We're now at one of the most encouraging sections of Hebrews.
The writer has warned Christians about unbelief, disobedience, and the danger of failing to enter God's rest. He has reminded us that God's Word searches our hearts and that nothing is hidden from Him.
But he doesn't leave his readers frightened and without help.
He introduces Jesus, our great High Priest.
9. WHY DO WE NEED A GREAT HIGH PRIEST?
Hebrews 4:14–5:10 — Jesus, Our Merciful and Faithful High Priest
TEXT B4 TRADITION — READ FIRST. CONCLUDE LATER.
Why do Christians need a High Priest?
Under the Law of Moses, priests represented the people before God.
They offered sacrifices for sins.
They ministered in the tabernacle and later in the temple.
Once each year, the high priest entered the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement.
But why would Christians need a High Priest today?
Didn't Jesus die for our sins?
Wasn't His sacrifice sufficient?
And if His sacrifice was sufficient, what is He doing now?
These are important questions.
The writer of Hebrews has already told us that Jesus became human so He could become a merciful and faithful High Priest (Hebrews 2:17).
Now he begins explaining what that means.
Jesus did not merely die for us. He is our living High Priest.
Let's follow the text carefully.
1. Why Does the Writer Introduce Jesus as Our High Priest? — Hebrews 4:14
“Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.” (KJV)
Notice the opening words.
“Seeing then...”
The writer is connecting this statement with what he has just explained.
Hebrews 4:12–13 told us that God's Word exposes the thoughts and intentions of our hearts.
Nothing is hidden from God.
Every person is accountable to Him.
That could be a frightening thought.
But the writer immediately reminds Christians that they have a great High Priest.
Why is that important?
Because our relationship with God does not depend upon pretending that we have no weaknesses.
God knows us completely.
He knows our sins.
He knows our temptations.
He knows our failures.
But He has also provided a High Priest through whom we can approach Him.
Why call Jesus a “great” High Priest?
Under the Law of Moses, Israel had a high priest.
But Jesus is greater.
The writer has already explained that Jesus is the Son of God.
He is greater than the prophets.
He is greater than the angels.
He is greater than Moses.
Now the writer explains that His priesthood is also greater.
The word “great” draws attention to His extraordinary position.
He is not merely another priest in a long succession of priests.
He is Jesus, the Son of God.
2. What Did the High Priest Do Under the Old Covenant?
Before continuing, we need to understand the priesthood that the writer is using for comparison.
Under the Law of Moses, God appointed Aaron and his descendants to serve as priests.
The high priest had special responsibilities.
He represented the people in matters concerning God.
He offered sacrifices.
He ministered in connection with the sanctuary.
And on the Day of Atonement, he entered the Most Holy Place.
What happened on the Day of Atonement?
Leviticus 16 explains the ceremony.
The high priest first had to make atonement for himself and his household.
Then he carried out the sacrifices and ceremonies associated with the sins of the people.
He entered the Most Holy Place with sacrificial blood.
This was an annual observance.
Why was this necessary?
Because sin separated people from God.
The sacrifices and priestly ceremonies belonged to the covenant system God gave Israel.
But the priests themselves were sinners.
They needed forgiveness just as the people did.
And their sacrifices had to be repeated.
Hebrews will later explain that those repeated sacrifices could not provide the final removal of sin that Christ accomplished.
What was the great limitation?
No ordinary earthly priest could completely remove sin through his own power or sacrifice.
Something greater was needed.
And Hebrews says that something greater has come through Jesus Christ.
3. Jesus Passed Through the Heavens — Hebrews 4:14
The writer says Jesus:
“Is passed into the heavens.”
This is an important difference between Jesus and the earthly high priests.
The high priest under the Law entered the earthly sanctuary.
Jesus entered heaven itself.
What does this mean?
The earthly high priest entered the Most Holy Place once each year on the Day of Atonement.
But Jesus' priestly ministry is not confined to an earthly building.
Hebrews 9:24 will explain:
“For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands... but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.” (KJV)
The writer will develop this contrast more fully in chapters 8 and 9.
For now, the point is that Jesus has entered the heavenly presence of God.
Does this mean Jesus' work on earth was insufficient?
No.
His sacrifice was sufficient.
His continuing priestly ministry does not mean He must repeatedly offer Himself.
Hebrews 7:27 and 9:25–28 will emphasize that His sacrifice was offered once for all.
His heavenly ministry rests upon that completed sacrifice.
