Jesus Christ Is Our High Priest

 

 

 

“Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;”

Hebrews 3:1

 

“For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:”

Hebrews 5:1

 

“Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.”

Hebrews 8:1

Introduction:

  1. Today we keep the feast of our Lord Jesus, in which He as High Priest gave us a memorial ordinance, which is not to make a sacrifice, repeat a sacrifice, reenact a sacrifice, but only to remember a sacrifice.
  2. Hebrews is wonderful for our Bible quiz teams this year; for only there does Paul use “priest” or “priests.”
  3. Without a High Priest to intercede for you with Jehovah, you have no chance for eternal salvation at all.
  4. As Baptists, we have a slight disadvantage, for we must know Scripture to appreciate the office of priest.
  5. We reject RC priests under the New Testament and Mormon revival of the “Aaronic” priesthood of the Old, along with numerous other attempts by the devil to corrupt the gospel and steal glory from our high priest.

The NEED

  1. All men, except modern educators, know there is a God with eternal power and that we die.
    1. The beginning of our race showed the great need for an intermediary (Genesis 3:9-14).
    2. God has revealed enough of Himself so that all men are without excuse (Rom 1:18-23).
    3. The combination of knowing there is a God and death is certain requires a priest.
    4. For this combination of reasons, men have been held in religious bondage (Heb 2:14-15).
    5. Catholic priests steal the last mites from widows to pray their husbands out of Purgatory!
  2. Job expressed it well when he sought a daysman between himself and God (Job 9:32-35).
  3. Eliphaz reasoned that man is in trouble by God’s judgment of the angels (Job 15:14-16).
  4. Who will approach God on your behalf to make peace for you in light of sin, death, and hell?

The NATURE

  1. Priests are chosen from people and ordained by them for religious work with God (Heb 5:1).
  2. Priests offer sacrifices to pay for sins, appease God, and honor and worship God (Ac 14:13).
  3. Priests teach the people how to please their God (II Kings 17:24-41; II Chronicles 17:8-9).
  4. Priests pray and intercede on behalf of their people to God (Numbers 14:5; I Samuel 7:9).
  5. Priests bless their people from God, which Moses details for us gloriously (Num 6:22-27).

The HISTORY

  1. All peoples and nations have had priests, temples, altars, and sacrifices to appease gods.
    1. Egypt had their priests in 1500 BC, whom Joseph knew (Genesis 41:45; 47:22).
    2. The Philistines had priests to serve their pagan god Dagon, though the Lord humiliated the nation with hemorrhoids and mice for their pagan, idolatrous religion (I Sam 5:5; 6:2).
    3. Jereboam ordained his own priests to worship calves (I Kings 12:26-33; 13:33).
    4. Ahab had his order of priests for his pagan worship of Baal (I Kings 10:11,19).
    5. The King of Moab tried to make peace with god by burning a son (II Kgs 3:27).
    6. Assyria’s king sent a priest to protect the people from lions (II Kings 17:24-41).
    7. The pagan worshippers in Israel had priests for their false gods (II Kings 23:20).
    8. The Moabites had priests for the worship of their pagan god Chemosh (Jer 48:7).
  2. God established His priests and all the details of their office and work by Moses’ law.
    1. God chose Aaron and his sons out of all Israel to be his priests (Exodus 28).
    2. We have a glorious ordination and dedication service of the tabernacle (Ex 40).
    3. Much of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers are rules governing priestly functions.

The PROMISE

  1. The Lord Jesus was assigned to be High Priest by God’s eternal counsel and covenant.
  2. The LORD promised a new Priest and order 500 years after ordaining Aaron (Psalm 110:4).
  3. This prophecy’s timing is crucial, for it shows the Levitical priests as inadequate (Heb 7:11).
  4. The prophecy of Isaiah speaks to the fact of Messiah making intercession (Isaiah 53:12).
  5. There is a prophecy given of The BRANCH as being a king and priest (Zechariah 6:12-13).

The ORDINATION

  1. Men don’t just decide to be high priests without an ordination process and appointment.
    1. Men ordain high priests to be dedicated to making peace with God (Heb 5:1).
    2. No man takes this office himself, but men chosen by God, like Aaron (Heb 5:4).
  2. Jesus Christ did not take the office Himself, for He was ordained by God to it (Heb 5:5).
    1. The God Who glorified Him at His resurrection also ordained Him a priest (Heb 5:5).
    2. The ordination, or appointment, to the office was prophesied clearly in Psalm 110:4.
    3. Jesus Christ was made with an oath to be a much greater high priest (Heb 7:20-22).

The CHARACTER

  1. Priests must be able to be compassionate for the ignorant and rebellious by sin (5:2).
  2. Priests must be able to pray and be heard by God, Whom they beg for the people.
  3. When in the flesh upon earth, He displayed intercessory ability with God (Heb 5:7-10).
    1. He offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto God.
    2. Due to His holy and acceptable fear of God, He was heard in His praying (though greatly troubled by His coming passion, fear alone is insufficient to secure God’s ear) i.e. Prov 1:26-31; Ps 18:41; Isaiah 1:15; Jer 11:11; Ezek 8:18).

The TENURE

  1. Most priests only live long enough to serve their constituents a few years (Heb 7:23).
  2. God told Moses how the Levites serving in the tabernacle were only 30-50 (Num 4).
  3. But Jesus Christ lives forever, so He has an unchangeable priesthood (Heb 7:24-25).

The SUCCESS

  1. His sacrificial work is finished, so He sits at the right hand of God (John 19:30; Heb 1:3).
  2. He is the Way, Truth, and Life; and no man comes to God without Him (John 14:6).
  3. Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name but His (Acts 4:12).
  4. There is only one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (I Tim 2:5).
  5. The way is now opened fully and freely for you to go straight to God (Heb 10:19-22).
  6. He has made us priests to God that have access no other order has ever had (Rev 1:6).

The SACRIFICE

  1. He is the Lamb of God that takes away the world’s sins (John 1:29; I Pet 1:19; Rev 5:6).
  2. He took His own blood into the holy place through the eternal Spirit for us (Heb 9:12).
  3. He, as Priest, offered Himself without spot to God for our redemption (Hebrews 9:14).
  4. Our redemption and eternal inheritance are dependent on the means of His death (Heb 9:15).
  5. As a Priest, He bore our sins in His own body on the tree by substitution (I Peter 2:24).
  6. Jesus Christ bore our sins vicariously and made the offering Himself (Isaiah 53:4-11).

The TEMPLE

  1. God does have a heavenly place where He is worshipped, called the Temple of God.
    1. Israel’s tabernacle was a representation of approaching God’s Presence (9:1-10).
    2. There is a true sanctuary and true tabernacle in heaven that God built (8:2).
    3. There is a sanctuary and tabernacle in heaven made without man’s hands (9:11).
    4. John saw the ark in this heavenly temple by the grace of God (Rev 11:19).
  2. Jesus is presently entered into a heavenly sanctuary where is God’s Presence (9:24).

Conclusion:

  1. Let us rejoice in our glorious High Priest, Jesus the Son of God, and come to His love feast with joy.
  2. We have the most wonderful High Priest by every measure Who has made peace with God forever.