Hebrews 7:18-25

As a church, we've been studying Hebrews chapter 7.

Hebrews 7 · chapter mention

Hebrews chapter 7.

Hebrews 7 · chapter mention

So if you have a Bible, turn there.

I'd also encourage you as we're going through and we're gathering on a Sunday that you'd have something to take notes on.

If you take notes on your phone, that's great.

It's not because I want you to take notes on what I'm saying, but I believe on a Sunday morning, when we come together, that the Spirit of God is here.

And he loves you way more than I could ever love you.

And he can lead you and teach you better than I could ever teach you.

And he knows exactly what happened in your life this last week, and he knows exactly what's going to happen this next week.

In fact, he knows your entire future.

And you and I desperately need to know what God's wisdom is and his teaching.

And Sunday morning, as we're worshiping together, and as we're opening up his word together, there's the very real possibility that this is the time when God's going to speak to you by his spirit.

There was a gathering in Corinth, and they were walking and exercising the gifts of the Spirit.

And there is some people that'd be gifted with like a word of prophecy or a word of knowledge.

And he talks about in 1 Corinthians 14 about he says, Look, I want you to be doing this.

I want you to allow for the Holy Spirit to be in your midst because visitors will come into your church, they'll hear these words of prophecy or an interpretation of tongues, and they'd be like, Wow, surely God is in your midst.

So God's a real and God's alive because of what was experienced in that setting.

And so all that to say, we want to gather in a sense of anticipation, knowing that the Holy Spirit, God's Spirit, may have a word for you and I this morning.

Now, in Hebrews, we could break it down this way.

There's four things that this writer is addressing.

First, he wants to prevent apostasy, the moving away from following Jesus as their Messiah.

Mainly, these were Jewish Christians.

They had the tradition of Judaism, but they had turned to Jesus as their Messiah.

And this pastor who writes the letter is warning them, wanting to prevent apostasy.

The second thing is that he's emphasizing the supremacy of Christ.

Over and over again, we see that Jesus is better.

Jesus is better.

And we're going to see that twice in our text this morning.

The word better is going to be used.

I think it's twice.

It's either here, but it's in the chapter 7.

It's a few times we read better.

So he's emphasizing the supremacy of Christ.

The third thing is that he's providing doctrinal instructions.

Hebrews contains a rich exposition of Christian doctrine, particularly concerning the person and the work of Jesus, his priesthood, and the role as a mediator of the new covenant.

That's going to be ground zero for us this morning.

And the fourth thing is that he's exhorting and encouraging these believers.

It's like we use the analogy of a coach who's kind of kicking you in the pan, saying, Go for it, let's go.

Let's go.

Come on.

Don't get distracted.

Don't get your eye off the ball.

You need to go for it in your relationship with Jesus.

So let me read to you verses 18 through 25, and then we'll spend a little bit of time on this this morning.

So the previous command is annulled because it was weak and unprofitable.

For the law perfected nothing, but a better hope is introduced through which we draw near to God.

None of this happened without an oath, for others became priests without an oath, but he became a priest with an oath made by the one who said to him, The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind.

You are a priest forever.

Because of this oath, Jesus has also become the guarantee of a better covenant.

Now, many have become Levitical priests, since they are prevented by death from remaining in office.

But because he remains forever, he holds his priesthood permanently.

Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, since he always lives to intercede for them.

Let's stop there for a second.

As we've been going through this text, we've we've circled a few themes.

And as a church, we've been talking about how Jesus is our high priest.

And in chapter 7, this pastor who's writing this, he's saying, you need to understand that Jesus, when we talk about him as a high priest, he's not a priest like just a new Levite.

Because he wasn't even from the tribe of Aaron.

He's not a new Levite.

No, in Psalm 110, there's this one verse that is this prophetic word crying out 1,500 years before Jesus comes on the scene and says, You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.

In order to understand that, you've got to go back to Genesis 14.

And so there's this kind of crazy thing that's going on when we start talking about the priesthood of Jesus, where you've got to be kind of a Bible nerd.

