Jesus As Surety For A Better Covenant

“... (for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him: ‘The Lord has sworn and will not relent, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek”’), by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant. Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” CH 7:21-25.

We read earlier about Jesus’ preparation for the high priesthood, how He was tempted but put to death sin in the flesh so that He did not sin. For this reason death could not hold Him, and He ever lives to make intercession for us. Since He has called us to follow Him, He is also a surety (or guarantor) that all that the new covenant gives us hope of will be accomplished. What exactly does the new covenant give us hope of? It is written in verses 18 and 19: “For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.” This, then, is the better hope: Being led to that which is perfect.

The old covenant could be faulted because it did not lead to perfection. The entire religious world is deceived as far as this “better hope” is concerned. Neither do they have any understanding about Jesus who “has become a surety of a better covenant.” The reason is that they have never heard of Jesus who partook of flesh and blood like the children and who consecrated a new and living way through the veil, which is His flesh. Because Jesus, as the Son of Man, partook of all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, He has become a surety that it will also succeed for all those who obey Him. Col. 2:9 and CH 5:9.

We read the following in CH 5: “For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness. Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins. And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten You.’” Verses 1-5.

We see clearly here that Jesus had to be taken from among men and appointed for men. We see too that He did not become High Priest because He was the Son of God, but rather because He had offered the sacrifice for sins which led Him, in the days of His flesh, to the whole fullness of God, and which can also lead us to perfection. That is why He is a surety for this hope—this new covenant that leads us to perfection.

“For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.” CH 7:26-28.

Here we see clearly that as a result of being perfected, Jesus was made High Priest. We read earlier that He learned obedience through the things He suffered, “And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” CH 5:9. In the same connection it is written, “who, in the days of His flesh....” It was as the Son of Man, in flesh and blood like the children, that He was perfected as High Priest and as a surety for the new covenant, so that He could perfect all who come to God by Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them.

We read: “Who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.” CH 7:27. “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.” Isa. 53:10.

All corruption in the world comes from lust. (See 2 Pet. 1:4.) Sin in the flesh is the cause of all the corruption in the world. That was what the Father condemned in the flesh of Jesus. (See Rom. 8:3.) If Jesus had not been obedient in the sufferings when He was tempted, to offer Himself—to put to death the sin which the Father condemned—He would have sinned. He had to make an offering for sin, first for Himself, so that He should not sin, and afterwards for the people. This resulted in salvation for everyone, that is, everyone who obeys Him.

In connection with the offering for sin, we can read about Jesus’ battle in Isa. 63:4: “For the day of vengeance is in My heart, and the year of My redeemed has come.” It was He who is mighty to save, who came from Bozrah. In verse 8 it is written, “For He said, ‘Surely they are My people, children who will not lie.’ So He became their Savior.”

It is written in 1 Pet. 3:18 that Christ suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.

Now the sacrifice for sins lay in the flesh. When that sacrifice was completed, the “handwriting of requirements” was met, and He nailed it to the cross. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him. (See Isa. 53:5.) Then He redeemed us with His precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, from our aimless conduct received by tradition from our fathers. (See 1 Pet. 1:18-19.) Through this we can now receive the forgiveness of sins. He made us alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses. (See Col. 2:13-14.)

But He did not bear our sins on the tree so that we should merely receive the forgiveness of sins. No, it was in order that we should die to sins, live for righteousness, and walk in His steps. (See 1 Pet. 2:24.)

Then we begin on the new and living way through the flesh, where the offering for sins lies, and the death of Christ must carry out the judgment over the sacrifice within us. Otherwise sin in the flesh will cause us to continue to commit sin just as before. If, however, we are led by the Spirit to make this sacrifice in the body, we come into the blood of Christ and have boldness to enter the sanctuary. The pleasure of the Lord will prosper in our hands and we can lead people to God. Then we are the body of Christ here on earth as long as the time of grace lasts.

