We turn in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 5. Hebrews chapter 5 for our meditation before we take the Lord's Supper. Basically what is going on in this particular section is the author is setting forth the superiority or the supremacy of Jesus Christ over the Levitical priesthood. If you look back for just a moment in chapter 4 at verses 15 14 to 16, he says, seeing then that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Now he sets forth, as I said, the supremacy of Christ, and it's the largest section in the book. Essentially, what we find is the qualification for priesthood in both the Old Covenant and here in the New Covenant.
There's a comparison and a contrast that is going on. In chapter 5, verses 1 to 4, the Levitical priesthood is described, and then of course in chapter 5, verses 5 to 10, the priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ. And then the Apostle exhorts the people to persevere, to guard against stagnation and apostasy, to resist the tendency and the temptation to fall away. And then he gives a detailed treatment of Christ's similarity to Melchizedek.
He mentions Melchizedek in this particular passage. He develops this further and in more detail in chapters 6 and 7. And then the shadows of the Old Covenant are superseded by the excellence of the New Covenant. That's 8 and 9. and then the redemption secured by Christ's sacrifice is all-sufficient and eternal, chapters 9 and 10.
And then in chapter 10 at the end we see there is transition into more practical application. But the bulk of the book of Hebrews is taken up with an exposition of the priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ. So I'll just read beginning in verse 1 of chapter 5. For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for man in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.
He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness. Because of this, he is required, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins. And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not glorify himself to become high priest, but it was he who said to him, you are my son, today I have begotten you.
As he also says in another place, you are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek. who, in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with vehement cries and tears to him who was able to save him from death and was heard because of his godly fear, though he was a son, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered. And having been perfected, he became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him. called by God as high priest according to the order of Melchizedek, of whom we have much to say and hard to explain since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God. and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Amen. Well, let us pray again and ask the Lord's help as we look to Scripture. Father, we pray for the ministry of your Holy Spirit right now.
We pray that He would guide us and lead us into truth, that He would cause us to reflect upon the glory of our Savior, that we would reflect upon Him in His office primarily as priests. We thank you that He intercedes for us how we thank you that he sacrificed himself for us, how we thank you that he is most blessed, most holy, most glorious, and most able to save his people from their sins. We ask that you would forgive us again from all unrighteousness and help us, God, to be encouraged as we look to Scripture now. And we pray through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Introduction
Well, as I said, there are points of comparison between the two priesthood, between Aaron or the Aaronic or Levitical priesthood and what Christ underwent, but there are significant differences as well. You notice specifically in chapter 5, at verse 3, because of this, he is required, this is the Levitical priest, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins. Now that's obviously a point of difference. Jesus didn't have to offer up sacrifice for himself, because he was holy, harmless, and undefiled.
He did not have sin. But so many of the things, with reference to the Levitical priesthood, correspond in the life and the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. And I want to look at four of those elements this evening, specifically with reference to the appointment of the Lord Christ to the office of priest. First, his appointment.
Secondly, his ministry. Thirdly, his obedience. And fourthly, his accomplishment in terms of his people. He saves them with an eternal salvation.
We ought not to miss such references as these. I think it puts to rest this whole debate as to whether or not a Christian can lose his or her salvation. Jesus didn't come to simply help us unto salvation, but we find in verse 9 that He became the author of eternal salvation. He paid it all, He secured us, and He will keep us unto the very end.
But more on that as we move through our exposition this evening.
Christ's Appointment as High Priest
Note first of all his appointment in verses 5 and 6, just like the Aaronic or the Levitical priesthood. Notice in verse 1, for every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God. And then dropping down in verse 4, and no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was. The same thing is true with our Lord Jesus Christ.
It wasn't self-appointment, it wasn't self-installation, but rather it was orchestrated by the Father for the good of His people. There are two specific elements highlighted with reference to His appointment.
