Today in God's Word—August 2023
East Tallassee Church of Christ
August 30, Hebrews 5
Those of us who’ve raised children can remember when the babies were ready for cereal after several months of a milk-only diet. Then maybe some mashed fruits or vegetables found their way into those little toothless mouths. Our kids had to grow for a while before they could savor a steak, but we knew it was the natural pattern of development.
The same principle is true in spiritual development. Beginners need milk before they’re ready for meat. The writer of Hebrews described the basic facts of the work of Christ on our behalf as milk, but suggested there’s also a main course of meat for the more mature. (The gospel is milk in the sense that it comes first, not that there is anything deeper, richer or more profound than the cross.)
Priests under the Law of Moses were go- betweens. They presented the offerings of unholy sinners to a holy God. The priests God appointed to serve in the Levitical system were well able to understand human weakness, because they were humans and weak themselves. This affinity qualified them to sympathize with their fellow sinners as they offered sacrifices on their behalf. But it also required them to offer sacrifices for their own sins.
Jesus was appointed by God as well, but to a different priesthood. He also suffered in human flesh, but his perfect obedience to his Father qualified him to be both priest and sin offering in one. This unique standing empowered him to be the source of eternal salvation for all who would overcome sin and come to God through him.
This concept lies at the nucleus of the gospel. God’s own Son suffered in flesh, dying on the cross not for his own sins, but for ours. God accepted his sinless death as atonement for the sins of all who would trust him for their salvation. Christ’s resurrection provides the assurance we need and want that death is not final and will not win.
The basic premise of the priestly work of Christ seems clear enough, but the writer of Hebrews said there was much more to explain, and it would be difficult for spiritually immature people to grasp. Those who struggled with the milk (elementary teachings of the Word) would not be mature enough to be nourished by the solid food of deeper spiritual understanding. Even Jesus himself matured through the experiences of life. We shouldn’t expect ourselves or the people around us to start out full-grown.
I want to be humble enough to acknowledge I have a lot of learning and growing to do. At the same time, I want to keep maturing as a follower of Christ, not content to remain a spiritual baby. As I recall, baby food wasn’t all that tasty, but it did serve a legitimate purpose. I just wouldn’t want to eat it my whole life, when there are so many good things to enjoy.
Copyright © 2010 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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