you can turn in your Bibles to the Book of Hebrews. We're working our way through Book of Hebrews. It's on page 1609 in the Church Bible. There may or may not be one close by you. Or if you have the first edition of the Legacy Standard Bible, it's on page 1609. Hebrews chapter five, we will read verses seven through 10. This is in the context of a section on the author of Hebrews highlighting the qualifications that Jesus has to be high priest. Hebrews chapter five verses seven through 10. He, speaking of Jesus, in the days of his flesh offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the one able to save him from death. And he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from the things which he suffered. And having been made perfect, he became to all who obey him the source of eternal salvation. Being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever. Let's pray. Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth. Indeed, as we've just sung, how great you are. Name above all names. There is none higher. And Lord, we believe that you speak to us through your word. And so Lord, we want to listen. Give us attentive, humble, reverent ears to listen to what you have said to us in your word. Help me to communicate accurately, boldly, clearly. In Jesus' name, amen. During the lifetime of Jesus, there was a significant amount of controversy over who served as high priest. As you read the gospel accounts, you read names like Joseph, Caiaphas, and Annas, and several other different high priests throughout the life of Jesus as well as the time of the apostles. And part of the controversy was related to the fact that these high priests were appointed by the Roman government. And so that put kind of a nasty taste in the mouths of the Jewish people as the Roman Empire had occupied ancient Israel, had kind of taken it over and had put them underneath their thumb. And so to have one who's supposed to be serving in the highest capacity over the religion of Israel who was appointed by a Roman governor, well, that's very suspect. And there was even questions that had arose as to whether these high priests were even of Aaronic descent. Were they descendants of Aaron who was the first high priest? Well, interestingly enough, in the year 2011. Yes, that's not that long ago. There were some archaeologists who were digging at the Valley of Elah, which if you are big on Bible trivia, that's where David had his showdown versus Goliath. So they're digging in this famous valley, doing this archeological dig, trying to find anything that might be of significance, and they came across an ossuary, also known as a bone box. And these bone boxes were very specific to a time in ancient Israel during the time around the time of Christ and shortly thereafter where the Israelites would put the remains of their relatives in these boxes. And sure enough, they found the ossuary, the bone box of Joseph Caiaphas. who we see come up in the gospel accounts. And on this bone box, his descendants are listed. And sure enough, Joseph Caiaphas, even though he was not a godly man and was a wicked man, he was indeed a descendant of Aaron. Now that little anecdote I think helps us to understand and appreciate that despite the reality of the corruption of the high priesthood, the high priest office during the time of Jesus and shortly before and shortly after, they still, it was still of the utmost significance that the high priest be qualified. You had to be of Aaronic descent. You had to be a descendant of Aaron. And so this again highlights why the author of Hebrews spends a significant amount of time on stuff that we might not think very significant. Because it was important to that ancient audience. And it's important to the argument of the author of Hebrews as he lays out Jesus as being better. better than the high priests of old, that he argues that Jesus was indeed qualified to be high priest and was qualitatively and is qualitatively better than any of the high priests of ancient Israel. And so that's what we find ourselves in the midst of that argument. In case you're not sure about that, if you read chapter 5 and verse 1, he says, similarly he ends this section in verse 10 which being designated, speaking of Jesus, by God or you could translate that appointed by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. So these verse 1 and verse 10 are kind of like bookends that highlight Jesus was rightly appointed as high priest. Now he wasn't a Aaronic high priest, he wasn't a descendant of Aaron, but as the author kind of introduces at this point, and he will expand later on in chapter 7, that Jesus is a high priest in the order of Melchizedek. And so last time, we began to see this comparison that makes Jesus qualified to be high priest, namely his solidarity. He was taken from amongst men. Jesus was really human. He had a real human nature. Also, which was true of the high priests of old, right? They were humans. They weren't angels. They didn't walk around with halos around their head. No, they were real humans. They also were sympathetic. Notice in verse 2. of chapter 5, it says, being able to deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself is also beset with weaknesses. A characteristic of the high priest of old was that they were able to deal gently as being cut from the same cloth as any other human being, knowing the weaknesses of humanity, they were able to sympathize with others. We also see that they were specially