The Mystery of Melchizedek (Part 4 of 4)

Under the Old Covenant, God's people were bound to a system that was perfectly designed and yet because of sin, they were still in need of something more. Today on Truth for Life, Alistair Begg shows us how Jesus brought the ultimate solution to sin as our great high priest.

We pick up our study in Hebrews chapter 7. Now, in verses 20 to 28, which is the final section, he simply goes on to provide further instruction and makes 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.

Now, what does this mean? It is not that his promises are any less trustworthy without an oath, but when he swears by an oath, he is reinforcing a vital, central truth. Now, if you 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 are at 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 earth be blessed.

You say, Well, what does that possibly mean? Well, it means that it finds its fulfillment insofar as Jesus, as a descendant from Abraham, lives his life, dies an 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 of its fullness. The promise advances in fulfillment when you discover Jews and Gentiles both coming to trust in Christ, both discovering what God has done in Jesus, and both becoming the children of Abraham.

It 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 the earth, 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 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're 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.

And the story of salvation in Christ is the story of God doing what he swore to do. What does he say in Deuteronomy? He says, 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 some peculiar redeeming quality.

I simply loved you because I loved you. And I determined of my own sovereign, free choice to make a promise to you that will be throughout all time significant in its implications. What does he say to us in 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 2, 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 Jesus, treasures on earth, where moth and rust get in and eat it and bite it and destroy it, and where thieves come in and steal the stuff, but lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven. He's talking there about our endeavors as we live out our lives, but the great significant treasure, which is ours in heaven, is the treasure 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 and my disinterest in the things of Christ and my lax approach to so much, and when all the accusations of the evil one are against me, saying, you know, you have got no guarantee whatsoever that 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 stated plainly in the hundred-and-tenth psalm, I have in Jesus a guarantee of a better covenant.

Now let me just work out some practical application of this, and we're 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 priests may have been, death put an end to their work.

That's what he says, death prevented them from continuing in office. But 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 significance. And Jesus ever lives.

Secondly, his power is limitless. Verse 25, isn't that what he's 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 them. 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 rope upon which I fastened my hands with great eagerness, and they began to pull me up. And 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 that there was every prospect that in a moment the rope may finally fray, and I would crash all the way to the bottom and may never ever be able to raise my voice in a plea for rescue again.

That would be a cruel experience, imaginary albeit. But that's some people's view of what it is to become a Christian. That they think that Jesus can save them a wee bit.

But they're gonna have to try their best in case they snap the rope. That they're gonna have to make a contribution to it to fill up anything that might be missing. That they 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. If salvation was about believing plus doing, with the doing making a contribution to the salvation event, then all of us would be scurrying from hither and yon to try and ensure that we were okay. But 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 thy law's demands. Could my zeal nor respite know?

Could my tears forever flow? All for sin could not atone. Thou must save, and thou alone.

What use is a 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 in to let me know if you're still on board. Thirdly, notice that he is always living to intercede. Let me just say it to you again in the words of the hymnwriter.

I say it so often, but it's one of my quotes as I go around in my car. Before the throne of God above I have a strong and perfect plea, a great high priest whose name is love, whoever lives and pleads for me. And if you'll get that anchored in your heart, loved 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 and your hope and your confidence, your life will be revolutionized. And the intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ is that which is exercised meaningfully, as we've already seen, on account of his identification with us. 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, it 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 his character and his 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 him in some way, and they couldn't find fault. When Pilate took him and examined him, eventually he says, I'm gonna have to wash my hands of this predicament, because I can find no fault in the man.

And he sends him off somewhere else, and the other person says, you know, I really don't understand what everyone's on about. He seems to be faultless. Even his enemies had nothing to say about him. He was pure, and his purity was a real purity, not a ritual purity. He was set apart from sinners. Well, you say, but didn't they call him the friend of publicans and sinners?

Yes? So what does 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 sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. It was a sacrifice that was unique in its permanence, in its purity, in its efficacy, and in its cost.

There's a whole sermon there, I think you would understand, but we don't have time for it this evening. Have you understood what it means for Jesus to have sacrificed 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 men, 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.

It's that lovely Easter hymn, There is a green hill far away outside a 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 let us in, O dearly, dearly has he loved, And we must love him too, And trust in his redeeming blood, And try his works to do. When I concluded 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 and 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've been told in 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 Strength have I 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. He hideth my life in the cleft of the rock, Where rivers of mercy I see. When we grasp this, then lines out of hymns like, His oath, his covenant, his blood, Support me in the whelming flood, I mean, how many times have you sung that hymn?

And you say to yourself, What in the world is this? His oath, his covenant, his blood? Maybe we've got a little bit about blood, because we've been at enough Easter services, but what about this covenant?

What was that? And what is this oath? It is this—that God, from the very essentials of eternity, entered into a covenant—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—covenanting together that they would redeem a 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 that solid rock, we'll take our stand. Alistair Begg isn't finished with his message today.

In fact, his closing comments include a strong challenge, so stay with us a few minutes longer. It's a privilege to study God's Word with you each day here on Truth for Life. We teach directly from Scripture so that God's Spirit will work to convert unbelievers, to deepen the faith of those who already followed Jesus, and strengthen local churches. It's for this reason that we're passionate about removing any barrier that prevents those who are curious from learning more about the gospel.

That's why all of our online teaching is free to access and free to share. We hope you find the online share features on our website and mobile app an easy way for you to introduce your friends or neighbors or colleagues to Jesus. With that in mind, we also want to recommend two books we bundled together that will help you open the door to more one-on-one conversations about your faith.

The first book is called Have No Fear, and if you have sometimes felt hesitant about venturing into spiritual subjects, this is a book that will show you how to overcome some of the common barriers that can get in our way. It also gives you an easy to follow framework for keeping Scripture at the center of your conversation while letting God's Word do God's work. Included with Have No Fear, we're sending you another book called The Word One to One. In fact, in this case, we're including two copies, one for you and one to share with a friend.

The first chapter of John includes a beautiful narrative on the gospel, and 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. In fact, we posted some samples on our website at truthforlife.org. So when you make a donation today to support Truth for Life, we'll say thank you by sending you this three-book bundle. To give a donation and request the three books right now, go to truthforlife.org slash donate, or you're welcome to give by phone. Call 888-588-7884. If you'd prefer to mail your donation, write to Truth for Life at Post Office Box 398000, Cleveland, Ohio.

Our zip code is 44139. Now to conclude today's message, here again, is Alistair Begg. There's some of you here tonight, and today has been news to you. 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 has meant to you, you've got to admit that you still have a burden of sin. You have to admit that you have no assurance of forgiveness, that you have no assurance that if you were to die tonight you would go to heaven. And you may even have stepped up your religious endeavors. You may have started to even try harder.

You may even have come to church regularly in the hope that maybe that would gain you enough points. And now you've come, and 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've 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, and 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've been trying to save myself, patch myself up, and I recognize this evening that it can't 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, then the promise of God's Word is, as you just read it, that he is able to save to the uttermost all who come unto God through him. And a divine transaction takes place. Father, I pray that since we've 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 us ourselves. Show us our Savior. And make the book live to us. For Jesus' sake, we pray. Amen. Tomorrow we'll hear another message from our series called Fix Our Eyes on Jesus. So please join us Friday. I'm Bob Lapeen. This daily program features the Bible teaching of Alistair Begg, and it's furnished by Truth for Life, where the Learning is for Living.