evident that Ardor was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe, Moses said nothing about the priests. This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become a priest not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. For it is witnessed of him you're a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek. For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness, for the law made nothing perfect, but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced through which we draw near to God, and it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, 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're a priest forever. This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. The former priests were many in number because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently because he continues forever. 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. For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens. He has no need like those high priests to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself for the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a son who has been made perfect forever. Amen. what gospel there is in these words of the priesthood of Christ. As has been already mentioned, the one beknownst to me beforehand, when someone is taking on public office, They acquire certain responsibilities, and because they have to discharge their duties, they're required to take a public oath of office. In other words, they make a promise to God to perform all their duties to the best of their abilities with the solemnity that that responsibility and office to which they've been appointed and elected demands. They can't just do their own thing. They're accountable to God. The unusual thing about the office that Christ holds is that Christ did not make an oath to the Father, but God appointed him as priest, giving to him an oath. Why did he do that? So that we might be sure He is the one who has been appointed to represent us. That's a fascinating fact. It's completely against the norms of human behaviour. God makes an oath to Christ so that we might have no doubt that he is the one whom God has chosen. We've already seen in the book of Hebrews, we've been looking at this, I think from maybe May onwards, we've worked through as far as the end of chapter seven now almost, and we've seen that the Lord Jesus is indeed such an amazing great high priest of the church of his people. We've seen in chapter 1, he is very God of very God, who has made atonement for sins, sat down at God's right hand. And it is as the Old Testament scriptures repeatedly promised of him and spoke of him and to him the one who is far above all angels. We don't need angels or saints or Mary or anything else or anyone to pray to God through or to pray for us. He's the divine mediator. He is excellent, he's exalted. And so that he might be the mediator, who is God the Son and extends his human hand to us to bring us into God's presence, because that's what a mediator does. He has to represent both parties. He became man. He took on human flesh to give us access to God, bring on bringing us into the heavenly courts in prayer and by the Spirit, and also then to bring many sons to glory. When he died on the cross, he had us on his heart to save us completely. He's the mediator as God and man are better God-man. He's therefore the one over God's house, his heavenly house above, of whom the earthly house was just a pictorial representation, though the power of heaven worked in the earthly tent for a time because it pointed to him. And then he brings us into God's rest. Jesus, in the Hebrew Bible, Joshua, brought the people into an earthly Canaan, Jesus is the one who gives us ultimate Sabbath rest in the heavenly Canaan. And that's why he goes on, if we understand these things, if we've seen his miracles, if we've experienced the power of heaven in our midst, in our hearts, short of salvation, I suppose, And we turn aside from this as the Hebrews were tempted to do under stress and pressure. They were tempted to give up on the new covenant worship of Jesus and go back to the Jewish rites because it cost less, it was easier, there was no hassle, they would get their jobs back, their bodies wouldn't be harmed and their families wouldn't be ostracized and excluded if they did that. And so they're wavering, they're doubting under pressure. But if they do that, everything will be lost. They must hold fast. And so this priestly teaching is introduced in chapter seven to stabilize their faith and remind us that he is the priest and the mediator we need. And so he goes on to say a number of things about the superiority of the priesthood of Christ. I'll not go through them all again. We've spent a couple of weeks, maybe three weeks, looking at these, but I just want to draw out two or three more things today by God's help. and by his grace. The first thing in verse 22, if you look at it there, it's on page 1191 of your Bibles in the seats, we're told that we have a guaranteed covenant. We have a guaranteed covenant. Look what it says there. This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better Covenant. Now this is the first time that covenant's mentioned in the book of Hebrews and it's going to be mentioned many times subsequently. I'm not going to pause on that today. That's a sermon in and of itself. But