Hebrews 5:1-10. Jesus is Greater Than the Aaronic High Priest

Hebrews 5:1-10

Jesus is Superior to Aaron

This passage compares the priesthood of Aaron with that of Jesus with regard to fitness for service.  It begins by setting out the qualifications and then concludes by describing Jesus’ fitness for the office of High Priest and his superiority to Aaron’s.  Application is made to our confidence before God and the universal priesthood of believers.

1. The Ordination of the High Priest
1. Aaron: Chosen from among men (vs 1)  
1. Lev 8 for the process of ordination and his consecration from among men.
2. Ex 28 for the priestly garments
3. Ex 29:1-9 The dressing of the priests for their ordination
4. Psa 105:26 Aaron whom he had chosen.
2. Jesus: The only unique Son of God (vs 5; Ps 2:7), which together with his Humanity (ch 4) makes him fit.

3. Aaron: Appointed by Men to stand before God (vs 1)
1. Vs 4: God is behind the appointment process as men are chosen, but it is constrained by many things: Levite, Descendant of Aaron’s first son, Elected by the body of Priests
2. By the time of Jesus, the office of the High Priest was bought and sold as a political favor.  Josephus: some of the High Priests weren’t even member of the Levites.  1Macc7:9
3. When Jesus was tried, there were two men serving as High Priests, Caiaphas and Annas Lk 3:2

4. Jesus: Appointed by God to reveal himself to man (vs 5-6; Psa 110:4; John 8:54; vs 10)
4. The Job of a Priest is to intercede (vs 1):
1. Examples of intercession between people:
1. Gen 37:21, 26
2. Gen 44:33
3. 1 Sam 19:4
4. 1 Sam 25:24
5. Phlm 10
2. Priests can deal gently with the sins of men (vs 2) because they themselves are sinners
1. Words for overt transgressions are not used here.  “Wayward, ignorant, and weakness” correspond more to the idea of “unintentional sins.”
2. Compare Lev 1-8 with Numbers 15:30  This is going to become important later on.
3. The only recourse for premeditated sin is broken appeal to the mercy of God and repentance.  Psalm 51
3. Aaron was a sinner and needed to offer sacrifices to be heard (vs 3; Lev 4:3; 9:7; 16;6)

4. Jesus was heard because of his relationship to the Father (vs 5)
1. This has to do with Jesus’ sinlessness. 4:15
2. The “perfection” of Jesus that he achieved (vs 8-9) was not about moral perfection since he started as a sinless son.  
1. As has already be covered, Teteostai means to come to a final completion.  Jesus was always perfect, but his process, his experience, was completed in his passion.  Mission accomplished.
2. Luke 2:52.  Jesus matured, although always perfect.
5. Aaron interceded by his offering of gifts and sacrifices (vs 1)
1. The sacrificial system was a continual reminder of the price for sin (Lev 1-8).
2. The Priest bore the names of the sons of Israel over his heart while ministering (Ex 28:9-30)
6. Jesus WAS the sacrifice (vs 9).  His maturity, the completion of his mission, was His suffering.  
1. This act allowed him to become the source of salvation.  
2. Side note: His salvation is ETERNAL.  It is not fading.  It is not temporal. However, it is for those who believe.  Two truths!
7. Another aspect of intercession is prayer.  Not mentioned of the Aaronic priesthood, although it certainly happened.  
1. Examples of Intercessory Prayer:
1. Ex 32:32
2. Num 12:13
3. Num 14:7
4. Deut 9:22
5. 1 Sam 7:5
6. 1 Kings 13:6
7. 1 Chron 21:17
8. 2 Chron 30:18
2. Christ’s:
1. Lk 22:32
2. Lk 23:34
3. Jn 14:16
4. John 17:9
5. Rom 8:34
8. Heb 5:7
1. In the days of his flesh-- Not just in Gethsemane
2. Jesus prayed often (above, plus more!)
3. Supplications, Submissive request.  Part of having “good lips”
4. Loud cries and tears: “Mighty clamour.”  Gethsemane is the only time we are explicitly told that he was emotional in his prayers, but there is no reason to think that this was his only emotional prayer time!
5. “Him who was able to save Him from death.”  This also points to Gethsemane, but it also rightly just an aspect of God (1 Sam 2:6)
6. Jesus was “heard,” although God’s answer to him was not an immediate “yes.”  He was saved from corruption (Ps 16:16)
7. Heard because of “reverence”
1. Only used twice in NT.  Here and Heb 12:28.  ESV “reverence” is awkward, as is the KJV “Fear”
2. Eulabia: Eu= true, good. Labia= lips.  This is that he had “true lips.”  Jesus’ words about the Father were true.  He spoke with respect and reverence of the Father.
3. Jesus was not, like Isaiah, a “Man of unclean lips” Isa 6:5
4. If the foundation of Christ’s prayer life and the reason fo his prayers being heard is his speaking true things of God, his good theology, why would we expect that prayers based on anything else will ever be answered?
5. Jesus’ successful prayer life is now used on behalf of the church (Rom :34).
6. Not even Jesus was able to speak faith-filled words and have his will accomplished by the Father.  Where do word-of-faith people get off?

3. Application:  Christ is our high priest; we don’t need anyone else!
1. Every Levite was a “minister” before the Lord on behalf of the people.  They were servants in the temple and the tabernacle.  They assisted the Jews with their spiritual observances, but they were not intermediaries.  Num 8:5-22
2. Priests were a special class that stood between. We don’t need that any more:
1. Temple torn in two: Matt 27:51
2. We can come boldly! (4:16)
3. NT Pastors are ministers, preachers, and teachers, not priests!
4. Korah’s Rebellion  was about a Levite (Minister) trying to steal the priesthood.  Num 16
5. Saul and Uzziah
6. The concept of a Catholic priest is not biblical.
7. Today, some ministers try to stand between his people and God and make a priest out of himself.  This is an abomination!
8. Every believer can minister and be an assistant to someone’s walk with God (2pet 2:9) you cannot step in between them and God.