Hebrews 5- The Perfect High Priest

1 For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: 

Human high priests are created for the purpose of helping people serve God.

2 Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.

Because he is human, he understands those who just haven't learned better yet.

3 And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.

So he has to offer sacrifices for himself as well as the people.

4 And no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.

God appoints who will be priests. It isn't a job to be taken on lightly.

5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but He that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.

God chose the path of Christ- fully human and fully God- to bring salvation to the world. God was Christ’s biological Father and God claimed ownership/parentage of Him during His baptisim.

6 As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

God did not choose to have Christ born as a descendent of Aaron. The Aaronic priesthood was flawed.

He chose the Melchisedec priesthood instead.

7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. –New Living Translation The human part of Jesus lived a life of submission to God's will. Even though it meant working Himself to exhaustion and ultimately submitting Himself to the Cross, He chose complete obedience.

8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.

Though Christ was God and could have avoided all this suffering, He chose to follow the plan that was in place from the beginning. His flesh certainly didn’t’ want to. But He chose to submit to this course.

9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

Because of this submission, Christ became the only way to go to Heaven. You must accept Him to make it. There is no other way.

10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.

This was not the path to salvation given through Aaron. In fact, the path to salvation through the Mosaic Law and the Aaronic priesthood was insufficient. It only “paid the rent” on sins. It didn’t remove them.

Only Jesus removes sins.

11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.

“There is a lot we could talk about concerning Melchezadic, but you wouldn’t listen to us.“

12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

“You are not maturing as fast as you should. You should all be teachers by now, but we have to keep teaching you the bare beginnings again and again.”

13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

Babies can’t eat steak. Whoever the author is writing to simply couldn’t handle the deeper things of God.

14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

It’s practice that brings maturity.