just to say that this teaches us, because he's the guarantor of the better covenant, of the new covenant, as opposed to the old system of the Jewish temple and tabernacle, nothing hinges on us. Everything rests on Christ. Isn't that great news? Since he is guarantor, everything is binding, certain, unshakable, and sure. Doubts flee. The shadow of doubt before the light of the priesthood of Christ. Years ago, My mother was asked to go garrantor for a mortgage on a house. I'll not say who by. And she looked very anxious. And there was a lump in her throat. And she gulped. And she said, go garrantor. Why was she nervous? What was so bad about being a guarantor? Well, of course, if you know about business and law and property and that kind of things, these technicalities and legalities, you'll understand this, that when you go guarantor for someone whose dealings and business and property and financial situation and personal circumstances are shaky and weak and not to be relied upon or counted upon. You take everything. All the responsibilities, all the duties, all the payments, all the costs are laid on the guarantor should there be a default on the payments. and the guarantor risks everything. Everything he has is laid on the guarantor. The guarantor, as someone has put it, is the legal substitute who assumes responsibility for performing all the duties and paying all the debts of the one who, in this case, is in covenant with God. And Jesus has gone guarantor for us. There are two examples of this in scripture. In Genesis 43, you'll remember when we were preaching through the life of Joseph, how I drew attention to this fact that kind of marked Judah out as a tribe with the messianic credentials. This was the one from whom the king would be born and Judah steps into that role as it were beforehand. And Jacob's awfully anxious about little old Benjamin. What will happen, Benjamin, if I let him go with you? And Judah says, hold on. I assume all the responsibility. If anything happens to me, you can take my life. Why? Because he's going guarantor. And Jacob says, albeit reluctantly, well, that's fine, then he can go. you'll pay the debt, you'll discharge the duties, should anything happen to her. And we see a great example of this in Philemon as well. I'm not sure we should call it the Philemon chapter one, verse 18 and 19, because as you'll know, Philemon only has one chapter, so it's verses 18 and 19 of the one chapter of Philemon. And his slave, When Isimus has run away, he's wronged his master and Paul now wants to restore him. He's found this refugee slave helpful to him and he wants to send him back. And he writes and he says, if there's any debt or any expense or anything that he defaults on on his duty, charge it to my account. Now we know what that's like, don't we? Maybe it's a friend, or a family member, or someone's poor, and they weed out at a restaurant, and we know they can't afford it. And we just say quietly, and we slip the credit card into the counter, don't come to the table. I'll take the bill and the cheque and pay the expense. I'll pick up the tab. That's a bit what it's like. Christ has picked up the tab for us. He's borne all the risk. He met all the conditions and the costs of the covenant of grace, which promises that God will be our God and we will be his people. It promises to write the law upon our hearts and minds so that we walk in God's paths. It promises every blessing in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. And by his cross, his death, his superior sacrifice, once for all, he has picked the tab up. And the deal is sealed. And we can be assured of that. Arthur Pink writes this. God did not need a surety or a guarantor, says Pink, but for his own poor, failing and deficient people who were unable to meet their obligations and incapable of discharging their liabilities, he did it. It's this teaching, though it's not put in those words necessarily in Isaiah chapter 55, after the suffering of the servant in chapter 53. Because he has been the guarantor of the covenant, because he bore our guilt and our sins on the tree, because it's by his stripes we're healed, we're told in chapter 55, turning from our sins, come by and eat. Your souls. I don't know what your favourite restaurant or eating place is in New Jersey, but there's no soul feast provided by Christ like this without money and without price. because he is the guarantor of the covenant. And because of that, there's not a promise which is written in one chapter or of one verse of one book in the scripture which can ever fall to the ground. The reason is, is because he's the guarantor of it. He assures that it will be so. The promise of forgiveness of sins. The promise of a relationship with God by His Spirit through Jesus Christ, transforming our hearts and lives. All the promises of access to God in prayer. So David can say, God will answer when I call. Because Jesus is the guarantor of that. All those amazing times you've prayed and God has heard you. The reason is the blood of the guarantor. It's kind of exciting when you think of it like that, spiritually speaking. Our promise of heavenly rest and peace, when the Lord will take his hand and wipe away every tear from the eye, and we'll be with friends in a company of godly saints made perfect in holiness, and the joy of God's presence. It's because he's guarantor. It's because