His Glory: Father's Appointment
First, His glory. Notice in verse 5, so also Christ did not glorify himself to become high priest, but it was he who said to him, you are my son, today I have begotten you. It was God the Father who called him into service. Theologians refer to what's called the Covenant of Redemption, something that took place in eternity past, where the Father gave to the Son a certain amount of sinners, and the Son covenanted and transacted to save those people from their particular sins.
And so Christ was appointed by the Father. He did not glorify himself to become High Priest. The implication is clearly, the Father glorified him to be High Priest. The Father conveyed upon him this honor.
The Father gave him title and privilege to this particular office. He says, you are my son. Today I have begotten you.
His Office: King and Priest
And then notice it refers to his office. In verse 5, this allusion, or this quotation rather, from Psalm 2, I think highlights the office of Christ as King. This is what's in view in Psalm 2. But in Psalm 110, which is quoted in verse 6, this is His office as priest.
As He also says in another place, you are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. And so what we have in the person of our Lord Jesus is both King and priest. I love the way that A. W.
Pate describes it. He says that Christ is a priest with royal authority. Christ is a priest with royal authority, and he says he is a king with priestly tenderness. Everything that we need is in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He possesses this threefold office. Prophet is not mentioned here specifically, but priest and king are. We need Christ as King to rule over us, to defend us, to govern us, to command us, to protect us, to subdue our enemies, and to further His kingdom. We need that aspect of Christ.
We also need His priesthood. We need His sacrifice. There is no eternal life apart from the sacrificial work of our Lord Jesus. But we also need His intercession.
The Necessity of Christ's Priesthood
This is what the Apostle goes on in chapter 7 to say. It is something highlighted in chapter 8 of the book of Romans that he never lives to make intercession for his people. That's a blessed thought, brethren, that we need to take to heart. There may be people at times that don't always pray for us, but we have a Savior, we have an Advocate with the Father who always lives to make intercession for His people.
We identify with Christ in that priestly office in the most blessed and special way. Again, as King, as Prophet, but what is held forth to us in our consideration in this book of Hebrews primarily is the reality that He is our priest. So that's his appointment. He didn't glorify himself to become high priest.
Isn't that beautiful? Christ demonstrates what it is to put the father first and others before himself. Isn't this the flow and the thought and the mindset that we find in Philippians chapter 2? The Apostle Paul tells us that we are to let nothing be done, verse 3, Philippians 2, through selfish ambition or conceit.
But in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Pastor Kim announced this morning another engaged couple. We currently have two engaged couples.
This is very peculiarly fitted for engaged couples, but as well it's very peculiarly fitted for married couples. Can you imagine if we actually put Philippians 2, 3, and 4 into practice? Could you imagine what our homes would look like if husbands lived this way with their wives and wives lived this way toward their husbands? Imagine if parents functioned this way toward their children.
And imagine if children functioned this way toward their parents. Imagine if in the context and the life of the ministry of the local church, we actually pursued this particular example. We ought to do what Paul says, and he says very specifically, let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit. You see, that speaks specifically to every single one of us.
If you're the one here that this doesn't apply to, then may I applaud you. Because the rest of us slobs all struggle with selfish ambition and conceit. We all struggle with wanting to be first, with wanting people to serve us. The ethic of the kingdom is not the ethic of man apart from the kingdom.
Jesus says, if you want to be great in the kingdom, you need to be least. If you want to be first in the kingdom, you need to be last. You see, with reference to the kingdom of man, we like to be at the top of the pyramid and have everybody below us serving us. Pastor Albert N.
Martin says, the ethic of the kingdom is this, you take that pyramid, you turn it upside down, and the man that's at the bottom, serving everybody that's above him, is the one that's great in the kingdom of heaven. So you see the ethic imbibed in this passage. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
And then he highlights this reality in verse 5. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross." So the next time somebody says, you need to live the way Paul says in Philippians 2, 3 and 4, do not answer, but you don't know the person that I'm dealing with. You don't know what my spouse is like.
You don't know what my church is like. You don't know how hard my relationships are. Do you see what Jesus does? Do you see that the Son of God God in the flesh comes down into this world as a man of sorrows and one acquainted with grief and he never puts himself first.
