R701 Why Jesus

God has an encouraging word for you and me today through the Bible-based teaching of Dr. Don Wilton and a message called, Why Jesus. This is The Encouraging Word featuring the Bible-based teaching of Dr. Don Wilton, well-known author, seminary professor, evangelist, pastor, and over the last 20 plus years, the pastor to Dr. Billy Graham. As a matter of fact, there's a wonderful book about that on our website right now at www.tewonline.org.

But that tells you a little about who Dr. Don Wilton is. I pray you'll take these next moments to understand his passion for the Bible itself, God's encouraging word. We'll head to Hebrews chapter 7 as we study the word together. And by the way, if you want to sign up for the daily encouraging word devotion from Dr. Don, you can do that on our website at www.tewonline.org.

That's www.tewonline.org. Now today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton. Hebrews chapter 7, our subject, Why Jesus Christ. I'm going to read to you just a few verses here. This is an incredible passage. Hebrews 7 verse 11.

We're going to consider the question, Why Jesus Christ? If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood, remember in the Old Testament, by the way, the Levites served as priests. And their basic intention on God's instructions was to provide perfection for the people of Israel by giving them access to God.

Note the condition here. If this could have been attained, for on the basis of it the law was given to the people, why was there still need for another priest to come? One in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron. Remember, only Levites could serve as priests, and we learnt last week Melchizedek was not after the order of Aaron. He was not a Levite. He was a type of Christ. He was a picture of Jesus Christ.

We studied that last week. Verse 12. For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law.

Why? The Old Testament had the law of Moses, the Ten Commandments, for example. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Thou shalt not covet. The other Bible says that with a change of the priesthood, that is Jesus Christ, there must be a change of the law. Does that mean to say that the Old Testament law is no longer valid? I'm going to show you that that is not what is being said. Jesus didn't come to replace the law. He came as the fulfillment of the law.

We'll see that in a moment. Verse 13, he of whom these things are said belong to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. Unless you were a Levite, you couldn't do it. For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe, Moses said nothing about priests. He was never a priest that came out of the tribe of Judah. And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek of Prius, one who has become priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry, but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. That word there, by the way, indestructible, is very similar to the word in verse 11, perfection, perfect. Jesus Christ was indestructible. He was the perfect one. That is why Jesus Christ was the lamb who was slain from before the foundation of the world, and that lamb was without spot and without blemish. Perfect.

We're going to discover something in a moment that is most exciting. How do we attain perfectness? Well, it couldn't be achieved through the Old Testament law, but it is achieved through Jesus Christ because he is the indestructible one.

He's the perfect one. He's the Son of God. Verse 17, for it is declared you, O Lord, are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. Verse 18 and 19, remarkable two verses. I told the other congregations I wish I could preach a whole series on that.

Some of you would say I know you would too. Just two verses there. We could spend 12 weeks on those two verses.

I'll guarantee you the former regulation is set aside because it is weak and useless for the law made nothing perfect, and a better hope is introduced by which we draw near to God. Two questions here. Number one, who was Melchizedek?

We looked at that last week. Number one, he was a priest of the most high God. He was the fusion, the coming together of the God covenant and the God universal. Priest of the most high God. He was also a royal priest. No Levite priest could serve as king. Melchizedek was a type of king. That's what typology is all about in biblical understanding. Jesus Christ is king.

He rules and he reigns. Number three, he was a religious and peaceful priest. The character, the heart of God.

Number four, we learnt in the first verses of chapter seven. He is a unique priest. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.

You got it? Unique son. Nothing like him. No one like him. Melchizedek was a unique priest.

Jesus Christ is unique. Nobody like him. Nobody who can rival him. Nobody who can take his place. And number five, he is an eternal priest.

He served forever. That is why Jesus Christ is our priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Why Melchizedek? Well, the second most important question here then is why the need for another priest? In other words, our subject this morning. Why Jesus?

Has anybody ever come to you and said to you, hey, why the Lord Jesus Christ? Well, we're gonna try and answer that in the light of what God is saying here in his word. Now, there are three reasons given as to why Jesus in this passage.

I want to share them with you. Number one, because of failure. Failure. The Old Testament system was a failure. Oh, yes, God gave the Old Testament system. It was instituted by God. Priests were appointed by God as men to serve God through sacrifices for sin. One sacrifice for one sin at one time.

But the whole system was a failure. You see, my friends, the Bible tells us that the Old Testament priest failed to provide perfection. Someone comes to you and says, what is perfection?

