Hebrews 5 - What is the Greatest Need in the Church Today?

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5 Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. 3 This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. 4 And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.

We talked about this yesterday, but the most high priest was selected out of all the priests to be the mediator for the people. He represented the people by offering gifts and sacrifices for their sins, though he had his own sins to deal with too. For that reason he could be compassionate to those who were in the same condition he was. As a result the sacrifices he offered were for himself too. This was special honor to be the priest, who is called to the priesthood in the same manner Aaron was, who was Moses brother. 

The High Priest was taken from the community of God’s people but was not chosen by God’s people. He was appointed by God for His people. The principle is that no man takes this honor to himself. The office of high priest was nothing to aspire to or campaign for. It was given by right of birth, and therefore chosen by God. It was an honor no man could take to himself. - Guzik

Today, we also are prohibited from being our own priest. It is great arrogance to think we can approach God on our own, without a priest. But it is also great superstition to think we need any priest other than Jesus Christ Himself. God provides Jesus as a mediator and priest, and we must use the priest God provides. - Guzik 

5 In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.” 6 And he says in another place, “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

God the Father likewise chose God the Son to become the ultimate high priest. Jesus was unlike any human high priest in that He was the Son of God. The author quotes this from Psalm 2:7. In Psalm 110:4, he says Jesus is unlike any other priest, because he is a priest in the order of Melchizedek. Melichzedek was unusual in that he was both a priest and a king. In the same way Jesus is both and priest who mediates on behalf of us to the Father, and also is a King, who will come back to judge the living and dead.  We see again the uniqueness of Jesus' priesthood. 

It is easy to see why the priesthood of Jesus was difficult for early Jewish Christians to grasp. Jesus was not from the lineage of Aaron. Jesus neither claimed nor practiced special ministry in the temple. He confronted the religious structure instead of joining it. In Jesus’ day, the priesthood became a corrupt institution. The office was gained through intrigue and politicking among corrupt leaders.

7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

The author points out the humanity of Jesus, for instance when he was in the garden awaiting the cross and cried out to God praying, "Lord if it is possible take this cup from me, but not my will but yours be done." God the Father heard the Son, but allowed Jesus to go to the cross because this was Jesus' mission in saving the world. But God the Father also knew that He would raise His Son from the dead three days later. 

In a human sense Jesus was made perfect by his suffering. This didn't mean he was imperfect, but that his suffering completed the purpose for which he came. And his perfect purpose was to be the innocent lamb of God, who was slain on behalf of all people for the forgiveness of sin. Jesus became our source of salvation for all who came to believe in His name and trust in Him for the forgiveness of their sin. Once again the writer mentions that Jesus is a priest in the order of Melchizedek. 

The agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gesthemane (Matthew 26:36-39, Luke 22:44) proved He struggled with the difficulty of obedience, yet He obeyed perfectly.

Though God chooses us through His Son, the rest of our life as a believer involves choosing him through obedience to the Holy Spirit. 

“Obedience is a trade to which a man must be apprenticed until he has learned it, for it is not to be known in any other way. Even our blessed Lord could not have fully learned obedience by the observation in others of such an obedience as he had personally to render, for there was no one from whom he could thus learn.” (Spurgeon)

Where is God calling you to be obedient in your life even though it is hard and might even involve suffering? 

Warning Against Falling Away

11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

The author closes by giving them a pretty firm admonition. The believers apparently were very immature in their faith and had not grown to know God's Word. In fact, it says, "They no longer tried to understand!" 

The writer assumed that at this point in their spiritual life they would have been discipling others. But he uses the analogy of milk and meat to distinguish between someone who can correctly handle God's Word and someone who needs to be "spoonfed". 

Those who can eat meat have been trained to see the difference between good and evil, right from wrong. They do not have to be told they are doing something wrong, they have trained their mind through God's Word to recognize sin and walk away from it. 

Note the author is not talking necessarily about pastors. He assumes everyone will have some role in teaching another about growing in the Christian life by knowing God's Word. This is the motto of our church. "Be a disciple and make a disciple".

You don't have to be seminary trained or a theological expert to be a teacher in the church, especially in a one to one or small group basis!

Would you say you need to be on milk, or are you feeding on solid food? Realize that if you are reading the Daily Bread, you are obeying God's command to read His Word on daily basis. If you need a faith mentor find one. If you have matured in your knowledge and experience through obedience you are ready disciple someone else!

THIS IS THE GREATEST NEED IN THE CHURCH TODAY! DISCIPLES WHO ARE TRAINED TO MAKE OTHER DISCIPLES!