The same thing is true with reference to his installation or appointment with reference to the priestly ministry. So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him, You are my Son, today I have begotten You. The Father ordained the Son for the execution of the priestly ministry in order to save His people from their sins.
Christ's Ministry in the Days of His Flesh
Notice, secondly, back at verse 7 in Hebrews 5, His ministry. who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with vehement cries and tears to him, who was able to save him from death and was heard because of his godly fear." There's a few things highlighted in this particular verse. First is incarnation. The days of his flesh refers to that reality when the second person of the Blessed Trinity took to himself man, took to himself human nature, was born of a woman, was born under the law so that he might redeem those who were under the law. Do you realize what took place in Bethlehem on that day?
Do you realize that the Eternal Son of God Most High came into this world not to be praised and worshipped and adored and celebrated, but he came ultimately to be mocked to be scoffed at, to be rejected, and to be crucified. Who in the days of his flesh, the incarnation, the entirety of the state of humiliation." And then he says this, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with vehement cries and tears to him who was able to save him from death.
Gethsemane: Prayer and Agony
Most interpreters see in this a reference to Gethsemane. That time before Golgotha, before he goes to the cross, Christ goes to the Garden of Gethsemane. You may turn to Luke chapter 22. Luke chapter 22.
This is what the author is referring to. It is good for us to consider it. Luke 22 at verse 39. Coming out, he went to the Mount of Olives as he was accustomed, and his disciples also followed him.
When he came to the place, he said to them, pray that you may not enter into temptation. And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and he knelt down and prayed, saying, Father, if it is your will, take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done. Then an angel appeared to him from heaven, strengthening him.
And being in agony, he prayed more earnestly." You see why interpreters think. 5.7 is a reference to this particular scene. No doubt Christ prayed throughout His ministry. We've seen that in Matthew's Gospel. He likes to steal away to be by Himself so He can pray to His Father.
This is the one instance in Scripture where we see something of what goes on in the closet. I mean, if you were walking by the garden that night, you would hear a man who says he's exceedingly sorrowful, his soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death. And then you hear him crying out to the Father, if it is your will, take this cup away from me, nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done. The resignation involved. the realization that He is the covenant mediator, that He must do exactly what is specified.
He must drink that cup of God's wrath if the Father intends to give it to Him. And verse 43, or 44 rather, tells us, in being in agony, he prayed more earnestly than his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. When he rose up from prayer and had come to his disciples, he found them sleeping from sorrow. Then he said to them, why do you sleep?
Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation. You know, there's always the danger of treating gospel truth in a mundane or routine sort of a way. We need to come back to passages like these. Christ knew what was on the other side of Gethsemane.
Christ knew what was waiting for Him on the cross. Christ understood all too really what the wrath and fury of God against sin is all about. That's what provoked from Him the sweating of drops of blood. It wasn't the wrath of man.
It was the wrath of His Father. He's pleading with God. He's pleading with the Father to take this cup away from Him. It says, He prayed more earnestly than His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
So on the one hand, our salvation is absolutely free. Jesus paid it all. We don't contribute. We don't do, we don't merit, because we couldn't, if we understand the doctrine of depravity accurately.
But on the other hand, it cost Christ everything. It cost him his life, it cost him his reputation, it cost him everything, and he was pressed in the garden to the point where the blood flowed from his pores." This is what's going on in this passage.
The Second Death and Substitutionary Atonement
Listen to Philip Hughes with reference to Gethsemane. He says, "...the agony of Christ at Gethsemane was occasioned by something other and deeper than the fear of physical death. For what he faced was not simply a painful death, but also judgment, the judgment of a holy God against sin, our sin, which is the experience of the second death, the disintegrating experience of separation from God, hence the terrible cry of dereliction from the cross, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? For this reason the second death has no power over those who by faith are one with Him, as our sin-bearer endured the second death in our place.
You understand that? He exhausted the wrath of God in our place. It's the blessed doctrine of substitutionary atonement. He stood in our place.
It's not some general atonement. It's not some unlimited atonement made effectual by the faith and the good works of men. It is a particular atonement. It is a definite atonement.
