The Greatest Intercessor

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0:00The older I get, the more I appreciate it when people pray for me. Anybody feel that way? I took it for granted when I was younger. Like, I took a lot of things for granted when I was younger, and maybe you all can relate to that too. But now I realize what a gift it is, what a kindness it is when someone goes to our Heavenly Father on my behalf. Of all the things that they could have done with their time, of all the people they could have thought of, all the things they had to do, the mental energy, they spent a little bit of it on me to go to God on my behalf.

0:40That feels really good. Doesn't it feel good when someone walks up to you and says, hey, I've been praying for you? It feels incredible. Especially when you didn't see it coming. I send out, two, three times a year I send out an update to the support team for this church, friends and family far and wide, people who are supporting us financially or just praying for us or just want to know what's going on. I send an update every quarter or so, maybe twice a year, something like that.

1:12And I get back sometimes emails from my email saying, hey, Joel, I just want you to know I prayed for the things that you asked for in your request. And sometimes it just comes from people that I didn't even know that they were reading them. But they say not only are they reading them, but they're praying. They're praying for me and for us. It feels really good. It feels strengthening, encouraging, caring. And people of God, you know it's beyond just good feelings because the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it's working, the Word of God tells us.

1:55So prayer is asking our powerful God to act, and he hears. He acts in his own time, in his own way, but he hears every prayer. Prayer is a form of intercession. We just interceded for Austin and for Mallory up here. Prayer is a form of intercession. The amazing truth of today's passage is that there is someone who constantly intercedes for you all the time, every one of his people. If he is your Savior through faith, he is interceding for you right now and all the time.

2:36So there is always someone who is praying for you. We're in a sermon series on Hebrews called Toward an Enduring Faith. So after setting the stage, we've come to chapter 7. This is the heart of Hebrews. Chapter 7 through chapter 10, verse 18. Most commentators consider that to be the heart of his sermon, the heart of his passage, the thing that he wrote. And it's all about, that heart is all about the work of Jesus as our great high priest. That's the center of Hebrews.

3:16We're going to cover that in four weeks. I decided to not belabor the point, and it seemed to me to be there were four distinct sections of this. So between this and chapter 10, verse 18, we're going to cover the heart of Hebrews in four sermons. This is the first one today. I don't know if you looked at your bulletin, but it's a long text. But I hope that you're excited to come and hear what it is this inspired author has to tell us about Jesus being our priest.

3:47Jesus being our intercessor, the one who is praying for us even now. So come with me to the Word of God, Hebrews chapter 7. Let's receive this for what it is, the very Word of God, reliable, completely reliable, completely trustworthy and true. Not only can you build your life on this, but you should.

4:16So, Hebrews 7, 1 through 25. Put on your reading glasses if you need them, and look in your bulletin. I won't tell. Look in your bulletin or look on the screen. Let's go to this text together. For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him. And to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace.

4:57He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God, he continues a priest forever. See how great this man was, to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils. And those descendants of Levi who received the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. But this man, who does not have his descent from them, receives tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.

5:37It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. In the one case, tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him. Now, if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood, for under it people received the law, what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than the one named after the order of Aaron?

6:18For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. For the one of whom these things are spoken belong to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe, Moses said nothing about priests. This became more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life.

6:55For it is witnessed of him, you are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek. For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness, for the law made nothing perfect. But on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. And it was not without an oath, for those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath. But this one who was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him, the Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, you are a priest forever.

7:36This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. The former priests were many in number because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him since he always lives to make intercession for them. Pray with me.

8:11Lord God, we kneel humbly before your word today. We ask you to first help us understand it, but second of all, help us see the glory in it, the glory of your revealed son, and help us to apply this truth to our lives. Lord, you are giving this to us to shape how we live because we are not wandering this earth by ourselves with no one to intercede for us. Through Christ our Savior, we have an intercessor. We have someone who is constantly praying for us, whose work continues even now.

8:48Lord, help us to see and believe and live in light of this great truth. Help us to see the glory of the Son. It's in his name we pray. The greatest intercessor. God sent the perfect priest to do what all others could not.