selected, right? To be a high priest, you had to be able to demonstrate that you were a descendant of Aaron. As I just mentioned, even wicked Caiaphas and wicked Annas appointed, no doubt through corruption, they probably paid off these Roman governors so that they could be high priests. Nonetheless, they still had the proper appointment being descendants of Aaron. Now Jesus was not a descendant of Aaron, but he also had a proper appointment. This is spelled out. And verses four through six, when it says, for he has spoken somewhere, I'm sorry, that's in chapter four. Chapter five, in verse four, when it says, and no one takes this honor to himself, that is the honor of being high priest, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was. Verse five, in this way, also Christ did not glorify himself and become a high priest, but he, who said to him, you are my son, today I have begotten you. Jesus was appointed by God Almighty. In this verse, he's highlighting he was appointed as king. This is quoting from Psalm 2, which again may not seem significant, but the author is laying the groundwork for the reality that Jesus is not merely a priest, but he is a royal priest. He is a kingly priest. And then verse 6, he quotes another passage, Psalm 110, just as he says also in another passage, you are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. So he quotes Psalm 110 that highlights that Jesus is appointed by God to be priest, Not a temporary priest, but a forever priest in the order of Melchizedek. So he had the proper selection to be priest. And then we're going to look at three more qualifications this morning. The first is sacrifice. In verse 1 of chapter 5, It said of the priests of old, every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men. That's that solidarity, that representation and things pertaining to God in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. This was part of the job of the priest, was to offer sacrifice. Even on that day of atonement where the priest would lay, the high priest would lay both hands on the head of that goat that was to be sent into the wilderness. This was highlighting that he was transferring the guilt of the people, the sins of Israel to that animal and their sins were being taken away. And then another animal was sacrificed, another goat was sacrificed before Yahweh on the altar. Sacrifice was a big part of the priesthood, and especially the high priesthood. And so, it's no wonder that later on in this section, the parallel, we see later on in verses 7 that Jesus himself is involved in sacrifice. But the author here doesn't explicitly say sacrifice. He alludes to a situation, an event that we're familiar with from the Gospels, namely the Garden of Gethsemane. Let me read verse seven for you. It says, he, that is Jesus, in the days of his flesh, in the days of his flesh." Now, the author of Hebrews is not suggesting that Jesus no longer has flesh. Jesus still has a human nature, albeit a glorified human nature. And so when he says, in the days of his flesh, he's highlighting in the days of his earthly human ministry. and his days of walking on planet earth, his 33 and a half years of living on this earth, and the days of his flesh, he offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears. This is again. This is highlighting the humanity of Jesus This is highlighting his sympathy his real humanity and dependence upon the Lord, but then notice the author Zeros in on specific kinds of prayers or to the one to whom he was praying to which I think Helps us to understand what he's referring to here He says he offered up prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the one to the one able to save him from death and he was heard because of his reverence. So the author of Hebrews is alluding to the gospel accounts wherein Jesus is in the garden of Gethsemane on the evening before his execution and he is in agony there. He's in agony there, anticipating his own death, anticipating the sacrifice that he's going to make, functioning as high priest on behalf of the people of God. So we need to turn back there to understand a little bit of what the author is alluding to. So, turn to the Gospel, Mark, chapter 14, verse 32. And you can find the similar account in Luke chapter 22. There's also a parallel in Matthew. John's recording of it is slightly different, but we'll focus in on Mark. Mark 14, 32. It says, then they came to a place named Gethsemane. And again, remember the context here. This is the tail end of Jesus' three and a half years of earthly ministry. He's anticipating going to the cross. This is going to happen the next morning. He's going to be crucified. He's already announced to his disciples on three different occasions, chapter 8, 31, 9, 31, and chapter 10 in verse 31, that he is going to the cross. He's going to be delivered over to the hands of the Romans. He's going to be crucified, buried, and he's going to rise from the dead. He's been telling them this. He's been showing them the playbook. But now he's on the brink of experiencing this, and he's in a place that he frequented with prayers. It was kind of an olive orchard, if that's such a thing. I don't know. There's fruit orchards, I don't know, where they grow olives. And he said to his disciples, sit here until I have prayed. And he took with him Peter, James, and John. So this is something that Jesus frequently does. We know that there was kind of like that inner three, Peter, James, and