Meat and Maturity

Hebrews 5

​Mature believers understand the heavenly priesthood of Jesus Christ and know how to come to the throne of grace for help. They are skillful in using God’s truth in their personal lives, and they can also teach others. Do you qualify? Warren Wiersbe

“For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. 3 Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. 4 And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. 5 So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; 6 as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews 5:1–6 (ESV)

Just as the Jewish high priest was appointed by God, so our great High Priest, Jesus Christ, was appointed by the Father; and He alone is worthy to serve. Never allow anyone to come between you and God, for Christ is the only mediator.

“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” 1 Timothy 2:5–6

A mediator is someone who brings two estranged parties together. Sinful humanity stands condemned under the righteous wrath of a holy God. And only Jesus Christ, the God-Man, can reconcile us. Because of his divine nature, he is sinless. Because of his human nature, he can serve as a substitutionary sacrifice for sinful humans. Knowing this, he gave himself as a ransom for all—that is, he paid the price for everyone.
He alone is the perfect sinless mediator and sacrifice that freely laid down His unblemished life as an atonement for all humanity. He shed His blood as a sacrificial lamb to cover your sin and mine.

Salvation or deliverance from Sin and death is available through Him alone. Salvation is a Gift of Grace by God and is received only by believing or trusting by faith that Jesus is the Son of God and Lord of all creation. Receiving Him by faith, not by good deeds, is the only way to eternal life for He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

“The order of Melchizedek” refers to Genesis 14:18–24. Being from the tribe of Judah, Jesus could not serve as priest on earth; but He can serve as priest in heaven. He is there ministering for you today.

Harold Wilmington writes in his "Wilmington Handbook to the Bible" that “A Jewish high priest had to be chosen by God and had to be compassionate. Jesus fulfilled both requirements:

•​God selected him to be an eternal priest like Melchizedek, as David had predicted (Ps. 110:4).

•​While on earth, Christ showed great compassion (Matt. 9:36; 14:14; 15:32). He learned much about our suffering through his own suffering.

"In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 5:7-10 (ESV)

Jesus had to prepare for His priestly ministry by experiencing the trials His people--you and me--experience as we walk by faith. Because of the life that He lived and the death that He died, He is able to identify with our needs and issue grace to see us through our sin and our struggles. He in all points understands us and our fight with Satan’s temptations and our sin nature!

The writer of Hebrews then sharply switches gears on us to warn against apostasy and the neglect of the Word of God.

"About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil."  Hebrews 5:11-14 (ESV)

The “milk” of the Word represents the “first principles” of the Christian life, that is, what Jesus Christ did for us when He was on earth. The “meat” of the Word is the teaching about what Jesus is now doing for us in heaven, His ministry as High Priest.

How sad it is when believers fail to follow Jesus, fish for men, and bear much fruit because of the neglect of God’s Word and the call to obey it due to Biblical illiteracy. How sad to stop growing in grace and in relationship with the One who Created all-things, grants all-wisdom, is all-powerful overcoming sin and death.

“The Greek word translated “dull” can mean “lazy” or “stubborn.” So, in other words, they had become mule-headed and refused to grow spiritually... Something is wrong if a thirty-year-old is still eating baby food. Knowing the ABCs and 123s of the Bible is crucial, but there comes a time to build on this foundation with further understanding and growth. Any believer who fails to move on from milk to solid food—“milk” being the content of God’s Word, while “solid food” is the spiritual application and use of God’s Word in life—has some developmental issues and becomes stagnant in spiritual development... If you chew your food but don’t swallow, you will starve. You have to internalize and put God’s Word into practice. Only then will you be equipped to make Word-driven decisions rather than circumstance-driven decisions.” Dr. Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Study Bible

Is Jesus your High Priest? How much time do you spend in God’s Word? Are you reading, studying, and memorizing His statutes? Are you maturing in the faith and your relationship with Jesus? If not why not? What is standing in your way from eating the solid food in the scriptures?
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Today, If you haven’t already, sit down a develop a plan to read, study, and memorize God’s Word. Be diligent in you walk to mature spiritually.

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