Hebrews 8:1-2
Now the Point Is This
We have traversed seven chapters in the Book of Hebrews and now the Preacher does us the favor of telling us “the point.” It’s always a good thing for preachers to do this halfway or more through a sermon that their hearers not get lost due to the passing of so many words in a limited span of time. So the Preacher sums his message up for us to this place in his outline: “Now the point in what we are saying is this: We have such a High Priest, one who is seated at the Right Hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man.”
“We have such a High Priest.” And what High Priest is that? One who “is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and [who] upholds the universe by the word of his power” (1:3). This High Priest is the one who is called, “Son,” and not because he is like a son but because he is the Son, the only-begotten Son of the Father full of grace and truth (John 1:17-18). So the Father has spoken of him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you” (Psalm 2:7), a Son of the same nature, who was with God and is God (John 1:1).
What else may we say about this High Priest? That he “[made] purification for sins [and then] sat down at the Right Hand of the Majesty on High” (1:3). This is what we would expect, for making purification for sins is exactly what a priest does—only this priest did so as the Son, which raises his work of purification to a whole new level.
And what else may we say about such a High Priest? That he “was made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful High Priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (2:17); moreover, that “he himself has suffered when tempted” (2:18), but that in suffering he sinned not that he may be both priest and sacrifice (4:14-16). And we have such a High Priest who has done all of this for our sakes and has risen and ascended bodily into heaven at the Right Hand of the Father—the true tent, the only real Holy of Holies that no man has ever seen or touched, the Holy Place of which all earthly holy places are mere copies, shadows, and poor imitations, if they be worthy of that much credit. And seated at that most exalted place in heaven and earth he intercedes for us (7:25), prays for us, cleanses us of all sin, and makes us to approach the throne of grace, even with confidence (4:16). This is our great High Priest—the one who is for us, who knows us, and loves us.