John. They were the only one there for the transfiguration. They're now the only ones there who go deeper and further into the garden alongside of Jesus. And notice the text says in verse 33, and Jesus began to be distressed troubled Distressed and troubled Jesus is struggling here Verse 34 he said to them so now he's talking to Peter James and John he says my soul is deeply grieved to the point of death Jesus is so weighed down concerning what he's about to experience, he shares with them that he's on the brink of dying. In other words, he's about to die before he's supposed to die, just anticipating him dying. And he recruits their help. He says, remain here and keep watch. Verse 35, and he went a little beyond them and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. So now he begins to share his heart with the father. Father, if it is possible, it's a kind of conditional prayer. If it's possible, let this hour pass from me, the hour no doubt referring to what he's going to say in a minute here, the cup. That if it's possible, if it's possible for sinners to be forgiven of their sins and me not to have to endure bearing your wrath upon this Roman cross, taking upon my back the burden of hell on behalf of sinners, if it's possible, let this cup pass from me. Verse 36, and he was saying, Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me, yet not what I will, but what you will. So he again appeals to the father, but there's this holy submission. Father, I am willing to submit to you. This is my request, but I am willing to submit to you. Verse 37, and he came and found them sleeping. And Peter said, Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. So Jesus finds his disciples snoozing in the garden, and he corrects them and says, guys, come on, stay awake, keep watching and praying, lest you fall into temptation. Verse 39, and again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. What words? Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me, yet not what I will, but what you will. Verse 40, and again, he came and found them a third time and said to them, a third time sleeping, for their eyes were heavy and they did not know what to answer him. They didn't even know what to say. They didn't even try to make excuses. Verse 41. And he came to them a third time, said, are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough, the hour has come. Behold, the son of man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us go. Behold, the one who betrays me is at hand. What's going on here? Jesus is in the garden of Gethsemane, and evidently the Father is revealing to Jesus something of what he's about to endure upon the cross. It's like the Father is showing him the cup of his own wrath that he's going to have to bear that next day suspended between heaven and earth for three hours upon that Roman cross. And as Jesus stares into the cup of God's wrath and the accursedness of it, he shrieks back. He shrieks back in his, again, his real humanity. His real humanity that he had as the God-man. And he cries out to the Father, Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. And he's crying out, the author of Hebrews says, with loud cries and tears. He's crying out to the one who is able to save him from death. Now why all this taking place in the garden, right? If you ever get a chance to read a wonderful sermon by Jonathan Edwards, it's called Agony and Gethsemane. And Edwards tries to think through what was going on here, and one of the things he says is that God the Father, in revealing to Jesus something of the horrors of what he was going to experience upon the cross, which again, I believe, go far beyond merely the physical realities of his suffering. but have to do with the spiritual realities of being punished as a sinner, bearing the weight of hell upon his back, upon that Roman cross. In other words, the Father shows him all that he's about to endure, so much that he almost dies before he gets there, that what this does is it shows us the greatness of Jesus' love for sinners. that he still chose to submit himself to the Father's will, knowing what he was going to endure. In a former lifetime, I was a registered nurse. And one of the things that they ingrained to us as a nurse, any time you're instructing somebody on any kind of procedure or anything like that, you need to explain to them exactly what they're going to go through, exactly what the potential side effects and what recovery is going to look like, and then you need to get their signature. It's called informed consent. They need to know what they're getting into before they commit themselves to it. If you don't have informed consent, you leave yourself open to a lawsuit, right? There's a very real sense in which Jesus is giving informed consent here. He knows exactly what he's walking into. He's about to drink in full the very cup of the Father's wrath, and he's willing to continue to march forward in that. He's willing to be sacrificed. And again, this is what makes Jesus not only qualified, but more qualified as a high priest. You see, the high priests of old, They were constantly involved in sacrifice, right? I mean, their job was, you know, I mean, if on their resume, you know, as I worked five years as a butcher, hey, that would be points for their resume. Why? Because they're constantly cutting up animals, slitting throats, they're skinning animals. That was their gig, right? They knew sacrifice. But Jesus' sacrifice was of a