he's guarantor. We call Jehovah, capital L-O-R-D, Yahweh, El Shaddai. The Lord is my shepherd, our King and our God, and we worship him with full souls and full hearts. And for those times when we feel wrung out like a wet rag, and lifeless and limp without strength, When we feel overwhelmed by the difficulties and the troubles and the trials, when we're beset by fierce temptations, we have all the help, strength, life, and grace that God has promised. And because we have full assistance, this is the rub. Because we have full assistance and assurance, we owe him total allegiance. That's the equation. Full assistance, full assurance equals total allegiance. That's of course what we want. because our hearts go out to him because his heart has gone out to us. The second thing we see, and I'm skipping over things here, But there's godly intercession in verse 23. There's godly intercession. This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. 22. The former priests were many in number because they were prevented by death. from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently because he continues forever. 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. He lives to make intercession for them. The mediation of Aaron had narrow aims and scope. his mediation atoned for Israel annually, superficially, but that depended on the blood of Christ. But note the different aspects of the intercession of Christ here. It's a perpetual intercession, never ceases day and night. It's a panoramic intercession. for saints in every age, land, and climate. It's a protective intercession for our adversary, Satan, and the world and the flesh stands to accuse the brothers of the Lord Jesus day and night before God's face. But he's our protective advocate. And he presents himself, he stands in the person of the lamb who was slain with his wounds on his side. Having made atonement for our sins, he stands in the heavenly court and springs to our defence. And it's a prayerful intercession. For when the devil asks to sift us as wheat as he did with Peter, he prays that our faith will not fail. There are some marvellous examples of this, of course, in the gospel. We've mentioned the one of Peter there, that Peter's faith would not fail, and afterwards he would restore, when he turned back, he would also restore his brothers. But there's a good example of protective prayer beforehand. For the choice of disciples, or when his disciples were going down below, going across the lake, and when the disciples saw the glory of Christ on his face transfigured on the mount, what was he doing? What was his activity? He was praying for his people. Look at Luke chapter 6, Luke chapter 6, 12 through 13. In those days we're told he went out to the mountain to pray and all night he continued in prayer to God. He was interceding And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve whom he named apostles. Turn over then to chapter 9, to 28 and 32 of chapter 9. It's on page 1028. Now about eight days after these things, he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure. We was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and, Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory. Whether we're struggling on the lake below, or whether we're brought up the mountain, and caught up into heaven, and in our distress and difficulty, we need refreshed by a sight of glory. Do you see what it's based upon? The heavenly intercession of Christ. See, sometimes we pray, don't we? We're not quite sure what to ask for. We generally know roughly because we pray, the way we're taught to pray, and in such a way as aligns with the will of God. Scripture directs us to pray for the good things God has for us and we ask for. But sometimes we don't know exactly what to pray for. Romans says the Spirit intercedes for us, which of course corresponds with the prayers of Christ, but he always knows exactly what to ask for, exactly what's best. exactly what's right and wisest and good thing for us. And because he's sinless, and God hears his sinless perfect son, and he's a guarantor of the covenant, when he intercedes, not one word of his prayer falls to the ground. But everything he asks for, for us, Even when we've forgotten to pray for ourselves, and our Christian brothers and friends, and our church, and the work of the gospel, and the preaching of the gospel, he intercedes, and he's heard. Isn't that an amazing thing? Always heard. It's interesting that, and I want to be careful when I say this, Christians rightly make a lot of the death of Christ and the cross of Christ. But there is a slight danger, isn't there? If we stop at this, if we sentimentally sing, when I survey the wondrous cross and if we cling to the old rugged cross and forget why the old rugged cross took place so that having paid the debt and atoned fully for our sins and secured all the blessings of the covenant as its guarantor. He might rise from the dead and he might ascend into heaven to God's right hand to continue his priestly work. What does Paul say? having been justified by grace with peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. And yet he says, by his life, how much more will he graciously give us all things? Paul wants us in Ephesians chapter one, two, get big spiritual eye sockets. filled with massive spiritual eyeballs to turn our gaze upwards and behold the lamb who