The
Suitable Son
In Hebrews 7:26-28, the writer makes
a series of summary remarks
concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in his redemptive
role as the High Priest for believers. Our text reads:
“For such an high priest became
us,
who is holy, harmless, undefiled,
separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth
not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his
own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he
offered up himself. For the law maketh men high priests which have
infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh
the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.”
The scripture is meticulous in
drawing a sharp theological distinction
between the priesthood that sprang from Levi and the priesthood of
Jesus Christ. The Levitical priesthood was after order of Aaron (7:11).
The priesthood of the Lord Jesus is after the order of Melchisedec.
Since Jesus sprang from Judah (7:14), it was necessary to link his
priesthood to a different priestly order (taxonomic classification).
Melchisedec, the priest of Salem, to whom Abraham paid tithes, fit the
bill.
Our text tells us Jesus is such a
priest. He became us. Such
is
τοιοῦτος
(toioutos), “such as this, of this sort or kind.” The verb
became
is the imperfect of πρέπω
(prepō), “to be suitable, proper, to stand out, be
conspicuous.” The imperfect tense, representing
an ongoing activity in the past, is clearly a reference to the
three-year ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. In his walk with the Father
and interactions with men, he displayed all the characteristics sinners
would need to represent them before God. He was entirely suitable for
the task. In that regard, he was and is the suitable Son.
There are two fundamental tasks for
the priesthood—intercession (7:25)
and mediation (8:6). Intercession
is the present tense of ἐντυγχάνω
(entygchanō), “to light upon, meet with a person for the purpose of
conversation, consultation or supplication.” In his role as High
Priest, Jesus meets with the Father continually on our behalf for the
purpose of pleading our cause, interceding on our behalf. For this
reason, he is able to
save to the uttermost those for whom he pleads.
Uttermost
is παντελής
(pantelēs), “all-complete, perfect unto
completeness.” Jesus is able to “complete all” that pertains to us in
the matter of salvation. To use a marathon metaphor, Jesus our High
Priest is able to get us his people ALL the way to the FINISH
line!
Mediator
is μεσίτης
(mesitēs), “a go-between, one who intervenes
between two for the purpose of brokering a peace, forming a compact or
ratifying a covenant; an arbitrator.” In the context, Jesus is the
mediator of a better covenant (8:6), a new testament (9:15), a new
covenant (12:24). He's the MAN Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5). As
mediator and intercessor, Jesus is a suitable man, the essential man to
represent men before the Father. Unlike Moses, who was a third-party
mediator between God and Israel, Jesus is both God and Man, eliminating
the need for a third party. When a man comes to Christ Jesus seeking
mediation, he finds both God and Mediator in ONE Person. Thus Paul
could write: “Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one”
(Galatians 3:20).
The writer uses three words, two
phrases to explain why the Son is
suitable to serve as High Priest, Intercessor and Mediator. Jesus is
holy
(benign, undefiled by sin), harmless
(without guile or fraud;
trustworthy), undefiled
(free from defilement, unsoiled, pure). Jesus
is separate from sinners.
The phrase is the translation of χωρίζω
(chōrizō) in predicate nominative form, perfect passive tense. It means
“to divide, put asunder.” It is sometimes translated “depart” in
contexts signifying separation from a geographical location. Literal
translation: “An high priest...one having been separated from sinners
with the result he remains separated.”
Who are these sinners? At first
blush, you might understand this to be
a reference to mankind in general. You'd be technically correct. But
the context points to a more specific group. The sinners from whom
Jesus has been separated are the Levitical priests, who were required
to offer up sacrifice first for THEIR OWN SINS (7:28). But because
Jesus was holy, harmless and undefiled, he was a suitable sacrifice to
offer up himself for OUR SINS as well as for the SINNERS that
constitute the Levitical priesthood.
Jesus is made higher than the heavens.
By virtue of his sinless life,
vicarious death, triumphant resurrection and ascension up into the
third heaven, he was made higher than the heavens. God highly exalted
him with a name above every name (Philippians 2:9). In ALL things, he
has the preeminence (Colossians 1:18). As the member of the Godhead,
he's the object of this acclamation: “Let them praise the name of the
LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and
heaven” (Psalm 148:13).
The phrase "higher than the
heavens" brings to my mind the image of a
fifty-story high rise with a penthouse on the top floor. Penthouses are
usually occupied by (1) the owner of the building, (2) someone with a
controlling interest in the property, or (3) someone with sufficient
resources to purchase the penthouse or pay the exorbitant rent. If you
can imagine that fifty-story high rise representing the earth, the
heavens and all that in them is, Jesus lives in the penthouse,
upholding all things by the word of his power!
Jesus of Nazareth became us. As the
God-Man, he is suitable to serve as
our High Priest, our Intercessor and our Mediator. He demonstrated his
suitability during thirty-three years of traversing Judaea as the
Second Adam, the Last Adam, with his holiness, harmlessness, purity,
separation from sinners and preeminence perfectly intact. He is, in
every way a sanctified mind can imagine, the suitable Son.
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