Therefore, since 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 One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 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.
v 14 - "The word "through" is the clue that opens up the truth here which shows that Messiah is better than Aaron. The latter as high priest in Israel, passed through the court of the tabernacle, through the Holy Place, into the Holy of Holies, which were all figures or types of realities. Messiah as High Priest of the New Testament passed through the heaven of the clouds, the heaven of the starts, into the heaven of heavens, the centralized abode of Deity. Since Messiah passed through the realities of which the tabernacle was only a type, and Aaron passed through the things that were the types, Messiah is better than Aaron. But there is another way in which Messiah is seen to be better than Aaron. The events that took place when Messiah passed through the heavens, show that He is infinitely better than Aaron. Aaron could never have performed such a feat. The reference here is to our Lord's Easter morning ascension from the resurrection tomb to heaven as High Priest having made atonement for sin at the Cross. In Israel, the atonement was not complete at the brazen altar. Not until the high priest had carried the atoning blood into the Holy of Holies, and had sprinkled it on the Mercy Seat, was the atonement complete. Likewise, our Lord's atonement was not complete at the Cross. Not until He had entered heaven as the High Priest having made atonement for sin, was His atonement complete. He, glorified High Priest, in His body of flesh and bones but no blood, had to present Himself at the Mercy Seat in Glory in His bloodless body, the evidence that sin had been paid for. The writer says of Him, "By His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us (9:12)." (Wuest)
v 14 - "The word "through" is the clue that opens up the truth here which shows that Messiah is better than Aaron. The latter as high priest in Israel, passed through the court of the tabernacle, through the Holy Place, into the Holy of Holies, which were all figures or types of realities. Messiah as High Priest of the New Testament passed through the heaven of the clouds, the heaven of the starts, into the heaven of heavens, the centralized abode of Deity. Since Messiah passed through the realities of which the tabernacle was only a type, and Aaron passed through the things that were the types, Messiah is better than Aaron. But there is another way in which Messiah is seen to be better than Aaron. The events that took place when Messiah passed through the heavens, show that He is infinitely better than Aaron. Aaron could never have performed such a feat. The reference here is to our Lord's Easter morning ascension from the resurrection tomb to heaven as High Priest having made atonement for sin at the Cross. In Israel, the atonement was not complete at the brazen altar. Not until the high priest had carried the atoning blood into the Holy of Holies, and had sprinkled it on the Mercy Seat, was the atonement complete. Likewise, our Lord's atonement was not complete at the Cross. Not until He had entered heaven as the High Priest having made atonement for sin, was His atonement complete. He, glorified High Priest, in His body of flesh and bones but no blood, had to present Himself at the Mercy Seat in Glory in His bloodless body, the evidence that sin had been paid for. The writer says of Him, "By His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us (9:12)." (Wuest)
"The idea that the crucified Messiah had risen to be Israel's high priest must have come as quite a shock, as this is the first time that fact is mentioned in all the Bible. Jesus Christ Himself told people to honor the man seated in Moses' seat of authority (Matthew 23:1-2). It bears repeating that, just as the book of Romans explains the cross to the body of Christ, Hebrews explains the cross to Israel." (McLean)
v 15 - has been tempted in all things as we are, yet with sin - "Not that Christ experienced every temptation man does, but rather that He was tempted in all areas in which man is tempted (the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, 1 John 2:16), and with particular temptation specially suited to Him. This testing was possible only because He took the likeness of sinful flesh (Rom. 8:3), for had there not been an incarnation, Jesus could not have been tempted (cf. James 1:13). Yet our Lord was distinct from all other men in that He was without sin; i.e., He possessed no sin nature as we do. Because He endured and successfully passed His tests, He can now offer us mercy and grace to help in time of need, for He knows what we are going through." (Ryrie)
v 16 - "His grace comes when we come in our time of need, and not until." (Ryrie)
"The people of Israel's situation always involved finding where God was and doing what He said when they got there, whether it be the mercy seat of Exodus 25:17-22 or by drawing nigh unto God in James 4:5-9. We learn from Paul's teaching for our dispensation that we have God's sufficient grace (Ephesians 4:7) without going anywhere. Since there has been so much bad preaching and teaching about this verse, most Christians believe that they go boldly to the throne of grace when they pray; but few things could be further from the truth for our dispensation. Having been accepted in the beloved (Ephesians 1:6) and being at peace with God (Romans 5:1), we would not need to go to God's throne to obtain the mercy we already possess. Not only that, when Paul prayed three times for removal of the thorn in his flesh, Paul learned that God's sufficient grace was already in place, without Paul's going to a throne and asking (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)." (McLean)
"The Christian does not wish for sympathy with the sin that is in him. He detests it — he desires it to be slain with the two-edged sword — to have no mercy shown to it. This is the purpose and action of the sword. But he does desire sympathy for his weakness and difficulties and temptations, and this sympathy he finds in all perfection in the Great High Priest who wields the sword. These Divine provision of the sword and the Priest encourage him to hold fast his confession in spite of the difficulties that beset his path. There is an ever-present danger of coming short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23), of the grace of God (Heb. 12:15), and of the rest of God (Heb. 4:1)." (Williams)
No comments:
Post a Comment