What does this mean for Christians?
We do not depend upon an earthly high priest to stand between us and God.
We have Jesus Christ.
The Son of God.
Our great High Priest.
And because He has entered the heavenly sanctuary, the writer tells us:
“Let us hold fast our profession.”
That is the same concern we have encountered throughout Hebrews.
Continue trusting Christ.
Do not abandon Him.
4. Jesus Understands Our Weaknesses — Hebrews 4:15
“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” (KJV)
This is one of the most comforting statements in Hebrews.
Jesus understands human weakness.
Why?
Because He became human.
Was Jesus really human?
Yes.
Hebrews 2:14 says He shared in flesh and blood.
Hebrews 2:17 says He was made like His brothers and sisters.
He experienced human life.
He knew hunger.
He knew weariness.
He knew sorrow.
He experienced rejection.
He suffered.
And He faced temptation.
What does “touched with the feeling of our infirmities” mean?
The expression describes sympathy with human weakness.
The Greek verb is related to the idea of suffering with or sympathizing.
Jesus is not an indifferent observer.
He understands the struggles of those He represents.
Does Jesus understand every individual experience?
The verse does not mean Jesus personally experienced every possible circumstance that every human being has faced.
For example, the Gospels do not describe Him experiencing every kind of illness, occupation, family responsibility, or personal tragedy.
But He genuinely experienced human weakness and testing.
He understands the reality of temptation and suffering.
His sympathy is grounded in His real humanity, not in a distant observation of human life.
5. Was Jesus Tempted in Every Way? — Hebrews 4:15
The writer says Jesus was tempted:
“In all points... like as we are.”
What does that mean?
Did Jesus face real temptation?
Yes.
The Gospels describe Satan tempting Jesus in the wilderness.
Matthew 4:1–11 records temptations involving hunger, trust in God, and the offer of worldly authority.
Jesus resisted.
He answered with Scripture.
And He remained faithful.
Did Jesus experience the pressure of temptation?
Yes.
Hebrews 2:18 says He suffered when He was tempted.
Temptation was not merely an imaginary experience.
It involved genuine testing.
Did Jesus possess sinful desires?
The text does not say that.
It says He was tempted like us, yet without sin.
We should distinguish between experiencing temptation and committing sin.
Temptation does not automatically mean a person has sinned.
Jesus experienced testing without yielding to sin.
Does “in all points” mean every possible temptation?
The expression emphasizes the breadth and reality of His testing.
But we should not press it into a claim that Jesus experienced every specific temptation every individual human being has ever faced.
The writer's point is that Jesus genuinely understands human testing.
And He remained sinless.
Jesus knows what temptation is, but He never surrendered to it.
6. Why Is Jesus' Sinlessness So Important? — Hebrews 4:15
The writer ends the verse with two remarkable words:
“Without sin.”
Jesus was tempted.
But He did not sin.
Why does that matter for His priesthood?
Under the Law, the high priest was himself a sinner.
He had to offer sacrifices for his own sins.
Jesus is different.
He does not need forgiveness for Himself.
He does not need to offer a sacrifice for His own wrongdoing.
Hebrews 7:26–27 will make this especially clear.
Jesus is holy, innocent, undefiled, and separated from sinners in the sense described there.
He does not need to offer daily sacrifices for His own sins.
Does His sinlessness make Him unable to understand sinners?
No.
Hebrews says the opposite.
His sinlessness does not prevent Him from sympathizing with us.
It qualifies Him to help us.
He understands temptation because He experienced it.
And He can provide help because He remained faithful.
He is both sympathetic toward sinners and completely acceptable before God.
That is why He is the perfect High Priest.
7. Come Boldly to God's Throne — Hebrews 4:16
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (KJV)
Again, notice the word:
Therefore.
Because Jesus is our great High Priest...
Because He understands our weaknesses...
Because He was tempted yet remained sinless...
We may approach God's throne with confidence.
What does “boldly” mean?
The Greek word parrēsia expresses confidence or freedom of approach.
It does not mean arrogance.
It does not mean treating God casually or disrespectfully.
It means that Christians need not approach God as though Christ had accomplished nothing for them.
Our confidence rests upon Jesus.
Why call it the “throne of grace”?
A throne represents authority.
God is the supreme ruler.
But the writer calls His throne the throne of grace.
Through Christ, believers may approach God seeking mercy and help.
This is not because God has stopped being holy.
It is because Jesus has opened the way.