As I was studying this, and as we've talked about it, what we've said is that there's all these layers in the Bible when we start talking about Jesus after the order of the Melchizedek priesthood, when we start talking about there's all these layers before we get to applying it to our own lives.

And we've covered that ground kind of over the last couple of weeks.

But what you're going to see here this morning is we're going to zero in on three ideas.

And what's happening is he's tying a bow on ideas that we've already covered.

So the first one here is this idea from imperfection to perfection, trading the old for the new, from imperfection to perfection, trading the old for the new.

The Mosaic Law, this is the idea.

The Mosaic law and the Levitical priesthood could not perfect anyone and was put aside for something better.

We saw this back up in verse 18 and 19.

He says, so the previous command is annulled.

It's done away with.

Why was it done away with?

Well, it's because it was weak and unprofitable.

Now, when he says the previous command, what's he talking about?

The law.

That's right.

Now, for those of you that are new to the Bible, when we say when we talk about the law, what are we usually talking about?

You could talk about three or four different things, but here in this context, what's the law?

The Ten Commandments, yeah.

So you think of Moses on Mount Sinai.

You can maybe you're remember Charlton Heston and the Ten Commandments movie when he comes back and all of a sudden he's got these awesome highlights in his hair, right?

And he's got the Ten Commandments.

That's what we're talking about.

He got the law, right?

That was the moment.

And that was the previous command.

And here, this pastor is saying this was annulled.

Now, this is really important for you if you're new in following Jesus.

Because as a follower of Jesus, we're all about reading the Bible and we want to live according to the Bible.

And one of the things you come across in the Bible is the Ten Commandments and the 613 laws that have come through Moses and the priesthood.

And one of the difficult things to reconcile is like, well, I'm following Jesus, but what about this stuff that happened in the Old Testament with Moses?

And that's the important thing that you have to understand is that God is setting the stage.

There is this narrative arc of Scripture that's setting the stage for Jesus, that Jesus is better.

So being a follower of Jesus is not about following the Ten Commandments.

In fact, when we take communion, we're going to talk about what the cup represents.

That it's representing not the old covenant, which was the law, but it represents a new covenant.

And so there was a previous or an old command that was annulled because it why?

Why was it annulled?

It was weak and unprofitable.

It was weak and unprofitable.

And he gives a parenthetical note that says, for the law perfected nothing.

Now, if you've been with us for the last couple weeks, you remember that this is what was said earlier on in the chapter, that the law could not perfect anything, but a better hope is introduced through which we draw near to God.

So the law, this Ten Commandments, this is what you need to know because if you're trying to do the following of Jesus through the Ten Commandments, and you're like, okay, let me see.

I got to review it this morning.

Like, okay, don't have any idols.

Okay, check my house.

Nope, no idols.

Okay.

And then I need to don't steal.

Okay, am I stealing anything?

Nope, not stealing anything.

Okay, am I cheating on my wife?

No, okay, I'm not cheating on my wife.

Am I lying?

Okay, am I murdering?

Now, is God against those things?

No.

No, but that's not what it means to follow Jesus.

The law served a purpose, which we're gonna talk about in a second.

But following Jesus and this right here, drawing near to God or being perfected is not what the law accomplishes in your life.

So if you have in your head this idea that being a disciple or a follower of Jesus is just following the rules, then you've got it wrong.

I'm gonna say that again.

If you think following Jesus means that you follow a bunch of rules, then you have it wrong.

And I'm not saying that.

It's the Bible that's saying it.

The previous command is annulled because it was what?

It was weak and unprofitable.

It's just like being like six foot or five foot seven.

That's what I am.

I'm five foot seven, and I wish I was six foot.

I mean, I'm being honest.

I wish I was six foot, but it doesn't help for me to go and take and break off about five inches of a ruler and eat it in order to get a taller.

No, that ruler just tells me you're not six foot.

And that's the rule, that's how the law works.

It cannot, the law, the rule stick is weak and unprofitable.

It will not perfect anything.

And so the command, while it was good and it pointed towards God's holiness, it was powerless to make you perfect.

And so there was a need for something that's better.

