Hebrews 7 “Don’t Give Up What You Already Have, Which is Way Better”

READ: Hebrews 7

Verses chosen for meditation: Hebrews 7:22-25

²² This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.

²³ The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, ²⁴ but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. ²⁵ Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

REFLECT

The first century Christians were in danger of giving up, facing persecution. Some were physically assaulted. Some homes were plundered. Some went to prison on account of their faith and others were ridiculed publicly for their trust in Jesus. In such times, they may be missing their old way of life and their familiar religious traditions of Judaism, wondering if they had been right to abandon all that to become a Christian.

Here, the author wrote to assure them that what they have was infinitely better than whatever they had previously. The key word here is “better”. The author was dreading that some church members might go back to something inferior, temporary and partial, when in Christ, there is a better hope, a better covenant, with better promises.

Jesus is our guarantor (v22). A guarantor is a person who’s able to pay one’s debt when he/she could not pay. Jesus’ guarantee is absolute, forever unyielding, because of his superior priesthood. The reason for priests in the OT was that they were needed to intercede for the people with God. They bring sacrifices to God so that the people’s sins were forgiven.

But that system is not perfect. Human priests, no matter how dedicated, will die eventually (v23), but Jesus continues as our eternal priest (v24). Even the most devout priests were imperfect sinners, unlike Jesus. Most crucially, Jesus loves us unconditionally, and will forever do right by us. The same can’t be said about human priests, yet some in the church were swaying towards that old system.

There was no doubt in the Christians’ mind regarding Christ’s ministry on earth and earlier manifestations of his saving activity, but can he save people now? Today’s verses provided the answer to those doubts. Here’s the clincher, Jesus is able to save people “to the uttermost”, since he is always interceding for them (v25). We often think of our salvation only in terms of Christ’s finished work on the cross and that is true. But what makes our salvation so complete and “to the uttermost” is because his saving work continues today and forever, to intercede for us to God daily for our current sins. We often neglect that, thinking we are saved only because Jesus did one thing, long in the past, not now. Our salvation also depends on Jesus’ eternal intercession.

What exactly are we being saved from? Hell? Satan? Wickedness? Sins? No. We need to be saved from God Himself! Saved from his holy wrath, that burns all unrighteousness. Our God’s justice is perfect and holy. We would not have it other way as we want wickedness to be punished justly. Unfortunately, we are part of that wickedness too, so we burn, unless we draw near to God through Christ. Then can we be saved forever, because Christ intercedes for us forever.

RELATE

The fact that we need to be saved from God does not mean Jesus loves us, but God the Father does not. God provided a way to get right with Him. He sends a final, perfect priest for us. It’s His idea. That priest is His own begotten son, whom He loves infinitely. It’s His love that rescues us from His wrath, in a way that His justice could still be carried out.

Recognising the love of our Father and the continuous saving work of Jesus helps us appreciate more this amazing grace. It makes me more in awe, being reminded how hard Jesus works for me each day. He intercedes to the Father, for sins that even I’m not aware of. This reverence and awe urge me towards worship, not only in song on Sunday services, but in spirit and truth daily, honouring and glorifying him in my deeds.

Would anybody wonder this way: since Jesus always intercedes for me, then I can go on sinning freely. He’ll have me covered! I don’t think it works like that. If we love God and draw near to Him, the Spirit will guide us towards obedience and reverence, leading to a desire to be more like Christ. A desire to battle against sin, not indulge in it. A heart that likes to indulge in sin does not know God.

Don’t waver in faith, like the 1^st century Christians. Be assured that Christ is better than anything the world has to offer. Nothing can love and intercede for us the way Jesus does. Don’t give that up for inferior things of the world. In tougher times, stand firm, and set our hope not on earthly material things which can be stolen or lost, but fix our eyes on a better country, rejoicing instead that in heaven we have a better possession.

REST

Let’s rest in the effectiveness of Jesus’ intercession. We are saved eternally, because Jesus prays for us eternally. His prayers for us will always be answered because he prays perfectly, on the basis of his perfect sacrifice.

Chris Chong