The Intercession of Christ

Transcription

1 WPCC LED 1 Ps 110 & Hebrews 7 The Intercession of Christ A few years ago, a woman came for counsel with tears in her eyes. She confessed that she lived in constant dread and fear of losing her salvation and failing to make it into heaven. Her thoughts robbed her of peace, and filled her life with anxiety and distress. Although she was a sincere believer, she suffered with insecurity that stole the joy of Christian living because she did not feel secure in her salvation. Sadly, she is not alone. Millions suffer with insecurity. How secure are you in your salvation? How secure does God intend us to be? Do you suffer from doubt and fear that after sincerely believing in Christ you may face God s judgment and ultimately end up separated from God? The testimony of God s Word is clear that a believer may have the assurance of his salvation and may rest in the security which God provides. In His incarnation Jesus redeemed as our Savior. In His exaltation Jesus intercedes as our High Priest. Christ brought us into salvation through His finished work on the Cross, but Christ keeps us in salvation through His continuing work on the Throne. Jesus ascension and intercession at the right hand of God keeps us saved. The believer s eternal security is based, in part, upon Christ s High Priestly ministry for us at God s right hand where Jesus has become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 7) I. JESUS FORESHADOWED AS THE HIGH PRIEST-KING Melchizedek is a mystery figure mentioned only twice in the whole OT. Genesis 14:18 and Psalm 110:4. We first meet him in Genesis 14:18-20 after Abraham and 318 of his men successfully attack and defeat, by the power of God, the kings of the East who captured Lot and his family as prisoners. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said, Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand. And he gave him a tenth of all. (NASB) When we read this we naturally wonder, Who is this Melchizedek? Where did He come from? Why is this incident recorded here? He shows up out of nowhere. He is there and then he is gone. We have no mention of his lineage and no idea about who he is. He is a mystery figure because he is a Priest of God Most High and his name means king of righteousness. He is living in Salem (Shalom) as king of peace later known as Jerusalem). He is, then, the Priest-King of Jerusalem in 2050 BC. Archaeology is silent about anyone who could match this description! The mystery

2 WPCC LED 2 Ps 110 & Hebrews 7 deepens when Melchizedek (as the greater) blesses Abraham and Abraham pays him a 10 th (a tithe) of the spoils taken in battle! Melchizedek is someone greater than Abraham, the man of faith and God s chosen one. Some have suggested he was the pre-incarnate Christ. The Bible Knowledge Commentary says: Melchizedek is the only person whom Abram recognized as his spiritual superior. Abram accepted blessing from him (v. 19), and Abram paid him a 10th (a tithe) of all he had (v. 20). Abram did this deliberately, in full awareness of what he was doing. It shows how unthreatened and humble Abram was, even after a victory. He recognized that God s revelation was not limited to him. While the reader s attention is focused on Abram carrying the whole spiritual hope of the world, there emerged out of an obscure Canaanite valley a man nearer to God than Abram was, who blessed Abram. That valley was the Valley of Shaveh (v. 17), possibly the Kidron Valley near Jerusalem (cf. 2 Sam.18:18). 1 Melchizedek is never mentioned again in the Bible until David writes Ps 110, over 1000 years later! David is allowed to overhear a divine decree or oath which God the Father is promising to God the Son. Psalm 110:4 The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. II. JESUS INSTALLATION AS HIGH PRIEST The idea that the Messiah will be prophet, priest and King all in one person comes directly from the OT not just the NT. It was all predicted in advance! The NT book of Hebrews explains the mystery hidden for over 2000 years! In Jesus Ascension the two divine decrees of Ps 110 are fulfilled. The first divine decree is the invitation to be seated on the Throne of God! Because Jesus has completed the work of redemption, God invites Jesus to sit at His right hand on the throne, the supreme place of honor and authority in the whole universe! In the second decree of Psalm 110, God installs Jesus as High Priest forever. In Ps. 110:4 Yahweh bestows the Melchizedekian priesthood upon Jesus Christ. At Christ s ascension the psalm was fulfilled, and He was formally designated as High Priest (Hebrews 5:10). At his ascension Jesus was designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. Not until Hebrews 7 do we find this mystery explained. The author of Hebrews teaches us about Christ. If Melchizedek is not the Pre-incarnate Christ, God included him in the Bible as a type or picture of the coming Christ. Jesus himself said the OT pointed to Him! 1Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.

