[0:00] Now friends, can we turn to the 8th chapter of the book of Hebrews?
[0:13] And there we have in the scriptures, Now the things which we have spoken, this is the Son. That's all the things, of course, that have gone before.
[0:24] That we are such a high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in heaven. So just to look at these five verses here for a moment, before us in chapter 8.
[0:41] First to see that the apostle is summing up all these things concerning Christ, and showing that Christ is indeed the perfect high priest.
[0:53] For in verse 26 there of chapter 7, we read, For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.
[1:18] So a great high priest we have. Such a high priest. But it's not an high priest on earth that can be seen. It's an high priest in the glory.
[1:31] There for us, to represent us. He's in the holy of holies, right in the presence of a holy God. Our representative, the Lord Jesus Christ, as this great high priest.
[1:46] Verse 2 speaks, A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord preached, and not man.
[1:58] Even in his exaltation, he exercises a ministry. That doesn't mean he hasn't finished that salvation for his people. He wants to finish one completely.
[2:10] But there is a ministry, which he carries out for all his people. That's the picture. It speaks there indeed, in that verse, which the Lord pitched, a true tabernacle, which must indeed speak of his body.
[2:25] He indeed had a body. A body hast thou prepared for me. This is the picture that is before us. And indeed we see, that he offered up, this tabernacle, his body, indeed, that you and I, might be saved.
[2:41] It goes on in verse 3 to say, speaking, indeed, of priests on earth, but of course, referring also to him. For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices.
[2:55] wherefore it is of necessity that this man have something also to offer. Well, he offered up the tabernacle of his body.
[3:08] He gave himself for us. That is the picture. An offering and a sweet-smelling sacrifice on the behalf of his people, his chosen, his elect.
[3:21] This is what took place. Now in verse 4 we read, For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law.
[3:37] Note that it says, if and not when. If he had remained on earth, that's the picture that is before us. If he had stayed on earth, he would not have been able to completely carry out his office.
[3:53] Because though he died on this earth, on Calvary's cross, to pay the price for our sins, he had to indeed enter by the resurrection and ascension into the Holy of Holies to present himself before the Father.
[4:06] And there he is, it tells us in Revelation now, as that lamb that was slain before the foundation of the world, ever representing his people. That's the picture that we have before us.
[4:18] Then in verse 5 it speaks again, who served unto the example and shadow of heavenly things. This is the Levitical priesthood. As Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle.
[4:34] For see, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee on the mount. So he uses the Levitical priesthood that they serve indeed and show an example and that is the picture.
[4:51] And Paul proves this indeed. These are a shadow of the heavenly things. So all this Old Testament priesthood is but a picture indeed of our Lord Jesus Christ.
[5:03] And indeed we need to see that the Lord Jesus Christ is presented to us in the scriptures. He's set before us in the scriptures. And that's the great picture and the reason for the writing of the book of Hebrews.
[5:17] Let's just think a little about this now. Why was the book of Hebrews indeed written? Because you might think, well, this is a far away thing, it's a long time ago, what does this have to do with me today?
[5:30] But the fact is that always there is something relevant in scripture to us. But that's not just the reason. The great thing is in that day and age these Jews who had been converted and brought in and become Christians and gathered with the church of God.
[5:46] There were times and temptations and trials with them that they knew of these things they'd seen. Indeed, the priest offering the sacrifice.
[5:58] They knew of the temple and the worship and all these things were very real to them. And often at times as they were now trusting in this great high priest who could not be seen, there were great temptations for them to be moved back as it were from the, dare we say, the invisible or at least cannot be seen with the natural eye, our God, our Saviour, our great high priest.
[6:22] So they were often troubled and challenged by others concerning these natural things. Where is your high priest? And also challenged about the ceremonial law and such things.
[6:35] This was the great problem that was before them. Now, this is something we must always remember among ourselves even as others are converted and brought into the fellowship of the believers.
[6:50] Because sometimes they're brought from varied religious backgrounds or backgrounds where they're far away from God and they know nothing about God till they're brought under the sound of the gospel and they're saved by God's almighty grace.
