Once for All

Imagine for a moment that you are enveloped in a thick fog. Even if you can't remember them, you will have seen them on old films. In the first Sherlock Holmes story, A study in scarlet, Arthur Conan Doyle described such an occasion. 'It was a foggy, cloudy morning, and a dun-coloured veil hung over the house-tops, looking like the reflection of the mud-coloured streets beneath.' You breathe in the foul noxious air. You cough and splutter. You try and see your way. Imagine for a moment that you are standing at a crossroads and shadowy figures emerge from the fog. Their footsteps are muffled and you barely hear them coming. As they approach you, they glance in your direction, pass you by and are swallowed up by the fog and then disappear from view. You see them only briefly. Then they are gone. Never to be seen again.

In the book of Hebrews the person who emerges from the fog is the mysterious figure of Melchizedek. We see him briefly and then he is gone. He passes in front of us, soon disappears and we see him no more. In the book of Hebrews there is another figure who, though he shared the humanity of Melchizedek, was also divine. Like us in every way, yet without sin. This eternal priest and king - though removed from our sight - is now praying for us in heaven.

In his commentary on Hebrews, John Calvin said that: 'It is useless for [us] to look for God in his majesty, because it is too remote and far from [us]: but Christ stretches out his hand to lead us to heaven.'

Our response to Christ is to grasp his outstretched hand as he leads us to heaven. Of course we need to hear his voice and respond to his invitation, but we also have to take his hand, and to hold on to it throughout our lives. A friend of mine used to end his letters with the words – 'in his grip'. Now that isn't as eloquent as Calvin - but it makes the same point! In Christ we are eternally secure, held in his firm grasp, until we stand at the gate of heaven.

My task today is to open up a not very easy chapter in the book of Hebrews and to point you to Jesus, and to invite you to 'consider him ... so that you will not grow weary and lose heart' (12v3).

1. A pattern priesthood

I want us to 'consider Jesus' through the prism of Melchizedek. But who was he? What do we know about him? How does he relate to our faith? Melchizedek is a mysterious figure who emerges from the shadows. In the Bible he's only mentioned in Genesis, Psalms and Hebrews. And obscure though he is, Melchizedek points us to Christ. I wonder if you have come here today and are looking for clear direction for your life? You may have lost your way? You may have stumbled and fallen? You may be confused by the godless society in which we live? If that is you, then look no further than Hebrews 7. For the obscure figure of Melchizedek points us to the Christ who 'is able to save completely those who come to God through him' (v24).

Genesis 14 is summarised and then explained in the first ten verses of Hebrews 7. The gist of the story is simple. Abraham rescued his wayward nephew Lot. Abraham pursued Lot's abductors and recovered him, his extended family and their possessions. And then without any warning Melchizedek turned up. No explanation about him is given. He simply appeared, gave Abraham bread and wine and blessed him. In response Abraham gave him a tenth of all that had been plundered.

The writer to the Hebrews then explained this rather strange encounter. It is unusual in scripture not to be told anything about someone's background. But we are told nothing about Melchizedek. Nothing about his family tree. Nothing about his birth and nothing about his death. So what are we told? That he was a priest and a king. The name Melchizedek means the 'king of righteousness' and we also learn that he was the 'king of Salem' - that is the king of Jerusalem – and Jerusalem means 'peace'.

So here we have one who is the king of righteousness and the king of peace; and one who as a priest blessed Abraham and brought food to sustain him. And yet given his status, this priest and king had no human lineage, no family tree. So who was he? Over the centuries, some Christians have regarded Melchizedek as an OT appearance of Christ. That may be one explanation, but it's probably better to regard him as being a type of Christ. In other words, a figure who anticipated Jesus and who, from his titles and origin, points us to him. So, like John the Baptist, Melchizedek is a signpost pointing us to Christ.