9:14So, if you've been with us on this journey through Hebrews, you know this. Maybe if you just read Hebrews, you know this. Three times already, the author has mentioned Melchizedek. Mentioned that Jesus is in the order of Melchizedek, but he hasn't said anything further. He's never elaborated about that. He's just said something and then he just walks away from it. He had other things he wanted to get to first. Well, now he finally explains. So, if you've been on the edge of your seat, tell us about this Melchizedek, author of Hebrews.

9:49Well, this is your Sunday. Now, I want to tell you this. This is a little bit of an, this is an unusual text to preach on. This is a totally unique teaching in all of the Bible. Okay? There's a reason why it reads like a theology text. Because he's doing theology. He's unpacking something that no other author of Scripture really unpacks. Nowhere else in the Bible do we find an explanation of how Jesus relates to Melchizedek.

10:22Melchizedek is a person we know very little about. So not only is this text unique, it's referring to someone that we don't, we hardly know anything about.

10:32So, by the Lord's, by the grace of God, I'm going to do my best. I appreciate that. So, today's passage is mysterious. Today's passage is technical. There's no getting around that. But today's passage is also glorious. And it is immensely practical. My hope today is that all of us, we don't respond to this passage in Hebrews 7 with, well, hmm, that was interesting. That we respond instead, praise God for Jesus. Praise God for Jesus, our priest. That's what I hope.

11:16And by the grace of God, that's what will happen. So, let's start here. Melchizedek the priest. He's the first priest. First priest mentioned in the Bible. We have to start with this. Well, what is a priest? If you don't really know what a priest is, this is not going to mean much to you. A priest enters God's presence on behalf of God's people.

11:42At certain points in your life, it may be helpful to have a lawyer, to have an accountant, to have a counselor, to have a doctor. Those specialists may be of great value to you at certain points in your life. But you will never need any of those people like you need a priest.

12:03A priest is assigned by God to be a mediator, an intercessor. God is completely holy. The Word of God calls Him a consuming fire, a fire of righteousness and justice. And we, who are we? We are people full of sin in our thoughts, our words, and our actions. Yes, I know we are made in the image of God. I'm not denying that. But we are fallen image bearers. There is a separation between us and God that is vast and is wide. Look at Isaiah 59.2. Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.

13:00This is why you need a priest. Listen, biblically speaking, when it comes to God's definition of what good is, there are no good people. If you've ever wondered why do bad things happen to good people, you're asking the wrong question. As R.C. Sproul has said, a bad thing only happened to a good person once in human history and He did it willingly. His name is Jesus.

13:36All of us are in need of intercession. A priest is assigned by God as a person to make intercession on behalf of sinful people. To speak to God on behalf of those people. To offer sacrifices. The sacrifices that He's commanded to cover their sin. And the priests bless the people in the name of God. That is why you and me and everyone needs a priest. You could go through your whole life. Your life might be a little bit worse if you never have a doctor or never have a lawyer or never have an accountant.

14:15But in the end of the day, if all you have is a priest, you're going to be okay. You have to have an intercessor. God said so. We need that intercession. And Melchizedek is the first priest ever mentioned in the Bible. Now here's how to pronounce his name. There's no sense you leaving here and not knowing how to pronounce his name. At least you can leave here and say I didn't learn anything else but I know how to pronounce his name. Melchizedek. The K is the emphasis.

14:50Melchizedek. Melchizedek. Our only story about him in the entire Bible is found in Genesis 14. Douglas read it earlier. That's it. That's the only thing that we ever see Melchizedek do in the entire history of the world. So here's the background. There were several wicked kings from violent nations that went to war with one another. A group of kings allied and another group of kings allied and they went to war. The kings who won that battle took a bunch of captives from the local area one of whom happened to be Abraham's nephew.

15:31The rest of the story we heard earlier, that was the scripture reading. Abraham, who was called Abram at that time, got a posse together and went out of riding to get those hostages and bring them back.