[7:05] But the great thing is that when God is pleased to begin a work with and as like with them there is sometimes still those hankering after the old things, the other things we've been brought from.
[7:18] He doesn't seem to all disappear in a day. There's always that thinking about it and wondering and being tempted and as we live in families and society and meet with other people we've been brought out from to become indeed gathered with the church of God.
[7:36] Like with these Jews there was great temptation and great trial concerning this. They were troubled on every hand. Well if you'd like to just turn with me indeed to Hebrews 12 we will see something there that is what affects or should be affecting indeed each believer because as we come to the Lord in simple trust and faith and we have a certain understanding of the word God is yet more light and truth to reveal to us over the days and over the years God has to work within us.
[8:09] He's got to deal with us. Now in Hebrews 12 verses 27 and 28 we read these words And this word yet once more signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken as of things which are made and those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
[8:32] Wherefore we receive a kingdom which cannot be moved let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
[8:44] Now I see that indeed in our own experiences believers who come in the beginning in faith and trust to God as we've been under conviction we've been led by the Spirit to Calvary to see Christ has died in our place and we've indeed taken the name of Christian a bit trembling and fearful are still tested and tried but there are many things that remain many things that need to be shaken out many things that need to be removed from us many natural things many romantic ideas we have many things of the philosophies of the world or of a religion we've been brought out of and these need to be removed from us that we might know that we've come indeed to this kingdom which cannot be moved that's the picture we've been brought into a new liberty and a spiritual experience to know this great heavenly high priest and him alone to trust and experience in our daily life and walk with God that's the great picture that is before you and indeed we should as the apostle is trying to nurture these Hebrew Christians and bring them to see here is a great high priest here is the one indeed who you must turn to here is the one who is working on your behalf here is the one who will indeed bring you finally to glory here is the one who your prayers are offered through and brought to God this is the great picture that they might be brought away from every natural reasoning of the Levitical priesthood and the temple sacrifice and like we might anything that we think of naturally or of the world or any other religion so very important that we might be brought away completely out of these things so the apostle goes on to say that we have in that verse 8 a great high priest we have you know that's a blessing is it appreciated have you been to see the priest this morning have you been to see the priest how long since you were in the presence of the priest how long since you spent time with the priest the great high priest
[10:48] I'm talking about not some natural earthly priest this is the great picture before us I often remember in my days before conversion in Sheffield when I was blitzed and I had to go and stay with the relations who were Roman Catholics and I remember once a week there used to be the special happening when the priest used to come to the house and this was the time when they used to talk with him and give him money and he used to talk with them and there was sometimes a confession of sin and all this was going on in the house I wasn't involved in this I thought I was a Protestant you see I wasn't a believer I didn't know anything about religion I just wanted a Roman Catholic but when I saw in later years knowing this great high priest who was approachable in every place at any time who was indeed the one who died to save the sinner he made me look back on those days and think how tragic to be in such darkness that people should have to be reliant upon a man and then when they are reliant upon a man they cannot be sure that their sins are forgiven they cannot be sure that he indeed will contain in his own understanding and mind the things they are telling him and indeed this man who they have before them is indeed very limited for he is but a man and does not the word tell us in that lovely portion of scripture where the four men they bring indeed their paralytic friend to Jesus we are taught indeed there that there is only God who can forgive sins only God can forgive sins and only God can deliver and set free and so you see there is great danger but then
[12:29] I remember the early days of my conversion and I remember time and time again the great danger I remember someone saying to me well if you can't get peace with God if you can't feel you are forgiven or if you feel that God is listening to you then why don't you talk to another human person who is on your level why don't you you know confess your sins there and talk them over with that person who you can see and when I first heard this as a young Christian I thought that's a tragedy because if one does that one is then not relying in him who one cannot see which is a spiritual relationship and one is now trusting in an earthly relationship which leads away of Mars and brings all glory from Christ but this is again a great danger that comes and is often taught round about us today in some churches we had a young lady come in the other week she got trouble with her mouth and she wanted me to pray for her she wanted me she said to minister she believed of course as you might think
