Hebrews 4-6 - Jesus Our Great High Priest

The Believer’s Rest

Heb 4:1-2 LSB - [1] Therefore, let us fear, lest, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have fallen short of it. [2] For indeed we have had good news proclaimed to us, just as they also; but the word that was heard did not profit those who were not united with faith among those who heard.

Heb 4:6-7 LSB - [6] Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news proclaimed to them failed to enter because of disobedience, [7] He again determines a certain day, "TODAY," saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS."

Psa 95:7-8 LSB - [7] For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you hear His voice, [8] Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, As in the day of Massah in the wilderness,

Heb 4:9 LSB - [9] So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.

Heb 4:12 LSB - [12] For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Jesus Our Great High Priest

Heb 4:14-16 LSB - [14] Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us take hold of our confession. [15] For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things like [we are, yet] without sin. [16] Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Christ's Compassion to the Weak

Author: Isaac Watts

With joy we me­di­tate the grace

Of our high priest above:

His heart is made of ten­der­ness,

His bow­els melt with love.

Touched with a sym­pa­thy with­in,

He knows our fee­ble frame;

He knows what sore temp­ta­tions mean,

For He has felt the same.

But spot­less, in­no­cent, and pure,

The great Re­deem­er stood,

While Sa­tan’s fie­ry darts He bore,

And did re­sist to blood.

He in the days of fee­ble flesh

Poured out His cries and tears,

And in His mea­sure feels afresh

What ev­ery mem­ber bears.

He’ll nev­er quench the smok­ing flax,

But raise it to a flame;

The bruis­èd reed He nev­er breaks,

Nor scorns the mean­est name.

Then let our hum­ble faith ad­dress

His mer­cy and His pow­er;

We shall ob­tain de­liv­er­ing grace

In the dis­tress­ing hour.

Heb 5:5-6 LSB - [5] In this way also Christ did not glorify Himself to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, "YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU"; [6] just as He says also in another [passage], "YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK."

Heb 5:7 LSB - [7] He, in the days of His flesh, offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.

Heb 5:8-10 LSB - [8] Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. [9] And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, [10] being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

Warning Against Falling Away

Heb 6:4-6 LSB - 

[4] For in the case of those once having been enlightened and having tasted of the heavenly gift and having become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 

[5] and having tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 

[6] and having fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.

Psa 51:10 LSB - [10] Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Heb 12:17 LSB - [17] For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.

2Ti 2:25 LSB - [25] with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may give them repentance leading to the full knowledge of the truth,

 

The Inheritance of the Promises

Heb 6:13-14 LSB - [13] For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, [14] saying, "I WILL GREATLY BLESS YOU AND I WILL GREATLY MULTIPLY YOU."

Gen 22:16-17 LSB - [16] and said, "By Myself I have sworn, declares Yahweh, because you have done this thing and have not spared your son, your only one, [17] indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies.

Heb 6:19-20 LSB - [19] This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a [hope] both sure and confirmed and one which enters within the veil, [20] where a forerunner has entered for us--Jesus, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.