It is a redemption that secures eternally all that the Father had given unto Him. Because Jesus stood in our place, Jesus suffered in our place, and He paid the penalty due our sins. He goes on to say, and for them the first death, which is the death of the body, holds no terror, because the bodily resurrection of Jesus is the guarantee that day two will rise to everlasting life. It's not true.
I hope you don't fear physical death. I mean, I'm sure we all fear the circumstances involved with physical death. Are we going to get a spike through our head? Are we going to get run over?
Are we going to die in our sleep? I mean, those are some unfortunate things to consider. The reality of death for the believer ought not to paralyze us with fear. That is the means by which we pass into the presence of the Lord God Almighty.
The dread with which he approached the cross is explained, as Calvin says, by the fact that in the death that awaited him, he saw the curse of God and the necessity to wrestle with the total sum of human guilt and with the very powers of darkness themselves. who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with vehement cries and tears to him, who was able to save him from death. and was heard because of his godly fear." It's a great summary statement of his life, and his ministry, and his humiliation on the part of his people.
Christ's Obedience Through Suffering
Notice thirdly, his obedience, verse 8. Though he was a son, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered. We need to make sure that we understand that Jesus here did not learn obedience as the second person of the blessed Trinity. Jesus Christ incarnate. the man Christ Jesus who came into this world willingly submitting himself to the law of his father, willingly carrying out the terms of the covenant, willingly executing obedience to the law and dying as a sacrifice in the stead of his people.
It is in that posture, it is as the son of David, it is as the son of man, it is as the Messiah. He is the one who learned obedience through suffering. And this is what our text holds forth to us. And you know that I have said this on many occasions, if he learned obedience by the things which he suffered, we ought to recognize and realize that is going to be the path that we must traverse as well.
We're not going to learn obedience by just kicking back. We're not going to just sit by the pool and learn how to obey God. It is in the midst of trial, it is in the midst of suffering, it is in the midst of difficulty, it is in the midst of pressure. Isn't it?
If you've been a Christian for any amount of time and you look back on the history of your Christianity, when did you grow the most? It was during trial. That's not an accident, brethren. It's not like, wow, we all just have the same experience.
It is designed by God that way. All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. All Christians will go through their trials and their difficulties and their hardships. If you think that this is not the case, then just wait, because it's going to be the case.
You see, our Savior set the pattern. Our Savior traversed it first. And the text is quite amazing. Though He was a Son, and Christ is a Son to the Father in a way that we are not.
Look at verse 5. You are my Son, today I have begotten you. How is Jesus referred to throughout Scripture? He is God's only begotten Son.
He is God's one and only Son. Some translations say he is God's unique son. And that's not a bad rendering. It's not a bad tradition.
That is not a bad approach. What it is doing is identifying the singly distinctive nature of the Lord Christ. Now, we are sons by adoption. We are sons by grace.
We are brought into this living union. And it's as if the author wants to indicate and highlight the uniqueness of this event Though he was a son, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered." What are the sufferings of Christ? It's good to rehearse that. We've seen Gethsemane, the Orthodox Catechism, Hercules Collins sums it up well.
What do you believe when you say he suffered? that He, all the time of His life, which He led on the earth, but especially at the end of it, sustained the wrath of God both in body and soul, against the sin of all mankind, that He might by His passion, as the only propitiatory sacrifice, deliver our body and soul from everlasting damnation, and purchase for us the favor of God, righteousness and eternal life. The Son suffered for us.
Christ's Accomplishment: Eternal Salvation
And that brings us finally to His accomplishment, His redemption, the execution successfully of His purpose. Verses 9 and 10. And having been perfected, or having been sanctified, He became the author of eternal salvation. He is the source.
He is the origin. You're here tonight, saved by grace, not because of you. In fact, you are here tonight saved by grace in spite of you. It is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, and He is the author of that eternal salvation.
It is He that fulfilled the law. It is He that died in your stead. It is He that secured your redemption. That's why, as I mentioned this morning, when we eat this bread and we drink this cup, it's not a reward for your well-doing this past week.