I want to move on from Genesis 14 to Psalm 110 (the most frequently quoted Psalm in the NT). The Psalm begins: 'The LORD says to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand ... you are a priest for ever in the order of Melchizedek”' (Psalm 110v1, v4). The LORD (that is Yahweh – in our English versions of the Bible his name is printed in capital letters) – 'The LORD says to my Lord'. Here the LORD is speaking not to king David (the author of the Psalm) but he is anticipating the one who was to come – that is the Lord Jesus Christ; the one who was to be a priest and king after the order of Melchizedek.

I know it’s complicated, but do you see what's being said? The incident in Genesis is picked up centuries later by king David, who anticipated the One who was to come; and later still the NT writers applied it to Jesus. So if we ask, 'Who is Jesus?' The answer is that he is a priest and king after the order of Melchizedek.

Behind all of this is what we believe to be the inspiration of scripture. We believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, and here the Holy Spirit took a rather obscure incident in Genesis 14, then extended and applied it in Psalm 110, and then developed it still further in the book of Hebrews. So do you see the connection and follow the train of thought? That here in the OT we are being directed to Jesus. In Hebrews the writer portrays Jesus as 'our great Melchizedek' (H. C. G. Moule).

2. An imperfect priesthood

I want us to 'consider Jesus' through the prism of priesthood. We've all got some idea about priesthood in the Bible. But it’s hard to make much sense of it today. Unlike Roman Catholics and Anglo-Catholics, Evangelicals don't speak much about 'priests'. Pastors yes, but not priests! But for those whose doctrine of the church is more sacramental, the office of a priest is an essential part of the church for a priest offers a sacrifice. They refer to priests (rather than to pastors); to the altar (rather than to a table) and to vestments (rather than to robes). For them a priest is a distinct order of ministry. But for us we believe in the priesthood of all believers – but not in a special order of sacrificial priests.

In the OT, the priests traced their family tree back to Moses' brother Aaron, and to the tribe of Levi. First, in the tabernacle in the wilderness and then in the temple in Jerusalem – both were served by a succession of priests. For them it was a family affair. For them it was a job they did for life. For them, they offered daily sacrifices. But before they could offer sacrifices on behalf of other people, they had to offer a sacrifice for their own sins. Day by day, week in week out, year by year there was an endless routine of sacrificial worship. The sins of the priests and people were covered by the blood of animals. There was also a senior priest (the high priest) who not only had distinctive vestments, but also had special duties. Once a year he alone entered the inner sanctuary of the temple. And although he led the worship of the nation, he (like his fellow priests) was (and remained) a sinner. So then do you see what priesthood was all about? A succession of priests who were responsible for offering daily sacrifices. Though they were separated from the people by their temple duties, they were at heart no different from anyone else and they still needed to be cleansed from sin – their own sin!

That is the backdrop to what we find in the book of Hebrews where the writer contrasts the OT and the NT. He looked back to what had once been, and made it clear that what had come was altogether better. The new was superior to the old. The new replaced the old. The old priesthood was temporary and mortal; the new (in the person of Jesus) was perfect and eternal. What had once been could never atone for sin; but what had taken place on the cross was complete in itself, and had superseded all that had gone before.

In Hebrews 7v4-10 it takes us back to Abraham (the father of the nation) and of his descendants the Levites. And while the priests traced their family tree back to the tribe of Levi, Jesus traced his lineage back through David to the tribe of Judah. Jesus was not from the priestly line of Levi, but he was more like Melchizedek - a priestly-king, a king of righteousness, a king of peace.

Why did the writer of Hebrews emphasise this point? First of all, because it was true; and second because he wanted to make sure that his readers didn't return to the old days. They had come from a Jewish background and were now Christian believers. Then they had sought cleansing through the temple ritual: now they had been forgiven and cleansed by Jesus. Why then should anyone in their right mind go back to where they had once been - when they could remain in Christ and enjoy all the benefits that he had won for them on the cross?