What do we receive?
The writer names two things.
Mercy.
Grace.
Mercy concerns God's compassion toward those who need it.
Grace concerns His generous favor and help.
Both are essential.
We need mercy because we are sinners.
We need grace because we are weak.
When may we approach?
“In time of need.”
The writer does not restrict this invitation to moments when everything is going well.
It is especially meaningful when believers are struggling.
When they are tempted.
When they are discouraged.
When they recognize their weakness.
Our High Priest invites us to seek help, not to hide our failures.
8. What Was the High Priest's Responsibility? — Hebrews 5:1
The writer now explains the basic requirements of the high priestly office.
“For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.” (KJV)
Notice several important points.
The high priest was chosen from among human beings.
He represented people before God.
His humanity mattered because he served on behalf of other human beings.
He was appointed.
He did not simply decide to become high priest.
The office required appointment.
He served in matters concerning God.
His work involved the relationship between God and His people.
He offered gifts and sacrifices.
Under the Mosaic covenant, priests presented the offerings God had commanded.
The high priest had special responsibilities in that system.
Why does the writer explain this?
Because he is preparing to show how Jesus fulfills the essential qualifications of a high priest.
Jesus became human.
He represents His people.
He was appointed by God.
And He offered the sacrifice that accomplished what the old sacrifices could not.
But Jesus is also different from the ordinary priests.
He is sinless.
And His priesthood is eternal.
9. Why Could an Earthly High Priest Deal Gently with Sinners? — Hebrews 5:2
“Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.” (KJV)
The writer describes the ordinary high priest.
He could deal gently with people who were ignorant or wandering.
Why?
Because he understood weakness.
He was weak himself.
What does “have compassion” mean?
The Greek verb metriopatheō refers to responding with measured or appropriate feeling.
It suggests a controlled, gentle response rather than harsh indifference or uncontrolled anger.
The high priest was supposed to deal properly with those who needed help.
Who were the ignorant and wandering?
The expressions describe people who sinned through ignorance or went astray.
The sacrificial system made distinctions between different kinds of wrongdoing.
Numbers 15:22–31, for example, distinguishes unintentional sins from defiant rebellion.
The writer is not saying that every kind of deliberate rejection could be resolved through an ordinary sacrifice.
He is describing the priest's responsibility toward those who needed priestly help.
What made the earthly priest sympathetic?
He knew weakness because he experienced it.
But that same weakness also created a problem.
He was a sinner himself.
Jesus possesses genuine sympathy without sharing the priest's sinfulness.
The ordinary priest understood weakness because he was weak and sinful. Jesus understands weakness because He became human and was tested, yet remained sinless.
10. The Earthly Priest Needed Forgiveness Too — Hebrews 5:3
“And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.” (KJV)
The ordinary high priest could not stand before God as a sinless person.
He had sins of his own.
Therefore, he needed to offer sacrifices for himself as well as for the people.
Leviticus 16 provides the clearest example.
On the Day of Atonement, Aaron had to make atonement for himself and his household before carrying out the remaining ceremonies for the people.
Why is this significant?
Because it shows a limitation of the old priesthood.
The priest needed the same forgiveness as those he represented.
He could not provide the final solution to sin through his own moral perfection.
He had none.
How is Jesus different?
Jesus did not need a sacrifice for His own sins.
He had no sins.
Hebrews 7:27 will explain that He offered Himself once for all.
His sacrifice was not a repeated attempt to deal with His own guilt.
It was the offering of the sinless Son for others.
Jesus is not merely a better version of an ordinary priest. His priesthood is fundamentally greater.
11. Who Has the Right to Become High Priest? — Hebrews 5:4
“And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.” (KJV)
The writer now explains another requirement.
A high priest must be appointed by God.
Could someone simply declare himself high priest?
No.
Under the Law, the priesthood was not a position someone could claim merely because he wanted authority.
God appointed Aaron and his descendants.
Numbers 16 records the rebellion of Korah and others who challenged the priestly arrangement.
The consequences were severe.
The priesthood belonged to God's appointment.
Why does this matter for Jesus?
Because Jesus did not seize the office of High Priest.
He was appointed by God.
The writer will now support that statement with Scripture.
12. God Appointed Jesus — Hebrews 5:5
“So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.” (KJV)
The writer quotes Psalm 2:7.
We have already encountered this passage in Hebrews 1:5.
There it helped establish the Son's superiority to angels.