whole kind of different nature. It would be as if that high priest of old himself climbed on the altar becoming the sacrifice. The high priests of old were involved in sacrifice, but they themselves were never butchered on the altar. But Jesus, Jesus. He himself climbed on the altar of that Roman cross. He himself was suspended between heaven and earth. He himself became the sacrifice so that he could absorb in himself all the fury of hell of every believer who would ever believe upon that Roman cross. He took it. And he knew what he was getting into. And he still chose to do that. He chose to do it for you, my friend. For you. So that you would not have to bear that wrath for all eternity. He cried, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? So that you would never have to utter that cry. So that's a little bit of what's going on there in the Garden of Gethsemane. So now back to Hebrews chapter five and verse seven, which says that this Jesus is offering up prayers and supplications with loud crying, again, anticipating the sacrifice to the one who is able to save from death. But then the obvious reality is Jesus did die, right? But the author of Hebrews says that he was heard. And we normally take heard as it was a positive answer, right? So in what sense was Jesus heard? I think probably in the sense that while Jesus knew he had to endure death and he was willing to submit to it, as he said, nevertheless, not my will but yours be done, he did not want to stay dead. He did not want to stay in the state of death. I mean, after all, what kind of high priest could he be if he stayed dead? What kind of intercession could he make if he stayed dead? And so he was heard and his prayer was answered by the receipt that God gave on his payment. What was the receipt? It was an empty tomb. He rose from the dead. He came out triumphant from the grave, demonstrating that he had put to death death through his own death. And so, when the author of Hebrews is comparing the sacrifice of the high priest of old with Jesus' sacrifice, Jesus is qualified and his sacrifice is far more superior because he himself becomes the sacrifice and his prayer was answered in being delivered from death by rising from the dead. And that also, by the way, within this very same context, because you may be, well, is it really alluding to the resurrection? But look in the previous verse, in verse 6, just as he says also in another passage, you are a priest, how long? Forever, in the order, according to the order of Melchizedek. The ancient prophecy of David in Psalm 110 prophesied that this future royal priest would be a forever priest, much like the Davidic promise of the future king would be a forever king. This priest would be a forever priest, and that requires what? Resurrection. Because Joseph Caiaphas' bones are still in the box. And every other high priest of old, their bones have been buried. But this high priest has risen from the dead and he is able to fulfill that Melchizedekian priesthood and that Melchizedekian prophecy of Psalm 110 and be a forever priest. And so, Tom Schreiner says more succinctly, but how did God answer his prayer to be delivered from death? Certainly not by sparing him from death, for he endured the cruelty of death by crucifixion. His prayer was answered at the resurrection by deliverance from the realm of the dead. For when God raised him from the dead, he was rescued from death once for all. And again, this highlights, to be sure, the superiority of the sacrifice. It demonstrates Jesus' love for sinners. Because even the anticipation absorbing all the wrath of the Father on that Roman cross in some kind of cosmic way that goes beyond our full comprehension that somehow Jesus was absorbing in himself the full throttle of hell for every believer who would ever believe he was going to endure that on his back and he saw what he was going to endure so much that he he shrieked back at that reality and prayed, if it's possible for sinners to be forgiven, if it's possible for this cup to pass from me, please, oh, Father. And yet, he still chose the nails. He still chose the cup. What great love is this, my friend? He knew what he was going to endure, and he still made that sacrifice on your behalf. Does he not rightfully deserve your allegiance? Even enduring the cup of hell could not stop him in his love for you. Even death could not stop his love for you. Will you obey Him? Will you resolve in light of His crosswork, yourself, as Jesus says, the standard of following Him? If anyone wishes to come after me, Mark 8, 35, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. I remember one preacher relaying the story that when he explained the gospel of God's grace to this woman and explained how God offers full forgiveness of all of our sins, if you put your faith in the Lord Jesus, and this woman responded, I can't believe it. Because if that's true, there's nothing he couldn't ask of me that I would not be obligated to do. And she refused the offer of grace because she didn't want the obligation of commitment. Well, Jesus is not only superiorly qualified because of his sacrifice, but also his sinlessness. We see in verse 3 of this same chapter, Again, the author speaking of the high priest of old said, and because of it he is obligated just as for the people to offer sacrifices for sins in the same way for himself. For himself. The high priest of old And you remember this if you were there when we went through Leviticus