The following is a sermon transcript from our Sunday Service at The Rock Church in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. Each week, we gather to worship, learn from God’s Word, and grow together. This transcript is provided as a free resource to encourage and equip you in your walk with Christ. While you’re welcome to read and share this content for personal use, we kindly ask that it not be redistributed or published elsewhere without prior written consent from The Rock Church.
Introduction
Now, let’s open God’s Word together. It’s a routine checkup. You sit down with your doctor to review the blood work and unfortunately he has some bad news for you. You observe his body language as he softly says, “I’m so sorry, but you’re gonna need surgery and it’s gonna need to happen very soon.” But the good news is If the surgery goes well, you will be fine. Now, immediately, you think to yourself, well, who’s gonna be my surgeon? It’s not the cheapest, not the nicest, not the one with the best bedside manner. I want the one who is most qualified. You need to know his identity, his experience, his achievements. Can you imagine not knowing his name? Not knowing if he had ever performed that surgery before? Or whether he was simply appointed himself to do the job? None of us would trust a surgeon like that.
But how much more so when it comes to the qualifications of the one who represents us before a holy God, before whom we must all stand. In many ways, that’s exactly the question that our text today answers. Who is qualified to represent sinners before a holy God? Here we discover why Jesus. And Jesus alone is perfectly qualified to represent us before the Father.
Now you may be wondering, why is that so important? Because the goal is not to look for qualifications in ourselves, but to look outside ourselves to Christ. Three questions. Naturally arise. Can I trust the one who represents me before God? Does he understand what I’m going through? Has he done enough to save me? Those are exactly the questions this passage answers and the wonderful news is that this is for us, for weary sinners. The answers, good news,
So let’s focus our attention on this one truth today. Jesus Christ is perfectly qualified to represent us before the Father. As truly God, Christ was appointed as the reigning king and eternal priest. As truly human, Jesus willingly obeyed the Father through suffering for us. Jesus Christ completed everything necessary to accomplish our salvation.
Point 1: As Truly God, Christ Was Appointed as the Reigning King and Eternal Priest
Hebrews 5:5–6
The first question is this. Can I trust the one who represents me before God? We’re going to look at verses 5 and 6 for that answer. As truly God, Christ was appointed as the reigning king and eternal priest. Let’s read together verses 5 and 6, Hebrews chapter 5.
So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, You are my son. Today I have begotten you. And he says it in another place. You are a priest forever, according after the order of Melchizedek.
This is absolutely incredible. The eternal Son of God, who is equal with the Father and the Spirit in deity, did not glorify himself while on this earth. Jesus himself said in John 8, 54, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing.” It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, He is our God. And this flies in the face of every instinct that we naturally have. Our natural instinct is to glorify ourselves. Look at me. Look at my power. Look at my ability. I’m worthy. I’m mighty. But Jesus never sought His own glory. He waited for the Father to glorify him.
The eternal Son of God did not petition the Father for the position. Just as David’s sons served because they belonged to the king’s family. Christ’s ministry flows from who he is. Who he’s always been, the eternal Son of God. Who Christ is, Determined what Christ came to do. And it was God the Father who made this declaration. You see it in the text. Psalm chapter 2 verse 7. You are my son. Today I have begotten you. This proves that Jesus is God’s son and his king.
The son has always been. The eternal son. He didn’t become the son. He didn’t walk into a point of human history. We know that scripture is clear on this. John tells us, in the beginning was the word. And Jesus prayed, glorify me with the glory that I had with you, listen, before the world existed. So you might be wondering, what is this today? What has always been comes into a point of public declaration and the enthronement of the risen Christ. The relationship existed from eternity. But after the resurrection, after the exaltation, the Father publicly proclaims, this is my Son, the King, the reigning King. It’s an installment. It’s a celebration. Today, he is seated at the Father’s right hand. Today, Jesus reigns as king. Today, we approach his throne with confidence. Not a throne of condemnation, but a throne of grace.
