Hebrews

Drawing especially from Hebrews 2 and 4, Pastor Martin shows that because Christ is truly man he is fully qualified to be a sympathetic high priest who, having suffered being tempted, can succor his tempted people. He then expounds 1 Peter 2 and 1 John 2 to show that Christ as true man is also the perfect pattern and example for believers in the use of body, soul, mind, will, and emotions, as well as in love to God and neighbor. The closing application from 2 Corinthians 3:18 urges Christians to behold the glory of the perfect human Christ in Scripture so that they may be progressively transformed into his image.

Pastor Martin answers the question, by what specific activities does our great priest fulfill His task? He shows from the Old Testament Day of Atonement ritual in Leviticus 16 and its fulfillment in Hebrews that Christ's priestly work consists of two inseparable elements: oblation (the shedding of His blood) and intercession (the presentation of that blood in heaven). He argues that these must never be separated — like inhaling and exhaling, they form one complex priestly activity securing the salvation of God's people.

Pastor Martin begins filling in the completed sentence: Christ offered Himself to make an objective, vicarious, penal satisfaction for the sins of His people. He unpacks the first two words. 'Objective' means Christ was dealing with the real God and real sin, not phantom notions. 'Vicarious' means in the room and place of another, established by Old Testament typology, by explicit bearing-language (Isaiah 53, 1 Peter 2:24, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 3:13), and by the prepositions huper and anti in the New Testament.