(25) 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. (26) For such a high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; (27) Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. (28) For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated forevermore.
The opening of this paragraph, in what is said of Christ's ability to save; and which carries with it also his disposition to save, which is the very nature of his office, and for which he was made High Priest, is, without exception, one of the sweetest and most persuasive of all possible arguments, to come to the pardon-office of Jesus Christ: The Almightiness of his Person; the efficacy of his sacrifice; the unceasing, and everlasting nature of his office, as High Priest: and the consciousness of his ever living, to see the whole rendered effectual, in the offering he once made, for his people on the cross; what a strength of argument the whole brings with it, to lead the Lord's people to his throne? And when it is said, that this salvation of the Lord Jesus, is to the uttermost; what is the uttermost? Take in the greatest extent the imagination can conceive, to the utmost horizon of thought, yet this ceaseth to be the uttermost, if there be aught beyond it? And what a lift up this is to all the discouragements of temptation; all heart-straitenings in prayer; all coldness, deadness, wanderings, fears, unbelief, and the like. For it is not, what the uttermost of our imagination makes it, but what that lattermost in God's view is. Not what we conceive of divine mercy; but what that divine mercy can, and will shew, in displaying the riches of grace?
And if the first verse in this paragraph is so full of sweetness and persuasion, in the contemplation of Christ's office to encourage poor sensible sinners to come to God by Christ, how exceedingly the argument is heightened, when to this is added, as the next verse speaks, Christ's personal glory and greatness. For such an High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens. Was there ever any form of words like these, brought together into one view to set up and exalt, the glory of the Lord Jesus, and to establish all the divine qualities of his essential, and mediatorial perfections? Surely the man must be hoodwinked, and blind, to all the possibilities of blindness, who can read this account of the Son of God in our nature, and yet pause a moment, from concluding the Almightiness of his character. So perfectly holy, in the underived nature of that holiness as to be holiness itself, in the abstract. So harmless, that no guile was found in his mouth. So undefiled that no taint of evil could affect him: being in himself altogether pure. And so separate from sinners, that though taking the nature of those he came to redeem, he had none of their defilement; underived from the Adam corrupt stock, but formed holy, and pure, by miraculous impregnation, without the intervention of an human father; And made higher than the heavens: that is higher than all the Angels, having, by inheritance, obtained a more excellent name than they. And here I beg the Reader to pause, and mark, the striking distinction in the Mediator-character from that of Angels. The elect Angels are indeed sinless. But they are in themselves capable of sinning. And that they are preserved from sinning is because they are elect. For as Angels which were not elect have fallen! so their nature is thereby proved capable of falling. Hence we read, that God puts no trust in his servants; and his Angels he charged with folly, Job 4:18. by which is meant, a capability of sinning. So that the personal glory of Christ, as Christ, is infinitely beyond all creation; yea, Christ is the source, and cause, of the Angels being kept from sin; as elect Angels in him. He himself is made higher than the heavens. Reader! do not overlook, or ever lose sight of Christ, in this most blessed view of his personal holiness and glory.
And what follows, in the succeeding verses of the Chapter, have yet a further tendency to illustrate, and confirm the same most precious, soul-reviving truth. Who needeth not daily, as those high priests did, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the peoples'. If men would, or could read their Bibles with an enlightened eye, here they would behold that everlasting line of distinction, drawn between Christ and every other high Priest, as would silence in endless darkness, the daring presumption of those wretched and deluded men, who presume to question the Godhead of Christ. If Christ was so holy, harmless, and undefiled, that he needed no offering, no sacrifice, no mediation for himself; can anything more fully express the divinity of his nature, than such an account by the Holy Ghost? Surely he would have needed to have made an offering for himself, as well as for others, had he not as God-Man, been all this as here described; for it was this personal holiness of nature; which made all offerings for himself useless, and gave such everlasting merit and efficacy to the offering he once offered for others, Hebrews 10:14
One word more. The close of this Chapter is as interesting in proof to this doctrine, as either of the precious verses which went before, and forms a delightful finish to the whole subject. For the law maketh men high priests, which have infirmity. Yes! indeed, for the law is obliged to make such men priests, if the law will have high priests at all. They must offer blood for themselves first, and then for the errors of the people, Hebrews 9:7. And such high priests had all infirmity, yea sins. And they were many, not one; for they were not able to continue, by reason of death. So then, they were sinners themselves, and they offered for sinners. Alas! what sins of themselves, or of others, could their offerings take away? Now look to Jesus. The word of the oath made Christ the Son an High Priest, and that forever; yea, consecrated forevermore, an eternal, unchangeable, unsinning priesthood, Psalms 110:4, It is said to have been since the law. Yes! the Levitical priesthood was formed to shadow forth Christ's priesthood. But Christ was a Priest in the day he was begotten, Psalms 2:7; Hebrews 5:5-6. And also, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, Revelation 13:8. Nevertheless, the public ministry of Christ's priesthood, and sacrifice, was since the law, when by the one offering of himself once offered, he perfected forever them that are sanctified, Hebrews 10:14. But his Sonship, hath been from everlasting. And this was prior to his Priesthood; and both gave dignity, and efficacy to it. Reader! what a cloud of witnesses have we to the Personal glory, and essential Divinity, of the Son of God! And what then must be the eternal worth, and efficacy of all his Offices?