But the father doesn’t stop there. He doesn’t merely declare his son to be the king. No, he also appoints him to another office. Look at verse 6. You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. At this point. Some of you may be wondering, who is this Melchizedek? Why does Hebrews bring him up twice here and then again in chapter 7? Well, don’t worry. We’re going to spend an entire chapter on him, as I said, in Hebrews 7. So wait for it. But for now, the author wants us to see one simple truth. The reality of Melchizedek, an actual figure in the Old Testament, Genesis 14, was both a king and a priest. This is a mystery. This is mind-blowing. Under the Old Covenant, those offices always separate. Kings from Judah, priests from Levi. But centuries before Moses, before Aaron, before the Levitical priesthood even existed, God introduced a priest king named Melchizedek. But he was never the fulfillment. He was the preview. He was the pattern. And Christ is the reality. Hebrews isn’t asking us to get fascinated with Melchizedek. No, no, he’s asking us to become amazed with Christ.
And that’s why his priesthood is unlike every other priesthood. Earthly priests came and went. Jesus’ priesthood is eternal. And because his priesthood is permanent, your salvation is secure. Don’t miss this emphasis here. Jesus never promoted himself. The Father appointed him. The Father declared him. The Father exalted him. And he is the king who reigns. He is the priest who intercedes. Both offices given to him by the Father. And the good news is that believers like you and me can participate in Christ’s redemptive work. How so? Because we are united to Christ. His entrance into heaven guarantees ours. The king who reigns there is also the priest who represents us there.
So let me ask you, how much more do you trust Christ to represent you before the Father? But even though he is an eternal priest for us, what do we do? We look for other mediators. We think our obedience brings us to God. We think it’s about feeling saved. We think if we’ve had a good week, we can come boldly. If we’ve had a bad week, we shrink back. And what we’ve done in those things, those little mediators, is quietly replaced Christ with ourselves.
What’s interesting is that Christ’s kingship and his priesthood cannot be separated. The one who represents you before the Father is not merely a sympathetic priest. He’s also an enthroned king. The one who rules over the universe is the very one who intercedes for you. There could be no greater representative than that. Brothers and sisters, the king who reigns for you is the priest who prays for you.
But here’s the question. Can a king really understand weak and weary sinners like us? The author answers with a resounding yes. Our high priest didn’t merely come from heaven. He entered our suffering. He learned obedience. Hold that thought. He walked the path, the very path we could never walk. And he did it perfectly.
Point 2: As Truly Human, Jesus Willingly Obeyed the Father Through Suffering for Us
Hebrews 5:7–8
Let’s read verses 8 and 9 together.
As we consider as truly human, Jesus willingly obeyed the Father through suffering for us.
Verse 7 and 8.
In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to him who was able to save him from death. And he was heard. Because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.
When Jesus walked the earth, we think often about all the good that he had done. But that’s only half the story. How about all the suffering that he entered? That’s the point that the author’s trying to make. And he takes us right into the darkest hour of Jesus’ life. Sadly, we often overlook it. But to the Garden of Gethsemane we go. The name means oil press. It’s where the olives were crushed to produce oil. And it’s at that exact place that we find Jesus. He’s experiencing the crushing weight of the impending wrath of God to come upon him. It’s not just the physical death that he’s afraid of, that he is concerned about, but bearing the sins of all of God’s people. The eternal Son is beginning to anticipate and bear the crushing weight of our sin and the Father’s wrath against it.
And Scripture says in the Gospels, And being in agony, he prayed more earnestly. His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. The overwhelming sorrow fills his heart. It’s this anguish that fills and affects his whole person, his emotions, his physicality, and of course his spirit. No one has ever entered a darker spiritual conflict than this.
And yet, all of that anguish and all of that pain did not drive him away from the Father, it drove him to the Father. Notice what he said, what I quoted from the Gospel. He prayed all the more earnestly. Man, that’s a far cry from us. We feel any amount of crushing, it pushes us away. We think the harder life gets, man, God, why are you trying to punish me? Our instinct is to assume suffering means that God has turned his face against us. Jesus teaches the opposite. Suffering became the very place where he trusted the Father the most.
Sometimes seasons of prosperity can be the most dangerous thing for our souls. Why? Because we don’t need God. Oh, but we do. And so perhaps we could call it the blessing of the pressing. I’m not saying to ask God to give you troubles, but when they come, may they draw you to the Father more than ever before. And remember that your tears are not a sign that you failed. Your Savior himself prayed. Here it says, loud cries and tears. I don’t want you to go quickly past that. These loud cries describe the wailing, The utter anguish of a soul in overwhelming distress.