It's not good job on your various accomplishments. It's not eat this bread and drink this cup because you successfully read the Bible each and every day, and you didn't say any curse words, and you didn't say anything mean to your wife, and you didn't say anything bad at work. No. We are here to proclaim His death.
It is that by which we are secure in Him and we have everlasting life. He is the author, the source, the cause of man's salvation. And then note specifically, He is the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. And in the context, I think faith is the primary element.
If you look back at 3.19, So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Again in chapter 4, verse 2. But the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. Again in 4, 6.
Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience. He's using this terminology very specifically, and the idea here is faith that leads to following the Lord Christ. Calvin says, but by saying this, he recommends faith to us. For he becomes not ours, nor his blessings, except as far as we receive them, and him by faith.
So we see in the passage the Lord Christ in His appointment, in His ministry, in His obedience, and in His accomplishment on behalf of God's people. It is reiterated in verse 10, He's called by God as High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
Application
And just by way of two concluding thoughts. The first is I want to read a quote from John Gill, with reference to the author of Eternal Salvation. He says, the salvation Christ is the author of is eternal. Get that.
How many times in the book of Hebrews do we see that? Eternal redemption. Why is there a debate as to whether people can lose their salvation? Whence the debate?
The Bible tells us He secures eternal salvation. Why would anybody come along and say, well, you can lose your salvation? Not if you're saved. I saw a quote recently, a little blurb on the internet.
John MacArthur was attributed to John MacArthur. He said, if you could lose your salvation, you would lose your salvation. That's all there is to it. Right?
If you could, you would. But you can't because HE can't. Christ doesn't fail. Gil says the salvation Christ is the author of is eternal.
It was resolved upon from eternity and contrived in it. It was secured in the everlasting covenant, in which not only a Savior was provided, but blessings both of grace and glory. and it is to eternity, and stands distinguished from a temporal salvation, and is opposed to eternal damnation. It is the salvation of the soul, which is immortal, and it takes in both grace and glory, which are of a durable nature, and the continuance of it is owing to the abiding and lasting virtue of Christ's person, blood and righteousness, And Christ is the cause or author of this salvation by His obedience and sufferings. Praise God for eternal salvation.
And then the second thought, it's not a quote, just a reminder of what I read at the very beginning in verses 14 to 16. 14 to 16, in some respects, serves as a bit of encouragement, not a bit, a lot of encouragement for the people of God. From 5 to 10, it's as if that is amplified, it's expounded, it's detailed, and it's highlighted in terms of how this priesthood is enacted. But look at what the author says in verse 14, seeing then that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens. Jesus, the Son of God.
Okay? You see what he's doing? We have this high priest. He's passed through the heavens.
He is Jesus, the Son of God. Based on that reality, based on that knowledge, based on our brief discussion concerning Hebrews 5 this evening, here's some practical encouragement for the people of God with reference to the priestly office of our Lord Jesus Christ. What's the first thing that he says?
Hold Fast the Confession
Let us hold fast our confession. The end of verse 14. Because we have this High Priest enthroned at the right hand of God Most High. Read your Bibles.
Understand theology. Understand our confession of faith. Be in the house of God when preaching takes place. Be in the house of God when there's teaching.
Be in the house of God when we're expounding scripture, or we're teaching doctrine. Be in the house of God so that you can understand that truth, because it's absolutely crucial that you hold fast your confession. You see, in the context that Paul is writing to, people aren't holding fast their confession. People are letting go of their confession, and they're turning from Jesus, they're going back to the Levitical priesthood, they're picking up goats, they're picking up bulls, they're picking up pigeons, and they're walking back to that sacrificial system, and they're offering up sacrifices on altars of abomination.
Because once Christ has died, once for all, that has finished and completed the sacrificial system. So for these people, let us hold fast our confession meant to continue to run after Jesus Christ. In our context and in our situation, there's a lot of attacks on the Christian faith. It's not just false religion.
