The Indestructible Priest and the Unlosable Salvation Text: Hebrews 7:23-25
Introduction: The Problem of Death
The central problem of the Old Covenant, from a purely functional standpoint, was the problem of death. Everything in the Levitical system was designed to deal with the consequences of sin, and the wages of sin is death. But the system itself was staffed by dying men. The priests who offered sacrifices for the sins of the people were themselves sinners who would one day die. The sacrifices they offered were animals whose lives were taken, a constant, bloody reminder of the penalty for sin. The entire apparatus was temporary, provisional, and shot through with mortality. It was a shadow, a placeholder, a promise of something better to come. But it could never finally solve the problem, because the priests themselves kept dying.
Imagine a hospital where every surgeon is terminally ill with the very disease he is trying to treat. He can perform procedures, he can offer temporary relief, but he cannot grant a final cure because he himself is succumbing to the same sickness. This was the situation with the Aaronic priesthood. They were a long line of dying men, serving in a system that pointed to the problem of death but could not ultimately defeat it. Their sheer numbers testified to their weakness. A new one was always needed because the old one had just died.
The author of Hebrews is making a profound argument for the supremacy of Jesus Christ by showing how His priesthood solves this very problem. He is not just another priest in a long line of priests. He is the end of the line. He is not a temporary solution; He is the final answer. The reason for this is simple and staggering: He cannot die. Because He has defeated death, His priesthood is permanent, His work is finished, and the salvation He provides is therefore absolute and eternal. We are not dealing with a temporary fix, but with a permanent, indestructible reality.
In our passage today, the writer brings this contrast to a sharp point. He places the long, rotating line of mortal priests on one side and the solitary, eternal figure of Jesus on the other. In doing so, he shows us why our salvation is not a fragile, precarious thing that we must maintain by our own efforts, but a solid, objective reality secured for us by a priest who never stops living for us.
The Text
And the former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
(Hebrews 7:23-25 LSB)
A Priesthood of Mortality (v. 23)
The first point of contrast is the built-in obsolescence of the Levitical priesthood.
"And the former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing," (Hebrews 7:23)
The very fact that there were so many priests was a sign of the system's weakness. It was a relay race, not a final victory. The baton of the priesthood was passed from father to son, generation after generation, precisely because every priest eventually ran his last lap. Death was the great disqualifier. No matter how faithful a priest was, no matter how diligently he served, death always had the final say. His ministry had an expiration date stamped on it by the grave.
Think of the high priest's garments. They were passed down. Think of the rituals. They were repeated, endlessly. Why? Because the priest who performed them last year was one year closer to his own death. The entire system was a constant reminder of sin, death, and the need for a better hope. The sheer quantity of priests pointed to a qualitative deficiency. If the first priest had been able to continue forever, there would have been no need for a second, let alone the hundreds that followed.
This is a direct assault on any system of salvation that relies on human mediators who are themselves mortal. The principle remains. Any religious system that depends on a succession of human leaders, gurus, or popes is fundamentally flawed for this very reason. They are all "prevented by death from continuing." They cannot offer you an eternal security that they themselves do not possess. Their work is, by definition, unfinished. Death puts a period at the end of their sentence. But our hope is not in a series of men, but in one Man who has conquered death.
The Permanent Priest (v. 24)
In stark contrast to the revolving door of the Levitical priesthood, we have the permanence of Christ's office.
"but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently." (Hebrews 7:24 LSB)
The contrast could not be sharper. The old priests were many because of death. Jesus is one because of life, eternal life. He "continues forever." His is a priesthood grounded in "the power of an indestructible life" (Heb. 7:16). Death, the great barrier for the sons of Aaron, has been conquered and disarmed by the Son of God. He died once, for sin, and then rose again, triumphant over the grave. Death has no more claim on Him.
Because He lives forever, His priesthood is permanent. The Greek word here is aparabatos, which means unchangeable, untransferable, or inviolable. His priesthood cannot be passed on to a successor because He will never need one. He is not the first in a new line of priests; He is the entire line in one person, forever. He holds the office in perpetuity.
This is the bedrock of our confidence. Our High Priest did not just serve a term. He is not a historical figure whose work we merely remember. He is a living, reigning priest who is actively ministering on our behalf right now. The work He did on the cross was finished, a once-for-all sacrifice. But His work as our priest continues, not because the sacrifice was insufficient, but because it was so utterly sufficient that it installed Him in a permanent office at the right hand of God.
The Uttermost Salvation (v. 25)
This eternal priesthood has a direct and glorious consequence for us. The permanence of the priest guarantees the permanence of the salvation He provides.
"Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them." (Hebrews 7:25 LSB)
Here we have one of the most magnificent summaries of the gospel in all of Scripture. Let's break it down. "Therefore," the writer says. This is a direct conclusion from what came before. Because His priesthood is permanent, certain things are now true for us.
First, "He is able also to save forever." The Greek is more emphatic: "He is able to save to the uttermost." This means completely, perfectly, and for all time. This is not a partial salvation. It is not a salvation that gets you started but requires you to finish. It is not a salvation that can be eroded by time or undone by your failures. It is a salvation that goes all the way to the end, because the one who secured it is already at the end, living forever.
For whom is this salvation? For "those who draw near to God through Him." This is the nature of faith. We do not draw near to God on our own terms or through our own merits. We come "through Him." He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the sole mediator. To draw near to God is to come to Him clothed in the righteousness of Christ, trusting in His finished work. It is not about the strength of our approach, but about the strength of the one through whom we approach.
And what is the basis of this uttermost salvation? "Since He always lives to make intercession for us." This is the ongoing, perpetual ministry of our High Priest. He did not simply offer the sacrifice and then retire. He ascended to the right hand of the Father, and there He lives to plead His own blood on our behalf. When Satan, the accuser of the brethren, brings a charge against you before the throne, your High Priest is there. He does not argue that you are innocent. He points to His hands and His side. He presents His own perfect sacrifice. He pleads His own righteousness. His intercession is not a desperate begging; it is a confident, authoritative presentation of His finished work.
He "always lives" to do this. There is never a moment when He is off duty. There is never a time when your case is unheard. His intercession is as constant as His heartbeat. This is why our salvation is secure. It does not depend on our ability to hold on to Him, but on His unbreakable, unending life and His perpetual ministry of intercession for us. He is praying for you, right now, with perfect knowledge, perfect love, and perfect authority. And because the Father always hears the Son, that prayer is always effective.
Conclusion: Our Unshakeable Hope
The contrast is complete. The old covenant had many priests, because they were weak and mortal. Their work was repetitive and could never perfect anyone. The new covenant has one priest, Jesus Christ, because He is eternal and indestructible. His work is finished, once for all, and it is perfect.
This means our salvation is not an ongoing project that we might mess up. It is a finished reality, secured by an eternal priest. Your standing before God does not fluctuate with your feelings or your performance. Your standing before God is as secure as Jesus Christ's position at the right hand of the Father. He is there, living for you.
This is the death of all religious striving and the birth of true, confident worship. You can draw near to God with boldness, not because of who you are, but because of who your Priest is. He is able to save you to the uttermost, from the first moment you believe until the moment you see Him face to face, and forevermore. He can do this because He is not a dying priest who needs a successor. He is the living Lord, our great High Priest, who holds His office permanently because He continues forever.