Therefore we, just like Paul, can preach: “... that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone that believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.” Acts 13:38-39 (RSV). The forgiveness of sins was preached under the law, but people could not be set free from their former evil way of life inherited from their fathers. But now, with Jesus as High Priest and surety, we can preach a “better hope”—liberation from our former way of life, victory over sin, and partaking of divine nature. “Because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’ And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear ....” 1 Pet. 4:16-17. Where can we find this fear today?

“But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.” Rom. 6:22. To be tempted is not sin, but if we do not make an offering for sin, we sin and cannot be the servants of God. But if Jesus is our High Priest, we are led by the Spirit and we do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. (See Gal. 5:16.) Then we can work for God.

“Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” 1 Tim. 4:16.

Where do you hear exhortations like this one, which Paul gave his precious co-worker—the “man of God”? If one were to take heed to these exhortations, then almost everywhere people would cry out, “Heresy, You want to save yourself.” Therefore it is difficult to follow these exhortations today, even if you have heard them. The reason is that they do not know Jesus as High Priest, only as a propitiation for their sins. They do not know Him as “forerunner” and “surety for a better covenant.” The “better hope” the new covenant gives us is to be set free from sin. (See John 8:36.)

The apostle writes about the old form of worship: “It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience—concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.” CH 9:9-10.

“But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come ...” and so on in verse 11. Now there is something completely new. There is an end of serving in the “oldness of the letter” because of the law’s demands. Now our consciences can be purified from such dead works, which cannot give any growth or development. The time has come to serve the living God and partake of sanctification—growth and development.

“And for this reason He is the mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.” CH 9:15. And then we have this exhortation in CH 6:1 and 3: “Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God ....” “And this we will do if God permits.”

What, then, does it mean to go on to perfection? It means what Paul writes in Eph. 3:17-19: “... That you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

Have you ever heard this preached anywhere? I doubt it, simply because people do not know Jesus as He was in the days of His flesh, as our forerunner, our High Priest and surety for this “better hope, through which we draw near to God.” This is the hope that “we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” CH 6:19-20.

In other words, in going on to perfection, we have Jesus as our forerunner. It succeeded for Him in the days of His flesh. The resurrection from the dead was proof of that. He has become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. (See 1 Cor. 15:20-23.) “That by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.” CH 6:18. Jesus is our forerunner, and He is beyond the veil. “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.” CH 4:14. That is, the confession of our hope.

Most people then say, “Yes, but He was God’s Son; it was different for Him.” But we read further why we can hold fast to our hope. “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” CH 4:15-16.

Religious people do not have such a high priest, and therefore they do not have such a hope to confess, either. They speak only of Jesus who has done everything and that we do not have to do a thing. Further on in CH 5, verses 7-10, we read about His weakness in the days of His flesh and how He battled to be saved from that death which comes from walking according to the flesh. Rom. 8:13. He was not, of course, saved from dying on the cross at Calvary. He had to die there for our sins in order to reconcile us to God and be able to lead us to this glorious hope in which we have taken our refuge. “And you ... He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel ....” Col. 1:21-23.

When we read this, we see that we have a High Priest who really knows our weaknesses and our trials. If we get to know Him, even in the midst of our wretchedness, we get boldness to come before the throne of grace. We know that there we can get help and, with confidence in Him as the surety for this hope, we can confess our hope with great boldness. But we also read how we must not be moved away from the hope of the gospel. This is particularly important now since the entire unbelieving religious system denies it. They say it is highminded to hope such things. That is because they have never heard of the High Priest we have.

When we read about the new and living way, we also read the following: “And having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking our own assembly, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” CH 10:21-25 (Norw. trans.).

Here we read that we are not only to hold fast to the hope, but “hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering.” “Our own assembly” is where this hope is confessed. We are not to forsake this assembly and go around to listen to all kinds of religious chit-chat. It is easy to lag in zeal and to be defiled by the spirit of unbelief. Why should we waste our time with religious books and being entertained in the different religious assemblies? No, the day is approaching when Jesus will return to fetch those who are waiting for Him.

