What is the meaning of Hebrews 5:5?

So also Christ did not take upon Himself the glory of becoming a high priest

• Jesus never grasped at status; instead, He “emptied Himself” and took on servanthood (Philippians 2:6-8).

• Every Old Testament high priest was appointed, never self-appointed (Hebrews 5:1, 4).

• In John 8:50, Jesus says, “I do not seek My own glory,” underscoring that His priestly office, like everything else in His mission, was received from the Father.

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but He was called by the One

• The Father’s call fulfills the pattern set in Exodus 28:1, where God summons Aaron to serve.

• Hebrews 2:17 explains that Jesus “had to be made like His brothers in every way,” and part of that likeness is humble submission to the Father’s assignment.

• John 5:30 echoes the same heartbeat: “I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”

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who said to Him: “You are My Son”

• Father-Son language reveals eternal relationship, not a promotion granted in time (John 1:1-14).

• At Jesus’ baptism the Father declared, “This is My beloved Son” (Matthew 3:17), affirming publicly what Hebrews 5:5 cites privately.

• Psalm 2:7 is the direct source: “You are My Son,” a royal coronation text applied to Messiah (Acts 13:33).

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today I have become Your Father

• “Today” points to a decisive moment—in context, Christ’s resurrection and exaltation—when His priestly ministry begins in its fullness (Romans 1:4).

• Psalm 110:4 links kingship and priesthood: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek,” showing that the enthroned Son is simultaneously the appointed Priest.

• By raising and enthroning Jesus, the Father publicly inaugurates His high-priestly role (Hebrews 7:23-25), guaranteeing eternal intercession for believers (Romans 8:34).

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summary

Jesus did not seize honor for Himself; the Father appointed Him. As the eternal Son, He perfectly fulfills both kingly and priestly roles, confirmed at His resurrection and exaltation. Hebrews 5:5 therefore assures us that our High Priest serves by the Father’s own decree, providing a secure and divinely authorized salvation.