I wonder what you'd tell them. Perfection is gaining access to God. Perfection is not what I am or who I am. Perfection is access to God because it is only by virtue of my access to God that I am counted righteous. Because God, having saved me through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, when I have access to him, when I'm reconciled to him through his shed blood upon the cross, I receive the imputed righteousness of God. I have access to God.

I am made perfect, not because of me, but because of Jesus Christ in me. You see, my friends, God predicted the coming of the new priesthood for two reasons. The new priesthood would be superior to the old priesthood and a new priesthood that would be forever. Remember, priests could only serve until the age of 50 and besides that, all of them died. Jesus serves forever and he lives forever. Somebody say amen to that. Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 14, we'll get to Hebrews chapter 10. I promise you within the next 10 years, we'll get there. But Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 14, by one offering, he has perfected for all time those like me who are being sanctified.

Whoo! Isn't that amazing? You know that God says that about you and me. Do you know that those inmates in those prisons, young people, some of whom will never get out of prison, they're incarcerated, they're in chains for the rest of their lives, who gave their hearts and lives to Jesus Christ this week, they are being perfected because they are being sanctified by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament system failed.

Second reason why Jesus is because of necessity. Man was struggling, we know about that, I struggle, don't you? Anyone here ever struggled with your Christian faith? Boy, have I struggled.

I've messed up so many times, I can't even begin to imagine. Priests were faltering left and right. Jewish Christians were wavering. Now according to this passage, Christ's sacrifice signaled change and change was the result of necessity. Necessity brought about change and change was the result of the necessary finished work of Jesus Christ upon the cross.

Now you've got to stick with me, ladies and gentlemen. This is critical to our Christian faith. This is very important stuff, I know it's deep.

But I want you to just hang in there, just listen carefully to what God is saying here, my friends. There are three necessities of which the Word of God teaches us. Number one, the necessity for total assurance and security for salvation through Christ Jesus was needed. See, these people had been told the Messiah would come, many of them had given their hearts to Jesus Christ, but they had neither assurance nor security. It was necessary for these things to be explained in the light of Melchizedek because the Jews understood who Melchizedek was. God was speaking to them out of their own frame of reference.

The second necessity was the necessity for a total break from the past, which was demanded. Do you know that there were people here in the New Testament, they were Jewish people, very sincere people who had grown up with their religious rituals, and they believed that what they did was right according to the Old Testament. They had read about the Messiah, but they refused to accept him. Bible says he came to his own, but his own received him not. But to those who did receive him, to them gave he the power and the word there is the righteousness or the right to become the sons of God by virtue of the fact that they had believed on his name, the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, many of them had believed on his name, but they couldn't get their lives out of their past. I had a lady come to me one time, she said to me, pastor, she said, I've given my heart to Jesus, I've confessed my sin.

I know that my name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life, but I still continue to follow some of the rituals of my former religion just in case. Have you ever heard or met a just in case kind of Christian? I don't doubt that lady's genuineness of her salvation, I'm not questioning that, I believe she's a saved lady. But she said to me with all of her heart, she said to me, pastor, I know I'm saved, I know Jesus Christ is the only way, but I still continue to practice these rituals and things that I grew up with just in case. Jesus said, I'm the only way, what's the number one hallmark of Christian discipleship? No rivalry. Did you know that God tolerates no opposition?

Any questions? God plus nothing. He's not an additive. He's not a mathematical writer.

He doesn't complement nothing. If you understand my good English. The Bible says, friends, they needed to break totally from the past. The third necessity was that the picture of salvation given in the Old Testament had to be replaced by the person of the New Testament. That's why at the Lord's Supper, Jesus looked at his disciples and he said, do this in remembrance of me.

You got it? Do this in remembrance of me not do this in remembrance of Melchizedek or do this from remembrance of some picture that you saw or do this in remembrance of your ritual, or do this in remembrance of your upbringing, or do this in remembrance of your birthright, or do this in remembrance of your ancestral connections. Jesus said, do this in remembrance of me. The picture given in the Old Testament, the type of Christ, in this case through Melchizedek had to be replaced with the person of the new covenant.

And that is the Lord Jesus Christ. The third reason why Jesus is because of evidence. The Messiah had come, evidence was needed for three reasons.

Number one, because of the change that had to take place. Jesus Christ did not enhance Judaism. When Jesus came, he did not add to Judaism. When Jesus came, he did not validate Judaism.