Now the writer uses it in connection with His appointment as High Priest.
Why quote a passage about the Son?
Because the One appointed to this priesthood is no ordinary man.
He is God's Son.
The writer is connecting Jesus' unique identity with His appointed office.
Does “today I have begotten you” mean Jesus began to exist?
That conclusion does not follow from Hebrews.
Hebrews 1:2–3 has already described the Son as the One through whom God made the ages and as the radiance of God's glory.
Psalm 2 is a royal psalm associated with God's appointed king.
The language of sonship belongs to the king's special relationship with God and his installation or recognition as ruler.
Hebrews applies that language to Jesus.
We should interpret the quotation within that larger biblical setting rather than assuming it describes the beginning of the Son's existence.
What is the main point here?
Jesus did not appoint Himself. God appointed Him.
His priesthood has divine authority.
13. A Priest Forever — Hebrews 5:6
The writer quotes another psalm:
“Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.” (KJV)
This comes from Psalm 110:4.
Now the writer introduces a name that will become very important later in Hebrews.
Melchizedek.
Who was Melchizedek?
Genesis 14:18–20 describes Melchizedek as king of Salem and priest of God Most High.
He met Abraham after Abraham's victory in battle.
He blessed Abraham.
And Abraham gave him a tenth of the spoils.
That is the brief historical account in Genesis.
Why is Melchizedek important?
Because he was a priest long before the Law of Moses established the Aaronic priesthood.
He was not introduced as a descendant of Aaron.
He belonged to an earlier priestly pattern.
Psalm 110 later speaks of a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews applies that promise to Jesus.
Does this mean Jesus was a descendant of Melchizedek?
No.
The writer is not describing a family line.
He is describing a priesthood patterned after Melchizedek rather than the priesthood established through Aaron.
Hebrews 7 will explain this in much greater detail.
Why “forever”?
Because Jesus' priesthood is not limited by the succession of mortal priests.
Ordinary priests died and were replaced.
Jesus lives.
His priesthood continues.
The priesthood of Jesus is not temporary. It is permanent.
14. Jesus Prayed with Tears — Hebrews 5:7
“Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared.” (KJV)
This verse brings us back to Jesus' humanity.
The Son of God truly suffered.
He prayed.
He cried out.
He experienced deep anguish.
What event is the writer describing?
Many interpreters connect this verse especially with Jesus' suffering in Gethsemane.
The Gospels describe His intense distress before His arrest.
Matthew 26:39 records His prayer:
“O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (KJV)
Luke 22:44 also describes His anguish, although that verse has a well-known textual question in the manuscript tradition.
Hebrews does not explicitly name Gethsemane.
The language may encompass Jesus' prayers during His suffering more broadly.
We should not claim more certainty than the text provides.
What does “able to save him from death” mean?
The wording can refer to deliverance from death or deliverance out of death.
That raises an important question.
Jesus died.
So how was His prayer heard?
Some understand the answer in terms of His resurrection: God brought Him out of death.
Others emphasize that Jesus' prayer was answered in accordance with His submission to the Father's will rather than by preventing His death.
These explanations are not necessarily mutually exclusive.
Hebrews does not say that Jesus was spared the cross.
It says His prayer was heard.
What does “in that he feared” mean?
The expression refers to reverence or godly submission.
It does not mean Jesus was guilty of sinful terror or distrust.
The writer presents Jesus as the obedient Son who submitted Himself to the Father even in suffering.
Jesus' obedience was not theoretical. It was demonstrated under the most difficult circumstances.
15. How Could Jesus Learn Obedience? — Hebrews 5:8
“Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.” (KJV)
This is one of the most important verses in the passage.
And it is often misunderstood.
If Jesus was sinless, how could He learn obedience?
Does learning obedience mean He had previously been disobedient?
No.
That is not what the writer says.
What does “learned” mean?
The Greek verb manthanō means to learn.
But learning does not always mean correcting a previous failure.
A person may know what something means and then come to experience it personally.
For example, someone may understand that suffering requires endurance.
But experiencing suffering brings that understanding into lived reality.
What did Jesus learn?
He learned obedience through what He suffered.
The writer is describing the Son's lived experience of obedience under suffering.
He was obedient.
And His obedience was demonstrated and fully experienced through the trials He endured.
Why say “though he were a Son”?
Because His status as Son did not exempt Him from suffering.
He did not avoid the path of obedience simply because He possessed divine sonship.
He submitted to the Father's will.
