Hebrews

Joyce Webb 2018

Chapter 5

Vs. 1 A high priest is chosen from among men. He is ordained (chosen, blessed, anointed) to offer sacrifices to God, and gift offerings to God.

Vs. 2 He is a man like other men, and so he can understand the feelings of man.

He understands temptation, sorrow, joy,

He can understand their weaknesses. He can have compassion for them.

Vs. 3 He offers sacrifices for others sins, and for his own sins.

Vs. 4 No man decides himself to be a high priest. He is called by God and chosen by God. Just like Aaron, (Moses’ brother) was chosen to be the high priest.

Vs. 5. Jesus was a high priest because God chose him to be one.

God the Father said to Jesus, “You are my son, to day I have begotten you.” In another verse, “You are a priest forever, like Melchisedec.”

(Melchisedec lived during Old Testament times. Abraham brought gifts and offerings to him. In the Bible, we do not read any where about how Melchisedec came to be the priest. He was just there—out of no where.

Usually we know who the ancestors fathers were of a priest.

We know nothing about Melchisedec except he just appeared to be there and Abraham brought him offerings.)

In much the same way, Jesus was a priest. Jesus’ earthly father, grandfathers, etc. were not priests, but Jesus was a priest.

He was a priest because God the father chose him to be a priest.

Vs. 7 While Jesus was here on earth, he prayed with tears, to God the Father that he would not have to go to the cross and take on the sins of all people and God would turn his face away from Jesus.

God heard his prayer. But that was the reason Jesus came to earth. Jesus knew this and said, “Thy will be done.”

Vs. 8 Even though Jesus was God’s son, he learned obedience by the things that he suffered.

Because Jesus lived as a man and went through all the things men go through sorrow, temptation, joy, hard work, etc. he was able to completely understand and have sympathy for men. He was able to be their high priest with understanding and compassion.

Jesus himself not a lamb was the offering sacrifice for sin.

He became the way of salvation for all who believed in him and obeyed his words.

So Jesus was a high priest like Melchisedec.

Vs. 11 Paul said to the believers, We have so much to teach you. Deeper things for you to understand. But you are behaving like “baby” Christians. And instead of teaching you deeper things, we have to go back and teach you the beginning things again.

Vs. 12 By this time you should be teachers yourself. But we have to go back over the beginning things and teach them to you again.

Vs. 13,14 You are like “babies” needing “milk” instead of “meat”.

You need the teachings we give to new Christians, when you should have grown in the Lord and be ready for deeper teachings and understandings of the Spirit.