Jesus is able to save us to the uttermost

Sermon Transcript

About once a year Soren and I go fishing in the Atlantic Ocean off the Jersey Shore with some dear friends of ours. I do it because I love my son, but it’s tough because I get violently seasick every time. Thankfully, this past summer instead of going deep sea fishing, we went crabbing in the bay on a friend’s little boat, where the water is relatively calm. Now, crabs like to bunch up in particular spots, so once you find the right spot to crab, you have to drop your anchor or your boat will drift. Even in the relatively calm bay, the wind and the waves are strong enough that if you don’t have an anchor your boat drifts. You need an anchor. Life is a bit like that. Life in this world brings storms, winds, and waves and without an anchor you’ll drift from walking the narrow path of faith. You and I need an anchor because one thing that we all have in common is that in this world we suffer and face afflictions. What storms are you facing? What trials, temptations, or transitions might be tempting you to drift from the narrow path of faith. You need an anchor for your soul. Without an anchor you’ll drift, but if your soul has a sure, steadfast, eternal anchor, then you can be patient, even joyful, under trials, you can be frightened in this world, but not controlled by fear, and you can live for the glory of God, rather than the cheap substitute of your own glory. Doesn’t having an anchor sound wonderful? You need an anchor to keep your soul steady in the storm.

According to the opening verses in our passage, the Lord Jesus Christ is the only sure and steadfast anchor for our souls. Hebrews 6:19-20 – We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, [20] where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Jesus Christ is the sure and steadfast anchor for our soul in the present because he guarantees our eternal future. After dying for our sins, he rose from the grave, ascended into the eternally joyful presence of God, and where He is we will be also. Therefore, even the heaviest sufferings of this present life are actually light and momentary when compared to the eternal weight of glory that awaits us. He is our eternal anchor, therefore, we can be steadfast in the storms, not controlled by fear or constantly turned in on ourselves.

Now, Hebrews 7, the majority of our passage this morning, was written to help us experience more of the truth that Christ is the sure and steadfast anchor of our souls. Our passage helps us experience more of Christ our anchor by answering one key question: why is Jesus the only sure and steadfast anchor that can steady our souls in the heaviest waves? Hebrews 7:24-25: 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. That brings us to the big idea of our passage: Jesus is able to save us to the uttermost. Jesus is the sure and steadfast anchor for your soul in all seasons because no matter what comes your way, it won’t keep him from saving you from your sins completely and forever. Because of Him, no storm will separate you from the love of God in Christ. Jesus is your anchor because Jesus is able to save you to the uttermost. How does Jesus save us to the uttermost – completely and permanently? Two answers: 1. He is our permanent priest (7:1-25) 2. He is our final sacrifice (7:26-28).

HE IS OUR PERMANENT PRIEST

Most of us do not spend a lot of time thinking about priests, but in the Old Testament of the Bible the priesthood is a really big deal because priests represented the sinful people before the holy God, offering sacrifices for the sins of the people. Priests are an especially big deal because we all need a priest. A few weeks ago I told you about the time I went to the White House to meet the president with my Penn State gymnastics teammates. We couldn’t just walk into the White House and draw near to the president – he’s the president and we are mere citizens. However, when a representative authorized by the president came out to get us, we could draw near to the president through that representative. In the same way, the only way we can draw near to the holy creator God is through a priest, a representative authorized to remove our sins and bring us near to God. We need a priest.

Now, in the Old Testament the priests descended from a man named Aaron, Moses’ brother, and the priests were part of one of Israel’s twelve tribes, the tribe of Levi. That’s why they’re called the Levitical Priests and the Levitical Priests would serve on behalf of the people before the holy God, offering sacrifices for their sins. However, if you read the Old Testament closely, you realize that there is a lesser known priestly order that our passage from Hebrews reminds us of. The priestly order of Melchizedek. Who is Melchizedek? We are first introduced to Melchizedek way back in Genesis 14. After Abraham and his hired men defeated a few kings in battle in order to save Abraham’s nephew Lot, Melchizedek blessed Abraham and Abraham gave a full tenth of all the war spoils to Melchizedek. Genesis 14 gives no information about where Melchizedek came from or what happened to Melchizedek after he blesses Abraham. He is just called priest of the Most High God, King of righteousness, and King of peace. It’s as though he is both a priest and a king who has no beginning or end. And the author of Hebrews says, “doesn’t he remind you of someone?” Hebrews 7:3 – He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.

Ok – so there are these two priestly lines or orders in the Old Testament: Levi & Melchizedek. Here is the kicker: Melchizedek’s line is superior, it’s better than Levi. And to prove it, in Hebrews 7:4-10, that author says, “Look, we know that Melchizedek is better than Levi because he is actually superior to Abraham himself because after Abraham won that battle over those kings, Abraham tithed to Melchizedek and Melchizedek blessed Abraham. And since the superior blesses the inferior and the inferior tithes to the superior, Melchizedek is superior to Abraham. And since the tribe of Levi descends from Abraham, Melchizedek is also superior to the priestly order of Levi. Summary: There are two priestly lines in the Old Testament, Melchizedek and Levi, Melchizedek’s is superior, and the Lord Jesus Christ, according to Psalm 110, which is quoted twice in Hebrews 7, is a priest from Melchizedek’s line. We need a priest and though Jesus isn’t a Levite, he is an even better priest after the pattern of Melchizedek..