He will not be coming to forgive sins or make a sacrifice for sins. No, He is coming to fetch the result of the work that He has completed in those who believe. “So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” CH 9:28.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.” CH 11:1. Further, we read what the elders attained by faith. All those things were humanly impossible, yet they became possible for those who believed. All of these things are written for our sakes so that we should see what God can do in those who believe. These things were impossible for the unbelieving. It is exactly the same when we preach the new covenant and the hope that it gives us. The crowd cries out, “Impossible!!!” But for us who believe, it has become possible.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for.” To get someone to believe in something he does not hope for is virtually impossible. If, however, we fine someone who is hoping for the kind of life the gospel gives us hope for, it is not so difficult to lead them to faith. Therefore we must never argue with people. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit ... who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” It is no use trying to work with anyone else. Thanks be to God that He gathers those who mourn in Zion. (See Isa. 61:1-3.)

It is written at the end of CH 11: “And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.”

When we read about what they had to endure and suffer for the hope they had, then what about us? Should we not be able to endure and suffer even more for the better hope which God has provided for us? By faith our eyes are opened to the glory God will reveal in us. “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Rom. 8:18. If we see this glory, then it is not really difficult to suffer. (See 1 Cor. 2:9.)

We read further in CH 12: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Verse 1.

This cloud of witnesses testifies that God revealed His glory in them and that He used them to do and accomplish what was humanly impossible. In the same way God will also reveal His glory in us and fulfill in us the hope of the gospel, which almost all people say is impossible! But he who believes is never put to shame. (See 1 Pet. 2:6-9.) “Lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us.” Yes, then we have victory; we have laid aside every weight; we have given up everything in order to be His disciple. We have become free, just like Jesus when He came into the world and said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” One might then ask: “Well, what more is there?” It is written further, “And let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” This is the same as Paul writes, “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness (sanctification), and the end, everlasting life.” Rom. 6:22. Here we see what there is to do and partake of, after we have been set free from sin.

Timothy was, of course, set free from sin, but he was to take heed to himself and the doctrine so that he could save both himself and those who heard him. The fruit of his work was holiness for himself. There are multitudes of preachers who have never imagined that this should be the fruit of their ministry. But they are not set free from sin, either. They have had a glorious conversion and have perhaps received the baptism of the Spirit, and then they go to a Bible school or study theology. No one asks whether they are set free from sin or whether they are partaking of holiness. All this is a system which they come into after they have gone through the wide gate.

After entering by the narrow gate and getting victory over sin, we find what Paul calls “the deeds of the body.” We are to put these to death by the Spirit. The deeds of the body consist of my human nature coming out from my body because I have sin which I have not seen before. That is the other law in my members which wars against the law of my mind. (See Rom. 7:23.) The Spirit reveals this to me when I take heed to myself and the doctrine. By walking in the light I put these deeds to death and divine nature increases. This is spiritual growth and development—sanctification—a glorious fruit of my ministry! This is the race that is set before us after we have laid aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us.

“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” CH 12:2. It was Jesus who began this race of faith, and He completed it. We can see from these verses where He ended up. Have you come to faith in the gospel? Are you along in the same race as Jesus? Are you waiting for the joy that is set before you? “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My Throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” Rev. 3:21. Yes, Jesus once asked, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

Further on in CH 12 we read that all true sons are chastened, and we are chastened “that we may be partakers of His holiness.” Have you ever read that it is His holiness you partake of when you are chastened by Him? Therefore, “... do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him.” “Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather healed.” Verses 5 and 12.

Here we see how our High Priest works with us. The Hebrews were falling behind on the way. By that time they should have been teachers, but they were still babes and could not bear solid food. Why had they not grown? They had become dull of hearing about obedience, and without obedience Jesus could not save them. (See CH 5.) It was the same people who had made the glorious and wholehearted beginning that we read about from CH 10:32 onwards. In spite of the condition that they were in, the apostle writes about the heavenly calling and the glory of Jesus Christ that they could partake of. This “so great a salvation” was still possible for them. Nevertheless, he reminds them that “our God is a consuming fire,” and he exhorts them that, “since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”