Author of Eternal Salvation

Author of Eternal Salvation

“Author of Eternal Salvation”
(Hebrews 5:1-10)
Series: Captivated by Christ (Hebrews)

Rev. Todd A. Linn, PhD

Henderson’s First Baptist Church, Henderson

Please take your Bibles and join me in Hebrews chapter 5.

We are studying the Book of Hebrews, verse-by-verse, in a study entitled “Captivated by Christ.” The Book of Hebrews is actually a letter written to a people who had taken their eyes off Christ. The were under pressure to abandon Christ in that they were undergoing persecution as Jewish people raised in the Old Covenant. They grew up under a system of Old Testament law, priests, and sacrifices. And they faced enormous pressure from family and acquaintances to leave Christ and Christianity and re-embrace their old ways of Old Covenant thinking and living.

The writer of Hebrews writes this letter to warn them not to do this. And the writer holds before them Christ as better, greater, and more superior to the Old Covenant. Jesus Christ is better. Better than things the Hebrews held in high regard. Jesus is better. Better than, in chapters 1 and 2, better than the angels and better than the law. Chapter 3 better than Moses. Chapter 4 better than Joshua and He offers a better rest than Joshua offered in the wilderness. At the end of Chapter 4—last time—we read that Jesus is a better high priest than the high priests of the Old Covenant.

The high priest was the supreme religious leader of the Israelites. The high priest was over all the other priests, levitical priests, the ordinary priests who were served in the Old Covenant temple. All other priests were subordinate to the high priest.

So the writer continues to show that Jesus is better than Aaron; Moses’ brother. Jesus is the greater high priest and therefore better than any other human high priest.

In verses 1-10 the writer engages in a “compare and contrast” exercise. Do you know these from school tests? You take a test and it says something like, “Compare and contrast the French Revolution with the American War of Independence.” Or, “Compare and contrast the leadership style of Winston Churchill with Franklin Roosevelt.” And you are to answer the question by writing about both similarities and differences between the two events or the two persons.

Well, as I read the passage this morning note how the writer does this as he compares and contrasts the human high priest system with the vastly superior High Priest Jesus Christ. He writes first of the “high priest taken from among men,” that is, the human high priest, the supreme religious leader of the Israelites, in verses 1-4. Then after verse 4 and beginning in verse 5 the writer presents Jesus Christ, the High Priest who is markedly different in many ways. Listen for this comparing and contrasting then as I read the passage.

Please stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word.

1 For every high priest taken from among men (every human high priest) is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.
2 He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness.
3 Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins.
4 And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.
5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.”
6 As He also says in another place: “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek”;
7 who, in the days of His flesh (during Christ’s earthly ministry), when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear,
8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.
9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,
10 called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,”

Pray: “Father, help us see how Your Son Jesus Christ is better than anyone or anything. Holy Spirit show us this truth as we study Your Word. And help us see how we may apply this truth of Christ’s superiority today. For Jesus’ sake, amen.”

Do Baptists believe in priests? That’s a simple question, isn’t it? In light of our study about the human priestly system of the Old Covenant. This is a good question. I think a better question would be: Do Protestants believe in priests? Do evangelicals believe in priests? What is the answer to that question if we interpret the teachings of the New Testament in a plain, straightforward manner?

Interpreting the Bible in this way, it seems clear that the system of a human priesthood is over. The Reformers taught this in their recovery of the true gospel from the church of their day, didn’t they? This is the truth for which so many of our Protestant forebears died in the Reformation. Among other things, they were showing that the New Testament is clear on this point: we have no need of human priests in order to approach God, worship God, live for God, serve God, or enter into the very presence of God.

On what basis, then, do we approach God? And that is the entire point of the New Testament, especially the Book of Hebrews. We now have—not just a priest, not just a high priest—but we have a Great High Priest whose name is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And unlike the human high priest whose appointment ended when he died, Jesus goes on living, goes on making intercession on behalf of all His followers, Christians.

To participate, then, in a human priestly system of perpetual priests and perpetual sacrifices for sin is either to ignore or be ignorant of the plain teaching of Holy Scripture. Jesus Christ is the better, the greater, the vastly superior High Priest. He has offered the better, the greater, the vastly superior sacrifice for sins. And on this basis Jesus Christ is the “Author of eternal salvation.”

That phrase, “author of eternal salvation,” is found near the end of our text, verse 9, “And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” Jesus Christ is the author of eternal salvation. That phrase is the anchor of this passage. Everything else the writer does in these verses serves to prove this fact, that Jesus is the author, or source of, eternal salvation. In fact, if you’re a note-taker you can jot that down in your notes:

**Why Jesus Christ is Author of Eternal Salvation:

In what way is Jesus Christ the author of eternal salvation? First, because of His identity, His unique identity as the only begotten, or unique one-of-a-kind, Son of God. His identity as Son of God.

I. His Identity [1-5]

This is really the first point the writer makes in this passage. And before we see it revealed further down into the text, note that the writer opens chapter 5 by writing about the human high priest, the things that qualify him to be high priest under the Old Covenant.

By way of review from last time, recall that the priests are the one who served in and among the temple. They served as ministers and helpers, helping the people “in things pertaining to God,” offering prayers and sacrifices for sin. The office of the priest in the Old Testament was limited to the tribe of Levi and limited further to just one family of the tribe of Levi, the family line of Aaron, Moses’ brother. And it was from the family line of Aaron that the supreme leader or supreme priest of the Israelites came, the high priest. Look at verse 1:

1 For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.

The writer is talking about the human high priest. He is appointed to this position by God, “appointed for men in things pertaining to God.” And what does the high priest do? Last part of verse 1: “that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.” The high priest is like a bridge or link between the people and God. God is holy. Man is sinful. Man cannot approach God. So the priest is the holy, separated leader, who links men to God. The writer goes on to describe the human high priest in verse 2:

2 He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness.

The high priest can sympathize with those he serves. He serves all people, both educated and uneducated, both wise and foolish, informed and ignorant, faithful and those going astray. He can sympathize with, identify with, have compassion for other human beings he serves because he himself knows what it is like to be human, to be “subject to weakness.” Verse 3:

3 Because of this (because he himself is a man subject to weakness) he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins.

So the high priest is a holy man, but a man nonetheless. He may be regarded as the best of men, but a man at best. The high priest is a sinner. So he is required to do for himself what he does for the people. He offers sacrifices for sins—not just their sins—but his own sins, too.

This fact underscores the need for humility. Because of his special office, the high priest may be tempted to begin to think of himself as a special person—special as though he himself were incapable of the same sins as the sins of the people he represents.

Perhaps he becomes enamored with the special garments he wears as he serves as high priest and begins to think: “Well, I am so much better than these sinners!” This verse destroys that prideful thought. Because he too is a human being with a sin nature, “he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins.” And these sacrifices for sins were largely the animal sacrifices we read about in the Old Testament.

I think it may be helpful here to pause to answer a common question from those who are reading the Old Testament who wonder about these animal sacrifices, why they were given and what’s going on with them. So let’s pause on our journey through this text. We’ll “pull the car over to the side” as it were, turn off the ignition and stop to consider at least 3 reasons for animal sacrifices.

Why animal sacrifices?
At least 3 reasons:
1) To show the seriousness of sin (requires shedding of blood for forgiveness)

Sin is not to be taken lightly. Sin is an offense against God. It is rebellion against our Creator. Every sinful action is an affront to God. Even those sins we do and we attempt to argue, “Well my actions aren’t hurting anyone else.” Yes, they are. Your sinful actions are primarily hurting God, grieving the Holy Spirit.

Sin is serious. Sin has a penalty and the penalty is death. So an animal was sacrificed, it’s blood shed, to illustrate the payment required for sin. The writer of Hebrews will go on to say in Hebrews 9:22, “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission, no forgiveness of sin.” Animals were sacrificed to show the seriousness of sin. Secondly, animals were sacrificed:

2) To provide a temporary covering for sin (like living on credit)

The blood of the animals themselves was not sufficient to atone for our sin. As the writer says later in Hebrews 10:4, “It is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.”

Animal sacrifices do not take away sin. Animal sacrifices served as a temporary covering for sins, the blood shed as a reminder of the seriousness of sin, that payment was required, namely the payment of death. But the animals themselves could not provide atonement and forgiveness for our sin. No animal has a perfect record of righteousness, perfectly obeying all of God’s laws. Nor does an animal share man’s human nature and human flesh.

Animal sacrifices were something of a place holder until a greater more perfect sacrifice would come. Until that day, the forgiveness that came through animal sacrifices was like “living on credit” until the payment came due. This takes us to the third and final reason for animal sacrifices:

3) To point us to the greatest sacrifice for sin (Lamb who takes away sins of the world)

Jesus Christ is the greater sacrifice—the greatest sacrifice. He is the spotless Lamb of God who takes away all sin. Jesus Christ lived a perfect life of obedience and then died a perfect death as our substitute.

Every animal sacrifice pointed forward, pointing ahead, the greater sacrifice to come when Jesus died on the cross, Jesus who paid it all.

The entire levitical system of priests and sacrifices was a shadow, a symbol, a picture, a pointer pointing to Jesus. And the writer of Hebrews wants his readers to love Christ more than the pointer. Love Jesus more than the picture of Jesus, love Him more than the things that point to Him.

Okay, let’s start up the car again and get back on the road here. We were learning why Jesus is the Author of Eternal Salvation. And the first point is because of His identity. Remember that the writer is talking about the human high priest in verses 1-4. He writes now in verse 4:

4 And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.

No Israelite sought the office of high priest. It was an appointed position. It wasn’t a position someone was elected to, or voted on. God Himself calls the high priest to the position.

Now, look at verse 5. See the first few words? “So also Christ?” The writer says, “Now let me compare and contrast the human high priest with Jesus Christ. He writes in verse 5:

5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him:
“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.”

And the immediate point is that Jesus Christ did not seek out this position of High Priest Himself in a grab for power and self-exaltation. Jesus was always submissive to His Father. “So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest.” No, it was His Heavenly Father who appointed Him.

The writer says, “But it was He (God, the Father) who said to Him (said to Jesus): “You are My Son…” See when you look at verse 5 carefully and you read the first part, “So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest,” you might expect the writer to to go on saying, “But it was He who said to Him: “You are My High Priest.” But that’s not what the Father says. He says, “You are My Son.” There it is! The Son’s unique identity. Son of God. Jesus is greater. Son of God.

Then a quote from Psalm 2 in verse 5 there. “You are My Son, today I have begotten You.” Begotten here does not mean made. The idea is, “I have declared You to be My unique one-of-a-kind Son.” The Father often declared Jesus to be His unique Son. He said so, for example, at the baptism of Jesus and on the mount of transfiguration. “This is my Son.”

And given what the writer has said about Jesus in the last few verses of chapter 4, especially verse 14, “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God,” we understand why the Father is saying, “Today I have begotten You.” Jesus has lived, died, been resurrected, ascended to the right hand of the Father, passed through the heavens up to glory and His Father says, “Today I have begotten you. I declare You yet again My Son, My unique, one-of-a-kind Son.”

So praise the Lord for His Identity. His identity as Son of God. Jesus Christ is the Author of Eternal Salvation because of His identity. Here’s the second truth. Jesus Christ is Author of Eternal Salvation because of His very Eternity. His eternity.

II. His Eternity [6]

6 As He also says in another place:
“You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek”;

Unlike the human priests whose term of service ended with their death, Jesus Christ goes on living. He is “a priest forever.” The Son of God’s nature is eternal. He is without beginning or end. He is forever.

So the writer uses this phrase, “according to the order of Melchizedek” to underscore the eternal nature of the Son of God.

We’ll read about Melchizedek later in Chapter 7. For now it is sufficient to know that Melchizedek did not come from the line of Aaron. He was not a levite. In fact, little is known about Melchizedek. He is mentioned only in Genesis 14 and Psalm 110. That’s it. Nowhere else. But you see Melchizedek did not come form the family line of Aaron. In fact, the Scriptures never provide the genealogy of Melchizedek. There is no record of either his birth or death.

Again, we’ll study Melchizedek in greater detail in chapter 7, but for now know that the writer is using Melchizedek as a symbol or a type, a foreshadowing of Christ. Again, something of a pointer. Because he seems to have no beginning or end—insofar as there is no genealogy recorded in Scripture—so he is like Christ who has no beginning or end. He symbolizes the eternal nature of the Son of God, Jesus a priest forever.

So praise the Lord Jesus for His Identity and His Eternity. Thirdly, Jesus is the Author of Salvation because of His Fidelity. His faithfulness to the Father.

III. His Fidelity [7-10]

His faithfulness to the Father. Faithfulness reverence to the Father.

A) Faithful Reverence (7)

See this in verse 7:

7 who, in the days of His flesh (His entire earthly ministry), when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear,

We noted last time that Jesus’ perfection did not limit his ability to feel the full extent of temptation and suffering. In fact, because of His perfection, He was able to experience temptation perfectly and completely in ways none of us can withstand. As I heard Ligon Duncan say, “It’s not that Jesus can’t relate to our temptation, it’s that we cannot relate to His.” He suffered in ways none of us could withstand.

He was heard “because of godly fear.” He totally submitted to the will of the Father. Even in the Garden of Gethsemane He prayed, “Not my will but Thine be done.”

By the way, do you submit your will to the Heavenly Father’s? Seriously. Do you? Are you often peevishly irritated because God’s will isn’t your will? Faithful reverence. And:

B) Faithful Obedience (8-10)

Jesus obeyed the Father perfectly.

8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.

Jesus lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father, every temptation and every trial, enabling Him to complete God’s perfect plan of total obedience. As each day unfolded, Jesus Christ experienced greater trials, tests, and sufferings. His sufferings enabled Him to demonstrate total submission to the will of His Father.

9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,

This is similar to Hebrews 2:10: “For it was fitting for Him…[to be made] perfect through sufferings.” Perfected through sufferings, culminating with the final suffering of the cross, His sufferings brought to completion.

And again, the point that Jesus did not seek Himself the honor and glory of High Priest, but He was, verse 10:

10 called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,”

Praise the Lord Jesus for His Identity, for His Eternity, and for His Fidelity. Faithful in reverence. Faithful in obedience.

There is no longer any need for a human system of priesthood. No need for ceremonial symbols. No need for bells and smells and sites and sounds and signs and symbols. We do not need these things nor are we to long for these things. They are all symbols, pictures, pointing toward something and Someone far greater.

Love Jesus more than the picture of Jesus.

A soldier on the battlefield may take tremendous comfort in a picture of his wife. He pulls that picture out and gazes upon it daily, he clings to it. It helps him get by. But he’s looking forward to a better day. And when that day comes, when the war is over and he returns home, he no longer clings to the picture. The picture was merely a symbol, a pointer, to his wife. Love Jesus more than the pointer.

If you love Jesus and live for Jesus you share in His identity; you share in His fidelity, you share in His eternity…if you obey.

Note this in verse 9: It does not say, “He became the author of eternal salvation to all who prayed a formulaic prayer one day in the past.” It doesn’t say, “He became the author of eternal salvation to all who joined the church.” What does it say? He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” Obey Him. Live for Him. Go on living for Him, go on submitting to Him, go on worshiping Him, go on loving Him. Each and every day. The true believers are the ones who obey Him. True believers live each day for Him. True believers are known as obedient Christ followers. They want what their Lord wants. Do what their Lord does. They obey Him. He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.
Do you obey Him?

Do you believe in Him, believe He died for your sins? Some of you need to trust Jesus this morning. Do that. Believe. Confess. Repent. Say to Him:

“Lord Jesus Christ, I admit that I am weaker and more sinful than I ever before believed, but, through you, I am more loved and accepted than I ever dared hope. I thank you for paying my debt, bearing my punishment and offering forgiveness. I turn from my sin and receive you as Savior.”

As we respond to God’s Word, remember that God is inviting you right now—every single one of us in the room—God is inviting us to respond.

Some of you want to join the church, or be baptized, you come during this time and I’ll meet you up front here. Others of you want to come for prayer or you want to follow Jesus and you have questions. Right after we pray, I’m inviting you to come.

Let’s pray: “Lord, we thank you that you are our great high priest. We thank you that we can run to you when chased by fear. We thank you that we can find in you a refuge sure. We thank you that when we our torn by grief we can hear you say, ‘I too had tears.’ We thank you that come what may we can run to you our Advocate and Friend. Help us respond rightly in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Now stand and as we sing, you respond however the Lord is leading you to respond.

I run to Christ when chased by fear
And find a refuge sure.
“Believe in me,” His voice I hear;
His words and wounds secure.

I run to Christ when torn by grief
And find abundant peace.
“I too had tears,” He gently speaks;
Thus joy and sorrow meet.

2, I run to Christ when worn by life
And find my soul refreshed.
“Come unto Me,” He calls through strife;
Fatigue gives way to rest.

I run to Christ when vexed by hell
And find a mighty arm.
“The Devil flees,” the Scriptures tell;
He roars, but cannot harm.

3, I run to Christ when stalked by sin
And find a sure escape.
“Deliver me,” I cry to Him;
Temptation yields to grace.

I run to Christ when plagued by shame
And find my one defense.
“I bore God’s wrath,” He pleads my case—
My Advocate and Friend.

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