The Mystery of Melchizedek (Part 4 of 4)

Under the old covenant, God's people were bound to a system that was perfectly designed because of sin, they were still in need of something more today on Truth for Life Alastair big shows us how Jesus brought the ultimate solution to sin is our great high priest. We pick up our study in Hebrews chapter 7 verses 20 to 28 which is the final section, he simply goes on to provide further instruction and make some crucial points of application and he makes much of the fact that the Lord Jesus has been appointed priest not by regulation of the law, not on the basis of the ancestry, which was his, but he has been appointed on the basis of an oath. Now you will perhaps recall from chapter 6 that this is the second occasion in which the writer to the Hebrews tells his readers that God has sworn by an oath back in verse 13 of chapter 6 we read when God made his promise to Abram since there was no one greater for him to swear by. He swore by himself. What is this mean that it is not that his promises are any less trustworthy without an oath, but when he swears by an oath he is reinforcing a bicycle central truth not to think that out in relationship to the two promises here in chapter 6 and chapter 7 you will understand something very wonderful because these two promises out of the very heart of biblical faith because when you read in the Old Testament of the promise of God to Abram in your seed shall all the nations of the art be blessed. Disable what is that possibly mean well, it means that it finds its fulfillment in so far as Jesus is a descendent from Abraham, lives his life dies and atoning death and thereby makes it possible for the Muslim and the Buddhist and the pagan to be born again of the spirit of God and to understand life in all its fullness. The promise advances in fulfillment when you discovered Jews and Gentiles both coming to trust in Christ both discovering what God is done in Jesus and both becoming the children of Abraham is advanced in the coming of Christ and in his atoning death swear by men and women may trust in Christ throughout all the nations of their and Jew and Gentile, together, may become his children. Indeed, ultimately, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is the result of God's promise to Abraham.

And while this new may not mean much to many, the story of the Bible and the story of church history is the record of God doing what he swore to do in the same way. In the second promise to which he refers here. The promise that God makes to Jesus. You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. It was fulfilled in the incarnation when Jesus died, as an atoning sacrifice when he was raised from death to the right hand of God, where he continues as a priest forever in the story of salvation in Christ is the story of God doing what he swore to do what is he saying Deuteronomy since I didn't choose you or call you because you were more significant than any other person. I didn't choose you because I saw in you son peculiar redeeming quality. I simply loved you because I loved you and I determine my own sovereign free choice to make a promise to you that will be throughout all time significant in its implications. What is he say to us and redeeming us the exact same thing understand in his merciful goodness. God deigned to enter into a covenant with us through the work and merit of his son and he is the initiator in the covenant, and it is this better covenant of which Jesus himself has become the guarantee verse two. Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. In other words, you can bank on it and you can bank on it in the bank of heaven lay not up for yourselves says three Jesus treasures on earth, where moth and rust get in and eat it and bite it and destroyed, and where thieves come in and steal the stop but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven stalking there about our endeavors as we live out our lives. The great significant treasure which is ours in heaven is the treasurer of the Lord Jesus Christ himself and when I am tempted to despair and when. Like many of these early readers I feel like chucking it and when I am so confronted by my own waywardness in my disinterest in the things of Christ and my my lax approach to so much and when all the accusations of the evil one against me saying you know you got no guarantee whatsoever you will make it in the end I'm going to remind him that in the Lord Jesus Christ, on account of God's oath. Ruth stated plainly in the hundred and 10 San I have in Jesus. I guarantee of a better covenant element is work out some practical application of this and were through.

First of all, in verse 23 notice that the priesthood of the Lord Jesus is permanent rather than temporary, no matter how dedicated these Old Testament priest may have been death put an end to the work is what he says death prevented them from continuing in office to look at verse 24, but because Jesus lives forever. He has a permanent priesthood that work of the cross which was once and for all is abiding in its significant and Jesus ever lives. Secondly, his power is limitless. Verse 25 is not what he saying in light of this, he says therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him.