[13:39] I know in the gifts of the spirit I said look I have no authority or warrant for this ministry my ministry is indeed priest the word that's my job that's what I believe I am called to do and I went and showed her from the scriptures that I believe that those things followed the apostles and the early church and now have ceased and I went to tell her straight that indeed this was so but she still sat there and said will you not pray for me now there's little things we need to learn here we might just overlook them and think well it doesn't matter but suddenly this lady was looking at me in the place of Jesus I believe she was looking at me as a priest or a representative now there is something where we indeed can go indeed in opening the word preaching the word and praying for one another but when somebody somebody suddenly seems to desire or to set us in the place of a priest we need to be very much one we need to indeed enter in to that real spiritual relationship that spiritual relationship with Christ through the spirit according to the word of God and that's why the word tells us here very forcibly and I remember it very much we have such an high priest we have one that means we don't need another that means we need one and God has provided one for us that's the great picture what position is it that you're in today who knows your soul but God oh we always have a great pretense even the preacher can be cast away after preaching and make shipwreck of his soul we need to be very much warned that we're indeed with God and we're trusting in that one who represents his people but what's in it today if you're outside of Christ well you'll need a mediator you need a representative you need someone to stand before you and a holy God there is a necessity that there is this saviour because our God we read in the scriptures is a consuming fire and if we really saw who God was and realised who God was then we should be full of fear and trembling of course we have today much philosophies and reasoning and natural understanding to try and remove away guilt and all these things but Adam had got it right hadn't he
[16:03] Adam was there he tells us Adam he hid from the presence of the Lord and when the voice of the Lord came in the cool of the day in the garden of Eden when he was questioned where art thou he said and confessed he was naked he was naked before God indeed he was admitting indeed partially but not openly that he was indeed guilty before a holy God and that is the position that is the position of every one of us here today before a holy God it's the position of all men before God in that point that all are guilty all have come short of the glory of God fallen creatures far off from God and we need someone to stand in between we need someone to represent us because we can't personally deal with the holy righteous God we need to come through a mediator and Jesus made it quite clear as he said those words no man cometh indeed unto the father but by me that's the picture but if we are believers then we have a great high priest do we appreciate this do we does this great truth thrill our souls that there is one who is ever concerned for us and thinks for us and deals with us and represents us you know when the apostle says we have a high priest they're only showing we have the need of one it reminds us of the scriptures that says we are born of God because we are believed justified by faith there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in
[17:44] Christ Jesus that's the great picture of our standing before God the imputed righteousness of Christ that's the great picture indeed the believer is safe and sure in Christ but of course there is the daily living we have to live on this earth we are still attended by sin even the apostle Paul speaks of sin being present with him when he would do good so we are always affected by sin and there is that great need of this advocate this advocate the Lord Jesus Christ who is the propitiation for our sins and we see in those scriptures in 1 John it tells us indeed there that he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness we need to see indeed that though we have been bathed once or we have been washed once we have been cleansed and declared righteous with God in our position our standing before God yet this daily walk with God before God and in this world is indeed we are affected by sin and that's why indeed he spoke to Peter you remember in the upper room at the supper and he spoke with him there indeed concerning this great truth when Peter was indeed he said the Lord would not wash his feet remember the Lord took a towel to wash his feet in water thou shalt not wash my feet but he says
[19:09] Peter if I wash thee not thou hast no part with me so Peter says wash me all over he wanted to be bathed all over as it were you know he wanted to but the Lord says no you bathed once but you need your feet washing a daily cleansing and this is the great work of the great high priest I believe before us and helping us concerning these things the great high priest let's let's just try and and think for a moment with the old testament scriptures something concerning of Christ we read about Aaron and the Levitical priesthood that's the old testament priesthood up to the time of Christ and the destruction of Jerusalem we might see something in comparison with the this priesthood of Aaron and his descendants and the high priesthood those and Jesus Christ first of all there is this great truth that the those of Aaron