The best way that we can think about it is if you’ve ever been present with someone who’s received the awful devastating news that their spouse or their child has died. At first, it’s silence. And then suddenly, the cries come wailing forth. And they erupt from a grief that is too deep for words. Listen to this. In a far greater way, that’s what we see in Gethsemane. In a far greater way? Yes. Jesus wasn’t doubting the Father’s goodness. He wasn’t questioning the Father’s love. He was entering the full weight of human suffering as he was preparing to bear the sins of his people. For you and me. Every tear, every cry, every prayer, every drop of sweat. Wasn’t evidence that Jesus wanted to abandon his mission. It was the evidence of how costly your salvation is. How truly costly.
Yet despite the cost. Never did he turn back. Notice what that suffering produced. It didn’t drive him away from the Father. It drove him to the Father. He prayed, my Father, nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will. That is perfect humanity, perfect obedience, and perfect submission. Don’t miss what just happened. Jesus wasn’t being dragged to the cross. He isn’t trapped. Nobody’s forcing his hand. He could have walked away. He could have called on the 12 legion of angels. Yet after praying, he gets up, wakes up his disciples, walks toward Judas. Why? Because his heart was set to do the Father’s will.
And saving his people.
Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
So you may be asking, if the father heard, as we just read, him, heard his prayer, why didn’t he remove the cup?
Why didn’t he remove this wrath, this impending suffering and death?
If you had been standing outside the garden that night, if you had watched Jesus arrested, beaten, nailed to a cross, and finally breathed his last, you probably would say the Father didn’t answer his prayer.
But Hebrews says the exact opposite. He was heard. Not by being spared from suffering. That’s where we miss it.
But by being sustained through suffering and ultimately brought safely through death into resurrection glory.
Being heard by God is not always being spared from suffering. The Father didn’t remove the cross. He strengthened his Son to endure it.
But how do we pray? How do I pray? Lord, here’s what I want. Jesus prayed, here’s my human desire, but your will above mine.
And the Father was faithful to bring him safely through death.
We look at that safely through death? What in the world? Yeah. He finished the task. The Father sustained him through it. He was completely submitted to the will of the Father in full reverence. That’s what we see. And he does all of this maintaining all of his humanity, all of his deity. That’s why the author says in verse 8, See that? That is a reference to the Son of God, the eternal Son of God, never lost his deity, all-knowing, unchanging, perfectly holy. Yet in his humanity, he experienced suffering to the uttermost. This is how he learned obedience.
Brothers and sisters, stop and think about what we’re reading. Think about this. The one who spoke the universe into existence is now praying for you. The one who upholds all by the word of his power is now weeping. The one who has never known sin is now feeling the crushing weight of what sin deserves. The eternal son of God truly became a man. That’s why verse 8 is so astonishing. He wasn’t disobedient or rebellious and then had to learn how to be righteous. No, he had to experience suffering in every way. And that’s what he did in the incarnation. And that’s what qualifies him to be our perfect high priest. Don’t misinterpret that. He’s not becoming morally better. He’s becoming perfectly fitted for the priestly office.
Spurgeon says he was always obedient. Always. He’s God. But he had to learn experimentally, or we would say experientially, what obedience meant. Do you see that? Only a true man can suffer, obey in our place, and become our merciful high priest. Has to be a man. And Jesus was truly man. Truly God. There’s not one sorrow you experience. There’s not one temptation. There’s not one lonely night. Not one tear that your high priest does not understand. Because he walked the road before you. He obeyed perfectly where you failed. He passed safely through suffering, through death, into glory. And because he’s gone before you, he will bring you safely home.
Brothers and sisters, we’ve now answered the second question. Does Jesus understand what you’re going through? Absolutely. He entered our suffering. He obeyed perfectly. He walked the road of sorrow before us. But understanding our suffering by itself could never save us. It’s not enough. We need more than a sympathetic high priest. We need a successful high priest.