And that's what Hebrews is talking about.

It reminds me of people back in 2008 and 2009 who still had their flip phone, right?

And all of us were walking around with our iPhones, and Android was coming on the scene, and there was a few that had a flip phone.

So maybe you still have a flip phone, and that's good.

That's fine.

I'm not judging you, okay?

But there's something better.

I just want you to know there's something better.

If you want help setting up your smartphone, I can help you.

Even the free government phones now are smartphones, right?

Like the Obama phones are smartphones.

Like it's gotta be good.

Do you know?

So something better came along, right?

Something better came along.

In reverse, did you know?

I as I was preparing for this, have you ever heard of the the what's it called?

The Phobos cartel.

Have you ever heard of the Phobos cartel?

In the early 20th century, there were some manufacturers of incandescent light bulbs that formed a cartel known as the Phobos cartel.

They agreed to produce light bulbs with a shorter lifespan, around a thousand hours, compared to earlier light bulbs that lasted 2,500 hours.

This was done to increase to increase sales and ensure the steady demand for replacement light bulbs.

This is um building in a expiration date to the product.

Now, this cartel that's called greed.

If you didn't know that, that's called greed.

Um, that's not causing human flourishing.

But the idea that you intentionally build in a light bulb with a lifespan is somewhat analogous to the idea of the law in that it served a purpose for a time, but there's something better that's gonna come on the scene.

The Bible is full of this idea, okay?

This is not just Hebrews, but there are plenty of scriptures that support this idea.

Let me show you a few of them.

The first is in Romans chapter 3, 19 through 20.

Romans 3 · chapter mention

It says, Now we know that whatever the law says, this is Moses' law, it speaks to those who are subject to the law, so that every mouth may be shut.

Do you see this here?

The law is doing a purpose.

And here it's shutting your mouth.

You ever heard the saying, shut up?

Well, the law says, shut up.

You have no excuse, you're condemned under the law.

It's so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God's judgment.

The law accomplishes this good person of saying, Nobody's good enough.

Not one.

It says, For no one will be justified in his sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of sin comes through the law.

Do you see here that no one will be justified in his sight by the works of the law?

In other words, remember, the law is weak, it is unprofitable, it cannot perfect anyone.

Here's Paul riffing on the same idea.

It brings about an awareness of sin, but it does not perfect you.

How about Romans 7, 7 through 12?

What should we say then?

Is the law sin?

Absolutely not.

But I would not have known sin if it were not for the law.

For example, I would have um known what is, I would have not known what is to covet if the law had not said, do not covet.

So he's saying the law has a purpose in that it reveals to me what covetousness is.

And sin seizing an opportunity through the commandment produced in me coveting of every kind.

For apart from the law, sin is dead.

So even the law itself stirs up a rebellious spirit, is what it seems to be saying.

Once I was alive apart from the law, once I was alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life.

And I died.

The commandment that was meant for life resulted in death.

Do you see that?

There was this perception that the law was life-giving, and yet it had this interaction with humanity that provoked rebellion and brought about death.

For sin seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.

So then the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, just, and good.

It serves a purpose, but it is incapable of perfecting you.

It's incapable of perfecting you.

Two more passages.

One from Galatians.

Galatians 3 10 says, For all who rely on the works of the law are under the curse, because it is written, everyone who does not do everything written in the book of the law is cursed.

In other words, look, if you want to try to be perfect by the law, then you're really cursed because nobody's perfect by the law.

If you want to try to do the law, you're only bringing the curse down on your head.

Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous will live by faith.

Let me show you 2 Corinthians 3, 6 through 7.

This is this is rich material in 2 Corinthians 3.6.

This will come up later on.

But he says, He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, right?

So you have the old covenant, which is the law, and then we have the new covenant, which we're going to celebrate at the end of our service this morning.

Not of the letter, but of the spirit.

For the letter kills, but the spirit gives life.

What's he talking about?

The law is the letter.

The law is the letter.

So there's a bunch of synonyms, okay?

You've got law, old covenant, letter, what else?

Uh Mosaic law, old covenant.

