Hebrews Chapter 5

Qualifications for Spiritual Maturity

Quick review. SALVATION: Justification is the freedom from the Penalty of sin; all true Believers ALREADY are Justified. Sanctification is freedom from the Power of sin; true Believers must continuously USE God’s Power through the Holy Spirit (remember, this is a lifelong process). Glorification is the Future freedom from the Presence of sin; Jesus guarantees we will be Glorified (this will occur at the Rapture, or upon our physical death).

The comparison between Jesus, the God/Man, and all others, has been clearly defined and proved by scripture. Jesus is superior than any and all Angels; Jesus is the perfect Apostle, superior to Moses; Jesus is the Perfect Leader, better than Joshua; and He is our perfect High Priest, superior to Aaron. Our New Covenant is far superior, actually perfect, in comparison to the Old Covenant. All these reminders were given by the writer to encourage their Faith and Obedience to Jesus, their Messiah.

When we casually read about the ancient sacrifices, we often miss the shocking, gruesome, bloody reality. We don’t read about the pain and suffering; yet all of these aspects pointed to the penalty of sin. Yet if we were to step back and imagine ourselves witnessing the High Priest killing the animals, seeing their suffering and pain and witnesses their blood spurting out, draining into the bowls and on the ground, we would no doubt be horrified. Can you imagine someone handing you the knife and saying “You must kill this animal and drain out the blood and complete the sacrifice”? Jesus, our High Priest AND the Sacrificial Lamb, had to suffer horribly and painfully; eventually dying a painful bloody death to pay the awful penalty of our sins.

5:1-2

The ancient Levitical system of the Priesthood required the High Priest be divinely appointed and have the ability to sympathize and empathize with the people. The whole reason for the Priesthood was the atonement necessary for sin. Jesus empathizes and sympathizes with our sin nature as God and man. He suffered the same temptations we suffer. Jesus was also divinely appointed by God the Father. True, Jesus is Prophet, Priest and King; yet He is also the Lamb of God, the holy perfect Son of God that willingly allowed Himself to be sacrificed for our sins.

5:3-4

The High Priest had to offer a sacrifice for his own sins BEFORE he could offer the sacrifice for the people. He had to be ‘purified’ before he was qualified to even offer the sacrifice. If the High Priest failed to repent and offer sacrifice for Himself properly, then tried to offer the sacrifice for the people, he would die. Since only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies for the sacrifice, a rope, or cord, was tied around his ankle so that IF he died, the other priests could drag out his dead body from the Holy of Holies! Jesus never sinned, thus He did not have to offer anything for Himself. If Jesus had sinned, His sacrifice would have been absolutely worthless. (4.) No one would ever attempt to claim to be the High Priest without being called by God. The Levitical system allowed for the casting of Lots to see who would be chosen by God to serve as High Priest.

5:5-6

The writer assures all the Believers that Jesus, the Messiah, did not seek to glorify Himself by becoming High Priest, but God the Father specifically called Jesus to be the High Priest. He quotes two scriptures: “…You are My Son…Today I have begotten You..” from Psalm 2:7; also in Psalm 110:4 God says “You are a Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” Jesus had already quoted Psalm 110:1 to confound the Pharisees to show that He was truly the Son of God.

5:7

Now the Holy Spirit shifts to recounting what Jesus experienced on earth in His human body and emotions. We tend to think that Jesus did not suffer like we do because He is God and man; yet that is not true, He suffered more than we do because He was constantly attacked by evil. Despite these repeated and vicious attacks, He relied on His Father, and the Word of God, to guide Him to always do His Fathers Will. Jesus knew that only by continually focusing on God the Father and seeking His Will in everything could He avoid sin. Notice that Jesus cried out to God in the Garden of Gethsemane for deliverance. Jesus did not want to be separated from His Father, nor did He want the horrible suffering that He knew was coming, yet despite the sorrow and grief He experienced He threw Himself on the ground on His face and cried out: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from Me, nevertheless, not my will, but Your Will be done.” Math. 26:39).

5:8

Jesus experienced and put into daily practice Obedience to His Father in heaven. Jesus had diligently studied God’s Word. He knew it so well that He could quote anything in the Scriptures to show how God’s Word applied to every aspect of His life. Do we realize that God’s Word applies to every area of our lives? Remember, He amazed the Doctors of the Law in the Temple when He was only 12 years old. They were not only amazed by his questions but were astounded by His knowledge and understanding. (Luke 2:42-52). The term “learned” did not refer to new intellectual knowledge, but rather human experience of obedience.