Jesus replaced Judaism, kind of like me. I think one of my favorite meals is roast lamb. I love roast lamb. Nobody can prepare it better than my wife. I love roast lamb, roast potatoes, roast even vegetables.

I mean, everything. I just, boy, I love it. I can just see it, I can taste it. I can't wait to have it. I hope I have it today. But you know what I love about roast lamb?

If you see a lady suddenly stand up and leave, it's probably my wife. But if I have it today, you know what I love on top of all of that? It's the gravy, stupid. Oh, I love gravy. Hey, listen, when I eat gravy, don't give me that watery stuff you get in restaurants. Runs all over, I like thick, good, solid kind of gravy.

Lots of it. You know, some people think God, Jesus Christ is kind of like gravy. You know, you have a great plate of food spiritually speaking and Jesus is kind of the sweetener. He's sort of the juice. You kind of just put him on top to make it taste better.

Nope. He replaced Judaism, folks. Jesus put it like this. He said, I am the way, the truth and the life. No man can come to the Father but by me. He's not gravy. He's the real thing.

In fact, he's the only thing. You're listening to Dr. Don Wilton, our teacher here on The Encouraging Word. Don't go away. He'll be back to complete today's message from Hebrew seven in just a moment but Dr. Wilton wants me to remind you that we're here to connect with you and to connect with great resources that'll help you grow in your faith. If you've not heard about A Call for Courage, it's a wonderful combination along with Be Salt and Light, a message from Dr. Wilton that helps us in this particular day and age stand up for who we are as Christ followers.

Never before have we faced more opposition and this book and this message series will help fuel you and fuel me in our loving response to the world around us. Again, you'll find all the details on our website at TEWonline.org. That's TEWonline.org and while you're there, sign up for the daily devotion from Dr. Don.

It's right there at the base of our website, TEWonline.org. Now back to today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton. Number two, not only because change had to take place but because Jesus was the fulfillment of the law. Oh, some people have said, wait a minute, what about the law of Moses? What about the 10 Commandments?

Friend, let me tell you something. The evidence of the death of Jesus Christ bears testimony to the fact that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the law. He is the law. He is everything moral.

He is righteousness and justice. And as such, Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the law because it is his very nature. He didn't replace the law, he is the law. So when Jesus Christ comes into my heart, I don't move the law of God to the side. I become fused into the law. I don't give allegiance to a picture of the law and fail.

I receive the law in the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Number three, the third evidence pertains to the fact that because he was the completeness of reconciliation between God and man, nothing more had to be done. The evidence was provided. We've asked the question, why? Why Jesus? Well, there are three reasons. Failure, necessity, the need for evidence.

But goes further than that. The coming of Jesus, the sacrifice of Jesus, the superiority of Jesus fulfilled two essential longings of all mankind. And folks, if you go to chapter seven, I want you to all look at that in verse 18 and 19. Right there in those two verses, you find the two essential longings of all people.

Number one, the most greatest longing of all mankind is to have a better hope. We came into this juvenile center, mirror image went through, getting checked in security. And all of a sudden I look after everybody's gone through and here's this young man standing there. Head bowed, he's got handcuffs around his wrists. He's got chains from his wrists around his waist. He's got at least three sets of chains around his waist. Then he's got handcuffs on his ankles.

I don't know if you've ever seen somebody with handcuffs on their ankles. And the handcuffs on his ankles were chained together. Then there was a chain from his ankle to his waist and a chains from his waist to his wrists. And here comes this boy, his hands were folded, almost looked like he was kind of in prayer. He was bowed over and he was walking in a little shuffle like this.

Just little steps, shuffle, shuffle, shuffle, little steps, didn't look up, didn't look down, shuffle, shuffle, trained like an animal, trained like an animal, standing on either side of him, two burly police officers with their guns. After they'd put him through security, I went to one of those officers and I said, officer, tell me about that boy. He said, Reverend, you don't have the time to hear this.

I said, I've got the time. He said, let me tell you about him. He said, when that boy was seven years of age, he came to this prison for the first time, seven years old. Some of you say, how can that be?

We've seen them all over, folks. In one of the prisons we were in this week, there was a whole section of kids that were 10 years of age. This boy was seven years old. One of the prisons this week, there was a seven or eight year old that I asked the warden and he said, no, he's about seven or eight years of age. Little boy, you can't imagine how little that is, folks, in a big man's prison.

You can't imagine looking at a seven year old child in prison. He said to me, Reverend, that boy came in here when he was seven. We sent him home, he turned around and came back. We sent him home, he turned around and came back.