Yeah, all of those are the are talking about the same thing.

But under the new covenant, we have the spirit who gives life.

The spirit is um working in cooperation with the new covenant.

Now, if the ministry that brought death chiseled in letters, uh chiseled in letters on stones, it came with glory so that the Israelites were not able to gaze steadfastly on Moses' face because of its glory, which was set aside.

This is a long, complex sentence.

How will the ministry of the Spirit not be much more glorious?

Do you see here he's talking about the law?

He's calling it the ministry that brought about death.

When Moses took and chiseled out the law on the stones, right, the second time, there was a glory to this because he comes off the mountain and his face is irrainating, right?

He comes off Mount Sinai, all of Israel sees Moses' face.

That's why Charles Hesson has the highlights in his hair in the movie.

I'm serious.

No, I it's funny, but it that's why in that moment that happens, is because there's this glory on Moses' face.

But yet he calls it, what does he call this ministry of the law?

It's the ministry of death.

Here's the thing: if you get up tomorrow morning and you're like, God, I want to be closer to you, so I'm gonna follow the Ten Commandments, then you are letting the ministry of death work in your life.

It's not, and why is that?

It's because you can't live up to it.

It's only gonna condemn you.

You're gonna make it through that day, and your heart is gonna be, it's not gonna necessarily set up a wooden idol in your living room on your fireplace mantle, but our hearts stray from a perfect love of Jesus, and that in itself is an idolatry falling short of the law.

And so if you're thinking, oh, I'm gonna follow the Ten Commandments and be perfected and be close to God, at the end of the day, you're gonna just feel condemned and dead, separated from God.

That's why there needed to be a new covenant.

Are you tracking with me?

And so again, the first idea in verses 18 and 19 from Hebrews 7 is we're moving from imperfection, meaning the law, to perfection.

We're trading the old covenant for the new covenant.

Old covenant for the new covenant.

We've got to jump out of 2 Corinthians 3 because we've got we've gone uh too long on that section.

The second thing that we've got to talk about here is this idea of uh the oath-bound priest.

The oath-bound priest.

Let me see if this is, yeah, here it is.

The oath-bound priest, covenant unleashed.

Look at that rhymes.

Oath-bound priest, covenant unleashed, embracing the better hope.

This is the verses.

The this the slides are a little bit out of uh line here.

So let's start in verse 19, because it's it it's uh uses the end of this sentence.

But a better hope is introduced through which we draw near to God.

None of this happened without an oath, for others became priests without an oath.

Who became priests without an oath?

This is the Levites, yeah.

So the Levites became a priest without an oath, and you and you've got to go back to the rest of the chapter where it talked about this earlier on in chapter seven.

We're just jumping right mid this morning, we're jumping in in the middle.

Um, so the Levites became priests through without an oath, but Jesus he became a priest with an oath, made by the one who said to him, The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, you are a priest forever.

Where does this come from?

Psalm 110, right?

So this is where it talks about Melchizedek and his priesthood, right?

So we have this um oath that is made.

Let's go one more verse and then we'll we'll kind of make a summary of this.

Because of this oath, Jesus has also become the guarantee of a better covenant.

The guarantee of a better covenant.

So you have here in verse 19, we have a better hope.

And in then in verse 22, we have a better covenant.

I told you it was said twice in there, right?

I knew it was.

There's the word better two times.

It's one of this pastor's favorite words.

So we have an oath bound priest, meaning Jesus.

God gives an oath about Jesus.

Jesus' priesthood in Psalm 110 and it unleashes a new covenant.

Why?

Well, you've got to go back to last week because you don't get a new priesthood with a new order unless you change the covenant.

Because Moses' covenant set up the Levitical priesthood, which doesn't make a provision for a priesthood separate from Aaron's line.

So when Psalm 110 comes along and says you're a priest after the order of Melchizedek, we just blew up the law a bit.

We blew up the because the priest and law are indelibly connected.

You cannot undo one without undoing the other.

And so therefore, we need to embrace a better hope.

Let's look at this a bit more in depth.

This is the summary.

