Guarantor

Hebrews 7:20-28
20And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, 21but 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.’” 22This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. 23The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25Consequently, 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. 26For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27He 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. 28For 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.

As the concept of Jesus as our permanent High Priest is expanded, the writer of Hebrews uses a word that we find only in this passage throughout the entire New Testament.

ἔγγυος egguos; (a security); under good security, guarantee.

Jesus is the only one able to absolutely guarantee our salvation.

There are three things that catch our attention in this remarkable assertion. By means of his oath God gives “Jesus” as “a guarantor” for the delivery of his blessings to humanity. In the ancient world it was common for a wealthy person to offer some of his assets as legal collateral on behalf of a friend or client for a debt or the fulfillment of a contract. If that friend or client defaulted, his sponsor, who had made the guarantee, would be legally bound to make up for what was lacking. But here we have a remarkable reversal of that! God does not demand a guarantee from his people to ensure their service without default, but instead provides the risen Christ Jesus as a guarantee of what he pledges to give to them. And even more remarkably, he does not offer something that belongs to Jesus, but Jesus himself as his guarantee to them. And all that under oath! Jesus guarantees God’s “better covenant” with his people in the new dispensation.
Kleinig, J. W. ©2017. Hebrews. (p. 362). Saint Louis, MO: CPH.

My mind cannot help but flow back to Genesis 15 where God enters into a Covenant with Abraham through the river of blood created by the sacrifice of the animals. In that scene we find that God alone walks through the blood, both for Himself and for humanity (represented by Abraham). In that moment, God took responsibility for both sides of that contract because we were never going to be able to fulfill our share of the agreement. Now, in Hebrews we find Jesus acting as the permanent guarantor of our salvation and displaying that role for eternity as the Great High Priest. There is the list in 7:26b of the five characteristics that make Jesus a suitable High Priest.

  1. holy
  2. innocent
  3. unstained
  4. separated from sinners
  5. exalted above the heavens

All of these characteristics are fulfilled flawlessly, and forever by Jesus. In that perfection is our peace and security. As such, Jesus now resides in the heavenlies, interceding on our behalf with the Father. When seen as a whole, our outlook is completely positive and peaceful. May we embrace that every moment of every day.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Excusez-moi

Image
2 Kings 23:31-37 31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 32 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done. 33 And Pharaoh Neco put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 34 And Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away, and he came to Egypt and died there. 35 And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money according to the command of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Neco. 36 Jehoiakim was twenty-fiv
Read more

יהוה שָׁמַר--Yahweh Shamar (God Watches)

Image
Psalm 121 1 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. There are numerous passages I cling to when stress takes over my life. I would be hard pressed to declare a favorite, but this psalm would come close. So this morning I listened to Psalm 121 about 20 times as I meditated through the verses. First, I want to point out that the word or idea of shamar appears in every verse expect 6. The NIV uses the word "watch" while the ESV uses "keep". The
Read more

Narrow Door

Image
Luke 13:22-30 22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them , 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. 29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at tabl
Read more