THE IMPORTANT POINT. Hebrews 8 In the unfolding plan and order of the New Testament (new covenant), Christianity is traced from the heights of heaven to earth as we are taught the truth of the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ and the purpose of His coming. Throughout the four Gospel accounts, we learn of Him when we take His yoke upon us. The perfections of the Son of God were not set aside when He became the Son of Man. The impact of His life and teachings, as well as the account of “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and was buried, and rose again the third day according to the scriptures,” changed the world.
The book of Acts describes His ascension, the coming and indwelling of the Holy Spirit, transforming believers into a mighty force to be reckoned with around the world. It has an influence that continues to this day. The church epistles reveal the person, nature, and work of our Lord that can be seen in the lives of His people who make up the body of Christ and are evident in local gatherings of believers. The blessings of His mercy, the riches of His grace, the impact of His love, and the effect of Spirit-led believers motivate them to take the Gospel to every part of the world so that the name of Jesus is known worldwide.
Those who “seek those things which are above” are like those who learn and act upon the doctrines of “the faith” in the pastoral epistles. The Son of Man, who came down from heaven, has ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God in a position of authority. Our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ, is now in heaven as our Great High Priest—this sums up our faith. He is our righteousness and our standing before God. It is from Him that we receive blessings and “grace for grace,” grace given when it is needed.
The whole panorama of God’s grace revealed in Christ brings us to this point in the book of Hebrews, where we shift from considering the person of our Great High Priest to His ministry. There are “things above” happening and blessings in heavenly places that we need to be aware of, lest we be led astray and focus our minds and hearts on the wrong things. Faith and love, hope and patience, meekness and righteousness, strength and power for each day are some of those "things above.” Our Great High Priest ministers to us, enabling us to experience all of these things.
Our eyes of faith look to heaven, and we walk in the light of the truth that He is there for us. We believe in things unseen and eternal and live in the good of them. Our “better hope” is based on the promises of God. Our treasure and citizenship are in heaven; that is where we belong. We live, love, and serve in the blessed bonds of the close relationship we have with divine persons because we have been made partakers of the divine nature.
From this point in Hebrews, we shift from considering Him, His nature, and His qualifications to be our priest, to focusing on what He does in the following three chapters. We will consider the nature of His ministry, the place where He ministers, and the covenant He ministers to. His ministry is superior to any of the priests of the old covenant. The place where He ministers is far better than the tabernacle and temple.