A new priest was appointed by an oath, and you can't have a new priest without a new covenant.

And that new law covenant is a better covenant and a better hope.

Again, this is a Bible theme.

This is not just this pastor coming up with this, but this is Jeremiah 31, 31 through 34.

Look, the days are coming.

So this is after Moses, but before Jesus, right?

After Moses, but before Jesus, Jeremiah's a prophet, speaking to a people of Is the people of Israel.

They're in exile.

They're not even in their land.

They're in a hopeless, dire situation.

And this is said, look, the days are coming.

This is the Lord's declaration when I will make a oh, it's a new covenant.

Do you see that?

Do you see that there?

It's a new covenant.

It is a new covenant that's coming with the house of Israel, with the house of Judah.

This one will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors on the day that I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt.

So what's he comparing it to?

It's not going to be like the old covenant, the one that Moses gave, because this is all land of Egypt.

He's taking them by the hand.

Awesome.

No, my covenant, they they what did they do with it?

Oh, they broke it.

That's a bummer, huh?

That's too bad.

Well, it's a good thing there's a new one.

Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days.

The Lord's declaration.

Here's what it is.

I quote this every week.

I quote this.

What are the parts?

First, new covenant.

I'm going to put my teaching within them.

I'll write it in their hearts.

Where was the old covenant written?

Stones, right?

You guys got this, right?

It was written on stones, but this new covenant, it's going to be written on hearts.

Second thing, I will be their God.

They will be my people.

This is alluding to the personal relationship that we get to have with God.

No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother saying, Know the Lord, for they will know me from the least to the greatest of them.

When we're talking about, hey, know the Lord, and your brother, you're being dependent on your neighbor or your brother to teach you, saying, Know the Lord, that's an illusion or a reference to the Levitical priesthood.

Because the children of Israel were dependent upon their brother tribe, the Levites, to teach them on how to know the Lord.

But he's like, no, no, no.

You're gonna, you, you individually are gonna have a relationship with me from the least to the greatest.

That's comprehensive.

This is the Lord's declaration, but look at this.

Look at this, saints.

I will forgive their iniquity and never again remember their sins.

Listen, listen, if you don't know God, you came in this morning and you just you don't know what it means to be a follower of Jesus, you just need to know the God of the Bible sent his son Jesus to make this covenant, and this is the important part.

Like if your heart is weighed down with a conviction of the things that you've done wrong, and you know, hey, I've rebelled against God's design in my life, I have been unwise, I've been stupid, and I'm reaping the death that comes from my own rebellion.

You need to know that Jesus came into the world to forgive your iniquity and to never again remember your sin.

That is the covenant that Jesus made a provision for.

When we talk about something better, that's what we're talking about.

So in Jeremiah, or let's see, let's let's start over here.

Okay, we got Jeremiah.

We're in the Old Testament.

He's prophesying.

This is what's gonna happen, right?

This is the covenant that's coming in a couple of centuries from now, a few centuries from now.

Okay, great.

Thank you, Jeremiah.

Well, let's go over to Luke, because this is the night of the Passover.

This is what's celebrated on Good Friday.

In the same way, Jesus, here he is.

He took the cup after supper and he said, This cup is the new covenant.

There it is again.

Do you see it?

It's not just a cup with wine in it, it's not just the symbol of his blood shed.

No, this is the cup of the new covenant in his blood, which is poured out for you.

Do you see when you get up tomorrow morning and you're like, I want to be close to God, I want to follow Jesus, you're not relying on the old covenant, which the children of Israel already tried to, they did a test case on it.

They didn't, it didn't go very well, right?

It didn't go very well.

So why don't we to the new one, right?

I don't you think that's a good idea?

Okay, let's go back to 2 Corinthians real quick.

He has made us competent.

We do we we covered that already.

Let me see, okay, so let's talk about the new covenant.

Because I looked at the old covenant here.

It's called the it's the ministry of the Spirit, right?

Because he's like, look, if the old covenant had glory emanating from the face of Moses, then wouldn't you think if there's a new covenant he got even more glory?

Yeah, I would think so.