Even when obedience involved suffering.
Even when it led to death.
Was Jesus ever disobedient?
Hebrews 4:15 has just said He was without sin.
Therefore, we should not interpret Hebrews 5:8 as teaching that Jesus moved from disobedience to obedience.
He did not learn to stop sinning. He experienced the full demands of obedience through suffering.
This is essential to understanding the next verse.
16. What Does “Made Perfect” Mean? — Hebrews 5:9
“And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.” (KJV)
This verse raises another difficult question.
How could the sinless Son of God be made perfect?
Was something morally wrong with Him before?
Again, the answer is no.
What does “made perfect” mean?
The Greek verb teleioō can mean to bring to completion, accomplish, or bring something to its intended goal.
In Hebrews, the word often concerns completion or qualification for a particular purpose.
It does not necessarily mean correcting moral imperfection.
How was Jesus made perfect?
Through His completed suffering and obedience, Jesus fulfilled the mission for which He came.
He became fully qualified in His completed saving work as the High Priest of His people.
Hebrews 2:10 has already used similar language.
God made the pioneer of salvation perfect through suffering.
The point is not that Jesus became morally good after previously being morally defective.
The point is that His saving mission reached its intended completion.
What does “author of eternal salvation” mean?
The word translated “author” can mean source or cause.
Jesus became the source of eternal salvation.
That salvation is not temporary.
It is not dependent upon repeated animal sacrifices.
It rests upon His completed saving work.
To whom is this salvation given?
The writer says:
“Unto all them that obey him.”
We must not overlook those words.
Does obedience earn salvation?
No.
The writer identifies Jesus as the source of salvation.
Human beings do not create or purchase salvation through their own achievements.
But the writer does not separate saving faith from obedience.
This fits the warning we have already studied.
Israel failed to enter because of unbelief.
That unbelief expressed itself through disobedience.
Now the writer describes those who receive eternal salvation as those who obey Christ.
Faith that trusts Christ is not intended to be separated from submission to Him.
This does not mean Christians achieve sinless perfection.
It means that following Christ involves a continuing response of faith and obedience.
17. Jesus Was Named High Priest by God — Hebrews 5:10
“Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.” (KJV)
The writer returns to the appointment of Jesus.
He is High Priest because God appointed Him.
And His priesthood follows the order of Melchizedek.
Why repeat this point?
Because the writer is preparing to explain a major difference between Jesus' priesthood and the priesthood of Aaron.
Jesus did not belong to the Aaronic priestly family.
According to Hebrews 7:14, He came from the tribe of Judah.
Under the Law of Moses, the priesthood was associated with Levi and Aaron.
So how can Jesus be High Priest?
The answer is that His priesthood belongs to a different order.
One anticipated in Psalm 110.
One that Hebrews will explain through Melchizedek.
Why does this matter?
Because Jesus' priesthood is not an unauthorized attempt to claim an office that belonged to Aaron's descendants.
It rests upon God's own appointment.
The Father appointed His Son as High Priest forever.
18. Is Jesus Still Our High Priest Today?
Yes.
The writer has already said Jesus passed through the heavens.
He will later explain that Jesus' priesthood continues because He lives forever.
Hebrews 7:25 says:
“Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” (KJV)
What does intercession mean?
It refers to Jesus' continuing ministry on behalf of His people.
He represents those who come to God through Him.
Does Jesus have to persuade an unwilling Father to love us?
No.
The New Testament does not present the Father as unwilling to save while Jesus must overcome His reluctance.
The Father sent the Son.
The saving work of Christ belongs to God's own purpose.
Jesus' intercession is not a conflict between a loving Son and an unloving Father.
It is part of the salvation God has provided.
Does Jesus repeatedly sacrifice Himself?
No.
Hebrews will explicitly reject that idea.
His sacrifice was once for all.
His continuing priestly ministry does not repeat the cross.
It rests upon the completed sacrifice He offered.
Our High Priest is alive, His sacrifice is sufficient, and His ministry continues.
19. Why Don't Christians Need Another Earthly High Priest?
This is an important implication of the passage.
Under the Law, Israel needed appointed priests to perform the sacrificial ministry God had commanded.
But Jesus has fulfilled the saving purpose toward which that priesthood pointed.
He is our great High Priest.
He has entered heaven itself.
He offered Himself.
And His priesthood continues.
Does this mean Christians no longer need teachers or spiritual leaders?
No.