We sent him home, he turned and he came around back. About the age of eight or nine, he committed the ultimate crime, the juvenile justice. Looked at him and said to him, young man, you're never gonna learn your lesson, are you?

He said, I'm gonna throw these keys away. We're gonna put you in jail so long you'll forget who your mama is. He said to me, Reverend, that was 10 years ago. Said, the boy's been in prison here for 10 years.

His entire childhood, his youth, he's been incarcerated like an animal. And he said, Reverend, yesterday, the parole board believed he was rehabilitated and decided to send him home, give him one more chance. I said, wait a minute now, officer, you sent him home yesterday after 10 years in prison?

He said, yes, sir. I said, well, what's he doing back here? He said, well, Reverend, you don't seem to understand when he went home, there were no home to go home to. He has no mama, no daddy, nobody who wrote him letters, nobody made phone calls, nobody cared about him. When he got to where he thought his home was, he stood on the street side there for a couple of hours, didn't know what to do. Looked the other side of the road, there was an old lady, an African American lady, walked across the street, began to beat her up, waited for the police to come pick him up, put him in chains, brought him back to prison. Here he is, Reverend.

Got any more questions? Do you know that America is filled with people who have no hope? Our stadiums are filled with people screaming at football games and basketball games for their favorite team, but they have no hope. There are moms and dads and young people, people who may not be in prison, but they are incarcerated, they're in chains because they have no hope. There are people crying out all over the world because they have no hope. And this is what the Bible says. The Bible says that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is the hope of the world.

I've got a message to share with you today. It's about the hope that we have in Jesus. It's the greatest longing of all mankind. And the second greatest longing is to draw near to God because by drawing near to God, we are made perfect. And how can we ever be made perfect if we don't take a hold of the hope that we have in Jesus Christ? Where is this hope? That hope is today while I live and that hope is tomorrow after I die because the Bible says, when Jesus comes into my heart, I can know that I know that I know that I know that one day I'm going to heaven to be with Jesus Christ. Do you know this Jesus?

This is the superior one. Why Jesus Christ? Why the Lord Jesus Christ? Because he's the hope of the world.

Would you bow your heads with me this morning? He is the hope of the world. He's the hope for you and the hope for me. But it's a hope that must be received. It's not just going to be given to you.

You need to take action. Today, Dr. Wilton, as now he's stepped out of the pulpit into the studio, shares with you what we all need to do next. Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ? Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now? Dear God, I know that I'm a sinner and I know that Jesus died for me on the cross. Today, I repent of my sin and by faith, I receive you into my heart. In Jesus' name, my friend, I welcome you today into the family of God.

This is exciting news. If you just gave your life to Christ, praying along with Dr. Wilton or rededicated your life to Jesus, we're so excited for what God is doing and is going to do in your life. Dr. Wilton has wonderful resources. He wants you to have absolutely free. If you'll call us and let us send them to you. 866-899-WORD is our phone number.

Jot it down, 866-899-9673. And we'll send those free resources out to you right away. We also want to pray with you and celebrate what God is doing and is going to do in your life. We have many resources that allow you to grow in your faith. As a matter of fact, I mentioned one earlier. It's the call for courage and salt and light opportunity to study God's word together.

Here's Liz with all the details. No one is born courageous, but everyone hopes to have courage when the time comes. This month, for your gift of 25,000, or more to the encouraging word, you will receive Be Salt and Light, a powerful two message series by Dr. Wilton that includes a Christian's response to a nation in crisis and a Christian response to a personal attack. Plus you will receive a call for courage, a soul stirring book that will help motivate you into action. Both of these ministry resources will help you know why you should respond and how to respond. Remember, God has not given us the spirit of fear.

You can stand up. Call us at 866-899-WORD. That's 866-899-9673. And request to be salt and light in the bonus book, A Call for Courage today. Thank you for listening and thank you for supporting the encouraging word. Now is the time to spread the gospel. Our time's gone for today, but we can see you connected on our website at TEWonline.org and this phone number, 866-899-WORD. That's 866-899-9673. If you need to talk or pray with someone, or if you'd like more details about these wonderful resources we've mentioned today, including A Call for Courage, Be Salt and Light, and the book, Saturdays with Billy, about Dr. Wilton's time pastoring Dr. Billy Graham, it's all on our website at TEWonline.org. It's all on our website at TEWonline.org. Thank you again for your prayerful and financial support of the encouraging word. The Encouraging Word