Grace Baptist Church, Nokomis, IL.

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It’s no secret that I love ice cream. I usually have a great time eating ice cream! Just a couple days ago I ate this heavenly waffle cone overstuffed with vanilla ice cream, dipped in chocolate, and then rolled in peanuts, almonds, cashews, and Brazil nuts.. I think it was called the Ronnie’s Rocky Mountain Ice Cream Cone, but it’s also been called a drumstick on steroids. It was huge, and it was awesome. But as much as I love ice cream, only Jesus can satisfy.

I enjoy getting a task accomplished. I have this love/hate relationship with computers. I’m fairly decent at diagnosing computer problems and getting them fixed, but then it’s annoying how computers always seem to break and need fixing. Last week when we had that big storm, lightning struck close enough that it fried some electrical stuff here at the church: the wireless modem, a network card, and this little green thing. I wasn’t 100% certain that this was the part that needed to get replaced, but I was sure enough that I went ahead and ordered a replacement part, which came in the mail yesterday. I loved the feeling of satisfaction I had when I swapped this part out with the new one, turned on the copier, and got it to print from my computer. But it was a temporary satisfaction, because there are always more things to fix. But Jesus can eternally satisfy.

It doesn’t make much sense how we often try to find fulfillment in everything except the one thing that will truly fulfill us. While most the things we run after are temporary and ultimately mediocre pleasures, salvation in Christ is eternal and satisfying. So when we’re tempted to seek after temporary pleasures from sin or even too much of a good thing, we need to be reminded that only Jesus is the source of eternal salvation.

Read Hebrews 5:1-10

Last week we saw how the writer of the book of Hebrews introduced the concept that Jesus is the great high priest (4:14-16). The writer continues this idea in today’s passage. Jesus is compared and contrasted with two priests in the Old Testament: Aaron, and Melchizedek.

We first read about how Aaron’s priesthood was insufficient (v. 1-4). The high priest in the Old Testament represented all of the Jews before God. He sacrificed on their behalf. He plead on their behalf, crying out to God for their forgiveness. And God would use him to comfort “the ignorant and wayward.” But there was a problem with Aaron filling that role. Aaron had to offer sacrifices for himself as well (Leviticus 9:7-8). Aaron was a sinner! He was also in need of God’s grace. Since Aaron was also “beset with weakness,” he could not forcefully call the ignorant and wayward to repent.

Even though Aaron was certainly called by God to fill that role, Aaron’s priesthood was simply insufficient as a mediator between God and man. He couldn’t provide salvation for us once and for all. But he was never meant to be sufficient. His insufficiency pointed to the One who would be all sufficient: Jesus Christ. It’s kind of like me claiming to be a good cook. I can make Ramen Noodles, and probably the best Ramen Noodles you’ve ever had. But they’re still just Ramen Noodles. And my lack of cooking abilities points out that there are much better cooks in the world. In the same way, Aaron’s insufficiency as a priest pointed to Christ who is our all sufficient Savior.

The passage goes on to say that Christ’s priesthood is like Aaron’s, but is far greater (v. 5-6). Jesus was also called by God, but is greater because He is the Son of God. Jesus also represents man, as a man, but did not have to offer sacrifices for Himself, because He is perfect. Jesus plead to God in prayer, offering up “prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears,” but Jesus was heard not merely because of the position He was appointed to, but because He had a pure and holy reverence for God the Father. This isn’t to say Aaron didn’t fear God. Of course He did. But it was an imperfect reverence. But Christ’s relationship with God the Father was pure and perfect. He was equal with God yet He humbled Himself before the Father. Even in His reverence for God, Christ was greater than Aaron. The priesthood of Jesus extends to all who obey Him (v. 7-9).

These verses seem to talk about Jesus as if He achieved this level of greatness. And He did. He proved by His life and death and resurrection that He was and is God. It says Jesus “learned obedience.” It says He, “being made perfect” became the source of eternal salvation. It’s not saying that Jesus was disobedient and imperfect before, but rather that He showed Himself obedient to the Father even to death, and He showed Himself perfect by never giving in to temptation, not even once. So, after all of His ministry and suffering, Jesus proved Himself to be perfect and great.

Yet there was never a time when Jesus was not great. He was a priest forever (v. 10), in the order of Melchizedek. Melchizedek is an interesting character in the Bible (Genesis 14:14-20). We don’t know much about him. He was a priest and a king. He was not a Levite, or even a Jew. Yet he was a priest of the Most High God, the true God. We’re going to talk more about Melchizedek when we get to chapter 7 of Hebrews in a few weeks, but for now, we should simply note that the writer of Hebrews appeals to this mystery of Melchizedek’s timelessness and applies it to Jesus.

You see, since Jesus has no beginning, and has no end, Jesus is the source of eternal salvation. Salvation comes from Him, and Him alone. We can’t be saved through anyone or anything else. We’re not saved through Muhammed or Bhudda or Ghandi. We’re not saved through Pastor Chris Huff or Billy Graham or Joel Osteen. We’re not saved through trying really hard. We’re not saved through walking an aisle, or saying a prayer, or getting dunked in a pool of water. Through Christ alone, we have salvation. Through Him, we’re saved from Hell, and works, and guilt. We’re saved from the wrath of God and the ultimate consequences of our sin. We’re saved from evil and Satan. This salvation is eternal. It never ends. It means that we’ll live forever. It means that after this life is over, we’ll go to live with God in Heaven forever and ever. And this salvation is what all of us truly need. We don’t find our greatest satisfaction in our job, or our possessions. We don’t ultimately need to find and do what we enjoy doing. We don’t need delicious ice cream. We need Jesus, because He is the source of eternal salvation.

This eternal salvation in Christ is given to all who obey Him. Obedience to Christ is an indicator of a person who has Christ as the source of their eternal salvation. The primary message of the Bible which we must obey is that we trust in Christ.