was slain. Because he's the ascended Lord of glory. Paul says in Ephesians 1, I want the eyes of your heart to understand this, that he's working everything for you and for the church and for his gospel, everything. And if we're blind to that, and in a godly way, can't see beyond the cross, we need to lift our eyes to the glory which was purchased by the cross for us, where he intercedes for us in heaven. So let's be encouraged by the thought, let's always remember to look up, because Paul says, if Christ is not raised, we are to be pitied above all men, but Christ has been raised, that we might be full of this glorious hope and this knowledge of Christ in glory. It was my prayer. I'm not sure if I prayed it in the Bible study this morning or last night, but it was my prayer for myself and for you. Lord Jesus, reach out your hand this morning and bring us into heaven that we might see your glory. Everything safe and secure for us in Christ. And the third thing we see is godly separation in verse 26. I kind of feel I'm short-changing you here, going so quickly through this passage, I do want to look at the character of Christ's high priest here in verse 26. For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest. In other words, when he says such, he means what an amazing high priest. That's the sense here. We have such a high priest. Look at what he says about him. This is a verse to learn. I think we maybe did learn this version, but if we haven't already, let's learn it. He's holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. And the basis of all this priestly work, as it continues, we don't have time to look at this this morning, is his death, his once for all sacrifice. the Old Testament priests offered daily. Morning and evening, the various species of offerings, the five, the burnt offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, the peace offerings, and the grain offering. If they did that for one Israelite, every time he sinned or came to the confessional at the edge of the tent of meeting and laid his hands on the beast and then the beast's life was laid down. And then for the whole people on the day of atonement to clear his debt and clear his sins, it would have been an awful lot of sacrificing. You can almost feel Aaron's heart or Levi's heart sinking. Not you again. Is there no end to your sin? And for all the tens and the hundreds and the thousands and the hundreds of thousands and the millions and the billions of Israelites who came and their sins were brought at various times, day by day, is there no end to this? Well, there is. when he offered himself once for all on the cross. And that's the basis of his exaltation above the heavens. But let's just look then at godly separation. Though set apart from the flock and consecrated in robes and dress of holiness, because everything about the high priest said holy to the Lord, Look, he's wearing his holy garments. And they're shining and glittering, but it was an outward holiness. I think there's something I tabulated or read at a table of 83 high priests of the Jews. You get that from the rabbinical sources and from Josephus the historian and the scriptural records, 83. The best were fickle, faithless, at times very foolish. Moses smote a rock in anger. Aaron made a golden calf at the foot of the mountain of the Lord. What were you thinking of, Aaron? Eli when his sons did vile things at the front of the tent? Eli said, look, men, stop it, please. He refused to restrain them and remove them. And after the exile, some of the high priests were vicious, scheming, corrupt, Men more concerned with political clout than spiritual life. They even bought their office with bribery. They were wicked men, worldly men. Men who craved and abused power and influence. And that's why the true Cohen Gadol, or high priest, the great priest, came. Annas and Caiaphas, out of jealous rage and malicious scheming, plotted to put him to death. Roused up false witnesses and crucified him. Because they were the worst type of man. They wore a holy cloak over their hypocritical hearts. And there's two distinct aspects that distinguish and separate Christ as great high priest from all the rest. The first is his godly person, his godly person. The spiritual and ethical resume of Jesus was such and of so great a character that it made him quite distinct from the rest. His character, we're told, is stated here as godly or with docility and purity. The first term godly is not hagios, holy, but hosios. It implies a godly, upright, faithful loyalty to the covenant. It's used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament Chassid, or Chassidim. Jesus is the true Hasidic Jew. He's the godly one. In those words we read at the start of worship, God is Chassid, just and upright in all his ways. Because Jesus is God. Of the 50 occurrences of this term in the Greek Old Testament, 25 of them occur in the Psalms. David's heard in Psalm 4 because he is godly. In Deuteronomy 33, godly Levi receives the umim and the thumim, the lots, placed in the pouch of the breastpiece as he goes before God to bear the judgments of his people on his heart. He's the godly one. How much more true of Christ. And in Psalm 16, it's the godly one Verse 10, who will not see corruption, but have eternal pleasures at God's right hand. It's this same term, the godly one. This priest has a zest for the glory, the