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
Imagine you have worked at the same company for over 20 years, but one morning you’re called into the boss’s office. He sits you down and says, I need to talk to you about something. Immediately your heart starts pounding, thinking, oh no, this can’t be good. In fact, this can’t be happening. Your boss says, Someone has just accused you of stealing thousands of dollars from the company. And if you are found guilty, you’ll lose your job, your retirement, your reputation, and possibly face criminal charges. All of the evidence is against you. He tells you an investigation has started and you’re going to need someone to represent you.
A friend tells you, don’t worry, I have someone who would be perfect. Now, what’s your first question? It’s certainly not, well, is he available? No, it’s who is he? Is it someone who understands the law? Someone that knows the facts about my case? Has he succeeded defending others in related matters? Because when everything is on the line, who represents you is what matters.
One day, every one of us will stand before the holy judge of all the earth. And on that day, your eternal state will not depend upon your reasons, but on your representative. So the greatest question is, who is representing you? And that’s where the author takes us next in Hebrews chapter 5. He had just talked about a better priest, Jesus, the Son of God. And now he explains why these dear Jewish believers can confidently keep on trusting Jesus as the only one. Who can represent them before a holy God.
God gave His people priests because guilty sinners could not simply walk into God’s holy presence on their own. Every priest pointed beyond himself to the one who could finally bring sinners safely home. And we’re going to see how the text answers some really important questions. The first is, can Jesus really represent me? Will he reject me? Can he actually save me? And can I trust his work? Now, you might be thinking, well, of course the answer to all of those questions is a resounding yes and amen. But here’s what happens. We often forget the gospel. We forget that Jesus is not a distant Savior. He is not a harsh Savior. He is not a sinful Savior. And He is not a self-appointed Savior.
So if you’re taking notes… You can write down the big idea. You may have seen the handout on the front in the lobby. But the focus is Jesus is the perfect high priest because he perfectly represents us before God. The author gives us four reasons Jesus alone is the perfect representative.
The first is that Jesus became one of us to represent us before God.
The second is that Jesus compassionately ministers to weak and wandering sinners. We heard a little bit about that last week, but we’ll do it again. It doesn’t get old.
Third is that Jesus is the sinless high priest earthly priests could never be.
And lastly, Jesus was authorized by the Father to be our high priest.
Point 1: Jesus Became One of Us to Represent Us Before God
Hebrews 5:1
So let’s begin. Hebrews 5, verse 1, as the author explains to us why every earthly priest exists. So let’s read again Hebrews 5, verse 1. Together we read,
For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God. Why? To offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
Earthly priests chosen among men. Why? Because representation requires identification. He shared their humanity. He knew their weakness. He lived with them. He wasn’t above them. You cannot truly represent people you refuse to identify with. Because Jesus became one of us, He can stand for us before God. No angel, no heavenly being is qualified. And so the high priest, as we see, doesn’t hide in isolation. He wasn’t distant or removed. In order to represent them, he had to be like them. And he wasn’t chosen for honor. He was chosen for service. This is his role, to stand before, between a holy God and sinful people. And he would carry their burdens into God’s presence and pleaded with the Lord on their behalf.
Most importantly though, it’s what this priest would offer to God. His ministry centered on bringing sacrifices and gifts before God. Some were offerings of worship and thanksgiving, of grain offerings, of first fruits. And others, of course, the shedding of blood for sin. Every sacrifice reminded Israel of two realities. God is holy. And sinners cannot approach Him without some form of payment. We call it atonement. Yet every one of those offerings, every one of those grains and first fruits pointed beyond itself, they never could fully remove sin. They anticipated, they longed for, they looked forward to that day when the perfect representative would offer not the blood of goats and bulls, but himself. Every sacrifice preached the same sermon. God is holy. Sin deserves death. A substitute is necessary.
Every lamb, Every bowl, every drop of blood was pointing forward to someone. But then came Jesus. The one who is greater than the angels became lower than the angels for a little while so that he might become our high priest. The one who created humanity. Willingly took on our humanity. The eternal Son of God became one of us. He walked among sinners and He touched the lepers. He healed the sick. He raised the dead.
The high priest would enter the most holy place with bells on the hem of his garment as God commanded. Jesus entered Golgotha wearing a crown of thorns. The high priest entered with the blood of another, and Jesus entered with his own blood. The high priest hoped that he would survive under fear and trembling. Jesus came to die. Because He became one of us, He can stand for us before God.
The Son of God did not merely visit humanity for a weekend. He didn’t shout forgiveness from heaven. The One who represents you before the Father knows what it is for you to live in this world. He became one of us. He walked where we walked. He wept where we wept. He was tempted where we’re tempted, suffered where we suffered, yet unlike us, He never sinned. He entered our humanity so that He could bring us safely into God’s presence. And because His sacrifice is complete, He now ministers before the Father as our living High Priest continually over and over offering, interceding for us.
Christian, you never pray alone. Because He became one of us, He can stand for us before God. Does that change the way that you think about praying this week?
When you come before God, you’re not approaching Him alone. You come through a high priest who knows your weaknesses because he willingly entered it. Remember what we saw last week? Let us therefore then, with confidence, draw near to the throne of grace. Why? Why? Hebrews 5 gives us another reason. The one through whom we draw near became one of us.
Point 2: Jesus Compassionately Ministers to Weak and Wandering Sinners
Hebrews 5:2
But becoming one of us wasn’t the whole story. The author now shows us what kind of high priest Jesus is. The question is no longer whether Jesus is qualified to represent us. The question is, What kind of high priest is he? Is he cold? Is he harsh? Is he impatient with struggling sinners? Or does he deal gently with them? Verse 2 gives one of the most comforting answers in all of Hebrews. Let’s read it together as we unpack the second point.
That Jesus compassionately ministers to weak and wandering sinners. He says,
He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since He Himself, that is the priest, is beset with weakness.
If you’re a struggling Christian right now, this may be one of the most comforting verses in all of Hebrews. Because we naturally assume that the holier our God is, the less patient He must be with us. Well, Hebrews says the exact opposite. Earthly priests dealt gently because they knew themselves what it’s like to battle sin. They understood weakness from the inside. The weakness here is not merely physical weakness. It’s the weakness of a fallen heart.
And that is where the similarity ends. The earthly priest sympathized because he shared the same sinful corruption with the people. But Jesus sympathizes because he entered the full weight of the temptation without ever surrendering to it. The good news is that Jesus sympathizes with our weaknesses. Not because He sinned, but because He experienced every temptation, every suffering, yet without sin. In fact, no one has felt temptation more deeply than the one who endured it to the very end without actually yielding to it. Sin pressed against him from every direction. Remember this? Jesus faced every external evil possible. But the reality is, It never found a home in his heart.
His dealing gently with us is not him ignoring our sin. Our Lord never minimizes sin. But neither does he crush the one who comes to him in repentance and faith. He will never cast aside those that come to him. But his compassion is perfectly measured Why? Because that’s exactly what deal gently means. It means that Jesus is never indifferent to your sin. He never deals harshly with the repented sinner. He is perfectly compassionate because He is perfectly righteous.
And the author gives us two categories of sinners. He calls them the ignorant and the wayward. First, the author speaks of those who sin and ignorance. It’s not the high-handed kind or the willful kind or the shake-in-your-fist and rebellion kind. This language here comes from Leviticus. Leviticus. And here the sacrifices had to be made for unintentional sins. They were real sins, just not the deliberate and rebellious kind. Think about it. Haven’t we all sinned before realizing the ugliness of the sin that is in our hearts? Maybe you spoke harshly to your wife. You responded impatiently to your children or confidently believed something that wasn’t true simply because no one has taught you otherwise.
In 1 Timothy 1 and 13, the Apostle Paul describes his former life with three shocking words. Blasphemer. Blasphemer.
Speaking against Christ and denying that he was Messiah, persecutor, hunting down Christians and imprisoning them, approving of their death, and third, insolent opponent and its violent arrogance and abuse and hostility. And yet, in all of that, In the blaspheming, persecuting, insolence, Christ dealt gently with him in bringing him to faith. He was forgiven because God’s mercy overcame his unbelief. If Christ dealt gently with a blasphemer like Paul, he will not cast off the repentant believer who comes to him today. Amen. That is the kind of Savior that we have. Yet, He’s never harsh with the repentant.
We’re a people that are mixed with blindness and weakness and deception and unbelief. And if ignorance describes some of our sins, man, that next word describes all of us. The wayward. This describes the condition. Of all of our hearts. We’re constantly wandering from the God that we love. And we don’t wake up intending to drift from Christ, but our hearts are constantly pulling us toward lesser loves. We trust ourselves. We chase after comfort. We fear man. We love the gifts more than the giver. Scripture says we were once all led astray, and yet Christ is compassionate toward us because he has borne what our sins deserve. He doesn’t overlook our sin. He bore our judgment. And the gentleness of Jesus toward repentant sinners is not some sentimental kindness on a card. It was purchased at the cross. He can welcome us because He’s already satisfied God’s justice for us. And that’s why He can show us mercy without compromising God’s justice.
Like Israel in the wilderness, our hearts are prone to wander. Every time we sin… We’re believing for that moment that our way, look at me, our way is better than God’s way. That’s why we drift. That’s why I do it. That’s why you do it.
Unlike the earthly priest, Jesus never had to restrain his sinful irritation. Like, come on guys, such a pain. No, his compassion flows like a river from a perfectly holy heart. Fully entered our humanity without ever entering our sin. Yet, he never yielded to temptation. And that’s why his compassion is perfect.
So let me ask the question many of us might be carrying today. Does he understand me? The author says yes, because He’s not a harsh Savior. He’s near to you. Some of you walked into church this morning convinced that Jesus must be disappointed with you. Hebrews says something that’s altogether different. If you’ve come to Him in repentance and faith, you have a high priest who deals gently with weak and wandering sinners. He doesn’t excuse your sin, but neither does He cast away those who come to Him. He restores. He intercedes. He receives everyone who comes to Him in repentance and faith.
He deals gently with weak and wandering sinners. And if this is your high priest, why keep hiding? Why keep pretending? Why keep pretending? Why stay away from him? Thinking that you have to put yourself together and clean up yourself. Draw near with confidence when you don’t feel confident at all. And not because you’ve had a better week. Not because you’ve conquered every temptation standing on the mountaintops. Because the one who deals gently with weak people And wandering sinners like you and me is inviting us to come to Him. Listen, you’re not approaching an unwilling high priest. You’re approaching the perfect representative who delights to receive His people. The hands that were pierced for sinners will never push away the sinner who comes to Him in repentance and faith.
The one who stands before the Father for you, is the very one who’s inviting you now to draw near to the Father.
So here’s the wonderful news about it. Jesus is not a harsh high priest. He welcomes weak and wandering sinners who come to Him in repentance and faith.
Point 3: Jesus Is the Sinless High Priest Earthly Priests Could Never Be
Hebrews 5:3
But before we begin thinking that every priest was like Jesus…
The author reminds us of a glaring problem. Every earthly priest, no matter how compassionate he was, had one fatal weakness. He needed to offer a sacrifice for himself. That’s where verse 3 takes us in our third point here. Jesus is the sinless priest, high priest, earthly priest, could never be. Verse 3,
because of this, he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of his people.
Notice the author says, because of this. Because of what? Because of the ever besetting weaknesses in the high priest. Think about how the Lord humbles us. How He reminds us of our own sin. What if the priest never had to offer sacrifices for himself? What would happen in his heart? Pride? Look at me. I’m the mediator between God and man. Even though he was dressed in that full regalia and robe and tunic and precious stones, there remained corruption within. Everything on the outside must have looked pretty holy. But every year and throughout the year, God reminded that priest, man, you don’t have it all together. You have to offer sacrifices for yourself first. Before you even think about offering a sacrifice for the people. Don’t forget. Don’t forget this. You’re no different than any of the other people. Just an ordinary man with an extraordinary calling.
And yet the priest… Knew deep down, all of these sacrifices, all of these offerings, man, it’s never going to be enough. So much labor, so much toil, ongoing, overwhelming. Every sacrifice whispered the same promise. Someone better is coming. When will this system of sacrifices be fulfilled? When will we see the Messiah?
The priest was bound by this holy obligation. It wasn’t an option just to bow out of duty. What would have happened if the priest hadn’t first offered sacrifices for himself? Well, it’s quite clear that God would strike him down dead. And to the holy of holies? I don’t think so. The priest entered God’s presence without proper atonement. Man, that bell on his hem is going to be ringing. Another priest would have to take his place. Even the mediator needed a mediator. The problem was never merely finding the priest. The problem was finding a sinless one. Constant fear. Constant trembling. Have I prepared the right sacrifice with the right heart? Have I done everything that the law requires?
And then comes Jesus. Unlike every priest before Him, He never had to offer sacrifice for Himself. Why? Because He had no sin. And that is why he is the sinless high priest that every earthly priest pointed to. And that is why, dear Christian, he can actually save you. How do we know this? Peter testifies, says, he committed no sin. John, the apostle, testified as, in Him there is no sin. The Father testifies, this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. The resurrection becomes the Father’s final public declaration. If Jesus had died for His own sins, death would still have a rightful claim on Him. Because the Father raised Him from the dead. But the Father raised Him from the dead. Why? Because He paid not His own debt, but ours. The resurrection is God’s public declaration that the sacrifice has been accepted, the debt has been paid, and the high priest is perfectly righteous. Death could not hold Him because He had no sin to answer for. He answered for ours.
Jesus offered Himself once and for all as sacrifice to take away our sins. We don’t put Him back up on the cross every week. We simply rest in His finished work. For everyone who believes, every sin is covered. Past sins, present sins, future sins, paid in full. It’s the very motivation for our obedience. Keep your eyes fixed on your perfect Savior. The old hymn says, Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe. And that’s exactly what Hebrews has been teaching. Jesus paid it all because He owed nothing for Himself. Every earthly priest had to deal with his own guilt first. Jesus had no guilt of his own. He offered himself for our sins. And because he paid it all, our response is not to earn his favor, but to gladly belong to him.
We know we can’t save ourselves. But we often still try to atone for our own sins. Here’s what we do. We replay our failures over and over again, thinking, if I feel guilty enough, somehow it’ll pay for what I did. We promise to do better. Lord, if you’ll forgive me this time, I’ll never do it again. I promise. And we turn repentance into some bargaining ploy. Worse yet, we let our performance determine our confidence. After a good week, man, I’m praying boldly. I’m feeling good. I’m near to the Lord. He’s right alongside me.
After a bad week, we shrink back, hide in the corner, think the Lord is displeased with us. It’s called practical self-atonement. Treating our obedience as the basis for our acceptance. Do not do it. Every one of those responses assumes Christ’s sacrifice simply wasn’t enough. But here’s what I want you to hear clearly. The cross never needed your assistance. Every time we do these things, we are forgetting who our high priest is. Your confidence before God has never rested on your performance. That might shock you. But it has always rested on Christ’s perfect obedience and His finished sacrifice for you. Amen.
Your past sins paid in full. Your present sins, the sins you’re walking into this room with, paid in full. Even the sins that you are going to fight tomorrow and maybe fail, paid in full. There’s nothing left for you to pay. So stop trying to pay. Christ has already brought his full atonement. The Father says accepted. So stop bringing your own. Rest in Christ. You might hear us say that a lot. It never gets old.
The first three verses have shown us what kind of high priest we need. We need. What do we need from our high priest? A perfect one. Our representative. Had to become one of us. Had to deal gently with us. Had to be perfectly sinless. But one question still remains. Who gave Jesus the authority to stand in this office?
Point 4: Jesus Was Authorized by the Father to Be Our High Priest
Hebrews 5:4
Well, verse 4 is going to give us that answer. As we read together that Jesus was authorized by the Father to be our high priest.
Verse 4. And no one takes this honor for himself. But only when called by God, just as Aaron was.
Jesus became one of us. Jesus dealt gently with us. Jesus is perfectly sinless. But there was one final qualification that had to be met. As I said, who gave Jesus the right to stand before God on behalf of sinners? No Israelite ever woke up one morning and said, you know what? Today’s a nice day. I’m putting my hand in. I’m putting it in for the high. I’m going for the high priest. Come on. Let’s do it. You can’t campaign for this thing. You can’t buy this thing. Sorry, politician. You can’t seize it. From the very beginning, God always provided the mediator for his people that they needed. Every priest he appointed pointed beyond himself to Christ. That’s the point. The priesthood reflects the whole pattern of salvation.
Listen, just as no one appoints himself into God’s priesthood, no one appoints themselves into God’s family. From beginning to end, salvation belongs to the Lord. What does it mean that Aaron was called by God? Hebrews is not talking about an inner feeling. I sense in my spirit, I have this weird inclination. No, God himself appointed him. God commissioned him. God declared, this is my chosen priest.
Verse 5 tells us the same was true of Christ. The eternal Son of God. Hear me on this. The eternal Son of God, equal with the Father in all power and authority, in every way, did not call himself to this task. Isn’t it comforting to know that your salvation doesn’t rest on a self-appointed Savior? Don’t you dislike self-appointed people? Jesus didn’t assume this office. The Father entrusted it to him, which means your confidence rests on the one whom God himself appointed.
So let’s answer the question. Can I trust Jesus? Was he authorized? Think about the men God called throughout Scripture. Noah didn’t volunteer to build the ark. Moses didn’t volunteer at the burning bush. In every case, God called first. Jesus is the fulfillment of that pattern. Jesus never acted independently of the Father. He was sent by the Father. He obeyed the Father. He died according to the Father’s will. He rose by the Father’s power. From eternity to eternity, the Father’s plan has always centered on His Son. Everything about salvation, everything, rests upon the eternal purpose of God.
So can you trust Jesus? Man, I sure hope so. Absolutely. He did not appoint Himself. The Father chose Him. The Father approved Him. The Father raised Him from the dead. The resurrection publicly vindicated the Son whom the Father had appointed. The Father has spoken. This is my beloved Son. This is the priest I have appointed. Listen to Him. If the Father has declared Him to be the perfect high priest… Why would you look anywhere else?
Conclusion and Application
So as we close, I want you to notice what the author has done here. He’s been building our confidence in Christ one stone at a time. Jesus became one of us. Jesus compassionately ministers to weak and wandering sinners like us. Jesus is the sinless high priest. Any earthly priest could never be And Jesus was appointed by the Father himself. Every qualification has been met. Every objection has been answered. Every reason to trust Christ has been established. So there’s only one question left for you. Will you come to him? Will you come to him today?
Maybe you’re here this morning, you’re carrying the weight of guilt. You’re replaying the failures over and over again. And you’re wondering to yourself, God, are you just getting tired of me yet? You wondered, man, I think I’ve just wandered too far off. I think I’m just too far for the Lord to grab me and pull me in. No, no, no. Hebrews says, look to your high priest. Look to him now. He understands your weakness. He deals gently with repentant sinners. He’s got no sin of his own. He paid for yours, and the Father has declared him to be the perfect Savior. So why are you looking at yourself? Why are you trying to fix it? Why are you trying to explain it? Why are you trying to earn what Christ has already purchased? It ain’t going to happen.
Stop bringing sacrifices that Christ has already fulfilled. Here’s what I want you to bring to Him. Your sin and your weakness and your wandering heart and bring it all and lay it bare before Him. And guess what? The river of mercy and grace is flowing on. Pour it out. You think, man, he’s disappointed. I didn’t want to sin. I’ve got to do better. I’ve got to be a better Christian. If I hear that one more time, I need to be a better Christian, I will die. You can’t do it.
But if you’re not a Christian, I want you to hear this invitation. God has provided the only high priest who can reconcile sinners to himself. There’s no other mediator. There’s no other sacrifice. There’s no other way. So turn from your sin. We’re not saying you’re going to leave your sin behind because you can’t. We’re just saying agree with God this problem called sin. You’re far more corrupt than you would ever admit. I am far more corrupt than I’d ever know. But His grace is that much deeper and richer than we’ll ever, ever understand and realize. So because of that, trust in Christ today.
And dear believer, please keep your eyes on Jesus. I know this feels like a Sunday school answer, but that is such deep, good stuff here. Keep your eyes on Him. When you fail, don’t run from Him. I know I do when I want to pray. I don’t really feel like praying, so maybe the Lord just wants me to wait until I get ready to feel like I’m praying, then I’ll pray. No. No. Run to Him. We sang the song, when Satan accused you of the guilt within, just, I want you to know, look to Christ. When your conscience, when it condemns you, you’ve got to look to Christ. And when you’re weary on this pilgrimage, it’s 110 degrees out, look to Christ. Because the one who represents you before the Father is is the very one who invites you to draw near with confidence. He’s able. He’s willing. He’s yours forever. All these other priests had an expiration date. Lifetime sentence, then done. Jesus does not have an end date. That is good news, brothers and sisters.
Ready to Take Your Next Steps at The Rock Church in Mount Laurel?
The Rock Church in Mount Laurel, New Jersey exists to help people know God, follow Jesus, and make disciples who multiply. Whether you’re new or already part of our church family, we’re here to help you stay connected! Plan your visit to experience a Sunday with us, or download the Church Center App to stay updated, join a group, register for events, and more.