Because of this very permanence because he always lives to intercede for the this Lord Jesus is able to secure salvation for all who come to him. He is the only source of salvation. All false religion is simply a choice of other things and other people in which men and women place their trust to the neglect of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is able to save entirely and forever if I was trapped somewhere in the caves of Yorkshire down a deep pothole and I cried out for someone to come to my rescue and eventually someone appeared and I felt my spirits lift within me at the prospect of my deliverance and they let me down a row upon which I fasten my hands with great eagerness the end of pull me up. The higher I came, the more I realized that the rope was fraying on the sides of the Millstone grit which is so much a part of those cave dwellings that I realized there was every prospect that in a moment the rope may finally fraying and I would crash all the way to the bottom and may never ever be able to raise my voice and a plea for rescue again. That would be a cruel experience imaginary, albeit that some people's view of what it is to become a Christian that they think they Jesus can save them a wee bit but they're going to have to try their best in case they snap the rope that are going to have to make a contribution to it to fill up anything that might be missing that he cannot somehow or another, trust themselves unreservedly into the work of what Jesus has done and so you meet them all the time and everywhere proclaiming a salvation which is a little bit of believing, plus a little bit of doing.

Salvation is all about believing believing believing believing how much doing was there for the thief on the cross exactly salvation was about believing plus doing with the doing, making a contribution to the salvation event that all of us would be scurrying from Heather and Jan to try and ensure that we were okay and when we get a grasp of biblical theology, then it will radically change us when we get a hold of top ladies words, not the labors of my hands can fulfill by laws demand good my zeal no arrests bite no good. My tears forever flow all for sin could not atone must-see and Val along what uses are Christ who cannot save completely and eternally. I don't want to know of a salvation that lasts for a moment in time that has an expiry date on it that needs constant renewal tear off the bottom portion and send it back into let me know if you're still on board. Thirdly, notice that he is always living to intercede and me just say to you again in the words of the hymn writer I said so often, but it's one of my quotes as I go around my car before the throne of God above, I have a strong and perfectly a great high priest whose name is love whoever lives and pleads for me and if you get that anchored in your heart. Love one.

If the spirit of God will burn that into the recesses of your being, if that will become for you. The reality of your trust in your hope and your confidence, your life will be revolutionized and the intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ is that which is exercise meaningfully as we've already seen on account of his identification with his remember back in verse 15 for we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, so his intercession is meaningfully done is compassionately done and it is effectively done. He has the power to meet all of our needs and therefore he says in verse 26. It is significant that this high priest is sinless in his character. Notice that he is holy in its character and is will he was blameless before men remember the Pharisees came again and again to try and find something to say about Jesus try and find fault with them in some way and they couldn't find fault.

When Pilate took him and examined him eventually says I went out to wash my hands of this predicament because I can find no fault in the man and he sends them off somewhere else in the other persons as you know, I really don't understand what everyone's on about. He seems to be faultless. Even his enemies have nothing to say about he was pure in this purity was a real purity autorickshaw impunity. He was set apart from sinners, will you say but didn't they call him a friend of publicans and sinners. Yes. So what is he was set apart from sinners mean it.

Clearly, then, does not mean that he never spent time with sinners because we know that he did it clearly does not mean that he did not address sinners in the most intimate of ways, because we know that he did.

It simply means this that he was in no sense compromised or contaminated by his contact with sinful men and women and he is the one he says who is exalted above the heavens and sits at God's right hand and he in verse 27. Unlike the other priests is able to have offered a perfect sacrifice. The other priests offered sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins and then for the sins of the people, and Jesus sacrifice theirs for their sins once for all when he offered himself. It was a sacrifice that was unique in its permanence in its purity and its efficacy and in its cost is a whole sermon that I think you would understand we don't have time for this evening.

Have you understood what it means for Jesus to have sacrifice for sins once for all.

In the offering of himself in light of the scene upon the cross, is it not arrogant and pompous for us to feel somehow or another that we can make ourselves acceptable to God that we would run the risk and run the gamut of trying to outweigh the balances of our bad with the expressions of our good. The law appointed man he says in verse 28 with sinful infirmities, but with an oath, which came after the law, the sinless son in the perfection of his sacrificial work was appointed to the task that no one else could fulfill its that lovely Easter him. There is a green hill far away outside of city wall where the dear Lord was crucified. Who died to save them all.

