Consider Jesus (9-26-11)

Hebrews 3:1 - "Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession."

Just a reminder, the word consider means to think carefully about, contemplate, reflect on, etc. So we're told here to "consider Jesus." Can you image what kind of people we would be if we had our minds disciplined to consider Jesus constantly? We could spend the rest of our lives considering Jesus and barely even scratch the surface of all He is and all that He has done. The entire Bible, Old and New Testament, it's all about Him. He is the central theme of all Scripture, the purpose for our existence. In Him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form.

I'm not even going to try and touch on every aspect of the person and work of Christ, I'll leave that up to you to contemplate for the rest of your life. But right now I'm just going to focus on two of the roles that Christ fulfills that are mentioned in this verse. "Consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession." In this verse He is called both the Apostle and the High Priest. The word apostle literally means "one sent forth." In John 17:3 Jesus says to the Father - "This is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent." In First John 4:14 we read - "We have beheld and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world." Jesus, the Apostle was sent forth from the Father. The book of Hebrews up to this point in chapter 3 has been talking about Jesus, how God the Son who is above all things became lower than the angels and became like one of us. The Lord Jesus didn't not begin to exist when He was conceived in the womb of Mary, He existed for all eternity past and when the fulness of time came God sent forth His Son born of a woman, born under the Law in order that He might redeem those who are their lives were subject to bondage. Philippians chapter 2 talks about Jesus humbling Himself and being obedient to the point of death, even the death on the cross. Jesus was obedient to the Father in all things. He is our Apostle because He was sent to us.
In Hebrews 3:1 Jesus is also called our High Priest. The book of Hebrews, more than any other book in the Bible, presents Jesus as our High Priest. It's one of the main themes of the book. In fact the writer says in chapter 8 verses 1 and 2 - "Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man." Jesus' Apostleship and High Priestly ministry are connected. The Father sent Him to be our Great High Priest. Hebrews 5:5-6 says - "So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, “THou are My Son,
Today I have begotten Thee”; just as He says also in another passage, “Thou art a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek.”" He was sent into the world and made like us so that He could be our High Priest. Hebrews 2:17-18 says - "Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted." Our High Priest offered the sacrifice of Himself in order to do away with sin forever. We read in Hebrews 9:11-12 - "But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption." And He is able to save us through that sacrifice. In Hebrews 7:23-28 we read - "The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever." Because of His Priesthood we have deliverance (2:15). We have the ability to draw near to the throne of grace for mercy and help (4:16). We have a hope which enters within the veil, where Jesus entered as a forerunner for us (9:19-20). We have salvation and intercession (7:25). We have a conscience cleansed from dead works to serve the living God (9:14). We have the promise of His coming a second time (9:28). We have sanctification, and the Spirit of God living within us (10:14-17). We have the opportunity to offer a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to God, and the opportunity to do works that are pleasing to Him. "For with such sacrifices God is well pleased." (13:13-16). I could go on, but I just encourage you to spend time in Hebrews and "Consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession."