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Apr 13, 2025

Jesus is Better

Jesus is Better

Passage: Hebrews 7:11-25

Speaker: Andrew Kerhoulas

Series: Worthy: His Worth, and a Life Worthy of Him

Keywords: moses, judah, priesthood, intercession, melchizedek, better covenant, guarantor

Better. Now there’s a word we’re constantly thinking about. Many seek to have a better marriage, better health, a better work-life balance, and a better spiritual life. Those are all noble pursuits. But what if there was a better better? We’ll explore how Jesus is better than we could possibly imagine.

 

CENTRAL TEXT:  Hebrews 7:11-25

Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. 13 For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.

15 This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is witnessed of him, 
“You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”

18 For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness 19 (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

20 And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, 21 but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him: 
“The Lord has sworn 
and will not change his mind,
‘You are a priest forever.’”

22 This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.

23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

 

CALL TO WORSHIP:    Adapted from Zechariah 9:9 and John 12:13

LEADER:  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! 
Behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

ALL:  Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 
Like the crowds of old, we welcome Jesus as our Savior and King.

 

PRAYER/SCRIPTURE READING/CONFESSION OF FAITH:   From the Westminster Shorter Catechism question and answer 25 

LEADER: Confessing the faith together has always been practiced by disciples of Jesus in an effort to not be conformed to this world but to be transformed in the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:1).

The following is taken from the Westminster Shorter Catechism as to the nature of Christ as our Great High Priest.

Leader: Christian, how does Christ execute the office of a priest?

ALL: Christ executes the office of a priest, in his once offering up of himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice, and reconcile us to God, and in making continual intercession for us.

 

BENEDICTION:     Revelation 7:9-12

LEADER: After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

ALL: Amen.

 

RELATED SCRIPTURES:

  • Exodus 28:1
  • Numbers 20:28-29
  • Psalm 110:4
  • Matthew 1:21
  • Romans 8:34
  • Hebrews 3:6; 4:16; 6:11, 17, 18; 7:25-28; 9:9; 10:1, 22-23; 11:6
  • 1 Peter 2:9
  • Revelation 7:9-10

 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 

  1. Fill in the blanks: I want to be better at ____. I want to have a better _____. What drove you to those answers? What’s your plan to get better in those specific ways? To what degree does a coach, counselor, or outside help–a priest in a manner of speaking–factor in to reach those goals of embetterment?
  2. Most Christians are less familiar with Jesus’ role as priest than some of his other roles. Why do you think that is? Give some reasons why it’s important that Jesus is our great High Priest? (Hint: the Westminster Shorter catechism answer 25 is helpful: “Christ executes the office of a priest, in his once offering up of himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice, and reconcile us to God, and in making continual intercession for us.”) 
  3. Looking at Hebrews 7:11-25, briefly summarize how the priesthood of Jesus is better than the Levitical priesthood? What practical difference does it make in the way we relate to God and others? 
  4. Drawing near to God is the end for which Jesus saved us to the uttermost (v. 25). How is prayer both a foretaste of God’s promised future for his people and an ongoing means of appropriating his grace so we can persevere in the faith? How should this dual motivation shape the way we spend time with God in prayer and worship? 

 

ILLUSTRATIONS:  

Apr 13, 2025

 

QUOTES:  

  • He saves us, not only in the moment of initial commitment, but day to day and moment by moment.
    - Raymond Brown 

  • What I’ve learned more than anything is that it is in the place of prayer that the heart is transformed. It is not in the theory of transformation…that transformation is released. It is in the encounter of Jesus’ presence. All of our fear is transformed into peace in God’s presence. All of our hatred and anger is transformed into love in his presence.
    - Jon Tyson

 

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