chapter 16. There was all kinds of sacrifices that the high priest had to make for themselves before they can offer sacrifice on behalf of the people. Well, why was that so? Because they were fellow sinners. But Jesus, and this is again, the author of Hebrews says in this very same context in chapter four in verse 15, for we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who is tempted in all points as we are yet what? Without sin. The author of Hebrews labors to point this out over and over. And then again, in the same context, the parallel in verse eight, although he was a son, he learned obedience from the things which he suffered. And having been made perfect, he became to all those who obey him, the source of eternal salvation. So Jesus learned obedience. Obedience. Again, the high priests of old were sinners, didn't obey, but Jesus obeyed. He never disobeyed his parents. He never stole anything. He never lied. If he got in conflicts with his siblings, he was always innocent. Can you believe that? Always. It was always the other brother who did wrong. In the Mishnah, in Jewish tradition, the high priests of old would utter this prayer. on the Day of Atonement. O God, I have committed iniquity and transgressed my sin and sinned before Thee. I and my house and the children of Aaron, Thy holy people, O God, forgive, I pray, the iniquities and transgressions and sins which I have committed and transgressed and sinned before Thee, I and my house. But Jesus would never have to offer such a prayer. He was obedient, as he demonstrates in the garden, right? Anticipating the cup of hell that he was about to drink, he still was obedient to the Father. But you're probably asking, why does it say he learned obedience? He learned obedience. What does that mean? Does that mean he learned obedience from going from disobedient to obedient? Obviously not, because the same author again in 415 says, yet without sin. So Jesus never went from disobedience to learning obedience, but he even in his sinlessness could learn obedience by new opportunities and responsibilities. For instance, some of you young people, right now, you're maybe learning obedience under the authority of your parents. If you enter into higher education, you're learning obedience in the context of college or university. If you Continue in a state of singleness in your adulthood, you're learning obedience in the context of being single. If you get married, you're learning obedience in the context of marriage. If you become a parent, you're learning obedience as a parent. Each of these new scenarios presents new opportunities to learn obedience, which for us usually means going from disobedience to obedience. But for the Lord Jesus, it says he learned obedience through suffering. Each trial, each situation, each temptation provides a new opportunity to learn obedience. And Jesus, every time he encountered a new opportunity, he passed the test of obedience. And as John Bunyan, the English Puritan, said, for 33 and a half years, he was weaving a perfect garment of righteousness only to give it away. He is that perfect, sinless, spotless high priest. The Apostle Paul highlights this in Philippians chapter 2. Remember that glorious section sometimes called the Carmen Christi? where he, being found in appearance as a man, did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but he took the form of a servant, being found in appearance as a man. He humbled himself and became obedient, obedient even to the point of death on a cross. How obedient was Jesus? Even to the point of crucifixion. That's how obedient he was. John Owen and his commentary. says it is possible to speak of learning obedience in the sense that one is instructed, guided, helped, and directed. In this way we learn obedience as we are gradually instructed in the knowledge and practice of it. But the Lord Jesus did not learn obedience in this sense. He had fullness of grace always with him and in him, directing him and guiding him, being full of grace, truth, and wisdom. He was never at a loss about what to do. Later on in the book of Hebrews, the author will quote from Psalm 40, verse seven and eight. Behold, I come, and in the scroll of the book it is written of me, I desire to do your will, oh my God. Your law is within my inner being. Or Isaiah 50 verse five and six in the context of the suffering, the servant of Yahweh and the servant songs. It says, Lord Yahweh has opened my ear. Lord Yahweh has opened my ear. What does it mean to open my ear? It's an allusion to that ancient ceremony when a slave wanted to be a permanent slave. They went to the mall and got their ear pierced. signifying I am a servant forever in this house. Yahweh has opened my ear and I did not rebel, nor did I turn my back. I gave my back to those who strike me in my cheeks, to those who pluck out my beard. I did not hide my face from dishonor and spitting. Oh, my friends, this is the Lord Jesus, our champion. Every situation he encountered, He chose the path of obedience. He never failed. Even when Satan came at him with full throttle of temptation in that desert, Jesus obeyed. When he was tempted even in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus obeyed. And he did that for you, my friend, so that he could be this superior high priest, a perfect representative before a holy God to stand in your defense that this one whom I represent has my record of righteousness. I sacrificed on his behalf. I paid for his sin and I weaved