For if the ministry that brought condemnation had glory, the ministry that brings righteousness, do you see that?

This new covenant, it brings about righteousness and it's overflowing with more glory.

In fact, what had been glorious is not glorious.

In other words, this old covenant law that had glorious, it's no longer glorious in comparison, because the glory that is surpassing it.

For if what was set aside was glorious, what endures will be even more glorious.

Since then we have such a hope, we act with great boldness.

I we don't have time to keep going, but it's so good.

Can you read 2 Corinthians 3 if you haven't read it before?

Because it's just gonna blow your mind.

It's so awesome.

Okay.

Romans 8.

I just gotta include this because it also is the same idea.

Now, no, there's no condemnation for those that are in Christ.

Now, you're not in Christ if you haven't, if you haven't placed your faith, if you haven't repented and turned in faith to Christ, then you don't get the benefit.

This isn't you.

You're still condemned.

If you're trying to know God through the law, and you've been relating to God according to the law, but you're not yet a follower of Jesus, then you don't get this beautiful verse.

You've got to be in Christ in order to have no condemnation.

Because the law of the Spirit, because of the law of the Spirit, this is a different law.

He's using, he's riffing off this idea of the idea of a law, because the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.

For what the law could not do, because it was weakened by the flesh.

Do you see?

This is why some people think that Hebrews was written by Paul because the language is so similar.

It's likely that whoever wrote Hebrews was familiar with this book because here we have the law weak, right?

The law was it was weak because of the flesh.

Same language.

Uh, it was weakened by the flesh, God did.

He condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sin offering, in order that the law's requirements would be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh.

This is this is maybe this connects a dot for you.

Because you're like, wait, what where does the Ten Commandments fit in?

The Ten Commandments fit in the fact that Jesus fulfilled it for you.

Jesus did it perfectly on your behalf.

He went to the cross on your behalf, he fulfilled the law on your behalf and my behalf.

So now we operate according to God.

He's perfecting in us a holiness, but our focus, our gaze is not on the list of ten commands through Moses.

Instead, our focus is on Jesus, and our relationship with him is through the Spirit, and He is perfecting His work in us.

Okay.

Third point that comes from our text is this inner eternally interceding, completely saving Jesus, our forever high priest.

Eternally interceding, completely saving Jesus, our forever high priest.

Hebrews, this picks up 23, 24, and 25, those verses.

Now, many have become Levitical priests, since they are prevented by death from remaining in office.

Many being a negative thing.

It's not like, oh good, you all have an opportunity to be a Levitical priest.

Isn't that awesome?

No, that's not awesome because we all got to keep getting used to the new priest, and that stinks because we really want to be close to God.

But I was getting so close to him, and then that guy died.

And now I've got to try a new priest, and he's just not good.

You know, I don't like how he delivers the law.

The old covenant, it stunk.

It was not very good, it was weak, right?

He's saying, now many have become Levitical priests since they are prevented by death from remaining in office.

They keep dying off, doggone it.

But because he remains forever, who is he that remains forever?

Jesus remains forever.

He holds his priesthood permanently.

Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, since he always lives to intercede for him.

We've been talking about Melchizedek a bit.

We talked about how Melchizedek in Genesis 14 did not have a beginning of life or an end of life.

It doesn't tell us the beginning or the end.

And so it gives us this idea that he's just eternal, an eternal character.

And that is the reality, that's the substance of Jesus.

So the pastor who wrote Hebrews maps that on to the person of Jesus and says, as a priest, Jesus keeps going as your priest.

But here's the beauty of it: He is able to save completely those who come to God.

There's not one person in this room, there's not one person in Baltimore City that can't be saved by Jesus.

He is completely sufficient in his ability to save.

There's nothing that you have done that takes you away or disqualifies you from his saving act.

He can save everyone completely who come to God through him, since he always lives to intercede for them.

Jesus is living, interceding on your behalf.

He ever lives to intercede for them.

A couple verses that bring this home.

In Romans 8 34, it says that Jesus, he at the end here, it says he is also at the right hand of God, interceding for you.