So what then of the Jews today? Since AD 70 they have had no temple, no priests and no sacrifices have been offered in Jerusalem. They may have the OT scriptures, but they do not recognise the coming of the One who is at the heart of the OT - the One who alone can fully cleanse them from their sins. Today in Jerusalem the Jews worship at the Western wall – the base of the huge platform upon which the temple once stood. Underground, and alongside the wall are the Western Tunnels – they are hot and sweaty and claustrophobic. And at one point in the cramped tunnel a group of Jews gather to pray at the nearest point to where the temple would have been many metres above them. They read and pray and long for the Messiah to come. And the good news for them is that the Messiah has come, that the old temple ritual has been superseded, for Jesus has died for their sins.

And what can we learn from all of this? First of all, that we need to pray for the conversion of the Jews, that they might come to a living faith and to recognise Jesus as their longed-for Messiah. Second, it is a message for each one of us. It is the constant reminder that 'religion' cannot save us. Going through the motions of belief - trying to follow a code rather than a Saviour - thinking that we are saved by doing good and being nice people - rather than admitting that we are sinners who need a saviour to cleanse us from sin and to bring us to God. For you is religion more important than God?

3. An eternal priesthood

In Hebrews, the writer looked back to what had once been, and examined it in the light of what had happened with the coming of Jesus. Following the single sacrifice of Christ on the cross, there was no further need to repeat the temple sacrifices. Jesus had replaced and fulfilled all that had once been. In Hebrews 7 we learn four things about Jesus:

First, his priesthood is eternal. The last verse of Hebrews 6 says it all: '[Jesus] has become a high priest for ever, in the order of Melchizedek' (6.20b). In other words his priesthood is both permanent and eternal. That point is further developed in chapter 7. Previously there had been many priests. And 'death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives for ever, he has a permanent priesthood' (vv.23-24). In other words, they died, but he lives! Their work is over, his continues! Theirs was temporary, his is permanent. Their work was earthly, his is heavenly. In all of this, remember that - 'Christ stretches out his hand to lead us to heaven'.

Second, he meets our every need. v.26 - 'He meets our need, one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.' Human high priests were far from perfect because they were sinners like you and me! But our saviour is holy and pure. Like us in every way, 'yet he was without sin' (4v15). Only a sinless saviour can save us from our sins. Only one who is pure and blameless can be our redeemer. Only one who has died in our place can bring us to God. Jesus meets our every need. If we believe that to be true then in Peter's words, we should 'cast our anxieties on him because he cares for us' (1 Pt 5v7). Do you believe that to be true? If you do, then remember too that 'Christ stretches out his hand to lead us to heaven'.

Third, he died once and for all. v.27. 'Unlike the other high priests Jesus does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once and for all when he offered himself.' That Christ died once and for all is made clear in the communion service in the Book of Common Prayer. There it says, that Jesus suffered 'death upon the cross for our redemption; who made there (by his one oblation of himself once offered) a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction, for the sins of the whole world'. Such a Saviour, we believe, 'stretches out his hand to lead us to heaven'.

Fourth, he continues to pray for us now! v.25. 'He is able to save completely those who have come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.' That is at the heart of the good news of the gospel. First, that Jesus 'is able to save completely those who have come to God through him'.

No need for further sacrifices. No need to have a human priesthood. No salvation by works. How then do we come to God? Through Christ alone.

Second, that Jesus 'always lives to intercede' for us. As high priest his work on earth is over; but as high priest his work in heaven continues. But not as a suppliant pleading before the Father, but as one who is seated at the Father's side. Jesus, the exalted one is praying for us all. His life in heaven is a life of prayer. Praying for you and for me. Here, we can so easily go astray, and backslide and like the recipients of this letter be tempted to return to the past, but why do this when 'Christ stretches out his hand to lead us to heaven'.

We have come a long way this morning from the mysterious figure of the priest-king Melchizedek – through the OT sacrificial system – to the priest-king Jesus! But the message of Hebrews 7 is perfectly clear: that we have a Saviour who has died once and for all! We have a Saviour who takes us by the hand and leads us to heaven. In Jesmond Parish Church the gallery text (from the AV) summarises what I have been trying to say this morning – 'having an high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith' (Heb 10v21-22). Draw near and hold on, as he leads you onwards and upwards to heaven!