Point 3: Jesus Christ Completed Everything Necessary to Accomplish Our Salvation
Hebrews 5:9–10
So here’s the final question. Has he done enough to save us? The answer is found in verses 9 and 10. So we’ll read it together.
And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him. Being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
How does the sinless man, son of man, be made perfect? I thought he was perfect. Notice what’s happening here. The phrase made perfect doesn’t mean he was improved morally. There was no deficiency in him. Rather, it means he perfectly accomplished everything. Our confession beautifully summarizes what Hebrews is teaching. This is chapter 8 of the London Baptist, paragraph 5. The Lord Jesus, by his perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself, what does that do? Obedience, sacrifice of himself as a priest, has fully satisfied the justice of God. Procured reconciliation, right? Sinners like us brought us back into relationship with God and purchased an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven for all those whom the Father has given unto him. That is what being made perfect means. Not that Jesus became morally better, but that he completed everything necessary to save sinners forever.
Now think about it for a moment. Is there anyone who has ever perfectly accomplished something? We try to be perfect. In fact, some of us have a little bit of a perfectionism in us. Why is that? I’ll tell you. It’s wired into our frame. If I can do just enough, then I’ll be at peace. It’s like that student who studies for hours for the exam. She gets a 96. And everyone around her is telling her, well, great job. You killed it. But in her heart and soul, she’s crushed because she didn’t get a 100%. Her worth is tied to her perfection. And many of us never outgrow that report card mentality. We simply bring it into our relationship with God. We begin treating God like he’s handing out grades instead of resting in the finished work of Christ. We can’t rejoice in Christ’s righteousness because we’re obsessed with improving our own report card. Well, look at my A’s, God. I’m working on that B. Come on.
But Jesus is in a category of his own. He’s got perfect score. Never fell short. It was his suffering, his death, his resurrection and exaltation. All of it is done for you and for me. That work, that achievement, that’s incomparable. There’s no comparison, not even close. His work completed. This is the mystery of the gospel. Jesus completed in history what he had been appointed to accomplish from all eternity. In God’s eternal decree and promise, Christ was already appointed high priest. But he had to experience everything in the flesh. And this, of course, makes him perfectly qualified.
And the good news gets even better. As he says here in verse 9, Jesus is the author and the fountain of eternal salvation. Every spiritual blessing flows from him.
So when you’re burdened by guilt… Don’t try to draw from the wells, the empty wells of your performance. Stop looking for life where there is no life and go back to the fountain and draw from Christ again and again and again. Everything your soul needs flows from Jesus. The author doesn’t say that Jesus made salvation possible. He says Jesus became the source of eternal salvation. He didn’t merely open the door. All who want to come in, come on in. He accomplished everything necessary to save his people. Salvation does not originate in your faithfulness. It originates in Christ’s finished work. Spurgeon said it. He is the designer, creator, worker, and cause of salvation. From justification to sanctification to glorification. From beginning to end, all of it is the Lord’s. You don’t become more like Christ by your own effort.
So I’ll ask you, what are you trusting today for your salvation? If it’s anything but Christ, I’m concerned. The author is showing us that faith and obedience are inseparable. For those who trust Christ will obey Christ. And so we should, we do, strive for faithfulness. But that faithfulness flows from our salvation and is not a cause of our salvation. Some of you are already thinking, but wait, the text says obey. I see it. Pastor, I was waiting for it. You immediately think, do this and live. That’s exactly what the law exposes us. We cannot obey well enough. The law reveals our guilt. The sacrifices reveal they can never be finally taken away. Both were designed to drive us to Christ. Paul calls it the obedience of faith. The first obedience that God requires is not earning your salvation. It’s entrusting yourself to his son. That’s why the gospel is such good news. It doesn’t call you to become your own priest. It calls you to trust the priest that God has provided already.
So here is my earnest plea to you. Lay down any of your attempts to justify yourself. Lay them all down.
And entrust yourself entirely to Christ because he’s faithful to save, he’d be faithful to keep, and he’ll be faithful to deliver us all the way to glory. How could you possibly add to his perfect work? He’s perfectly qualified. You and I are not. We all know that we’re not saved by works, but many of us still measure God’s love by our performance.
