Jesus the Forerunner (Hebrews 6:20)

We live in a world that needs encouragement in many areas of life. Here the writer is concerned with encouragement for our souls. Indeed, he says that we need an anchor, something that will keep us stable. Of course, the need for an anchor tells us that he is thinking of life as a journey, a journey by sea. In the ancient world, they did not have any idea that such a journey could be done quickly, unlike us who can fly around the world in a day. Sometimes, when on such a journey, the boat would need to stop and anchor. The situations when this was necessary was usually in a storm, although it could happen when there were not enough rowers in the boat. Still, I think the author is indicating that in the storms of life we have to use our anchor.

What is the anchor of our soul? The author says it is our hope. Often we think of hope as an inner attitude about a circumstance. We may hope to pass our driving test or pass an exam. Obviously, that use of hope may not be very helpful because it can be disappointed. In contrast, the biblical idea of hope is concerned with certainties.

The biblical hope concerns where Jesus is now and why he is there. This means that it is a static hope in the sense that it does not change. Moreover, it is a single hope because it is not shared with other possible sources of comfort. And it is a shared hope because every believer should have it. It is also a steadying hope because it gives stability to those who have it. It is a sure hope because it never disappoints. It is a secret hope because only those with special eyesight can see it.

Think of the journey of Jesus

How did Jesus become our hope? He did so by undertaking a journey. The unusual feature of this journey is that he ended up where he began, in heaven. What can we say about his journey?

Like most journeys that people make, the journey of Jesus involved plans and preparations. The plans were devised by the Trinity in eternity, and some of the details were revealed were revealed in the prophetic passages of the Old Testament. For example, Micah said that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem and Isaiah said that Jesus would be born of a virgin. I don’t know how many prophecies there are about Jesus in the Old Testament, but I have read that there are hundreds of them.

Sometimes, when we commence a journey we have to get involved in a direct way. We can make our bookings through a third party, but then we have to do particular things in order for the journey to happen. There is no point in booking a flight if we don’t then go to the airport. The prophecies, we could say, were like booking the flight, but eventually the day came when particular actions had to occur. What were they? The word we use to describe them is the Incarnation, and when it took place no one knew about it except those involved. It took place in the womb of Mary. There, we are told, the Spirit formed the foetus that the Father planned, and at that same moment the Son assumed the foetus into permanent union with his divine person. The foetus was not made and then assumed a few seconds later. If that had happened, it would have become an independent person because it would have existed without any attachment to the Son. Of course, all this is a great mystery, but it is important for us to know the details of his journey.

The journey of Jesus involved his entire life, from the womb to the tomb, and beyond. We can ask why he had to undertake such a long journey. The answer is connected to what he was doing. His travelling was not the equivalent of a tourist, looking at interesting sites. Instead, his journey was connected to us having a living hope. His travels were all about a rescue mission. He was not merely journeying to the place where he would set up a rescue mission – sometimes we can give the impression that Jesus did not do anything significant until he reached the cross, apart from doing a few miracles that proved his deity. His travelling was also essential because his perfect life would become the gift that visitors to his rescue mission would receive from him.

Then he reached the place where he would become the sinbearer and pay the penalty that was required of him. The penalty was that he would bear the wrath of God against the sins of his people. In doing so, he would remove the barrier that those sins had become between them and God. It is not possible for anyone to imagine what those sufferings were like, and the best way of understanding the cross is to read the biblical passages that focus on it, such as Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53. Calvary is a wonderful spot, but it is not a stop for tourists. Rather it is a place for penitents and worshippers.

After he died, he continued travelling. He went into the grave as the ever-living Son of God. Of course, his human nature had experienced death, but both his body and his soul, although separated when he died, were still united to his divine person. His human soul went to Paradise where he greeted the penitent thief a few hours later. And his body went into the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea for three days.

The next stage in his journey was his resurrection from the dead. He arose in triumph over the power of death and became the firstfruits of them that sleep. In this stage of his journey he had gone where no one had been before. In a sense, that is true of each stage in his life. He was the first man to be born perfect, he was the first man to live a sinless life, he was the only man who endured the wrath of God against the sins of his people, and he is the only man who rose from the dead in his own power.

In all these stages, he was preparing to be the forerunner. Yet even his resurrection, although amazing, was not the climax of his journey. So he proceeded to ascend forty days after his resurrection, and the place to which he ascended was to the throne of God. As he entered into glory, he went there as the forerunner, to claim for himself and his people the world of glory that will last for ever.

What do we do as we travel?

Believers should think of their incredible privilege here. Usually the forerunner announced that a greater person was coming. For example, John the Baptist was called the forerunner of Jesus because he announced the coming of the King. However, when it comes to our text we see that the greatest person is the forerunner. This is a reminder that Jesus delights to bring his people to heaven. Although he is the Son of God, he is also the servant of the Father commissioned to help his people.

How great is Jesus? Think about the position that Jesus has in heaven. The author connects Jesus to an obscure Old Testament man called Melchisedek. Although he is obscure, he is significant because he happened to be both a king and a priest. He is a picture of Jesus because he too is a king and a priest. Melchisedek models for us what Jesus does in reality.

As our king he defeats our enemies who are trying to prevent us from getting to heave. Those enemies include the world and the devil. Sometimes they try and destroy believers by persecution. Yet such an attempt does not prevent them getting to heaven. At other times, the enemies try and destroy believers by temptation, yet the King on the throne sends power to them by the Holy Spirit and enables them to overcome.

Similarly, as priest he intercedes for them when they sin. He remains the permanent Advocate of his people. In this life an advocate can only work so many hours a day whereas Jesus functions as the heavenly Advocate continually. He does not represent them because they are innocent. Instead he represents them because they are guilty. He knows that the merits of his sacrifice on the cross continually cleanse them from all sin.

In addition to the privileges believers receive from having Jesus as the forerunner, they also should think about his purpose as the forerunner. Why has he gone there? He has gone to heaven to claim it for himself and for his people. We can imagine a situation in which a person from a village facing disaster would go away in order to find another suitable place for them to live. When he found a suitable location, he would claim it on behalf of his family and friends. In a far higher sense, Jesus has claimed a homeland for his people.

What kind of homeland as he reached? We know it is marked by the presence of God. After all, Jesus called heaven his Father’s house. It is incredible to think that sinners will dwell forever in the presence of God. We could also it is a homeland marked by peace, where there will never be any disturbances for those who will dwell there forever. And it will also be a homeland of endless opportunities for those who will be given the blessing of discovering its resources throughout eternity.

There is a marvellous contrast between what Jesus has done and what the priests of Israel did. The Jewish high priest went into God’s presence once a year in order to ensure that the people of Israel remained in the land for a year, until the next Day of Atonement. So his achievement was temporary and in the end the whole system failed. In contrast, Jesus went into God’s presence and did not have to leave because he went there on the basis of a finished work which he completed when he went to the cross and paid the penalty for sin.

The fact that Jesus is there in God’s presence is a reason for having great confidence about the future. Whatever the storms of life, we have an anchor that is completely secure. Our anchor is the living hope connected to having Jesus as our representative in the heavenly homeland. Because he is there, we have a secure future. Moreover, we have a shared future because we will yet experience the homeland in his company.

All we can do at this moment, surely, is to bow our hearts in worship and give thanks to God for providing such a hope for each of his people. Day after day, we can look into the world beyond and see by faith the One who went on ahead of us to claim for us our eternal home. He wants his people to appreciate what he has done for them, where he has gone for them, and how he intends one day to welcome each of them into the place that has claimed on their behalf. That great day is surely coming for those who trust in the Lord.

Preached on 9/4/2017