a perfect garment of righteousness which he now wears. Does not such a Savior demand your full allegiance? But the author of Hebrews continues on and gives us some interpretive challenges when he says in verse Nine, and having been made perfect, he became to all those who obey him the source of eternal salvation. What is meant here by made perfect? Well, this is not the only time this phrase is used of Jesus being made perfect. So, again, the obvious question, does that mean he went from imperfection to perfection? No. Turn back to Hebrews 2 in verse 10 for this same phrase. Hebrews 2.10, for it was fitting for Him, speaking of the Father, for Him, for whom are all things and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. So the idea of to perfect or to make perfect carries the idea of making complete. And I think it's best to understand this in the sense of Jesus, his office as high priest was made complete through sufferings. that he was made complete as he obeyed the Lord, and as he took upon humanity, and as he lived that perfect life, and as he made that perfect sacrifice, the office of priesthood was made complete. perfectly fulfilled that office. He brought it to completion. Again, think about it. As the eternal Son of God, He could not function as that high priest. He had to be incarnated in flesh. He had to live a perfect life. He had to die a perfect death. He even had to rise from the dead to be a forever priest. And so all of this was to make him perfect, not in the sense that he was imperfect before, but to bring to culmination and to set him apart as perfect priest. So again, Tom Schreiner says, his sufferings and death equipped and qualified him to serve as priest. He fulfilled what God intended for human beings in his suffering and is now crowned as God's king priest. So again, friends, this glorious high priest who is qualified and is of a better quality calls for your allegiance. Demands you to trust in Him and Him alone for your eternal salvation. Demands for you to live and walk a life of obedience, subjecting yourself to Him in all spheres. Whatever area, whether it's family life, whether it's in the workplace, whether it's in your business practices, whether it's in your relationships with friends, Jesus must be the King whom you submit to, that priest king. But not only is he qualified and more qualified because of his sacrifice, his sinlessness, but now thirdly, his salvation. Verse 9 and 10. And having been made perfect, he became, to all those who obey him, the source of eternal salvation, being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek." Notice here, the author says, he becomes, through all of this, him being that perfect high priest, he becomes the source of what kind of salvation? an eternal salvation. Now, this may not seem very significant at this point in the book of Hebrews, but again, the author, he drops hints that he expands upon later, namely the high priest of old gave a kind of deliverance, a kind of a salvation, again, through sacrifice, right? Through sacrifice for what? Sacrifice for sins. But even as we saw in chapter 5 in verse 1, for every priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men and things pertaining to God in order to offer, notice this, both gifts and sacrifices. Notice the plural. Gifts and sacrifices for sins. Many sacrifices. Sacrifices over and over on the Day of Atonement. It happened year after year demonstrating it was but mere temporal deliverance. It could never actually pay for sin. The ancient Hebrews as well as all of God's covenant people need not merely temporal deliverance, but eternal deliverance. Not only temporal salvation, but eternal salvation. Later on in this glorious sermon slash letter in chapter 9, verse 11 and 12, it says, but when Christ appeared as high priest of the good things to come, he entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say of this creation, and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood. He entered the holy places once for all having obtained, notice this, what kind of redemption? Eternal redemption. So again, the author of Hebrews contrasts the priesthood of old, which was him going into an earthly tabernacle. going in with the blood of goats and calves, giving a kind of temporal deliverance, but all of this was to set the stage for Jesus to enter the holy places once for all, having obtained not a temporal redemption, but an eternal redemption, just like His salvation is not a temporal salvation, but it's an eternal salvation. Again, my friends, this is tremendously good news. It highlights the sufficiency of the sacrifice of Jesus, which leads to the eternality of the salvation that Jesus provides. It's a forever salvation. There's nobody in heaven biting their nails as to whether they will persevere in the faith. There's nobody in heaven who will be lost and perish forever. And dare I say there is no saved soul on earth who is less safe than those souls in heaven. They may be more happy above, but they're not more safe. Because the salvation that Jesus grants is an eternal salvation. It's a forever salvation. It's not a foster care program that's of a temporary nature, temporary home, temporary housing that may or may not be permanent. But it is an eternal home, an eternal salvation. But, it's not for everyone. How do I know that? Well, it's offered to everybody. Notice what the author says here. I skipped over it on purpose. Notice what it says here in verse nine. He became to all those who obey Him, the source of eternal salvation." Notice how those who experience this eternal salvation are described. They're described as those who obey Him. Now, you may say, Matt, are you suggesting salvation by obedience? No, nor do I think that's what the author of Hebrews is saying here. But sometimes we read verses like this and we break out in hives. And we don't like it. Because the reality is that the author of Hebrews, tightly connects obedience with faith, with believing. We know that a person is saved by grace, through faith, and that is not of themselves, it's not as a result of works. But we also know Ephesians 2.8.9 is just as true as what? Ephesians 2, you know, verse 10. