Further Thought:

“Christ is watching. He knows all about our burdens, our dangers, and our difficulties; and He fills His mouth with arguments in our behalf. He fits His intercessions to the needs of each soul, as He did in the case of Peter. … Our Advocate fills His mouth with arguments to teach His tried, tempted ones to brace against Satan’s temptations.

Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com

He interprets every movement of the enemy. He orders events.” — Ellen G. White,  The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 931 (Letter 90, 1906).

“It was Satan’s purpose to bring about an eternal separation between God and man; but in Christ we become more closely united to God than if we had never fallen. In taking our nature, the Saviour has bound Himself to humanity by a tie that is never to be broken. … This is the pledge that God will fulfill His word. ‘Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder.’ God has adopted human nature in the person of His Son, and has carried the same into the highest heaven. It is the ‘Son of man’ who shares the throne of the universe. It is the ‘Son of man’ whose name shall be called, ‘Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.’ Isaiah 9:6. The I AM is the Daysman between God and humanity, laying His hand upon both. He who is ‘holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,’ is not ashamed to call us brethren. Hebrews 7:26; Hebrews 2:11. In Christ the family of earth and the family of heaven are bound together. Christ glorified is our brother. Heaven is enshrined in humanity, and humanity is enfolded in the bosom of Infinite Love.” — Ellen G. White,  The Desire of Ages, pages 25, 26.

Discussion Questions:

<–Thursday

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Read Hebrews 7:26. What are the five characteristics of Jesus in this passage?

Jesus was “holy.” This means that Jesus was without fault in relationship to God (Hebrews 2:18; Hebrews 4:15; Hebrews 5:7-8, ). The Old Greek translation of the Old Testament used the same Greek term to designate those who maintain their covenant relationship with God and with others.

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Jesus was “undefiled.” He remained pure and untouched by evil, despite being tempted in “all points” (Hebrews 4:15, Hebrews 2:18). Jesus’ perfect sinlessness is important for His priesthood. The old covenant stipulated that sacrificial victims had to be “without blemish” to be acceptable to God (Leviticus 1:3, Leviticus 1:10, etc.). Jesus’ perfect obedience during His earthly life made it possible for Him to offer Himself as an acceptable sacrifice to God (Hebrews 9:14).

Jesus was “separated from sinners” when He ascended to heaven. The Greek verb tense suggests that this is a present state for Jesus, which began at a specific point in time. Jesus endured hostility from sinners during His earthly life, but He was victorious and was then seated at the right hand of God (Hebrews 12:2-3, ). Jesus is also “separate from sinners” in that He was perfectly sinless (Hebrews 4:15).

Jesus was “exalted … above the heavens” (ESV). It means that Jesus has been exalted above everything there is and, therefore, He is one with God. In the Psalms, God is the one who is “exalted above the heavens” (Psalm 57:5, ; Psalm 108:5).

Jesus was fully human, but He was not a sinful human being as we are (Hebrews 2:14-16, Hebrews 4:15). Jesus is perfect, not simply because He never sinned but because He was not corrupted by sin as we are.

Yet, because He was also fully human, He is also our example. He shows us how to run the race of life (Hebrews 12:1-4). He is the example that we must follow (1 Peter 2:21-23). Because He is “holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners” (Hebrews 7:26, ESV), He is our Savior, and we too can reflect His character.

<–Wednesday Friday–>

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You can view an in-depth discussion of Jesus, The Faithful Priest in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris. Click on the image to view:

With thanks to Hope Channel – Television that will change your life.

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This video is produced by the South Pacific Division Discipleship team.

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Read Hebrews 7:16. On what basis did Jesus become priest?

Jesus received the priesthood on the basis of an indestructible life and because He holds an eternal ministry. The implications of these facts are astounding. It means that Jesus’ ministry will never be surpassed or outclassed. Jesus saves completely, eternally, “to the uttermost” (Hebrews 7:25). The salvation that Jesus provides is total and final. It reaches the innermost aspects of human nature (Hebrews 4:12, Hebrews 9:14, Hebrews 10:1-4). Jesus’ intercession before God involves all the benefits granted under the new covenant.

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It includes much more than the forgiveness of sins, too. It implies putting the law in our hearts, making us new people in Him, and leading to the dissemination of the gospel to the world (Hebrews 8:10-12). As One with God and with human beings, He represents us before the Father. As One who offered His life as a sacrifice, Jesus has unwavering favor before God.

Read Hebrews 7:22. What is Jesus in relation to the new covenant?

Jesus is the surety of the new covenant because God swore an oath that Jesus would be a priest “forever” (Hebrews 7:21). It is very easy to fail to understand the importance of this oath. Paul had already referred to the oaths God made to the desert generation and to Abraham (Hebrews 3:7-11, Hebrews 6:13-15). The difference between those oaths and the oath that God has sworn to the Son is that those oaths were made to mortal human beings. Oaths stay in force as long as the beneficiaries are alive. God’s oath to the desert generation and to Abraham were binding as long as there was a desert generation and descendants of Abraham (see Galatians 3:29).

In the case of the Son, however, whose life is “indestructible,” the oath God made to Him will be binding forever. A person who stood in surety or guarantee of another was liable to the same penalties as the person for whom he stood in surety, including death. Yet, the Father established Jesus as a guarantee to us that He will not default on His promises. That’s how certain we can be of the salvation that we have been given in Jesus.

<–Tuesday Thursday–>

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