That means that right this moment, Jesus is praying for you to his Father.

He knows what's going on in your life.

Like he's praying for you.

And it seems like it would be significant to have Jesus praying for me.

Wouldn't that be important?

That seems pretty powerful.

He's right there.

Like he doesn't have to do what we do, where it's like, like, God, are you there?

No, he's right there at the throne.

He's present.

Like he can see the Father.

And he's talking to the Father, interceding for you.

First Timothy 2, 5 and 6.

There is one God, one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom, a testimony at the proper time.

He's mediating, he's standing there, he's mediating for you so that you can have a relationship with the Father.

1 John 2, 1 and 2.

My little children, I'm writing these things so that you may not sin.

But if anyone does sin, look, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous one.

Some of you have had the privilege of being accused of a crime, charged, and going to a courtroom.

And the thing you want in your lawyer is an advocate.

Somebody that's going to advocate for you and make the best case for your innocence.

Well, we're not innocent.

We're not innocent.

We're totally guilty.

And what Jesus has done is he's advocating, not saying, ignore the sin.

Jesus is doing what he's doing in the courtroom of God is he's saying, I take the guilt.

I did the cross.

I have absorbed the punishment, the wrath of God, so that these can be found innocent.

Jesus Christ, the righteous.

He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.

We have, there's three concepts here.

Three concepts.

We have this idea of imperfection to perfection, trading the old covenant for the new.

You have an oath-bound priest, Jesus, who is unleashing a new covenant, and we're called to embrace a better hope.

And the third idea here in the text is the he is eternally interceding, completely saving Jesus, our forever high priest.

Eternally interceding, completely saving Jesus or forever priest.

We live in a time of self-improvement, of just, I want to be better.

And there's a a longing.

Here's the thing: Jesus as our high priest is advocating for our being better, but he is perfecting us.

And as followers of him, we are the only ones that have forgiveness while we fall short, and have the empowering of God's grace, uh, literally a covenant between the Father and us that is the quickening of God's Spirit in our life.

That is the X factor for Christians.

And I am afraid that I and many Christians, hopefully not you, but fall short of the capacity that's entrusted to us through this better covenant.

It's a better hope, but it's a better covenant that makes it possible for us to be an obedient people, to return to the design that God has given to us.

But that's the call of this pastor.

He's looking at these things, he's meditating on the person of Melchizedek and the priesthood of Melchizedek, and he's like, Saints, Jesus is your priest, your high priest.

After the order of Melchizedek, he's praying for you, he's interceding on your behalf, and he's mediating a better covenant so that you the the perfection that you long for, you can now head in that direction.

You're no longer condemned, you're no longer under the ministry of death, but you have the spirit bearing witness to life in your life.

Those those are the things that I see in in Hebrews 7.

I commend it to you.

Also, 2 Corinthians 3.

As you're walking with the Lord, think through this week.

What does it look like for me to lean into Jesus as my high priest?

Because man, I'm not getting it right.

I don't even, sometimes you don't even know what perfection may be.

Maybe you're just feeling the weight of your own imperfection.

Just know, hey, Jesus is there ministering this covenant, a better covenant, a hope, a covenant of hope.

He's your high priest praying for you.

Let's let's hang out there.

Right?

Let's hang out there instead of trying to operate in our relationship with God according to the Ten Commandments.

All right?

Lord, we thank you for your word.

God, we pray, teach us, teach us how to do life, uh this new life through Jesus according to the new covenant of grace.

We ask, Lord, that you would go to work in our life.

Maybe some of the ways we think it needs to change this week.

Our perspective may need to change.

Maybe we have a bad attitude in some things.

Maybe we just need to know ourselves better.

All of that stuff you have free, you can legally do, you have a license to do all that stuff in our life because of this new covenant.

We are so grateful, God, for your work that you want to do on our behalf.

Please, would you do that?

Lord, you know that in this room there's broken relationships, there's sickness, there is um suffering that's going on.

Lord, I pray, would you be in the midst of our lives, revealing your great power?

We ask this in Jesus' name.

Amen.