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God has prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. that works are the necessary fruit of laying hold of Jesus by faith. Nobody genuinely lays hold of Jesus by faith who does not also have works, have obedience. We see in chapters 3 and 4 here, Over and over, as the author warns his audience to whom he's writing to, don't be like those Hebrews of old who perished in the wilderness. And time and time again, he says, because they did not believe, because they did not believe. But he also says, because they did not obey. Because obedience is tightly tethered to genuine belief. And that's why they, Apostle Paul speaks of what? The obedience of faith. Or, how about the author of Hebrews later on in Hebrews 11, 8. By faith, Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place to which he was received an inheritance, and he went out not knowing where he was going. By faith, Abraham, when he was called, he did what? He obeyed. How did you know Abraham believed? He obeyed. It's interesting, too, because Abraham, the father of faith, he becomes the illustration both of Paul, how we're justified by faith alone, and by James, that that faith is never alone. So we're saved by faith, apart from the merit of works, but not from the presence of work. Apart from the merit of obedience, but not apart from the presence of obedience. So, it's obviously worth pausing at this point and saying, is your life patterned by obedience? Because if it's not, then it may be you've not genuinely trusted in Jesus. Now, of course, our obedience is never what it ought to be. We never live up to that standard as we ought to, but the reality is that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things have passed, all things have become new. There will be a new path that a genuine believer will be walking that will be different from the old path. And if there's not a new path, then maybe you're still on the old path. The old path of rebellion. And you need to repent and believe upon the Lord Jesus, this great high priest who offers eternal salvation to all, but he is a savior who saves you from your sin, not in your sin. That's what the angel said to Joseph, you shall call him Jesus because he will save you, what? From your sins. He is a savior from sins. If you go to the doctors, you've had him in a sore throat, you're running a temperature, you finally give in and go to the doc, he takes this big, giant Q-tip, shoves it down your throat and starts... Then he swabs it in that little culture, and then he tells you, you have streptococcus bacilli. It's known as strep throat. He tells you, you need to take these antibiotics for the next seven days, and you come back in seven days. Make sure you stay hydrated. Make sure you take these pills. He probably says it a lot nicer than I just did. And you come back to him and you are still sick as a dog, miserable. Still running a fever. Your throat looks like hamburger. Says, did you take the pills? Nope. Did you even fill the prescription? Nope. The doctor can very quickly say, do you trust me? Do you believe me? Because if you believe me, you would do what I say. So the Lord God can say, if you believe me, you'll do what I say. Obedience is the manifestation of trust. And all this, my friends, is what makes Jesus so very qualified to be our high priest and worthy of all of our trust. I understand you might not trust the doctor. Past four years has put a damper on any kind of confidence in pretty much any human institution and certainly modern medicine. We all have Fauci syndrome. But I want to tell you, you can trust Jesus, this high priest. In fact, many of you were disturbed this past week at the revelation of a former professor of mine, man who you probably have profited greatly from his sermons, who's now disqualified from ministry. And it's very difficult, right? But it is a reminder that Jesus will never be disqualified. There will never come some dark secret out of the Savior's life that is unearthed. There'll never come some knowledge or revelation that you can't trust Him. There'll be no sinister, dark secrets that come out of the closet. No, my friends. He is the perfect high priest who you can put your full confidence in and trust. Let's pray. Lord God, we thank you that in Jesus we have a most glorious high priest. Totally qualified and of a tremendously better quality. Oh God, may we put our full weight upon him. May we bring all the burdens of our sins and guilt and roll them on the back of our high priests. And may we give to him all the devotion that a regenerate but still having remaining sin son of Adam can give to him. Because he is worthy. Amen. Let's close in song. Hopefully our hearts are now full of praise to the Savior.