Av – Messiah is in a Better Position Than Aaron 4: 14-16

Messiah is in a Better Position Than Aaron
4: 14-16

Messiah is in a better position than Aaron DIG: What are some of the positive reasons the writer to the Hebrews gives for receiving Messiah? What makes Christ the perfect High Priest? What would that mean to a Jew at that time? Explain why we no longer need priests. When Jesus died, the veil in the Temple that screened of the Most Holy Place was torn from top to bottom. What did that signify? What qualifies Jesus to be our empathetic High Priest? How could Messiah understand our struggle with sin, since He Himself never sinned? What is the throne of grace? How are we encouraged to approach God?

REFLECT: If you could have an ideal priest, what would his traits be? Do you frequently approach the throne of grace with confidence? Why or why not? Mercy means that YHVH doesn’t give us what we deserve, and grace means that He gives us what we don’t deserve. How have you seen mercy and grace displayed in your own life? Why is it difficult to grant mercy to someone else, even though we sin?

The Ruach Ha’Kodesh continues to appeal to Jews who have heard the gospel and turned from Judaism but have not yet trusted in Messiah. It’s as if He has been saying, “You know your dissatisfaction with Judaism and with your own lives. You know the superiority of Yeshua to the prophets (1:1-3), to angles (1:4-14), to Moshe (3:1-6), to Joshua (4:8) and the dangers of not trusting Christ, and of your need for Him. And here we find that He is superior to all other high priests. What is keeping you from making the final decision?”

Up until now the author’s appeal has been mostly negative: if you don’t believe, you will be separated forever from YHVH and His rest. But the message now turns to the positive side of the gospel. Salvation not only saves us from spiritual death, it brings spiritual life. The author will prove the priesthood of Jesus is superior to the Levitical priesthood by the use of five contrasts. The first contrast shows us that Yeshua has a better position than Aaron.

Messiah’s Perfect Priesthood: Therefore, since we have such a Great High Priest (Hebrew: Cohen Rosh Gadol) who has passed through to the highest heaven (Hebrews 7:24-26), Yeshua, the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we acknowledge as true (4:14 CJB). Only once previously (2:1 to 3:6) had the writer referred explicitly to the priesthood of Messiah, though it was implicit in 1:3, but now he was preparing to undertake an extensive consideration of that truth. But before doing so, he wished to suggest its practical relevance to his readers whom he exhorted to hold firmly to the faith. They had to know that the priesthood of their Lord offered them all the resources they needed.¹¹⁹

Have: In the Greek text, the word have is emphatic and it emphasizes a continuous availability. Believers have a Cohen Rosh Gadol who is always available.

Passed through: The Levitical priest, like Aaron, went into the Most Holy Place and after he finished his duties, he came out. A year later, on the Day of Atonement, he went in and out again. This is not the case with our Great High Priest. He has passed through the highest heaven. He has passed through the first and second heavens and entered into the third heaven, and He has remained there. The use of the Greek perfect tense (a completed action in past time, having continuous results in the present time) emphasizes that He has passed through and has been there ever since. The place of this Cohen Rosh Gadol’s ministry is in heaven, not on the earth, and therefore, has a better position.

But there is another way in which Messiah is seen to be better than Aaron. The events that took place when Jesus passed through the highest heaven, show that He is infinitely better than Aaron. Aaron could never have performed such a feat. The reference here is to our Lord’s resurrection from tomb, and after forty days, His ascension from the Mount of Olives (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Mr – The Ascension of Jesus) to heaven as High Priest having made atonement for sin at the cross. In Isra’el, the atonement was not complete at the bronze altar. Not until the high priest had carried the atoning blood into the Most Holy Place, and had sprinkled it on the mercy seat (see the commentary on Exodus Fs – The Mercy Seat in the Most Holy Place: Christ at the Throne of Grace), 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 compete. He entered the Most Holy Place once for all time by His own blood, thus setting people free forever (9:12 CJB).

But that is not all that is involved in His superiority to Aaron. Not only was Aaron unable to offer a sacrifice that would pay for sin, but he could not have passed through the highest heaven to complete the atonement, even if he had been able to offer one. And there was more than gravity keeping Aaron from passing through the highest heaven. There was the power of the Adversary and his demons that would have opposed his progress through the atmosphere. This same power opposed the power of Christ as He ascended to present Himself as the High Priest who had made atonement for sin at the cross. But He disarmed the powers and authorities (the definite article in the Greek means the specific ones, or the evil one and his demons), and made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross (Colossians 2:15). The verb disarmed (Greek: apekduomai) means to completely strip of from oneself. What a picture of the battle in the skies in which the old dragon and his demons attempted to keep Messiah from ascending to the mercy seat to complete the atonement. It was their last chance to keep Him from the right hand of the Father and He had to fight His way through to the highest heaven, something Aaron could not do. Thus, Jesus was better than Aaron.¹²⁰

Yeshua, Son of God: If there was any doubt in the minds of that first century Messianic community that Jesus was the Messiah, here the author gives the messianic title. Yeshua is His human name, and Son of God is His divine name.

