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I can confidently say that the primary goal for every Christian is to know Christ and his cross. The main objective of scripture is to point to Christ and the redemptive work of the cross, and it is at the cross that we see the union of all of God’s divine attributes in order to reconcile man unto himself. Throughout the Old Testament, God used many examples to point to Him who was to come—Jesus. One of the ways in which Jesus is described is as a “great high priest.” That aspect of Christ will be the focus of this blog. Who is a high priest and how was Jesus’s ministry greater?
Let’s start with the first question, who is a high priest?
The high priests in the Old Testament were chosen among men by God with a specific ministry. They would be the ones who would purify themselves, enter the holy of holies, and offer the blood of an animal as atonement for the sins of the people of Israel. This was done once a year, on the Day of Atonement. God is holy and cannot dwell among iniquity. God says to Moses,
“For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. But in this way Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with a bull from the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.” – Leviticus 16:2-3
God’s presence would dwell on the mercy seat and only the high priest could enter to offer the sacrifice. This was done yearly, to atone for the people's sin. However, this was not God’s ultimate plan, and we know this because there were two issues with this offering.
First, the offering had to be repeated year after year, and there was no true eternal remedy. The sacrifice had to be made continually with no final atonement from sin. We read that
“Every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.” – Hebrews 10:11
Secondly, the ones who stood as the intermediates between God and the people were the high priests. However, the ones who entered the holy of holies were imperfect. The high priests had to make a sacrifice for their own sins as well. They could not be true mediators due to their own sins.
Now we see who the high priest is, along with the imperfections of this ministry. Was this all a coincidence? I would remind everyone that the ultimate desire of God from the beginning, was to reveal such weakness in this atonement and in the Levitical priesthood. This was to show that not even this sacrifice could atone for sin and that the judgment of God still stood over the people. Ultimately, the plan of eternity was to reveal the one to come, our great high priest, Jesus.
So then, how was Jesus a great High Priest?
This is where we will spend most of our time and see what the book of Hebrews specifically teaches us about Jesus. Scripture puts it like this:
“But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.” – Hebrews 8:6
How is it that Christ obtained a more excellent ministry and how is it a better promise?
First, the priesthood of Jesus is better because he was the perfect Lamb of God.
We read,
“He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.” – Hebrews 9:12
Jesus entered the holy place as the great high priest. Jesus, unlike the priests of old, was perfect and sinless. The reason we know this is because we know that Jesus is indeed God, one of the trinity. He always has been and always will be. Paul says it like this,
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.” – Philippians 2:5-6
It is important that we see Jesus in this light. If we fail to see Jesus as God, we will fail to see the importance of his priesthood. He was God, yet did not consider that equality something to be grasped, therefore he humbled himself and submitted to the will of the Father. This means that Jesus, being God, cannot sin. He is indeed the image of the invisible God and possesses all of those divine attributes. The priests of old had to offer sacrifices for themselves due to their own sin. They could not stand as true intermediates between God and man. However Jesus, being perfect and sinless, stands as a true, great high priest, not having to offer up for himself a burnt offering. We read again,
“For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.” - Hebrews 7:26-28
So then, what did Jesus come to do? This is where we see the beauty of the gospel. Jesus did not come as a perfect high priest, requiring all people to bring goats and bulls to him that he may offer them up to God. He did not enter the holy of holies with the blood of animals to offer as atonement for the people. Instead, Jesus offered up HIMSELF as the sacrificial lamb! He himself bore the punishment, and therefore is the atonement for our sin. We can see this throughout the epistles:
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace” - Ephesians 1:7
“He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” - Hebrews 9:12-14
“But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” - Hebrews 9:26
Jesus offered up himself as the sacrifice to pay the ransom we owed unto God. Jesus Christ is a great high priest with a better ministry because he stands as a perfect mediator and one who gave himself up for our redemption.
Instead, Jesus offered up HIMSELF as the sacrificial lamb! He himself bore the punishment, and therefore is the atonement for our sin.
Second, Jesus' priesthood is better because his atonement was once and for all.
We understand through the Scriptures that the people of Israel had to offer sacrifices once a year for sins. There was no permanent solution to the judgement of God that was upon them, no remedy to the problem of sin. Jesus came as a better promise. Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross was once and for all. As we continue on in Hebrews, we read:
“And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” - Hebrews 10:11-14
Christ offered up himself as a propitiation for sin—once and for all. Those who are justified by his blood now no longer stand under the penalty of sin. They no longer have to return to God with the blood of animals. By that single offering, he perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. What great mercy the Father has lavished upon us! The promise of God is this:
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” - Romans 10:9
No longer do we strive to obtain salvation through works. We do not have to offer up sacrifices that do not take away our sins. Rather, we can look to the cross, see our Redeemer bearing the wrath of God upon himself, believe that he is our Savior and our Lord, and by grace we are saved. Not by our own righteousness, but the righteousness of Christ imputed to us.
Rather, we can look to the cross, see our Redeemer bearing the wrath of God upon himself, believe that he is our Savior and our Lord, and by grace we are saved.
Finally, Jesus' priesthood is better because he continues as our high priest forever.
This is the great assurance of every believer. Christ did not just come as the perfect high priest. He did not just offer himself as our atonement. He was raised to life on the third day, ascending to the right hand of the throne of God, and he ever lives, making interception on our behalf! We read,
“Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven” – Hebrews 8:1
“But he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” - Hebrews 7:24-25
It is true that we were saved from the penalty of sin. God’s judgement of our sins loomed over us. Through the cross of Jesus, we have now been justified by faith in him, and we are now freed from that penalty. However, it is important to remember that salvation is an ongoing process. Though we have been justified, we still do have the flesh and the power of sin within us. We must daily put to death the flesh and walk in holiness; this is called sanctification. We are daily sanctified by the work of the Holy Spirit until the day Jesus returns or till we pass on from this earth. We read that through this present time, Jesus is holding his priesthood and saving those who draw near to him. He lives to intercede for us. We can see again,
“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” - Hebrews 4:14-16
We have someone in heaven that we can go to in our time of weakness. Jesus was tempted on earth just as we are because he was fully man. However, it is important to note that as he was fully man, he was also fully God. He never, not for one moment, gave up his divinity. Therefore, he stands as one who never had even a single desire for sin, but can sympathize with our weaknesses. Therefore, we who are justified have the privilege to draw near to his throne. We no longer need to go to a man or earthly mediator. By God’s grace, we have access to the throne of grace to receive mercy in times of need. We are not perfect. In our ongoing sanctification, we will fall and we will stumble. However, the one who gave himself up for us to become children of God lives forever as our high priest, to plead for us and to lead us for eternity.
By God’s grace, we have access to the throne of grace to receive mercy in times of need.
It is an absolute truth that the ministry Jesus attained was greater than that of the Old Testament high priest. He is indeed our great high priest. What a privilege it is to have such a savior. When we were dead in our sins, Christ came as a high priest who was perfect, who offered himself up as our atonement, and who lives forever to intercede on behalf of his people. Let us then draw close to the throne with confidence, realizing the mercy that God has for us, and giving praise forever to our great high priest.
Blessings,
The Honest Worship Podcast
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Here are some songs that talk about the atoning work of Christ.
"Before the Throne of God Above" - by Shane and Shane
"Jesus Paid it All" - by Worship Circle
"At the Cross" -by Hillsong Worship
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