3 WPCC LED 3 Ps 110 & Hebrews 7 Luke 24:44 Now He said to them, These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. A. Melchizedek is a type of Christ in six ways: 1-10 Like Melchizedek-- -Christ is the priest of God most High -Christ holds his priesthood forever -Christ is without beginning or end -Christ is king of righteousness and King of peace -Christ is greater than Abraham -Christ is greater than Aaron and his priesthood The fact that in Ps 110 God decrees a new order of priesthood will arise proves that the old Aaronic order is set aside and with it, the Mosaic Law (7:12, 18-19). B. Christ s Priesthood is superior to Aaron s Because: 1. Christ s priesthood brings perfection whereas Aaron s Priesthood could and did not Christ obtains his priesthood on the basis of an indestructible life, not because of physical descent Christ obtains his priesthood with a Divine oath from God whereas Aaron did not have an oath Christ holds his priesthood permanently whereas Aaron and his sons died and were replaced Therefore we who believe in Christ have a better priest. There is room for only ONE High priest in Christ s church and He is the Lord Jesus Christ. We approach God through that Priest and no other. This is why we don t call the pastor a priest. Christ has brought in a better hope through which we draw near to God (Heb 7:19). As pastor, I am not the mediator of the grace of God, Christ is! I do not forgive your sin, Christ does! I do not hear your confession, Christ does! While the Bible teaches that every believer is a believer-priest who is welcome in God s sanctuary, it also teaches that only Christ is our Great high priest who makes us acceptable in the Presence of God! The application of this truth is found in Hebrews 7:25. Since Jesus Christ, by his resurrection from the dead and ascension to God s right hand, has been appointed our high priest, and because he abides forever and holds that office permanently he can do for us what no one else could ever do! He is able to save us completely, absolutely and forever! He is able to secure us in our salvation because he always lives to make intercession for us.

4 WPCC LED 4 Ps 110 & Hebrews 7 III. JESUS INTERCESSION AS HIGH PRIEST Hebrews 7:25 Hence, also, He is able to save forever (COMPLETELY) those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. To Intercede means to appeal to someone, to petition someone, or to approach someone, and thus to pray. For what and how does Jesus intercede? Jesus prays for us now as He did for his disciples during his earthly life in the High Priestly prayer of John chapter He prays that his own be kept from the evil one (John 17:15). 2. He prays for us as he prayed for Peter, that in our testing, our faith not fail (Luke 22:31-32). 3. He fulfills the prophecy of the servant in Isaiah 53 that predicted that the Messiah would intercede for transgressors (interpose on behalf of sinners). Jesus appeals to God on our behalf. He pleads for us before the Father s throne; but not as someone crying and pleading before a reluctant God. Instead, as F.F. Bruce comments, Jesus intercedes as an enthroned, Priest-King, asking what He will from a Father who always hears and grants His request. Our Lord s life in heaven is His prayer (H.B. Swete, The Ascended Christ) His once-completed, self-offering is utterly acceptable and efficacious; His contact with the Father is immediate and unbroken; His priestly ministry on his people s behalf is never ending, therefore the salvation he secures to them is absolute. (Bruce p. 155) The intercession of our ascended Priest guarantees our salvation. Paul raises the question of who might condemn us or bring a charge against us so that our salvation might be lost? 1. It can t be God because He is the One who justifies. 2. It can t be Christ because He died for his elect and was raised and now intercedes on our behalf at God s right hand! Romans 8:33-34 Who will bring a charge against God s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. We who have truly trusted in Christ can rest securely in our salvation. The same Christ who brought us into salvation through His finished work on the Cross, keeps us in salvation through His continuing work for us on the Throne. While the believer may rest securely in Christ, that does not mean he can be careless. God keeps His own and He keeps them persevering in faith and moving toward sanctification. How important to make your calling and election sure by the life that you lead!

5 WPCC LED 5 Ps 110 & Hebrews 7 Security in Christ belongs to believers not merely those who profess, but who truly possess a saving relationship with God. The one who uses Christian security as a license to sin most likely is only deceiving himself and is no Christian at all! While a person is saved by faith alone, saving faith is never alone. Faith is not a mere spiritual transaction like buying insurance at the checkout for your appliance or computer. You buy it just in case the appliance dies. Salvation is not like buying paid up life insurance so that when you die, Jesus has your back! Biblical faith is ongoing. It begins at a point in your life and from then on never stops. When you first believe in Christ at that moment you are born spiritually-- and God gives you new life. That is why the Bible calls it being born again. Once you are alive you start to grow. You change. You mature. In that sense it is a living and abiding faith. You can t believe in Christ at some point in your childhood and then stop believing and reject it all- and still be saved. Saving faith continues to believe; and because it is alive it produces the fruit of righteousness. Ultimately our salvation, from start to finish, depends upon the Lord. He the initiator and He even gives us the grace to respond to His love in faith. As Jonah exclaimed, Salvation is of the Lord!