Class Lesson October 13, 2024

 Jesus is Better - Hebrews Week 9

Last week, Hebrews 7 was certainly a difficult passage to unpack, but the writer of Hebrews establishes through the example of Melchizedek that Jesus’ priesthood is of a better order. His priesthood is of a different type. Therefore, we can trust the covenant He ministers through is of a different type as well.

Hebrews 8 teaches that because of the cross, Jesus institutes a “New Covenant.” This week we will compare how much better the New Covenant is, as well as the significance it holds for believers today.

The Point: A better priest gives a better covenant.

 

Hebrews 8:1-13

Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. 5 They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” 6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.

7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.

8 For he finds fault with them when he says:

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord,

when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel

and with the house of Judah,

9 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers

on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.

For they did not continue in my covenant,

and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.

10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel

after those days, declares the Lord:

I will put my laws into their minds,

and write them on their hearts,

and I will be their God,

and they shall be my people.

11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor

and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’

for they shall all know me,

from the least of them to the greatest.

12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,

and I will remember their sins no more.”

13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Heb 8:1-13.

  

Study Notes

WEEK 9 NOTES: Hebrews 8:1-13

The writer of Hebrews has made a compelling argument over the first seven chapters. He has used Old Testament Scripture and has saturated his points with other Biblical references, all to make the point that Jesus is better. Hebrews 8 makes a claim built upon the last few chapters. So, it’s important to reflect and remember (at least some of) the points our writer has made. Jesus is better than Moses, meaning He offers a better deliverance. Jesus offers a better rest, meaning we’ll find a better rest for our souls than the Israelites ever found in the Promised Land. Jesus is the Great High Priest, meaning the sacrifice He offers gives us full atonement for sins and access to God. Jesus also comes from the line of Melchizedek, which proves Jesus is an eternal priest for us.

All these truths build up and lead to what we’ll discuss today: Jesus establishes a better covenant. A covenant is like a promise in which two or more parties commit to perform certain actions. Biblically speaking, it’s important to note that God is always faithful to His covenant promises. Today, many people balk at covenants or agreements, however, when God establishes a covenant, He keeps His end of the agreement. The word testament is also another word for covenant. Covenants are important Biblical concepts, so important that the format of the Bible is even broken into the Old Testament (Old Covenant) and New Testament (New Covenant). God made a covenant with Noah, Abraham, David, and the nation of Israel. But the writer of Hebrews reminds us God promised a New Covenant which would be fulfilled through His Son Jesus. What makes this New Covenant better?

 

A Better Covenant comes with a Heavenly Priest

Of all the High Priests of Israel, none were able to dwell in the presence of God. Think back to Hebrews 4. As the High Priest, Jesus did not just pass through the courtyard and behind the veil into the holy of holies. Hebrews 4 tells us Jesus passed through the heavens. He is now “seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven.” No other high priest ever sat down in the holy of holies because the sacrifice they offered was never enough. So, what gives Jesus the right to be seated? It’s all based on what Jesus offered. Jesus offered a better sacrifice because He offered Himself. Now, our Great High Priest is seated in heaven. A better covenant comes because we have a better Priest.

  

A Better Covenant comes with a Better Mediator

The High Priest was the middleman between God’s people and God Himself. The writer of Hebrews calls this role a “mediator.” A mediator is someone who jumps into the middle of a conflict with the goal of bringing about a resolution. Moses had this role, as well as the high priest who came after him. The writer of Hebrews claims that this new covenant is mediated better. How? First, Jesus is the only sinless mediator. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For our sake he made him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Jesus is also a better mediator because the sacrifice He made was once and for all. 1 John 2:1-2 teaches us that Jesus became the propitiation for us, which means, He appeased the wrath of God for us. That same passage also teaches that Jesus is serving as our advocate in heaven. This aligns with the better ministry Jesus has. He is still advocating for those He shed His blood for. Jesus is a better mediator and is the only One who can bring true resolution and peace between a sinful man and a holy God.

 

A Better Covenant Comes with Better Results

The writer of Hebrews quotes Jeremiah 31:31-34 in the last portion of our passage. The new covenant is also better because through the gospel our hearts are changed. Anyone who is changed by Christ receives a new heart that desires to be faithful to God. Does that mean we get it perfect each day? Of course not. But through Jesus, believers are now sealed with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit indwells believers, empowers us, and comforts us so we might obey God. Through the better covenant, our sins are also paid for in full and we can experience forgiveness through Jesus. All of this makes the old covenant obsolete. But let’s be clear, this does not mean we “unhitch” from the Old Testament. The New Covenant is the fulfillment of the Old Covenant.

 

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Do you think people take covenants seriously nowadays?

Where does this passage tell us that our Great High Priest, King Jesus, is?

What makes Jesus’ sacrifice so much better than the sacrifices made in the Old Testament?

What is a mediator? Why is Jesus a better mediator?

Read Jeremiah 31:31-34. What does God put into us and do for us?

What did the new covenant do to the old covenant?

END

Class Lesson October 6, 2024

 Jesus is Better - Hebrews Week 8

The Old points to the New.

Sacrificial system, priesthood, and laws of the Old Testament

all symbols/shadows of what Christ would do in the New Testament.

 

There was an Old Covenant and now there is a New Covenant.