15:49wrong. And he and his posse won. It would make a great movie. He went after those kings with his posse and he won. He defeated them. He won the victory. He plundered them and he brought back the captives, including Lot, including the women that were captured and including other people that were captured. He brings back plunder and he brings back people. He rescues them, right? He is riding high. This is a crescendo moment in Abraham's life. Can you imagine him riding back with all the captives coming with him, the plunder?

16:32This guy coming from out of nowhere, he's not a king, but he just defeated some kings, saved people. He rides back and he returns and he is met by Melchizedek. Someone not mentioned any point earlier in the Bible. He's called king of Salem, which is a city-state at that time. He's also called priest of the Most High God. Melchizedek blesses Abram in the name of God and Abram gives Melchizedek 10% of all that he had. After that, he's like Kaiser Soze.

17:15Poof, he vanishes, he's gone. We don't hear anything more about Melchizedek for the rest of the, we don't hear any more adventures of Melchizedek, anything else that he does. The next time we hear about any other priest, it is over 600 years later after the Exodus. One of the 12 tribes, the tribe of Levi, is chosen by God. God says, they're going to serve me in a special way. The tribe of Levi is going to be like the firstborn. I call dibs on them.

17:50I'm going to give them special things to do. A lot of it has to do with the tabernacle. But those from the family of Aaron in the tribe of Levi, those are going to be priests.

18:02Okay? Fast forward another 350 years. The kingdom is established, David is king, and one day David is strumming his lyre, crafting a psalm under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and he writes this, the Lord says to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool. The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, you are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Now keep that up there, Luke. David records God, that Lord in capital letters, that's Yahweh.

18:47that's the covenant name of the Lord. David records God speaking to someone else, David calls him Lord, lowercase letters, calling him priest. This other person calls him, says you're going to sit at my right hand and you're going to be a priest in the order of Melchizedek.

19:09So of course we don't know what it's like to write God's words as we are carried along by the Holy Spirit. If you do think that you know what that's like, come talk to me please, I'd like to have a conversation with you. So none of us know what it's like to be carried along by the Holy Spirit and write the very words of God. Right? But I imagine that David read this, he looked at it, he re-read what he just wrote and he just marveled. A priest after the order of Melchizedek?

19:42You mean that guy from the passage that Moses wrote about? Lord, that was a thousand years ago. We have had priests from the tribe of Levi for 350 years. God is going to send a new priest that's based on the original priest? He's going to skip over the Levi priest and go back to the original one? That is amazing. David was probably astounded. I don't even know what this means. I've heard of Melchizedek but I did not see this coming.

20:23Here's why this is amazing. This is why God did it. Because Melchizedek was better than the Levitical priest. He was better. He was like the original prototype. And then later some other kind was developed that was nothing like the original prototype. And now God is going back to the original. Alright, you can go to the next slide, Luke. Thanks. So, those are the two dates. Abraham meets Melchizedek, 2000 B.C. David writes Psalm 110 around 1000 B.C.

20:54Alright, so next slide. So, Melchizedek was better than the Levitical priest. That is the first main point of this passage, this long passage. Okay? Here's why he's better. I'm going to give you four reasons that are all in this text. First is this. He was appointed by God. The Levitical priests got their job by lineage. They had to be direct descendants from Aaron on the father's side and their mother had to be a pure Israelite. They also had to be without physical handicap or injury or deformity.

21:27Melchizedek, on the other hand, was a priest just because God said so. God just said, you're my priest. No special family lineage required. God had just directly called him. Second, Melchizedek was greater than Abraham. Abraham, it's hard for us Gentiles to kind of get our minds around this, but for all Jews, Abraham was a revered figure, very significant figure, father of the twelve tribes, the patriarch, the patriarch. But it was Melchizedek that blesses Abraham, and it was Abraham that gave a tithe to Melchizedek.

22:11This shows that Abraham recognized, this guy is superior to me. And if Melchizedek is greater than Abraham, then he's also greater than all of Abraham's kids and all of his offspring, Levi and Aaron and all those priests. You see that?