Have you noticed how quickly your confidence rises after a good week? I’ve already mentioned it. And how quickly it collapses after a bad week? What have we done? We’ve quietly replaced Christ’s qualification with our own. The author would gently take us by the hand and say to us softly, stop measuring yourself. Look to your high priest.
The author reminds us once again that Jesus is no ordinary high priest. He belongs to a different order altogether. He was appointed by God and not by man. His priesthood didn’t end. It didn’t pass to another. It is permanent. Why does it matter? Because if his priesthood is permanent, your hope is permanent. Christian, when you first believed, you didn’t choose your high priest. The Father already had. Which means your confidence never rested on your worthiness, but on Christ.
Every time you think, well, maybe God doesn’t want to hear me today. You are forgetting what it says in verse 10. God himself chose your high priest. And the one who was appointed by the Father is the very one who is inviting weary sinners to come boldly into the throne of grace.
So I’ll ask you, what gives you confidence to approach God today? Is it any of your work? Or is it all of Christ’s finished work? That’s an important question. It’s vital that you get this right. Otherwise, you become a functional Catholic. Now, don’t misunderstand me. You don’t pray to saints or to confess to a priest. What I mean is you begin to trust your own performance to do what only Christ’s priesthood can do. So are you trusting the priest the Father appointed or the one you created?
Listen to this. If your salvation depended even 1% on you, half a percent, none of us would be saved. But from beginning to end, from election, justification, sanctification, glorification, it is Christ. Christ alone. And that’s why Hebrews says he is the source of eternal salvation. Stop looking within for the qualifications to approach God. You’ll never find them. Fix your eyes on your high priest because the father already has. Brothers and sisters, he really is perfectly qualified.
Conclusion and Application
So in closing, we’ve seen… This morning what is true, if Jesus really is perfectly qualified as a high priest, then there’s only one reasonable response to that. Stop trying to be your own priest. The whole point of Hebrews 5 is that you never could qualify yourself to stand before a holy God. That’s why the Father gave you his Son. So stop looking inward. Stop trying to measure yourself by your own spiritual report card. Stop asking for your obedience to do what only Christ can do. Look away from yourself and look to your perfectly qualified high priest.
Because Jesus is perfectly qualified, there’s nothing left for us to add to his work. The only question remains is, Will we keep trying to justify ourselves or will we rest in him? Every one of us do this. We’re tempted to bring that report card. Lord, I got something. Come on. We measure our week, our prayers, our Bible reading, our victories and our failures, hoping that these things will make us more acceptable to God. But today, no. The author has lovingly taken that report card out of our hands, ripped it up, tossed it out, and pointed us to Christ.
So before we sing, before we leave, let’s do together what the gospel calls us to do. Lay down our attempts at self-justification. And let’s confess the ways we’ve trusted ourselves more than our Savior. And then let’s hear again the good news of the gospel that because our high priest is perfectly qualified, those who trust in him are fully and forever forgiven. Would you pray with me as we have a time to confess our sin? And then I’ll proclaim to you the assurance. That you’ve been pardoned from all iniquity. Let’s pray together.
Closing Prayer of Confession
Our Heavenly Father, we come before you confessing that we are often quicker to trust ourselves than to trust your Son. We confess that we measure your love by our performance. After a good week, we imagine you’re more pleased with us And then after a bad week, we hesitate to come into your presence. As though our failures have made Christ less sufficient. Forgive us for quietly replacing Christ’s qualifications with our own. Forgive us for asking our obedience to do what only Jesus can do. We confess that we’ve Look to our prayers, our Bible reading, our service, and our faithfulness as though that could make us more acceptable in your sight. Remind us again, O Lord, that our hope has never rested on our worthiness, but on the perfect obedience and finished work of our great high priest. Thank you, Jesus, for completing everything necessary for our salvation. Thank you that you are the source of eternal salvation for all who trust in you. And thank you for continually interceding for us, even when we’re weak and weary. By your Holy Spirit, turn our eyes away from ourselves, Lord, and fix them on Jesus. Help us to rest in his righteousness. Draw near with confidence. And yes, joyfully obey. Not to earn your favor, but because we’ve already received it through your beloved son. We ask all these things in the precious name of Jesus Christ, our perfectly qualified high priest. Amen.
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