Hebrews 7:11-19

Order of Service

• Scripture Reading — Leviticus 21:16-24
• Scripture Reading — Hebrews 7:11-28
• Sermon
• Closing Prayer

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Sermon Title: The Insufficiency of the Old and the Sufficiency of Christ as High Priest

Scripture: Hebrews 7:11-19

I. The Problem of the Fall: Blemishedness and Unfitness Before God

A. Leviticus 21:16-23 lists physical blemishes that disqualify Levitical priests from serving at the altar B. The Hebrew word for "blemish" (mum; Greek momos) is also used of spiritual defects

1. Job 31:7 uses the term to describe moral/spiritual stain
2. God is not being arbitrary — physical disqualification mirrors the spiritual unfitness caused by sin C. The core problem of the fall is a lack of wholeness, completeness, and perfection — rendering humanity unfit to draw near to God in worship

II. The Insufficiency of the Levitical Priesthood (Hebrews 7:11-19)

A. The argument from the text: if perfection were attainable through the Levitical priesthood, there would be no need for another priest in the order of Melchizedek

1. The Levitical priesthood rested on bodily descent and legal requirement
2. The prophecy of Psalm 110:4 signals that something more and better was coming B. The former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness — the law made nothing perfect (Hebrews 7:18) C. What the Levitical system did accomplish
3. It taught the knowledge of sin — Romans 3:20; Romans 7 — the law functions as a mirror and guardian
4. It taught that blood must be shed for forgiveness — Hebrews 9:22
5. It was a shadow pointing forward to the substance, which is Christ — Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 10:1-4
6. It was preparatory — continually reminding the people of sin and the need for atonement, but never finally accomplishing it D. A better hope is introduced through which we draw near to God (Hebrews 7:19)

III. The Sufficiency of Christ as High Priest (Hebrews 7:20-28)

A. His priesthood rests on a divine oath, not merely on lineage

1. Psalm 110:4 — "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: you are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek"
2. David, king of Jerusalem, looking back to Melchizedek, king of Salem, and forward to the promised heir of 2 Samuel 7, foresaw the coming priest-king
3. Hebrews teaches us how to read the Old Testament — the fulfillment of Psalm 110:4 is Christ B. The sufficiency of Christ's person
4. He holds his priesthood permanently because he always lives — the indestructible, endless life (Hebrews 7:16, 23-25)
5. He is holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens (Hebrews 7:26-27) — unlike other priests, he needed no sacrifice for his own sins C. The sufficiency of Christ's work
6. He was made perfect forever through his obedient life, sacrificial death, and entrance into the heavenly presence of God (Hebrews 7:28) — he perfectly kept the law on our behalf
7. He always lives to make intercession for those who draw near to God through him (Hebrews 7:25) — illustrated in the high priestly prayer of John 17 and Luke 13:32
8. His blood — offered without blemish (momos) — purifies our conscience from dead works to serve the living God (Hebrews 9:14) D. The healings of Jesus in the Gospels as a sign of his priestly work
9. By restoring physical blemishes, Jesus demonstrated that he has come to heal the internal, spiritual blemishes that keep us from God
10. He came to make whole those torn by the fall — to give spiritual sight to the spiritually blind and life to the spiritually dead