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up his head” (Psalm 110, ESV). David begins his Psalm with that quotation which so confused the Pharisees in the days of Jesus: “Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, ‘What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?’ They said to him, ‘The son of David.’ He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet’? If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?’ And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions” (Matthew 22:41-46, ESV). Jesus confronted the Pharisees about the Christ – the Savior – the Messiah – and asked them a question which effectively asked, “Will the Savior merely be a human being or will He be someone more? The Pharisees answered – rightly according to the Scripture – the Savior would be the son of David – He would come from the line of David. It is true the Savior is and must be a human – if He is to take our place and be the Savior of humans. However, Jesus then asks how it is that David could call one of his descendants, his Lord? A father – an ancestor – would not call his son or his descendent, Lord. The respect of the title of Lord only goes to someone who is greater – and a father or an ancestor is greater than a child or a descendent. So Jesus asked them how to explain this. And they couldn't – because they were unwilling to believe that the Savior would not merely be a human being, but that He would also be completely God. And so Psalm 110 begins with David acknowledging that one of his descendants would be the Messiah – the Savior – but He would also be his Lord, He would be God in the Flesh. And, as God in the Flesh, the Savior that God would send would rule almighty over all the kingdoms of the world – He is Sovereign right now and forever and that sovereignty will be seen in all its fullness on that final day. David goes on to explain that the people of God would come to their Savior and that the Savior would make salvation for His people through being a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. The Savior that God promised to send would be human and He would be God – two natures in One Person – and He would assume that role by the call of God and the appointment of God to be High Priest after the order of Melchizedek for His people and to offer up Himself as the Sacrifice for His people – so that all we who believe would eternally and perfectly and completely be His forever. This Psalm ends with the vision of the end when God crushes the enemies of the Savior and brings about His full Sabbath Rest. And so we see that since the Savior fulfills the prophecy of a priest, not just of eternal law – or an eternal order of priesthood, but because He is an eternal person – He is God Himself – the Levitical Ceremonies are no longer to be kept. I hope this is making sense: the author of Hebrews began his letter by explaining that Jesus is not just one of the prophets, but He is God, the Son, Himself. Jesus is both a real human being and the Almighty God. So, when we compare the two lines of priesthood, we see the Levitical Priesthood and the priesthood of Melchizedek, and we see that the line of Melchizedek is of a higher order of priesthood because it has been ordained directly by God. Jesus is a perfect human being Who also is God Incarnate, and He was appointed by God to be a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. So we do not merely have a new priest of the order of Melchizedek, but we have God Himself Incarnate in the Person of Jesus as the New Priest of the order of Melchizedek. Not only is the priesthood a higher priesthood than the order of the Levites – which is the Old Testament Law – but we have the highest possible Person acting in the role of Priest – God Himself, having become a real human being. And this is why it makes more sense to remain with Jesus – the Savior that God promised to come – Who is God Himself in the flesh – occupying the role of High Priest of the higher of the two orders of priesthood ordained by God – rather than to turn away from Him in the face persecution and turn back to the Levitical Law. But there is an issue yet to address: “For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness (for the law made nothing perfect);” because a new priest has arrived of the order of Melchizedek – which is the higher of the two orders – and because the Priest who has arrived is not a mere man, but God Himself, in human flesh – the Levitical Law is set aside. How can that be? We understand that the Levitical Law was imperfect, partial, and temporary – and it was not possible for a person to be eternally right with God through the Levitical Law. However, how can it be that the Levitical Law has been set aside? How can it be that the Law that God gave is done away with? Doesn't that contradict with Jesus Himself said? Didn't Jesus say, after giving the Beatitudes, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:17-20, ESV). How do we reconcile the fact that the author of Hebrews says that the Levitical Law is set aside and Jesus saying that the Law and the Prophets are not abolished? Don't we have a contradiction between these two? There are two reasons why a law is done away with: a law can be done away with because it is bad or illegitimate. That cannot be the case here, because God gave the Law, and God cannot do what is bad or illegitimate – God cannot go against His Own Character – the Law that God gave through the Levites and the Levitical System of the Old Testament is good and legitimate. There is a second reason why a law is done away with: a law can be done away with because its obligation has ceased – the purpose for which it was created has ceased. For example: in the state of New Jersey, and unless there is a sign to the contrary, it is legal to turn right on red. Barring a sign that says otherwise, the law says that we are allowed to turn right when there is a red light and it is safe. That was not always the case: it used to be, if the light was red, it was the law that you were not allowed to turn left or right. That was a good and legitimate