will, the rule, and the life of God. Captivated by God. because he is God, the high priest. The second word is akakos. It can imply a kind of naive innocence, like the docility of Jeremiah. He was just led away like a silent lamb to the slaughter and he had no clue what was up. He didn't think at that level. He wasn't plotting and scheming and worrying. what others were doing to him, he was fixed on God. Of course, when Christ gave himself, he knew exactly what was happening. But he was docile, and it signifies also a heart of love to his fellow human beings made in the image of God. When he was unearthed, our Saviour went about doing as much good as he could do to as many people he met. Isn't that right? He was full of goodness and kindness. He was docile and gentle. Just thinking about that as it applies to the disciples. You know, the disciples sometimes really messed up, didn't they? And if we had been in charge of the disciples, like some of the things that Peter blurted out in the way he sank on the lake. Peter, why didn't you not just stand in the boat instead of showing off? Peter denied Christ three times. None of that. He's docile, loving, he's kind. He just wanted what was best for his men and for his women and his followers. And he was prepared to do everything to make sure that was so. This is our high priest. He's rooting for us reverently. And he is amiantos, which means unstained or clean. If you go to the book of Leviticus, you'll get a sense of this word in the original Greek. Everything's unclean. If you touch a dead body, unclean. If you touch a leper, really unclean. A leper, in fact, has to say unclean, unclean. If you have an itch or a scratch or a rash, it's unclean. Everything's unclean, except Christ, who's the friend of sinners, and he touches the leper, and he cleanses the leper, and he doesn't defile or contract impurity. He has no pollution. He could sit and chat with adulterers and thieves and feel at ease in their company. Without becoming unclean. He's free from any taint. There's nothing immoral or defiling about him. A little bit like, and only a little bit like, a doctor in a pandemic. goes in amongst the infected and remains Covid-free. Or like the pastor was telling you about last week, Thomas Vincent in London in the 1660s. He goes in and ministers to parishioners in the plague and he doesn't catch it. And so, where the Levites had outward holiness, and had to be just and harmless and pure from every spot, none therefore was qualified in his office. Remember Zacharias, or in Zachariah 3, Joshua son of Jehozadek. He's called to be high priest. He stands before the angel of the Lord and he says, look at me. I'm filthy, I'm vile, I'm polluted. And the angel of the Lord says, quick, change his garments. And put a clean turban on his head. And that's what Christ does for us. In his godliness, his prayers are heard and in his goodness he comes to us and he gives us his righteousness. He gives us his purity to take away all that defiles us. And if that is true, it means he's set apart from us morally, but also then his glorious location. He's ascended to heaven to minister as our great high priest. And if that's true, we need to come to him, don't we, as such a high priest. Maybe you're thinking of this list and thinking, boy, I'm defiled. I'm not holy. I've done things that are unclean and leave me feeling dirty and polluted. I've said things that are displeasing to God and in my own eyes, before God make me vile and unfit. And so we need to come to him for his imputed holiness and godliness and purity and docility. Lord, I'm not like this so that I might stand in your presence in heaven Count me like this. Reckon me like this. Make me godly in the eyes of God. And that comes through trusting Jesus Christ. That's all we have to do. Come to Him and ask Him, turning from what we know to be wrong and defiling and sinful and ungodly. Decloth us. And then we need to come to Him for imparted godliness. and lucidity and purity. Lord, I'm not like this, but I know that you have this in infinite measure. Grant me this. Make me like this more and more, so I might be like my great high priest. See, we're leper ridden and cancer riddled by sin. But if we have Christ, then we're clean and godly for Jesus' sake and more and more like our saviour. John Owen says this, that we cannot claim him as our high priest if we're not committed to a holiness of life. And he continues the quote. Conformity unto him in holiness of nature and life according to our nature is indispensably required of us. None can more dishonor the Lord Christ, no more perniciously deceive and betray their own souls than calling him priest and trusting him to be saved and yet not pursuing holiness. Isn't that why the book of Hebrews says, in light of your high priest, whom you own and serve and call as Lord, without holiness, no one will see the Lord, because he's the one who bought it for us and gives it to us if we ask. What a wonderful high priest we have. What have we said here? He's our guarantor. He's our goodness. And he's our high priest at God's right hand who underseeds for us. It's sure? Be sure. He has it for us. ask for it from him. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for Jesus Christ, our great High Priest. We thank you for his wonderful work for us and the wonderful office this High Priest occupies in our behalf.