Hebrews 7:20-28

“The Hypostatic Union”

I. THE PROMISED HIGH PRIEST

Hebrews 7:20-21 – “And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, 21 but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever.’”

Psalm 110 in Hebrews: 1:13, 5:6, 5:10, 6:20, 7:17, 7:21, 8:1, 10:12-13

Allusions: Hebrews 1:3 and 12:2

Psalm 110:4 – “The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.’”

Jer. 31:31-32 – “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD.”

Jer. 31:33-34 – “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

Ezek. 36:24-27; Joel. 2:28-29

Hebrews 7:22 – “This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.”

II. THE PERMANENT HIGH PRIEST

Hebrews 7:23-24 – “The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever.”

Rev. 1:17-18

Hebrews 7:25 – “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.”

III. THE PURE HIGH PRIEST

Hebrews 7:26 – “For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners.”

Rom. 5:121; 1 Cor. 15:21-22; Heb. 7:9-10

IV. THE PREEMINENT HIGH PRIEST

Heb. 7:26b – “…exalted above the heavens.”

Acts 1:6 – “So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

Acts 1:7-8 – “He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’”

Acts 1:9 – “And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, the was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.”

Acts 1:10-11 – “And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

“Perfect,” Gk. τελειόω (teleioō), “perfect in intended design”

TAKEAWAYS

1. Being a Christian means, in part, imitating Jesus Christ.
2. You were designed with a purpose.