There was no other good enough to pay the price of sin. He only could unlock the gate of heaven and later as an old dearly, dearly, has he love. And we must love him to and trust in his redeeming blood and try his works to do when I completed my studies this week. I said there are two things then that I must resolve to continually do.

And here they are. I must resolve with confidence to trust in God's word to trust in God's word for the book of Hebrews is essentially about two things. It is about revelation, namely what God has said to us, and it is about redemption what God has done for us and therefore the whole message of Hebrews should bring us again and again. Back to the word of truth, so that we might say I'm going to take my stand on my trust in the word of God and I am going to rest in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the author of an eternal salvation we been told in verse nine of chapter 5, and therefore he is the source of our present salvation.

He is the one who rescued us and he is the one who rescues us and he is the one who will continue to rescue us. The hymn writer says, day by day and with each passing moment. Strands arrived to face my troubles.

There why because of the abiding permanent significance of the work of the Lord Jesus, a wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord, a wonderful Savior to me the height of my life in the cleft of the rock where rivers of mercy. I see when we grasp this, then linings out of hymns like his old his covenant, his blood supports me in the overwhelming flood how many times abuse on letterhead and consider yourself what in the world is this his oath, his covenant, his blood. Maybe we got a little bit about blood because we be not enough Easter services. But what about this covenant.

What was that, and what is this all it is this that God from the very essentials of eternity entered into a covenant. The father the son and the Holy Spirit covenant things together that they would we deem people and it is the utterly undeserved privilege of all of us who come to trust in the saving work of Christ to have been included in that company of the redeemed. This is not arm's-length theology.

This is vital, essential biblical stuff to give us confidence in the day of difficulty to give us peace when our conscience alarms us, and when the flood threatens to overwhelm us. We will turn again to the rock that is higher than ourselves, and on soul and will take our stand, Mr. big is finished with his message today is closing comments include a strong challenge.

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The first chapter of John includes a beautiful narrative on the gospel in the book the word one to one gives you a way to sit down with a friend read through this chapter together and it helps guide your conversation. We really like the format of this book that we posted some samples on our website at Truth for Life.org so when you make a donation today to support Truth for Life will say thank you by sending you this three book bundle to give a donation and request the three books right now. Go to Truth for Life.org/donate or you're welcome to get by phone, call 888-588-7884 if you prefer to mail your donation right to Truth for Life at PO Box 39, 8000, Cleveland, Ohio, or ZIP Code is 44139 now to conclude today's message here again is Alistair Begg there. Some of you here tonight and today has been used to you might be a religious person. You've done a lot of good things throughout your life but as you have been pondering what that is meant to you. You got to admit that you still have the burden of sin, you have to admit that you have no assurance of forgiveness that you no assurance that if you were to die tonight you would go to heaven and a maven of stepped-up your religious endeavors you may have started even try harder. You may even become to come come to church regularly, in the hope that maybe that would give you enough points and are you coming you've heard this dreadful news that the rope upon which you've been relying is snapped and broken and you're at the bottom of the canyon and there's no way out. Certainly not in your own strength but the good news is that the Lord Jesus has come to provide the only way out. And if you would admit where you are and believe that he came to be that Savior that you just admitted that you need. Then you need to consider the implications of turning away from your sin and trusting unreservedly in Christ and then you need to do something about it just where you're seated to cry out to God for his mercy and for his grace to say Lord Jesus.

I believe that you're able to save me completely. I been trying to save myself, patch myself up and I recognize this evening that it can be done will you do for me what I cannot do for myself. I want to be your child. If you are expressing that in your own heart and the promise of God's word is as you just read it that he's able to save to the uttermost. All who come under God through him in a divine transaction takes place. Father I pray that since we dealt with issues of such eternal significance that each of us tonight will examine our lives before the compelling story of the good news show is ourselves show as our Savior and make the book lift for Jesus sake, we pray. Tomorrow will hear another message from her series called fix our eyes on Jesus.

So please join us Friday Bob Lapine. This daily program features the Bible teaching of Alistair Begg and it's furnished by Truth for Life for the Learning is for Living