It’s all about Jesus.

The Old Testament is full of foreshadowing of Jesus Christ. Is there a certain character or study in the Old Testament that you think shows us Jesus very clearly?

(Ex: David fighting Goliath is a foreshadowing of Christ fighting our great enemies. The serpent lifted up in Numbers so that people can be saved is a foreshadowing of Jesus being lifted up on the cross.)

 

The Point: A Better Priest

 

Hebrews 7:1-28

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 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. 3 He 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.

4 See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! 5 And those descendants of Levi who receive 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. 6 But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior.

8 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. 9 One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, 10 for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.

11 Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? 12 For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. 13 For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.

15 This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is witnessed of him, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” 18 For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness 19 (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

20 And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, 21 but this one 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.’” 22 This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. 23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever.

25 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. 26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. 28 For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Heb 7:1-28.

 

 

Study Notes

WEEK 8 NOTES: Hebrews 7:1-28

The author of Hebrews is desperately trying to show Christians just how great Jesus truly is. The author seems to believe that if Christians see just how beautiful Christ is then they’ll do absolutely everything they can to stay close to Him and avoid drifting away from Him.

In Hebrews 7, the author puts forward a “type” or an Old Testament foreshadowing of Christ to help people understand who Jesus is.

Let’s break this down just a bit. The Old Testament uses something called “typology” to foreshadow the coming of Christ. This literary tool makes use of “types” to preview the coming “anti-type.” In other words, the Old Testament uses certain characters and circumstances to foreshadow the coming Christ.

This is why Jesus was so critical of the Pharisees who studied the Old Testament but did not recognize Him as the Savior when He came to earth. These religious scholars had been studying the Old Testament scriptures looking at the various “types” of Christs to come. Yet, when Christ showed up, they did not recognize Him. Thus, Jesus said to them in John 5:39. “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,”

In Hebrews 7, the author references Melchizedek, from Genesis 14, who was the King of Salem and the High Priest of God, as a type of Christ. The question is, “What is God trying to teach us about Jesus by pointing us to Melchizedek?”

 

The answer will become obvious as we study Hebrews 7, but let’s make it clear here at the beginning. Jesus being the true and better Melchizedek means Christians have a better High Priest, a better Savior, than anything the sacrificial system could ever offer.

 

A High Priest from God

The first reason the author compares Christ to Melchizedek is to show Jesus came as a Priest sent from God. In the Old Testament sacrificial system the High Priest had to be from the tribe of Levi, a direct descendent of Aaron. If that is the case, Jesus isn’t qualified to be our High Priest. He came from the tribe of Judah. However, Melchizedek was a priest based on God calling him, even before Aaron was born. In tying Melchizedek to Jesus, the author is showing us Jesus is from an order of priests that finds its heritage not in Aaron, but in the commission of Heaven. We have a High Priest sent from Heaven.

 

A High Priest Greater than Aaron

The second reason the author compares Christ to Melchizedek is to show Christ came as a priest who was greater than Aaron. In Genesis 14, Abraham pays tithes to Melchizedek and in return Melchizedek blesses Abraham. The author of Hebrews points out that the greater person can give blessing to the lesser. The point is that Melchizedek was greater than Abraham was. This means the priesthood of Melchizedek is greater than the priesthood of Aaron which descended from Moses. In other words, if Jesus is from the Priesthood of Melchizedek, then Jesus is a greater priest than Aaron ever was. He can bless and forgive and love to a degree Aaron was never capable of. He can save and Aaron never could.

 

A High Priest Who Will Never Die

The third reason the author compares Christ to Melchizedek is to show that Christ came as a priest who will never die. Melchizedek is presented in scripture as a man who came out of nowhere, almost an eternal figure. We aren’t told of his beginning, and we aren’t told of his end. That points us to Jesus, the Son of God, who had no beginning and no end. For this reason, Jesus has a priesthood that never ends. This stands in stark contrast to the Aaronic Priesthood that was constantly changing due to the death of a priest. Jesus is a better priest because He is an eternal priest.

Melchizedek is a shadowy figure in scripture. The author of Hebrews brings him up to pull us out of the shadows of the Old Testament and into the substance of the New Testament. Melchizedek is mentioned in order that we might know we have a priest who is sent from God, who can save us, and He will never die. This priest has a name. His name is not Melchizedek, it is Jesus Christ.

 

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Why was it important for the early Christians, and for us, to know that in Christ we have a more superior priest than anything offered in the old covenant?

What qualities make Christ a more superior priest than anyone in the old covenant?

Think back on the Old Testament and give a few reasons why the Old Covenant priests were incapable of bringing salvation?

Why is it important we deal with even hard texts like this one to see a full picture of Jesus?

END

This cartoon came up Sunday morning and had to share...

Alright, quick review...

Hebrews 7:1-28

(Theological)

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 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. 3 He 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.

4 See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! 5 And those descendants of Levi who receive 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. 6 But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior.

8 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. 9 One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, 10 for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.

11 Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? 12 For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. 13 For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.

15 This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is witnessed of him, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” 18 For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness 19 (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

20 And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, 21 but this one 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.’” 22 This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. 23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever.

25 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. 26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. 28 For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Heb 7:1-28.

Conclusion