Christ is Foremost the Better High Priest (Hebrews 8:1-5)
In chapter 7 the author compares two high priest, Melchizedek, and Levi. At the conclusion of chapter 7 before chapter 8 begins, we see that Jesus supersedes both of these in order to become the last and best High Priest that mankind will ever need. Jesus Christ becomes the permanent High Priest. The primary issue and the key to the old covenant is the priesthood. The priest were the agents by which God and man were brought together. And so, the priesthood becomes the gateway to God. And if Jesus is to introduce something new, He must be established as superior to all of those connected with the old covenant, then He must be a superior priest. The author shows this argument to a Jewish community who would have struggled with this concept. Imagine going to buy a new truck. Your father and your father’s father were all Ford people. You’ve heard about another brand that was suggested to be better than the Ford. You need strong convincing! The Jewish audience here in the book of Hebrews need convincing through the Holy Spirit that Christ is the superior High Priest. It’s the same today! The Holy Spirit draws us into a saving relationship with Christ.
a. Christ is the High Priest with a Position of Superiority v.1
b. Christ is the High Priest over an Everlasting Sanctuary v.2
c. Christ is the High Priest Who Offers an Unending Sacrifice vv.3-5
Christ is the Founder of a Better Covenant (Hebrews 8:6-7)
Hebrews 8, contrasts two covenants. Both of them are initiated by God. They are both designed to bring a people into special relationship with God and with each other: the first was the covenant with Israel that God made when he took them out of Egypt; and the other covenant—the new covenant—is the one God made with the church when Jesus died for the church and rose from the dead. The first covenant created the nation of Israel and the new covenant created the church, the true spiritual Israel, and will eventually gather in the converted nation of Israel as well (Romans 11:26–27).
God used the Old Covenant to establish the New Covenant. vv.6-7
It was His intricate design the whole time. He knew man could not fulfill the law. He knew man would be looking for a sacrifice. He knew man would be looking for a Savior.
Christ is the Fulfiller of this Better Covenant (Hebrews 8:8-13)
a. It was God’s plan to fulfill the New Covenant through Jesus. vv.8-9
b. It was God’s plan to forgive our sins through faith in Jesus Christ. v.12
c. The New Covenant places all the focus on Jesus Christ, the Savior v.13
The law was and is always meant to direct us to Jesus Christ! How do we know what sin is? The law, the Ten Commandments show us our need for a Savior! There is no way that any human being can faithfully abstain from breaking the Old Covenant laws. It’s rigged! We look at the law, break it, sometimes, unknowingly, and we run to Jesus! Look at how hard it would be for a Mississippian not to break the Old Covenant law! Leviticus 11:7 “And the pig, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you.” Leviticus 11:12 “Everything in the waters that does not have fins and scales is detestable to you.”
Jesus revolutionized a Jewish community, but He is and always will be meant to restore a lost world to a right relationship with God! Nothing is Better than Jesus!