International Gospel Hour

Jeff Archey: That beautiful hymn expresses Jesus perfectly that says Jesus savior reigneth forever and ever, crown him, crown him prophet and priest and king. Let's think about Christ as our priest, our high priest. That's coming up on the International Gospel Hour.

J. Webb: Hi, this is J. Webb for International Gospel Hour. Welcome to our broadcast today. For over 90 years, churches of Christ have proclaimed God's word through our broadcasts. Just ahead is another bible-based lesson with Jeff Archey of International Gospel Hour. Let's begin.

Jeff Archey: Well thank you always to our J. Webb and greetings and hello everyone. It's great having you with us for the International Gospel Hour and I'd like to add very quickly as we begin to mention our friends at truth.fm. That's truth.fm. Check out their number of listening options and download their app. Also feel free to download beautiful congregational singing of some of the most blessed long-time hymns. Again friends, that's truth.fm. Once again truth.fm.

You know one has to love the following text from the book of Hebrews. Speaking of the Christ in Hebrews 1 and verse 3: "who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high." Notice that phrase "when he had by himself purged our sins." To God be the glory for the sacrifice of Christ.

Then we go into Hebrews 4:14 through 16 that says: "for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." Jesus Christ was without sin. Our high priest who sympathizes with us. Today friends, let's spend time with an assurance from the Father that we can know our sacrifice, Jesus Christ. Knowing his life as our high priest through his death as the sacrifice for sin. My friends, how rich this teaching truly is. So let's just stay with this.

First of all, let's notice the phrase again "when he had by himself purged our sins." Let's look at Jesus as the priest or the high priest. You know the priest were the ones in the Old Testament who offered sacrifices to God in order to cleanse the people of sin as Hebrews 7:27 explains: "as those high priests to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins and then for the people's."

Now we see Jesus as the true high priest who offered himself as a once-for-all-time sacrifice. Let's go back to Hebrews 7 verse 27 and go through verse 28: "who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins and then for the people's, for this he did once for all when he offered up himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath which came after the law appoints the Son who has been perfected forever."

Wow, that's beautiful. Jesus as the high priest but yet he was the one that offered himself. You know that's why Paul could tell the Christians in Ephesus in Ephesians 5 and verse 2: "and walk in love as Christ also has loved us and given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." The very best. And then let's think about Jesus who has gone into the heavenly equivalent of the holy of holies, the very presence of God. We know that from Hebrews 6 verse 19: "this hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast and which enters the presence behind the veil."

Let's go a little further into Hebrews 9:24 through 26: "for Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. Not that he should offer himself often, as the high priest enters the most holy place every year with the blood of another, he then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world, but now once at the end of the ages he has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." Oh friends, I told you how rich this truly becomes.

You see through Jesus, our high priest, think about what all the Christian has access to. I mean think about what all is available. We have to look at the sacrifice that was the very best. As we noted from Hebrews 1 and verse 3, Jesus purged our sins and he purged them as the Lamb of God. The most excellent sacrifice, that lamb without blemish and without spot that Peter talked about in 1 Peter 1:18 and 19: "redeemed not with corruptible things as silver and gold but redeemed with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."

And remember back in John 1 and verse 29 how John the Baptist heralded Jesus when he came to him or came toward him "behold the lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world." I take us back to Hebrews chapter 9 verses 11 and 12: "but Christ came as high priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood he entered the most holy place once for all having obtained eternal redemption."

Now friends, I don't want to go back and live under a covenant that used the blood of bulls and goats that could not take away sin, Hebrews 10 verse 4. I want to understand the new covenant of which Jesus has purchased and let's think about this. We have access to that covenant which is a better covenant. That's affirmed by Hebrews 7 verse 22: "by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant." Now that word surety or some guarantee or the guarantor meaning one who is to follow up on a promise of something better.

So Jesus would follow up on something better. When God sent Christ into the world his death would be that follow up of a covenant that he nailed to the cross, Colossians 2:14, and a better covenant with better promises as we note that from Hebrews chapter 8:6 through 13. And friends we can always count on Jesus, that surety, that guarantee. You know that is the only place in the scripture this form of Greek is used and it truly emphasizes. He is the sureter, he followed up on a promise of something better. Jesus brought it, if you will allow me.

And being the sacrifice that was the best under a covenant that is better, and oh to think of an obedience that is blessed. In Hebrews 5:8 and 9: "though he was a son yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered, and having been perfected, he became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him." So when we are obedient to the Christ, then he signs our eternal salvation. He is the one that when we obey him he, if you will, signs off on us. That's an obedience that is blessed.

Friends when you look at this through Jesus, our high priest, the sacrifice that is the best, that's the one I want. The covenant that is better, that's the one I want. The obedience that is blessed, that's the one I want. You see Jesus is our priest, our high priest, and to God be the glory and we will embrace his offering for our sin. And such is the sacrifice of which is offered for us and we can know him. The Hebrew writer says in Hebrews 4:14 through 16: "seeing then that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Oh to increase one's faith and one's walk in him. The confidence that increases through Christ, the joy that increases, the commitment in one's prayer life that increases. And dear friends, through our priest, the sacrifice, that's his life in which we can know.

You know when I look at what all Jesus offered in his teaching, he taught us faith in him, John 8:24, John 3 verse 16. He taught us repentance in Luke 13:3 and 5 and commanded his apostles to preach repentance beginning at Jerusalem, Luke 24:44 through 47, and that's what they did in Acts 2 and verse 38. Jesus taught confession of him in Matthew 10:32 and 33, a confession that is made unto salvation, Romans 10 verse 10. And then Jesus taught the importance of baptism based upon our faith in order to be saved, Mark 16:16, to have the remission of our sins, Acts 2 and verse 38. Friends what a beautiful and wonderful thought.

Let's embrace Jesus as we can know the sacrifice, our high priest. Friends before we go, I've got a great online study for you. Our friends at International Bible Teaching Ministries have a great one. A great online bible course and it is free. So just check it out at their website ibtministries.org. That's the letter ibtministries.org. While there you can take a look at their biblically sound tracts and articles and you can register free for your online bible course that's waiting for you at ibtministries.org.

That's ibtministries.org and be sure to comment you heard about it from the International Gospel Hour. So friends we hope this study has been profitable. We'll do it again at another time but for now, thank you for joining me today on the International Gospel Hour. I'm Jeff Archey and friends, keep listening.

J. Webb: Thank you for listening to our broadcast today and we hope you continue onward with your search and study of God's word. Please join us next time and visit our website at internationalgospelhour.com. God be with you till we meet again.