It's not just, you know, godless philosophy. There's atheism. There's secularism. There's a movement.
There's a drive. There's a prejudice towards those who actually believe in objective standards. There is a prejudice against those who actually believe that homosexuality is wrong. There is a prejudice against people that believe with the Bible that God made the world by the Word of His power in the space of six days and all very good.
There's a ridicule. There is all sorts of things targeting the Bible believer. And here's what the Scripture says, considering that you have this great high priest, hold fast your confession. And what is unfortunate at times is that we don't know that confession like we ought to know.
We need to know the Scripture. We need to know theology. We need to know the person and work of Christ. We need to know something about the Trinitarian God that we serve.
We certainly need to know something about justification by faith alone. We need to understand the place of good works in the Christian life, sanctification. This all follows after he makes this statement in 5.5-11 concerning the priesthood of Christ. What's his exhortation there?
Don't be stagnant. Don't be sluggards. Don't be dullards. Don't just drink milk, but eat meat.
You need to grow. You need to understand. The best protection against defection from the Christian life is to know the truth. Is that what Jesus taught?
Let's think about this recently. Sanctification, that's an important subject. That means to grow in Christian holiness. That means to grow in Christian development.
You know how many times people approach sanctification in a way that is not biblical? They say that sanctification is when you don't do this or when you do do this. Sanctification is when you don't go there and you do go there. Those might be fruits, those might be applications, those might be things that flow from the primary emphasis.
How does Jesus say that his people are sanctified in his high priestly prayer? Sanctify them by what? Truth. You want to grow in grace and in holiness?
Study this book. You want to grow in your ability to function like a Christian human being with other people? Then know this book. You want to be faithful to your children or faithful to your parents?
Then know this book. Sanctify them by thy truth. Thy word is truth. The idea seems to be that as the word of God finds its way into our minds and in our hearts, then we actually do what it says.
I know it seems odd, but that's the way God's designed it. We ingest it, and then we live according to it. We can't live according to it if we don't know it. You see?
Because you hang apple trees on an orange tree doesn't mean it's an apple tree. It's still an orange tree, just fastened apples to it. You may learn some morality by not going here or by going there, by not doing this or by doing that, but genuine Christian growth comes as a result of having taken in God's Word and then by the Spirit's power being conformed unto it. Let us hold fast our confession.
Come Boldly to the Throne of Grace
Notice he gives as an encouragement, verse 15, for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are yet without sin. Now notice more of what we ought to consider. Let us therefore come boldly. to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." You see what an understanding of the high priestly office of Jesus Christ will produce in the Christian life according to the Apostle. You'll hold fast the truth of God's Word, and you'll go to the throne of grace.
Isn't that beautiful? Isn't that blessed? Isn't that what it's all about? Prayer, Bible reading?
We know who Christ is, we understand what the Savior says, and we come to Him. We pray to him, we unburden our hearts at the throne of grace. And it says that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. When is that time of need?
That time of need is from the moment we wake up in the morning until we lay our heads back down at night. And then we trust with the Psalter that God protects us even while we're sleeping. So those are some practical implications of the high priestly office of our Lord Jesus Christ. Praise God for eternal salvation.
And praise God for our blessed Redeemer. And in light of the reality that He's passed into the heavens, hold fast the confession. Be a man, a woman, a boy, a girl of prayer. Be at the throne of grace.
Closing Prayer
Well, let us pray. Our Father, we thank You for Your Word and we thank You for this ministry of our Lord Jesus. And we praise You that He ever lives to make intercession for us. We praise You that He is our great High Priest, that He has accomplished what we could not.
We thank you for his obedience to the law. We thank you for his death and his resurrection that has provided for us eternal life. God, encourage us with these thoughts and cause us to be a people that hold fast this confession. Help us to be a people who come boldly to the throne of grace.
What a blessed religion, what a blessed system, where God commands us to come with boldness to the throne, to seek help in our time of need. Thank you, Father, for your love for us. Thank you, Father, for providing to us the Lord Jesus. And God, help us to always live in light of these truths.
And we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen.