J O H N W. M O O R E

LESSONS FROM THE BOOK OF HEBREWS
(PART THREE)

Please discuss the meaning of "make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings" (Heb. 2:10). How are the main terms here developed late in the epistle?

In order to bring many sons to glory, it was necessary that the perfect Son of God become the perfect Savior by blazing the trail to salvation. Like a military leader who goes ahead of his men and "opens up a new way," so Jesus blazed the trail to salvation. However, in order for Christ to lead the way to salvation, it was necessary that He suffer like man so that as a leader He could empathize and understand the feelings and temptations of those who follow. Thus, because Christ came to earth and was "found in fashion as a man." (Phil. 2:8) He became imminently qualified or consecrated for the religious service of leading souls to glory.

The idea of suffering and perfection are further developed in the chapters and verses ahead. In 2:17, it is revealed that "in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest . . . for in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted." Further, in chapter three the idea of Christ's faithfulness is given as an example that just like Christ blazed the trail and resisted temptation, so must the house of God be steadfast to the end. In chapter four, the Lord is again shown to be qualified or perfected for religious service (4:14-16). In chapter five, we are reminded that Christ indeed did suffer (5:7); but because of his obedience became perfect or qualified and was the cause of our salvation. The readers are then encouraged to also be perfected (6:1) and remain diligent unto the end (6:11) that we might enter within the veil whereof Christ was the forerunner of us (6:20). Finally, we again see the motif developed in 12:1-3 as the readers are exhorted to run the race blazed by Jesus and looking to him as an example of endurance.

List the qualifications of the Jewish high priest given in 5:1-4. How do these qualifications apply to Jesus?

First, a high priest was to be taken from and ordained for men. The high priest was to offer both gifts and sacrifices for the sins of the people. The fact that He was a human enabled him to have compassion on the people, for He should know and understand their weaknesses and thus be better able to empathize with and minister to their sufferings. Jesus was certainly qualified in meeting this requirement, for He came to earth and lived like men. He lived in a fleshly body (5:7) and was in all points tempted like you and me (4:15). He was made like "His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest." (2:17) Jesus understands. He even understands better than the high priest of the Levitical system, for He did not live a life of seclusion. He truly suffered (5:7).

Second, the high priest was to be called of God (v.4). Aaron, who represents the Levitical system of priesthood, was called to be a high priest by God (Ex. 28:1ff). He, nor his sons that followed, were selected by democratic vote or self-appointed. They were God-ordained, and so was Jesus. The Lord did not seek to glorify Himself by self-appointment, but rather was ordained of God (5:10).

Third, the appointment of the high priest was in relation to God. He acted as a mediator "...to act on God's behalf towards men and on man's behalf towards God . . . ." (Guthrie, p. 125) Jesus is now the one and only mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5). He is the one who performs the religious service of atoning for the sins of the people. He entered the most holy place and obtained eternal redemption for all.