The writer now takes his first look at the priesthood of Christ, proving that it is far superior to that of the Levitical priests. First he reminds the readers of what a priest is. A priest is chosen from among the people; he represents them in matters related to God; and he presents gifts and sacrifices on their behalf for their sins. He must also be able to deal gently with people, understanding their weaknesses. He is able to do this because He is subject to the same things. The Levitical priests understood this because they were sinners like the rest of us. This also meant that they had to offer sacrifices for their own sins. Finally, a priest could not appoint himself, but must be called by God. Aaron, the first priest, was appointed by God, and the Levites were priests by birth, no one else could become a priest.
The writer then shows how this applies to Christ. God declared him to be a priest. He quotes again from Psalm 2, and from Psalm 110, making the first reference to the enigmatic Melchizadek.
Jesus offered prayers and petitions for people. And He did this with fervour, they were not always quiet prayers. There is also reference here to Gehtsemane. Jesus went through enormous agonies both before and during the cross.
Jesus learned obedience through suffering. This does not mean that He was disobedient before this happened. Jesus experienced things that we experience, He was fully human, but he overcame them. He did not overcome them because He was a superior being, but because He was the man that God always intended us to be. And so He became the great high priest, able to save us.
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