Ok – what is it about the Lord Jesus’ Melchizedekian priesthood that is better than the Levitical priesthood of the Old Testament? What is it about the Lord Jesus’ priesthood that surpasses all the priests that came before him, making Jesus the only priest that we need, the only sure and steadfast anchor of our soul, the only one who can save us to the uttermost? Answer according to our passage: permanence. Permanence. The Old Testament anticipated Jesus’ permanent priesthood. In Hebrews 7, the author of Hebrews twice quotes Psalm 110, an Old Testament Psalm that anticipates and predicts a coming permanent priest. Hebrews 7:20-21 – 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.’”

Why is permanence so significant? Why do we need a permanent priest if we are going to be saved to the uttermost – completely and forever – and have a steadfast anchor for our souls? Hebrews 7:23-25 – 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. If you’ve been around Citylight for a while, then I’ve told you about my grandfather because he was my hero growing up. He was always there for me no matter what I needed. I love him so much. But when he passed away, my grandfather couldn’t help me any longer because he didn’t continue forever. That was the problem with the levitical priests of the Old Testament. They couldn’t save God’s people to the uttermost because they couldn’t always be there for them – offering sacrifices for their sins and interceding on their behalf. They kept dying. Not Jesus our Great High Priest. He is always there for us. Jesus can save you to the uttermost – completely and forever – because he is risen, he ascended into heaven, and he is permanently seated at God’s right hand. He always lives to intercede for us. In other words, because Jesus sits in the Father’s presence as our permanent priest, none of our sins will ever separate us from the love of God because Jesus already died for them and lives. What an anchor for your soul! With Jesus your permanent priest always interceding for you, no sin or suffering will ever separate you from the love of God. In fact, since Jesus is your permanent priest and always interceding for you, you can be confident that all things in this life – the good, the bad, and the failing – are being used by God for your ultimate good. Jesus our permanent priest truly can save us to the uttermost – completely and forever. What an anchor for the soul we have in all seasons. But there is a second reason why Jesus can save you to the uttermost and be your sure and steadfast anchor…

HE IS OUR FINAL SACRIFICE

Jesus can save you to the uttermost – completely and forever – and, therefore, be the sure and steadfast anchor for your soul now because he is our final sacrifice. Let’s return to my trip to the White House for a moment. Remember that my teammates and I could not simply walk into the White House and draw near to the president. They would have killed us if we tried. We needed a representative. But it’s not as though any representative would do. We needed a representative who was sent by the president, was willing to come out for us, and had authorization to bring us back in with Him. In a similar way, it’s not as though any priest will do. To save us to the uttermost, guarantee our complete and permanent forgiveness, and be our sure and steadfast anchor, we need a very particular type of priest. We need a permanent priest who can offer himself as the perfect and final sacrifice for our sins. Jesus Christ is the only priest that will do because He offered himself as the final sacrifice. Hebrews 7:26 – For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only one who can completely and permanently save us from our sins and bring us not into the White House, but into God’s perfectly joyful presence because he is holy, innocent, unstained from sins, and is right now exalted in the heavens. Our sinless priest can save us to the uttermost because He offered himself as the final sacrifice for our sins. Hebrews 7:27-28 – [27] He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. [28] For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

The high priests in the Old Testament were sinners. Therefore, before they could enter the tabernacle – where God’s special presence dwelt with God’s people – he would offer an animal sacrifice for his own sins. The animal died so that the priest would not. After offering that sacrifice, the high priest would, once a year, walk into the most holy place in the tabernacle or temple with two animals. He would confess the sins of the people over the animals, set one animal free, and sacrifice another – Israel’s sins symbolically forgotten and forgiven. The Lord Jesus Christ is our sinless high priest, who himself was sacrificed for our sins on the cross, and then on the third day he rose, ascended into heaven and presented himself to God as the final sacrifice for all the sins of all who believe in Him. That’s why Jesus can save you to the uttermost – He is the permanent priest who offered himself as the sinless and final sacrifice for your sins: forgiven and forgotten. Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ and He is working all things together for your good. You have a sure and steadfast anchor in the storms of life. You can be sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, you can be afraid but not controlled by fear, and you can live for the glory of God in all seasons rather than the glory of you because you have a sure and steadfast anchor, Jesus Christ who saves you completely and forever.

CONCLUSION

What should we do? Hebrews 7:25 – 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.

Application to non-Christians: Draw near to God through Jesus Christ and he will save you to the uttermost.

Application to Christians: Cultivate a friendship with your Father through the finished work of His Son. Live a life of drawing near.