22:30Number three, the Levitical priests were restricted to one office. They had one job, be a priest. Sometimes they taught the people, but they never performed any ruling or governing functions. That was for the king. But Melchizedek was more than a priest. He was also a king. He was king of Salem. He was not only king of a city state, he's described as king of righteousness. In this godless warring region, here was a righteous king that ruled a city of peace.

23:07Now that stands out. So he is king and he's priest. Now here's the last one. Melchizedek was a priest without end. The passage says he is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life. Now this is not to be taken literally. What he's saying is that there's no record of where Melchizedek came from or where he went after that. There's no record of his genealogy. There's no record of his death. Certainly he was born and certainly he died at some point.

23:46I think it would be bad conclusions to think that he is some kind of eternal being. He was born and he died. But the preacher of this passage in Hebrews, he's reading the silence of Scripture symbolically. It implies that he had an uninterrupted priesthood. He came out of nowhere and then he just disappeared. Right? It's implying that his priesthood was just ongoing all the time. a priesthood that didn't end. Now those are the four reasons. If you haven't written them down, you don't have to because they're going to come up again.

24:20So that's the first main point of the passage. Now here's the second. Jesus is the final priest. The second point of this passage, this long passage, is that Melchizedek is the prototype and Jesus is the fulfillment.

24:38Jesus was not a priest because he came from the right family. He wasn't even in the family that generated priests. He was from the tribe of Judah. Those aren't priests. That tribe had nothing to do with priests. He was a priest because God just appointed him. You're going to be a priest. When Psalm 110 says you are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek that is God the father giving his son a job. A very important job to be the intercessor for his people.

25:11So God just assigns him a job. This passage goes to great lengths to point out how insufficient the Levitical priests were. The law, the sacrifices, the priesthood it says made nothing perfect. That should stand out to you. All the time that they were offering sacrifices, that these priests were coming and going, doing their thing, there was still a curtain that separated the people from the most holy place.

25:45Certainly that made an impression on the people they are doing all these things that God commanded us to do but still we can't enter in there we can't go in only certain people can go in there and the high priest is the only one that can go into the holy of holies and him only once a year there still is a separation surely they walked away and thought I'm glad that we're doing what God told us to do but isn't there some way that we can come closer to God there had to be a new priest someone better someone who could intercede more fully and so God made that you all know how the world works sometimes when fathers appoint sons to positions they give them something where they can avoid all the hard work and just reap all the benefits right the corner office with no real responsibilities this is different this is the complete opposite the father appointed the son to a priestly role where he offered himself on the cross as our sacrifice he did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many he gave his life for us that's the role that he was appointed to a higher intercession a deeper intercession the father said this is what I want you to do Jesus is like Melchizedek too because he's greater than Abraham Jesus told his fellow Jews your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day truly truly I say to you before Abraham was I am and that almost got Jesus killed right then and there he's saying I am Abraham's creator and Lord if he is Abraham's creator

27:56and Lord then he is Melchizedek's creator and Lord so he is greater than this great one back in Genesis 14 and Jesus gives a far greater blessing than Melchizedek gave Abraham the blessing that Jesus gives is a change of status now we're already ramping up to the good news and I want you to take hold of this good news the blessing that Melchizedek gave Abraham that was awesome right I would have loved to have been Abraham to met him and receive that blessing but you know what I don't need that and neither do you because you know Jesus and so do I he gives you a through him God calls us adopted sons and daughters receivers of the blessing we become Abraham's offspring through faith in him through him through Jesus a better hope is introduced the passage says through which we draw near to God at last at last the curtain has been torn into and we can enter into the inner place through the blood of Christ our Savior anyone can approach God anyone can be in the most holy place and with the most holy one anyone you don't have to be from the tribe of Levi anyone can come into God's presence anyone whose faith is in Jesus Jesus is like Melchizedek also because he's more than a priest he's both priest and king we saw this in psalm 110 God says not only your priest forever but also sit at my right hand and rule in the midst of your enemies right there in psalm 110 he's called priest and king when Isaiah foretold of the messianic king he said his reign would be marked by righteousness and

