Equipping University

The author has just completed a lengthy section filled with exhortation. He knows another similar exhortation is needed shortly. In between these two exhortations, he introduces a new image to his readers: the picture of the Jewish High Priest. This passage in Hebrews 5 serves as an introduction to an extended discussion of Christ as the Christian's Great High Priest. In this brief introduction, the author does not intend to answer every question about this particular role or to even raise every issue he will later discuss. Instead, this passage serves to provide a broad sweep of Christ's priestly ministry relative to the role of the Old Testaments priests. We will see that Jesus meets and exceeds every requirement to be a Great High Priest.

The author of Hebrews wrote his letter while the Temple was still standing. He did not know that the great building would be destroyed in just a matter of years. However, his letter to a group of Jewish Christians in Rome provided the answers to the questions that their Jewish family members would have been asking them repeatedly: "You have no priests in this new Christian religion. How do you have access to God?" Little did their Jewish friends and family know that they would face the same situation in a very short time. The desire for a "stand-in" or mediator between God and man is a real one and a good one. As Protestants, we rarely consider the importance of a priest. we do need a priest and we have the ultimate High Priest representing us before God - Jesus Christ. With Jesus as our Great High Priest, We have a great hope. That particular understanding is the goal of the author of Hebrews and that answer is the one he wanted his readers to be able to give to questioning Jews and pagans.

The author of Hebrews is not concerned with the size of the church to which he writes. His advice does not even touch on ideas of buildings and appearances and image. He does not write about new church growth methods or worship styles. The exhortations he provides do not address the subject of making the readers more comfortable, the church more accessible, or the ministries more relevant to the culture in which they live. In fact, the last thing the author would desire for this church is that they begin to look like the Roman culture around it. we also see that a healthy church is one that leaves no stragglers to lag behind or perish in unbelief. The kind of church the author is looking for is one where the discouraged are propelled forward by encouragement and where the strong take care of the weak. When one believer becomes discouraged in the race, others do what must be done to encourage, support, and assist one another. As a believer, I am obviously concerned about my walk with Christ and the eternal state of my soul. However, what we often fail to realize is that we are to be concerned with our fellow believers, as well. We do not want to enter God's rest alone. To be sure, this is the goal of the writer of Hebrews.