The book of Hebrews describes the end of the sacrificial system. The Dispensation of Torah (see the commentary on Exodus Da – The Dispensation of Torah) was based on a priesthood interceding between men and YHVH, but when Yeshua came as the final High Priest and offered the final sacrifice; as a result, the need for such a priesthood ceased to exist (see Aw – Messiah is a Better Priest Than Aaron).

Today there is no place in the congregations of God for any priesthood – that is an affront to the full and final priesthood of Jesus Christ Himself. Any priesthood on earth now implies that atonement for sin has not yet been made. Believers have no need for someone to go to the Father for them. Hebrews 4:16 tells us that we can go directly to ADONAI’s throne of grace. First Peter 2:5 and 9 tells us that all believers are priests. Every believer, by faith in Yeshua Messiah, enters directly into God’s presence. When Jesus died, the veil of the Temple was torn from top to bottom (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Lw – Accompanying Signs of Jesus’ Death), indicating that access to the Father is now forever open to those who come through His Son.¹²¹

Messiah’s Perfect Person: For we do not have a Cohen Rosh Gadol unable to empathize with our weaknesses (4:15a CJB). To many people, God seems far off and unconcerned with human affairs, but that could not be further from the truth. The word empathize comes from the Greek word sunpatheo, which means to suffer with. The use of the word here means more than knowledge of human infirmity. It points a knowledge that has in it a feeling for the other person by reason of a common experience with that person. The weaknesses here are not sufferings, but moral and physical weaknesses that predispose one to sin. They are weaknesses that undermine our resistance to temptation and make it difficult for us to keep from sinning. The Ruach Ha’Kodesh wants to emphasize that somehow Yeshua’s temptation was different that ours; that the Adversary attacked Him with toy arrows. On the contrary, He felt the difficulty of being righteous in this world. Even though His divinity may have ensured His triumph, His temptation was real and could only be overcome by means that are open to all: The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (First John 2:16). The one difference between our temptations and those of Jesus is that His were without sin.

Our Lord’s appreciation of our weaknesses comes from experience since in every respect He was tempted just as we are. Yeshua experienced the drive of human nature bent on sinning. His humanity was His battleground. It was in His humanity that Messiah faced and fought sin. Just like you and me. He was victorious, but not without the most intense temptation, grief, and anguish. It is not a sin to be tempted. Jesus was tempted, the only difference being that He never sinned (4:15b CJB). Temptation only becomes a sin when you give in to it. Martin Luther said, “You cannot keep birds from flying over your head but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.” You can’t keep the devil from suggesting thoughts, but you can choose not to dwell or act on them.¹²²

When His accusers called Him a servant of Satan, Jesus demanded to see their evidence. Which one of you convicts Me of sin? He declared (John 8:46 NASB). Ask any of my best friends to point out my sin, and the hands go up very quickly. But when Messiah asked this question, no one spoke. Yeshua was followed by His apostles, analyzed by crowds, criticized by family, and scrutinized by His enemies, yet not one person could remember Him committing even one sin. He was never found in the wrong place. Never said the wrong word. And never acted the wrong way. He never sinned. Not that He wasn’t tempted, mind you. Lust wooed Him. Greed lured Him. Power called Him. Jesus – the human – was tempted. But Jesus – the holy God – resisted.¹²³

So when we have sinned and are in trouble, or are dealing with the temptation to sin, we often hesitate to turn to God. We think we can handle it on our own, or feel the need to “clean up or act” before we approach Him. How can Yeshua’s understanding and sympathetic nature motivate you to turn to Him today in times of temptation and trouble?¹²⁴

Because of the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus into the heavenly Sanctuary, we can now approach ADONAI without fear. Every claim of God’s holiness and justice has been satisfied so that the LORD is free to act on behalf of sinners. Consequently, we are invited into His presence. Aaron could only approach the mercy seat once a year on the Day of Atonement (see the commentary on Exodus Go – The Day of Atonement), but we have access to YHVH every moment of every day. Therefore, let us confidently approach the throne from which God gives grace (4:16a CJB).

The throne of grace is God’s throne of judgment, but when Yeshua sprinkled His blood upon it, He turned it into a throne of grace. That’s perfect provision. What was it that we needed? Mercy and grace. So we are to come boldly, confidently before God’s throne to receive the grace He has provided for us through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. How could anyone reject such a High Priest?

Messiah’s Perfect Provision: So that we may receive mercy and find grace in our time of need, when you need it the most (4:16b CJB). The One who understands us perfectly will also provide for us perfectly. No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it (First Corinthians 10:13).

Dear heavenly Father, forgive me for not coming to You first and for questioning whether You could really understand my needs. Thank You for your mercy. I know I don’t deserve it and neither do I deserve Your grace, but I praise You because You are a gracious God. I renounce the lies of Satan that distort the knowledge of who You really are. Teach me to be merciful to others as You have been merciful to me, and teach me to give people what they need, not what they deserve. I thank You for Jesus Christ, who made it possible for me to come before Your presence, and I resolve from this day forward to do just that. I praise You for Your mercy and grace and for Your open invitation for me to come to You. In Jesus’ precious name I pray. Amen.¹²⁵