Such a High Priest, the Son Perfected for Evermore

Vii. — 26. For such a High Priest became us, holy, guileless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

27. Who needeth not daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

28. For the law appointeth men high priests, having infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was after the law, appointeth a Son, perfected for evermore.

For such a High Priest became us — was suited to us, as being what we needed. The words refer to the whole chapter, but specially to the verse that just precedes — such a High Priest, one who abideth for ever, one who is able to save completely. It also refers to what now follows, in which His personal characteristics are summed up. Holy, in fellowship and harmony with God; guileless, in the purity of His disposition; undefiled, in His having conquered all temptation from sin and the world; separated from sinners, a true Man among men, and yet one who had kept Himself free from their sin; made higher than the heavens, now exalted in the glory of God, to communicate to us the life and the blessings of the heavenly world.

Who needeth not daily like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people; for this He did once, when He offered up Himself. We saw that the glory of Christ’s priesthood, in contrast with that of the many who had, by reason of death, to succeed each other, was, that He alone is Priest, because He abideth ever. Here we have the same truth from another side: in contrast with the daily ever-repeated sacrifices, He accomplished all when He offered Himself once. That which has to be repeated is imperfect; that which need be done only once is perfect and lasts for ever. Farther on we shall find the word once again, as having the same meaning with regard to His sacrifice which for ever has with regard to His priesthood.

He offered up Himself. We have here the first mention of the sacrifice of Christ. In chap. ii. we had mention of His death, here we see that it was death upon the altar. He is both Priest and Victim. His divine priesthood, as it is exercised in heaven, is the application of the blood and the virtue of that sacrifice which He brought upon earth. The once for all of the sacrifice is the counterpart of the henceforth for ever of the throne of the heavens.

For the law, this is the conclusion of the whole, appointeth men high priests, having infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was after the law, appointeth a Son, perfected for evermore. The law was a preparation, to waken the need and the hope, of that true, supernatural, heavenly communion with God, which should be, not in words or wishes, but in the power of the eternal life. What the law could not do, God hath done, appointing as High Priest, the Son, perfected for evermore.

In these last words we have the summing up of the whole preceding teaching of the Epistle. In chap. i. it had spoken of the Son of God and His glory: He came from God, He is God, and has the life of God in Him; He is able to bring us near, into the true possession and enjoyment of the very life of God. In chaps, ii.-v. we had His humanity, His being made perfect through suffering and obedience. He so perfected a new human nature, which from heaven He imparts to us in the power of the Holy Ghost. In chap. vii. we have now been taught what it means that He is the Priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek, whose person and priesthood and work are all in the power of the endless life, and who, because He ever abideth and ever intercedeth, is able to save completely, and to make our drawing nigh to God a life that abides continually. Such a High Priest became us, the Son, perfected for evermore.

And if such a High Priest became us, what becomes us now towards Him? Surely one thing, that we fully seek to know and to trust and to experience His saving power. If your heart does indeed long for deliverance from sin, for true near fellow ship with God, for complete salvation, for a life in the power and the likeness of the Son of God, our Leader and Forerunner within the veil- — ; you must learn to know Jesus both as Son of God and your High Priest. You must pray for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, that you may know the exceeding greatness of God’s power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power in Christ Jesus, when He raised Him from the dead and set Him at His own right hand. You must believe that the mighty power by which He was thus perfected for evermore, and is seated at God’s right hand, is working in you. Yield yourself up in faith to this mighty working of God in Christ, to the power of the eternal life with which from heaven He will work in you to draw you nigh to God, and keep you there. As you believe this, and trust Jesus for it, He Himself will make it your experience. Oh beware of thinking that these are beautiful words and images that 17 Cbe Dolfest of 21U

Scripture gives; they are meant by God as the most downright actual realities for daily life and walk. God has given you such a High Priest that you might live an impossible life, a life above sense and reason, a supernatural life in the power of His Son. When Jesus ascended the throne His disciples were to wait for a communication direct from Himself of the spirit and power of the heavenly life into which He had entered for them. It is the same Holy Spirit, dwelling in us in Pentecostal power, who alone can make all the blessed objective truth of the Epistle a living reality within us.

1. Ere we part from this chapter note well the three words In which its practical teaching gathers up what our Melchizedek, who abideth a priest continually, is to us. The law of His working Is: He does all after the power of an endless life. The object of His work: the better hope, by which we draw nigh to God. The measure of His work: able to save completely. The power of eternal life, the nearness of Qod, and complete salvation are what He has to bestow.

2. The eternal priesthood of Christ: this Is the first of the perfection truths that lead us to the perfection life. A Son, perfected for evermore, Is our High Priest, who out of Himself and in Himself gives us the life we are to Hue.

3. The one thought of God In His word here is to make us feel what a complete salvation there Is for us with such a Saviour. God speaks to us In His Son, gluing us In Him His own Ufa.

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SIXTH SECTION.-viii. 1-13.
The New Sanctuary and the New Covenant.