[20:13] Aaron was a Levite and Jesus was of Judah and would not indeed take part in this earthly ministry not that he did not carry out any priesthood on earth but not in the sanctuary according to the law Aaron was of the earth our great high priest is of the heavenless that's the different picture there is before us Aaron was of a dying race but Christ liveth forever and he's ever the one that represents his people Aaron was a high priest without an oath but our Lord Jesus he indeed was sworn in in being I have sworn and will not repent thou art a priest forever that's the picture Aaron had infirmities but our Christ was the son of God holy armless undefiled and separate Aaron offered continual sacrifices
[21:16] Christ made one sacrifice for sin forever a finished work like that cry of calvary it is finished that's the picture that is before us Adam was a sinner and had to make an offering for himself Christ was without sin a sinless person who indeed is that great high priest in heaven Aaron never sat down in the holy place our Christ sits down tells us there in the scripture we are such a high priest who is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in heaven Aaron was only a man Christ was a man yet he was God he was the son of God and man that's the great picture indeed there we see in the Lord Jesus this one person two natures there is the picture Aaron was a priest only but our
[22:17] Christ is a king and prophet and a priest and covers every of them this is the picture that is before us now of these things which we have spoken this is the son we are such a high priest who is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens this is the one who is not seen with the natural eye and we can only draw near to him in the full assurance of faith we need faith to be given to us that gift of God to believe these things and to enter into the realization that here is one who represents his people who we can communicate with and we can talk with we have a high priest let's just spend a little time looking at verse 26 of the Hebrew 7 where it speaks indeed of this high priest we have such a high priest become us or made for us or for us this is the picture we have such a high priest who is suitable for us we have such a high priest who is indeed able to deal with
[23:33] God and man a high priest who can meet all our needs and every aspect of our salvation there is nothing outside of Christ we have friends in other words we possess that's the great picture the thing is wherever we be friends whether it be in the walls of a prison or whether we be on the hospital bed whether it be in the open air or in the chapel wherever we be friends if we be in solitary confinement we have a priest that's the picture that's before us we have such an high priest and it tells us who is holy he's absolutely pure there is no sinless thoughts or ways in him he is completely holy toward God and the only one who can represent us no one dare walk into the presence of God our God being a consuming fire he is absolutely pure and secondly it tells us he is harmless harmless manward he loved he was ready to love and show mercy he was ready to leave the glory to come to earth to live among men to serve men to give his life a ransom for many this is this is the work of ministering among men his readiness let it remain in our minds and our hearts today friends that he is harmless towards us in this ministry as a great high priest not only is he holy towards God but he is harmless towards us in other words when he he would be reviled remember he was not reviled again the thing is he was absolute in everything in living upon this earth set before us as harmless that's a big thing isn't it who is harmless who can we turn to in this way to know that he is absolutely holy and harmless that he will not hold anything against us in this respect does it seem to be yonder grasp and understanding friends that we are sinners and we shall still always have to confess shall we till we go into glory we shall always have to give that cry of the temple
[26:03] God be merciful to me a sinner is it true then that indeed in Christ and that view of us that he is harmless towards us that it is always a readiness in him to meet with us because yes he is touched with the feeling of our infirmities he knows our frame he is conscious of all concerning us that's the picture and it tells us he indeed is perfect he is perfect for that office he is the one who is most suitable indeed proved to be indeed it showed forth who and what he was that he should indeed be the one who is perfect for that job harmless it says holy harmless undefiled he entered into the holy of holies you know the wonderful thing about Christ is this he took this body and he lived on this earth and he was holy this holy thing we read in the scriptures of Christ this holy child and yet he is the only one who has walked upon this earth who could leave it and still be holy not to be contaminated he walked indeed in this earth and yet he was never contaminated with sin though he bore our sins away the sins of the people the believers yet he himself was never contaminated indeed that's the picture holy harmless undefiled and then it tells us separate from sinners well you might say but didn't he sit down with levi and didn't he talk with the woman at the well and didn't he take the child on his knee and didn't he walk about amongst men and touch the leper and heal him how could he be separate from sinners our friends though he lived among sinners though he walked in this earth indeed among sinners the great wonderful truth is here is one whose very nature was never affected whose character was never ruffled by sin who in all aspects he won the glorious victory as he walked upon this earth great high priest sinner friend is it today maybe that sin troubles you should trouble us trouble us so that we might confess it but may the devil is putting the rub upon you to make it more than it really is to affect you and to keep you away from your great and your glorious
