Jesus Christ our High Priest

Jesus Christ our High Priest
Hebrews 4:14-16; 8:1
March 30, 2008

In the Old Testament days believers would go to the priests in the holy of holiness and confess their sins who would in turn carry then to God; this all changed at Calvary during Jesus’ dying hours when the veil in the holy of holiness was torn from top to bottom. The meaning of this was Jesus Christ became our High Priest and believers could go direct to God through Jesus Christ in prayer with their problems. What led to Jesus becoming our high priest was believers required constant atoning for their sins by the priest offering animal sacrifices that covered sin, whereas with Jesus and Him being the perfect sacrifice, He blotted out believers sins. What a difference?

The attributes that qualifies Jesus to become our permanent high priest are (a) He is God’s Son (b) Jesus was without sin and He died the substitutionary death for our sins which required the shedding of His blood (c) Jesus returned to heaven where He is in the presence of His Father on the behalf of all believers who accept Him as their Saviour and mediator.

Jesus as our high priest has following ministries:
(a) He became all believers’ perfect sacrifice through His atoning blood at Calvary (see Hebrews 2:17-18; 4:15). Allow me for a moment to briefly discuss atonement; the Day of Atonement was a replicated symbolism pointing to the mediatorial ministry that Jesus would usher in with His death on Calvary’s cross. His atoning death removed the animal sacrifices that required unblemished animals. This practice was carried out by the Levi Priests once a year during the Old Testament era. The Day of Atonement proved to be insufficient in taking away sin because it only “cover over” sin whereas Jesus Christ atoning death permanently removes sin because He was without sin Himself. Jesus Christ being the perfect sacrifice turned away God’s wrath from humanity because “For all had sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Through Christ’s death humanity was reconciled back to God and our fellowship can be renewed with Him. We have looked at Jesus’ work as the perfect sacrifice and what is the meaning of atonement and His atoning work, we will segway to His ministry as mediator.
(b) Jesus as the mediator who initiated the new covenant one that gives believers continual access to God. If we define the word mediator, Merriam-Webster defines it, “that act as a go between” (p.550). Jesus’ role to act as a go between for man and God because humanity’s sins had caused a separation and broken fellowship between the two. The new covenant was internalized meaning it placed God’s moral laws in man’s hearts, with the aid of the Holy Spirit man will be able to keep God’s law. We see Jesus is the initiator and establisher of the new covenant which deals thoroughly with sin through His death at Calvary. Jesus’ main purpose was to reconcile man back to God and provide salvation to all who accept Him as their saviour. Finally, the meaning of covenant is “an agreement or a promise, last will and testament and a statement of intention to bestow divine grace and blessing on those who respond to God in sincere repentance an faith” (LSPBKJV). We will segway to Jesus’ ministry of bestowing grace.
(c) Jesus bestows God’s grace to all believers from heaven (Hebrews 4:14-16), thus regenerating us by pouring out the Holy Spirit upon all believers. Let’s look at two words grace and regeneration. Grace is God’s unmerited favor, which is giving us what we do not deserve. Regeneration is the believer’s “rebirth” or “to be born again.” Regeneration is an act initiated by God through the Holy Spirit operating in believers.
(d) Jesus as our mediator between God and man for all who have broken God’s law and seek forgiveness from sin.
(e) Unlike the Levi priests, Jesus priesthood is permanent; He sympathizes with believers’ temptations and aids them their needs (partial paraphrased KJV).
(f) Jesus lives forever. He is continually making intercession for believers who come to Him in sincere prayer.

In closing this dialogue, Jesus as our High Priest who understands all our pain has made it possible to boldly petition God’s throne of grace and make our requests known. Simply dial 1 for the Father, 1 for the Son and 1 for the Holy Spirit; an answer is guaranteed. What a High Priest