30:19peace wouldn't you know it the same things that Melchizedek was righteous Paul says he himself is our peace and these two righteousness and peace they have to go together where sin and evil reign there will never be any peace Jesus had to come with his righteousness to defeat sin in order to establish peace he takes our sin and what does he give us his righteousness that's how we get peace he is both king of peace and king of righteousness and someday friends the whole earth will know that he really is the king of righteousness and the king of peace now finally Jesus is like Melchizedek because he continues as priest forever what was symbolized in Melchizedek is actually realized in Jesus Jesus actually does have a permanent priesthood verse 16 says that he by the power of an indestructible life and you know the story right it's not that Jesus didn't die or Jesus couldn't die he did something better he has an indestructible life because he overcame death through his resurrection he defeated death he stands on the other side side of death ready to receive us by the power of his indestructible life he gives indestructible life to all who call on him in faith is he your savior then you have an indestructible life Jesus fulfilled the pattern of Melchizedek the pattern of the great priest that came before the one who it looked like there was never going to be anyone like him and then along came Jesus someone better who fulfills everything about Melchizedek he is the final priest he

32:32is the greatest intercessor now I want to close with this I want to get a little practical here and talk about how this is good I already know you think it's complicated I need you to know that it builds up the I'm going to just point out three phrases here real quick in the end of this passage that I think give us great encouragement and great direction for how we live our lives first verse 22 this makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant we're going to go into self as security to ensure what is promised Jesus is our security deposit he ensures our spot in the book of life in the eternal kingdom he has put his very life down to ensure and provide us a place have you given him your name is your name found in that book have you committed yourself to him with faith my friends do it while you can he has made himself the guarantor of the new covenant a better hope once you have once you have done that and your name is in that book and you have committed yourself to him you may struggle you may reach rough patches in your faith in your journey but Jesus is rock solid he is your priest forever the father swore an oath this is the second time we heard those astounding words in Hebrew God you swore an oath you the king of kings you made a promise to us you didn't have to do that but he made a promise of the new covenant through our high priest Jesus he will not change his mind here is the second phrase he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him do

35:01not ever think that you are beyond hope do not ever think that you are beyond hope his priestly intercession is stronger than you can possibly imagine no matter how far away you've wandered no matter how many no matter what happens in your life young people are you listening to this who who knows where you're going to be 20 30 years from now you the utter most but listen church don't use this as a license to sin hear this as a reminder to never keep yourself away because he is able to save who those who draw near to righteousness he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him so draw near when you're at that point where you're in the lowest part of the valley draw near to God through him no matter what is happening in your life no matter what has been done to you draw near to God and he is able to save you here's the last one we're going to close with this he always lives to make intercession his priesthood is permanent and continuous and what a blessing that is many of you know how challenging it is to have to change doctors or change pastors now you have to get to get to get to get to know you it's hard work to have to change doctors or change pastors you have to get someone new acquainted with you and your story with Jesus you never have to worry about that he will never be replaced he will never die he will never retire he will never even go on a lunch break you will never have to get someone new and what you have been through he remembers you and

38:27he remembers your story he knows your heart he knows your needs he knows your hopes he knows your situation and he will always be interceding for you so go ahead and talk to him what are you waiting for what am I waiting for he is standing there right now wanting to but he still wants to hear from you he still wants to listen that's part of his ministry and even as he is listening he is interceding for you I opened up talking about prayer and how great it is to have someone pray for you pray Jesus intercession never fails it's constant it's unfailing he remembers every detail everything you felt everything that you're going through all the hopes that you have he knows all of it he is pleading right now in agreement with the father for your strength for your sanctification for you to reach your home for his purpose in your life to be fulfilled Jesus is the guarantor he is able to save he always lives to make intercession this is all about Jesus what a savior you don't need any other intercessor you don't need anyone else I can come alongside you but Jesus is your priest I am not Jesus is your priest he is the only intercessor that you need no one can add to his work it's impossible he is all that you need he's the greatest he's our great high priest he's man he's him he's he's man he's