law. However, in the course of time, the purpose for which that law was created ceased, and lawmakers deemed it right – in a large number of cases – that it be legal to turn right on red when it is safe. So, it was not that the law about not turning right on red was bad or illegal, but that the reason for which it was created ceased – something happened which caused it to no longer be necessary that the law state that turning right on red is illegal. Does that make sense? What about what Jesus said then? The Levitical Law has not been done away with because it was bad or illegal – the Levitical Law has been set aside in two senses: first, the Levitical Law with its ceremonies and judicial rulings were given for the nation of Ancient Israel – which no longer exists – and effectively no longer existed once the Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. Second, the Levitical Law with its ceremonies and judicial rulings were given to point to Jesus – they were given, so we would understand that there is no way for us to become right with God – to be righteous – to be justified – except through the Savior that God would send – and so that we would recognize Him when He came. And these laws were given to show us the type of Savior that God would send. In other words, Jesus fulfills the Levitical Ceremonial and Judicial Laws in His Person – in Who He is as Savior – as High Priest and Sacrifice for the elect of God. As the author of Hebrews writes, “but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.” Through the Levitical Law, the priests drew near to God – and only on the day of Yom Kippur. But now, through Jesus, all Christians may draw near to God through Jesus. As the author of Hebrews wrote, “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16, ESV). Christ has removed the impediment which kept us from coming before God and through His Work as High Priest of the order of Melchizedek and through His Sacrifice of Himself – the Holy God-Man, you and I can now come before God boldly. Through Jesus we are not merely the people of God, but we are the sons and daughters of God, and we are now invited to know and call God our Father. And so we see that the order of Melchizedek is a higher priesthood than that of the Levites. And Jesus has been called as another – and the Final – High Priest Who arises according to the order of Melchizedek. And Jesus is not merely another priest – another human being according to the order of Melchizedek, but He is God Himself in the flesh Who now stands as our High Priest between us and God. Since this is true, the Levitical System is set aside. That does not mean that we can forget the Old Testament, because the Law shows us what sin is, it shows us that we are unable to become right with God except through the Savior that God would send, and as Christians we are called to live according to the Moral Law of the Levitical System – which we are able to do by the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit, Whom Jesus and the Father has given us. And so we have a better hope: we do not have the hope of possibly keeping the Law – which is impossible. We do not have the hope of participating in enough sacrifices and somehow shedding enough blood that it will be worthy of a human soul – which is impossible. But we have the hope that God Himself took it upon Himself to come to earth in human flesh – in the real person of Jesus – that He might live under that Law – and do so perfectly – that He would live a holy life and be counted as righteous – that He, as a priest of the order of Melchizedek, could stand between us and God and offer up the Sacrifice of Himself that all the sins of everyone who would ever believe would be forgiven. And so He could credit us with His Holy Life. We celebrate this hope each week as we receive the Lord's Supper. We remember that we were condemned in our sins under the Law of Levi – the Law of God. We remember that God came to earth in the person of Jesus and lived under that Law and did so without sin. We remember that Jesus willingly offered up Himself for the people that God gave Him – and suffered and died and was buried. And we remember that on the third day He rose from the dead in His physical body and walked out of that grave because death could not hold Him. Because Jesus is Holy – man and God – we know that He is here with us in worship – and our worship has replaced the Levitical Ceremonies and Sacrifices. So now as we receive the bread and the cup – though we do not receive real blood and real flash – and it does not become real blood and real flesh – we have something more true – something greater – in that Jesus Himself spiritually communes with us and gives us His Grace that we would be able to live according to all of the Moral Law of God – by the Gift of God the Holy Spirit Who lives in us. And we look forward to that day – to that hope – to that promise – that we also will be raised in our physical bodies – perfect and holy – to be received into the Glorious Kingdom that Jesus is bringing even now. And we, with the Hebrew Christians of the first century, can look at the slight inconveniences and pains that we face in this world – and if God is well-pleased, we can even look at that horrific persecutions around the world, and even experience them ourselves – facing death, knowing that death is dead – and our hope is forever, because we have been saved by God Himself – a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek – a better hope than the Law. Let us pray: Almighty God, we are so easily caught up in proving ourselves – and showing ourselves to be better – and we have lost the awe in the Hope this is found through You, our High Priest. Forgive us for our sins – forgive us, especially in this very easy place to live that we would turn to our works and try to earn our way to You through the Law. Stir the fires of hope within us that we would trust not in ourselves, nor in our works, nor in the System of Law that You gave to Ancient Israel, but in You, and in Your Son, for it is in Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen