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Meredith Bramblett

Central Truth

Jesus is the only way to a right relationship/eternity with God. Or as Jesus Himself put it, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life." (John 14:6)

And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.

1 For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. 3 Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. 4 And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.

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”;

6 as he says also in another place,

“You are a priest forever,
after the order of Melchizedek.”

7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus^{1

5:7
Greek he} 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. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

Warning Against Apostasy

11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Footnotes

[1] 5:7 Greek he

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Fun fact about me: one of my favorite things about the Bible is seeing the Old and New Testaments collide. We especially see this in the book of Hebrews.

The author begins chapter five by describing how earthly high priests were "called by God" to "act on behalf of men in relation to God," making reference to the sacrificial system outlined in Leviticus (Hebrews 5:1-4). In Leviticus 16, we read how, once a year, the high priest would intercede on behalf of the Israelites for the sins they had committed in the last year. Before he could offer a sacrifice to cover the people's sins, though, he first had to offer a sacrifice for himself. This is because he had sin that needed to be covered before he could act on behalf of the people before God.

As our high priest, Jesus offered one single sacrifice (His life) and is the "source of eternal salvation to all who obey him" (Hebrews 5:9). This prompts several questions. How is Jesus the source of eternal salvation? Why did the earthly high priests have to offer sacrifices every year, and why didn't those sacrifices suffice for our eternal salvation?

I like thinking of this in judicial terms—let's say you murdered someone and received a death sentence as punishment. Let's also say you subsequently were attending the trial of another accused murderer who was just given the death sentence as well. If you stood up in the courtroom and said, "I'll take his place and die for the murder he committed," your offer would not satisfy justice because you already have a penalty to pay for the murder you committed.

Because Jesus is sinless, His death was sufficient to cover every ounce of our sin. He didn't have any penalty against Him because He obeyed God perfectly. On the cross, Jesus satisfied the wrath of God for all who trust in Him for salvation. If we place our trust in His once-for-all death and resurrection, our sin is nailed to the cross, and the righteousness of Christ is credited to our account. He is the source of our salvation. Praise God!

1. Have you taken the first step of obedience by trusting in who Jesus says He is?

2. If you have, now that you trust in Jesus for your salvation, do you rely on the Holy Spirit to walk in obedience? Or do you try to obey out of your own efforts?

3. What would you say if someone asked you what the source of your salvation is? Would you gravitate towards your resume, discipline, or "good works"? Or in the saving power of Jesus' death on the cross?