[28:58] God look away friend in faith and see we have such an eye priest and in that picture symbolic picture in revelation where he has spoken of as a lamb that was slain there all sins are taken away all sins are removed all sin is dealt with you say that's too easy that's how can that be that's to encourage no friends that is grace that's the grace of the glorious gospel we preach to sinners that Christ has died to remove sin and when we preach indeed to those who are of Christ or washed in his blood and quickened by his spirit we tell them this great and glorious truth Christ has bore the sins away and stands there ever before the father as a living testimony the lamb that was slain from before the foundation of the world there are the wounds of Christ to prove that all has been accomplished and atoned for too easy it might seem in one sense from our aspect too easy but that is the work indeed of grace in one
[30:06] John he speaks we have an advocate you know we say we have no sin the truth is not in us we have sin always affected by sin the bible teaches us that even though we believe us there is this necessity to confess our sins if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and here is that walk before God that we might know the cleansing day by praise the Lord today we have a great high priest in the glory who is concerned for us caring for us working for us even in that scripture in Hebrews 7 25 where it says wherefore he is able look away from this end friend look away to Christ he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever livers to make intercession for them ever represents us he'll never turn away if we're his if we're his and he bears our names into glory then he can never put us away we have we possess a great high priest that is the picture so while he stands in the glory there can be no condemnation you say but what about our sin the
[31:30] Bible says there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus that's the truth of God's word and while he stands there we're free Christ doesn't only see us as forgiven he sees us as though we haven't sinned too easy of course it's too easy it's of grace but it costs a great lot for God and for Christ that you and I might be saved praise God for grace if we had to atone for it ourselves or work for it or pray for it we should never even have received anything of it but there's also something else isn't there the lovely thing while he stands there there is always forgiveness and there is always cleansing don't you feel sometimes friends you know I can't go back again I've let him down again I've done this forgotten to do this it troubles your soul you feel how can
[32:33] I go back to him again such a lovely saviour who took my sins away who paid the price in all that suffering how can I go back but that's the great thing about it all isn't it he calls us to come back there indeed because it is so the lamb that was slain and the great high priest ever intercedes that's the great truth towards us there is forgiveness and there is cleansing just because he is there not our feelings but faith in he who is there according to the word this is why he had to write to these Jews with the word to tell them put them right you see that's the picture and while he stands there friends we are accepted not made acceptable not made holy anything like that but we are accepted in the beloved he's making us ready for glory that's a different thing but we are acceptable because the great high priest stands before us that is the lovely picture that we have before us friends if we could only enter into the realization day by day moment by moment of this glorious truth not to turn to men or religious things not to turn to philosophies and reason but to turn to him who cannot be seen but is there according to the word and the spirit now the things which we have spoken this is the son we are such an high priest who is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens why do we stay away why do we stay away from such a one who is ready to receive why do we make such a muck of all our trials and sins and doubts and fears when here is one ready continually to help and to enable is it sometimes we think as we just mentioned a little maybe
[34:51] I'm too bad maybe I ought to feel more repentant sinner friend you remember when Peter had let the Lord down Peter didn't go looking for the Lord did he the Lord came looking for Peter sinner friend there is forgiveness with him that he may be feared that is in awe and reverence but may God help us to see what the people have believed in this place over the years that we have a great high priest but let's not only preach it let's live in the reality of it because that's where all the joy and the happiness is in the experience of the great truth that he is he's alive but we can only know him through the spirit may God give thee me grace oh thank the
[35:53] Lord for such a high priest praise him for his blessings and thanksgiving in my heart towards him all together we should thank him for such a favour that God would provide for us a representative a mediator a high priest an advocate and he knows thee better than he knows you better friend than you know yourselves and than I know myself may God give us grace in confession and trust to come before him Amen