Today’s passage: Hebrews 5:1-10
Helpful thoughts:
- Qualifications listed in this passage for a High Priest:
- Compassion for the people he serves which comes from experiencing the struggles of living in this world.
- Appointment to the position by God.
- Jesus meets both qualifications.
- Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18-20) was both King and Priest. Jesus’ priesthood follows this order, not that of the sons of Aaron. More on this in Hebrews 7…
- Jesus did not need to learn how to obey in the sense that He had previously disobeyed. He came to “fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15) He lived a sinless perfect life, full of obedience in the face of temptation and in the face of suffering, so that our sin could be placed on Him in judgment, and His righteousness could be put to our account!
Questions to consider:
- If you were a Jewish person who loved your history and ancestors, how might you struggle with the idea of having a different order of priesthood (Aaron and Melchizedek)? How can history and traditions become a stumbling block to hearing, believing, and submitting to the truth?
- How does the necessity of compassion in today’s passage tie back to 4:15-16? How does Jesus meet this requirement?
- What is the place of obedience in verse 9? Is the obedience mentioned as a prerequisite to earning salvation, or is it the marker to see all those who have inherited the righteousness of Christ (Ephesians 2:8-10)? What change progressively comes in the life of a believer who has the perfect Christ in them?