The New Testament describes elders, teachers, evangelists, and others who serve the church.
But those responsibilities are not the same as the sacrificial high priesthood described in Hebrews.
No Christian leader can replace Jesus as the source of salvation.
No earthly minister can offer a sacrifice superior to His.
No human being can become the necessary mediator through whom Christ's sacrifice must be made effective.
What about the priesthood of all believers?
Other New Testament passages describe Christians as a priesthood.
First Peter 2:5 and 2:9 use that language.
Revelation 1:6 also describes believers as priests.
But that does not make every Christian a high priest in the sense that Jesus is High Priest.
His office is unique.
Christians may serve God as His priestly people, but Jesus alone is our great High Priest.
20. Why This Matters Today
We may not live under the sacrificial system of ancient Israel.
But we still need what only Jesus can provide.
We need forgiveness.
Jesus offered the sacrifice that deals with sin.
We need mercy.
He understands our weakness.
We need help.
He invites us to approach God's throne of grace.
We need confidence.
Our hope rests upon His completed work, not our own perfection.
We need perseverance.
Hebrews calls us to hold firmly to our confession.
We need a living High Priest.
Jesus is not merely a figure from the past.
He lives.
His priesthood continues.
And He represents His people before God.
The great encouragement of Hebrews is that the One who knows our weaknesses is also the One who can help us remain faithful.
21. Putting the Passage Together — Hebrews 4:14–5:10
Hebrews 4:14 — We Have a Great High Priest
Jesus, the Son of God, has passed through the heavens. Therefore, we must hold firmly to our confession.
Hebrews 4:15 — Jesus Understands Our Weaknesses
He experienced genuine temptation but remained without sin.
Hebrews 4:16 — We May Approach God's Throne
Through Jesus we can seek mercy and grace with confidence.
Hebrews 5:1 — A High Priest Represents People Before God
Under the Law, priests offered gifts and sacrifices for sins.
Hebrews 5:2 — Earthly Priests Understood Human Weakness
They were expected to deal gently with those who were ignorant or wandering.
Hebrews 5:3 — Earthly Priests Needed Forgiveness
They had to offer sacrifices for their own sins as well as for the people.
Hebrews 5:4 — The High Priest Must Be Appointed by God
No one had the right to claim the office for himself.
Hebrews 5:5 — God Appointed His Son
Jesus did not glorify Himself by seizing the office of High Priest.
Hebrews 5:6 — Jesus Is a Priest Forever
His priesthood follows the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 5:7 — Jesus Experienced Real Suffering
He prayed with deep anguish and reverent submission.
Hebrews 5:8 — Jesus Learned Obedience Through Suffering
His obedience was fully experienced through the suffering He endured.
Hebrews 5:9 — Jesus Became the Source of Eternal Salvation
His completed saving work provides eternal salvation for those who obey Him.
Hebrews 5:10 — His Priesthood Has Divine Authority
God appointed Him High Priest after the order of Melchizedek.
Conclusion — Our Great High Priest Is Still at Work
Under the Law of Moses, the high priest represented the people before God.
But he was a sinner.
He needed forgiveness.
He offered repeated sacrifices.
And eventually he died.
Jesus is different.
He is the sinless Son of God.
He understands human weakness.
He suffered.
He obeyed.
He completed His saving work.
He entered heaven itself.
And His priesthood continues forever.
Jesus did not merely die for us. He lives for us.
That is why Christians can approach God's throne with confidence.
Not because we have no weaknesses.
Not because we have earned God's favor.
But because we have a great High Priest.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
READ FIRST. CONCLUDE LATER.
Continue Exploring Scripture
Hebrews 2:5–18 — Why Did God Become Man?
Discover why Jesus shared our humanity and became a merciful and faithful High Priest.
Hebrews 4:1–13 — What Is God's Rest?
Examine God's promise of rest, the danger of unbelief, and the searching power of His Word.
Next Study: Hebrews 5:11–6:12 — Why Do Christians Stop Growing?
Why does the writer interrupt his discussion of Jesus' priesthood to warn Christians about spiritual immaturity? What does it mean to remain on milk instead of solid food? And why does he give one of the strongest warnings in the New Testament?
Return to the Hebrews page.
Why do Christians need a High Priest? Explore Hebrews 4:14–5:10 verse by verse: Jesus' sinlessness, His understanding of temptation, His appointment by God, His suffering and obedience, His eternal priesthood, and why we can approach God's throne with confidence.