Since the last section of our review of chapter 5 was so long, I wanted to make sure we provide some concluding thoughts on what we saw in chapter 5. In typical fashion, we will summarize chapter 5, provide some principles and applications, and a short discussion on a few topics that we did not have time to discuss in our verse series. So here we go:
God knew that we needed someone to show us the way to Himself and to take us to Him. What we needed was a high priest
What did an Old Testament high priest do? The high priest represented human beings before God. They could deal compassionately with weak, struggling sinners who had lost their way. God gave the high priest a special call to undertake this task.
Christ has all the qualifications to serve as our High Priest. God called Him to the task by exalting Him to His right hand in heaven. He put Jesus in enough places of suffering and hardship to develop in Him an appreciation for the value of obedience. A High Priest like Jesus becomes the perfect source of God’s salvation.
Sometimes, however, we simply do not use God’s resources. I know this pertains to me more than I would like. We slip backward instead of marching forward. We ought to be able to teach others, but we need to receive new teaching ourselves. We ought to be mature followers of Christ, but we live like spiritual babies. On the flip side, we should live dependently on our Father like a child does, but instead we live with the independence of a stubborn teenager.
The solution is for us to come to Jesus; admit our weak and meager efforts; and set our sights on the solid food of spiritual understanding and commitment. Once we start this path, we must endure it. Those who develop spiritual stamina find that they will be “perfect [mature] and complete, lacking in nothing” (Jas. 1:4, ESV).
PRINCIPLES:
- Jesus offers compassionate understanding to inexperienced believers.
- Jesus learned the value of obedience by enduring suffering and living in obedience to God throughout His life.
- Jesus received a divine call to represent us before God.
- Christians who do not grow toward God slip back into sin and ignorance. Also, they do not grow past the elementary truths and principles that they should have graduated from long ago.
APPLICATIONS:
- Come to Jesus for the strength to overcome your weakness. Admit your weakness. Submit them to Him. Be willing to let Him work in you and through. He will refine you and purify you, but know this will not be an easy process.
- Look to Jesus’ example of obedience in suffering for inspiration and hope as you face hardships and trials.
- Give Jesus your full obedience and attention because of His importance in God’s plan.
- Stay constantly alert to distinguish good actions and beliefs from bad practices and teachings.
How does this apply to us:
As Christians we need the courage to face the trials, sufferings, and difficulties of the Christian life. One source of help to provide us encouragement, discipline, and perseverance is Jesus’ own example and encouragement as He faced life’s sufferings. On earth Jesus faced trials, misunderstandings, threats, rejections, and death. He faced these challenges with prayer, concern, submission, and unflinching commitment to God’s will. He learned obedience from what He suffered (Heb. 5:8). Jesus’ sterling example of stamina provides us a living picture to study and imitate.
Not only do we find help from Jesus’ example, but we also have the reality of His encouragement. He can understand our weaknesses. He provides grace and strength to enable us to obey Him. He is the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him. The life Jesus lived provides power, perseverance, and discipline to His people.
As we face the challenge of Christian living, we must not imagine that all our difficulties will vanish if we become committed Christians. We cannot pin our hopes on an anticipation that God will suddenly destroy all difficulties in our path and give us an easy road to follow. God will supply through Jesus the grace for us to travel the path He chooses for us to follow.
We need to commit ourselves to depend on Jesus for endurance in the Christian life. We can follow Jesus’ example. We can experience His encouragement. As we respond to Him, He can produce in us the stamina and steadfast commitment we will need to face the trials and sufferings of life.
Our need is to demonstrate discipline and determined obedience. Jesus’ example can enable us to develop this type of stamina.
Final Thoughts to consider:
Several theological implications may be derived from verses 1-10. Jesus is superior to the Levitical priests for the following reasons: (1) He is without sin (cf. 2:17–18; 4:15); (2) He did not need to offer sacrifices for His own sins (5:3); (3) He offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice (5:7–8); (4) His death on the cross was a sacrifice offered once for all (cf. 9:13–14, 25–26); (5) He mediates an eternal covenant superior to the Sinai Covenant (8:1–2; 9:15). We will talk more about the last two in Hebrews 8–9.
Jesus, as our high priest, is totally sufficient to meet every need, spiritual or material, of every Christian at any time. As the man of sorrows, wholly familiar with suffering according to Isa 53:3 and Heb 4:15, He is able to help when we are tempted, tried, suffering, abandoned, betrayed, bereaved, and even when we enter the valley of the shadow of death.
Lessons in Leadership: Leadership is often understood in terms of power, manipulation (or ability to influence in a kinder way to say it), assertiveness, and ambition. The literature of the work world is cluttered with “how-to” books that profile the famous and successful who have fought and won by these values. In the first century, the Roman Empire was dominated by very powerful and manipulative family dynasties riddled with competition, violence, greed, and dirty tricks.
But Jesus modeled a different way of leadership. Throughout the NT we are shown glimpses of His life and character. In them, we discover a stark contrast to our world’s soap opera of abuse and distortion.
Hebrews 5 is one such picture. It describes a true leader as a priest who is:
- Focused on people and how they connect with God (v. 1)
- Compassionate with the weak and ignorant (v. 2)
- Required to face sin head-on (v. 3)
- Not self-appointed, but rather called by God into His role (v. 4)
Jesus was the perfect priest (vv. 5-10). The writer admits that this portrait is hard to grasp (vv. 11-14). However, those who seek to grow into Christlike maturity need to consider it carefully. Jesus provides for those who seek His help. All we need to do is ask (4:14-16).