5:9-10

This verse is crucial to our understanding of the uncompromising Holiness of our Creator. Jesus came to earth for a specific reason, a special goal. He came to rescue and redeem all mankind. God’s goal has always been to bring all Believers into a permanent glorified relationship with Him. If God had allowed Jesus to avoid the cross, we would all be dead in our sins, doomed to eternal damnation and suffering in the lake of fire. Worse, Satan and the demons would have won against God! So, Jesus HAD TO DIE FOR US! It was His life’s Goal, His eternal Mission. Only Jesus, in all of the Universe, had the Power and qualifications to rescue mankind. Jesus proved it by dying on the cross, being buried, then rising from the dead on the third day! Jesus became the “firstborn among many brothers” Romans 8:29 Jesus assures us the ONLY way to Eternal Life is through Him. The Holy Spirit clearly tells us that Jesus is our only source of eternal deliverance “to all who obey Him”. Notice that Salvation is NOT to all who cry “Lord, Lord..” (See Math. 7:21-29) but ONLY to those who OBEY Him. You say you are a Believer? Really, how are you doing in OBEYING Him? You see, Jesus is Righteous and Holy; His very character as God cannot even be in the presence of sin. So we absolutely MUST be forever removed from even the presence of sin, in order to be with Jesus in Heaven. (10.) This Truth is so crucial that the Holy Spirit repeats it again that God confirmed that Jesus, His only Son, was our High Priest, eternally. That is, of the order of Melchizedek. (See Genesis 14:18-20)

5:11

Now the Holy Spirit speaks to all Believers down through the ages! We are warned that this subject of Obedience and Sanctification is so crucial to who we become forever, that He gives us strong admonitions! Why is this Truth so hard to explain? Because we are hard of hearing spiritually. We are hard hearted. Remember that repeated warning? It is not that we can’t hear God, it is that we won’t hear Him! God is begging and pleading with us to listen to Him, to hear Him, to obey Him; not for His benefit, but for ours. Our Eternal existence with God is at stake. When Jesus judges all true Believers at the Bema Seat of Judgement; all our actions, words and even our hidden thoughts will be judged. Those that are in obedience with God will bring us glorification; those that are not, will cause us to lose our rewards forever. The Holy Spirit is striving with our hearts and souls because Jesus wants us to have full Glory with Him!

5:12

Now we, and they, are really being chastised! By this time in our walk with Jesus we should be teaching others of God’s wonderful forgiveness and love, that Jesus alone gives us Eternal Life; teaching them all His Truths. Remember, Jesus gave us the ‘great commission’ to “MAKE DISCIPLES of all nations, …teaching them all I have taught you!” (See Math. 28:18-20; Mark 16:14-20; Luke 24:46-53;) Instead, we are still like little children, having to be taught the basic foundational Truths of God’s Word. We are like babies needing milk, when we should be on solid food. The Holy Spirit gives us this shocking Truth to jolt our consciences into action. He’s giving us a boot in the fanny, so to speak. Do you hear Him speaking to you? Choose obedience!

5:13

Just in case we delude ourselves into thinking ‘I’M CERTAINLY NOT A BABY,’ the Holy Spirit tells us that IF we still need to drink milk, it means we really are immature Christians. How do we know? Because mature Christians strive diligently to apply God’s Word to their lives in righteousness. This means that mature Believers are living, breathing examples of Christians that display the fruit of the Spirit in their lives EVERY DAY. (See Galatians 5:16, 22-26 and Ephesians 4:1-6) So, how do we graduate into mature Believers? It is NOT EASY! It’s hard work, it means sacrifices, self-discipline, obedience to God’s Word. Beware of the sin of PROCRASTINATION, it causes many well intentioned Christians to fail. Are you REALLY Thankful Jesus came to save you? If you are, then ask God what you can do to be obedient. Jesus says to ‘Feed the poor” so what are you doing? Do more than the minimum; bringing a can or two of food to the Church. Sacrifice. Write a generous check to the Food Bank, or Samaritan’s Purse, or World Vision, or Food for Kids, or…. you get the message. Consider joining us in our LIVE FOREVER missionary work! We are the richest people on earth; let’s be sacrificially generous to the poor, both physically and spiritually.

5:14

God’s Truth and understanding are for those who are growing, and striving to be obedient and become mature. We want to be like Jesus. We can’t just sing about it, we have to study His Word and pray for the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us; then OBEY. Solid food; that is the difficult study we are doing right now, is for mature Believers. This study is very hard for the beginning Believer. As we strive to study, understand and OBEY God’s Word, we slowly become mature Believers. God is VERY PLEASED with all those who study His Word; praying and striving to obey. You are on the right road, keep up the good work, don’t give up. The easiest thing to do it to QUIT. Don’t do it. Satan can only beat you IF you let him. Choose to follow Jesus, not Satan. Remember, God has given you His POWER over sin, use it, or lose it.

Remember, to follow Jesus requires a daily study of His Word, a daily prayer life, and daily obedience to the Holy Spirit. Join together with other dedicated, fervent Believers to encourage yourself and others. Remember to pray for one another, every day!