Who is Jesus? Advent Day 19: High Priest

Jesus became the blemish-free lamb, and God ALSO appointed Him the High Priest. He fulfilled both blood sacrifice and also appointed priesthood. The first High Priest who spoke with God on behalf of the people was Moses, and then the message was passed on to Aaron. Then, the High Priest position continued to be selected from the same line as Aaron and Moses, the tribe of Levi, or the Levites.

However, a great High Priest appears on the scene in Abraham’s time as a foreshadowing of Jesus. He was not from the priestly line of Levites. Instead, he was both a King AND a Priest. Sound familiar? He was so great that Abraham gave him a tenth of all he acquired, recognizing him as a priest unto God. His name was Melchizedek. He was a King of Righteousness and Peace appointed by God. Jesus was also to be a priest outside of the regular order of the tribe of Levi.

Jesus remains a priest continually without beginning or end. For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated “king of righteousness,” and then also king of Salem, meaning “king of peace,” without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.
Hebrews 7: 1-3

When Jesus became our High Priest, a NEW Covenant was enacted! A NEW promise. A NEW way to approach God. Under the Old Covenant, the Jewish people were given a way to receive remission of sins by animal sacrifice and the mediator of the High Priest. This was a temporary foreshadowing of a better covenant to come. The New Covenant was placed in effect with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. His blemish-free life and sacrificial death took care of the sacrifice, and His resurrection made the sacrifice eternal. No other sacrifice is ever needed. He was appointed the eternal High Priest, who now intercedes for us and makes a way for us to speak with the Lord freely and boldly with reverence to His Lordship.

And so, in Hebrews, we get robust scriptures explaining that Jesus fulfilled all the laws and requirements needed for the remission of sin. He became our perfect, eternal, exalted high priest who mediates between people and God. He sits at the Father’s right hand, fulfilling the priest’s role! The offering He brought before the Lord was HIMSELF.

When someone dies, there is often an inheritance divided. This inheritance is given to those still living. With Jesus’s death, a holy inheritance was released. We received the Holy Spirit, our seal of redemption, and the indwelling Spirit takes up residence in our hearts. We become the tabernacle where God resides! And we receive the promise of eternal salvation!

Jesus revealed as the High Priest is incredibly important because it explains why we can approach God so freely now. Jesus being our High Priest means we no longer need a mediator between God and people besides Jesus. We no longer need animal sacrifices to cleanse sins. We have a new covenant with God that was enacted by the sacrifice of Jesus and the setting in place by Himself as Jesus the High Priest, forever.

But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His blood He entered the Most Holy Place once and for all, having obtained eternal redemption. Hebrews 9: 11-12

Paul explained to the Jewish people who had followed the first covenant that Jesus had broken down every barrier between God and humanity. This enacted a NEW covenant that gives access without any additional mediator other than Jesus Christ, our High Priest. Jesus fulfills all roles in ONE. There used to be a blemish free lamb needed for the remission of sins and the high priest would enter the holy of holies once a year to meet with the Presence of God and receive remission of sins for himself and the people. Jesus is BOTH! He is the Lamb and the High Priest, so you can speak with the Lord directly now.

The veil has been torn. You have holy access through Jesus Chirst. Enter in, access granted!Jesus handles it ALL! Before Jesus, one man, once a year, entered the Presence of God. Now, through faith in Jesus, all men and women can join the Presence of God because we have an ETERNAL High Priest who fulfilled all requirements on our behalf. He saw our weakness. He saw our condition. He saw our hurts. He saw our pain. He saw our sin. He saw our sinful nature and our temptations. He came and sacrificially lived among us to die for us and fulfill all requirements of the law once and for all. For you, me, and all who choose to call on His Name. For Jews and Non-Jews. The gospel of Jesus Christ is for all who call on the Name of Jesus. What a beautiful Name the name of Jesus is! It is all we will ever need!

Dear Lord,
Thank You for acess granted! Thank you for the New Covenant of Jesus Christ that allows me to approach the throneroom of grace boldly and without shame or fear. Thank You Jesus for being the High Priest who mediates for me in the courts of heaven. Help me to remember to run to You again and again as my first response and my mediator. I choose You Jesus as my Lord, Savior, High Priest, Mediator, Healer, and the One I am building my whole life upon.
In Jesus Name, Amen.