The book of Hebrews describes Jesus as our great High Priest, a title that may seem unfamiliar to Christians today.
In the Old Testament, priests served as mediators between God and His people. But Hebrews explains that Jesus fulfills this role in a unique and permanent way.
What does it mean for Christians today that Jesus is our High Priest? How does this help us understand His relationship with us and our access to God?
Hi ellenvera,
Such a great topic to focus on our precious Lord and what He has done, is doing and will do.
As our High Priest, Jesus is the only one that is able to stand between God and man, (us). He became man and thus can sympathize with our weaknesses, (Heb. 4: 15) yet He is the Son of God and having passed into the heavens and is seated before God the Father is able to intercede for us. (Heb. 8: 1 & 7: 25)
We moderns are pretty detached from the concept of a priest (in the hieretic sense; most modern westerners hear “priest” and think of Christian clergy, because unfortunately the word “priest” in English is doing two things at the same time).
Which is why it’s good for Christians to be taught and brought into the linguistic and cultural landscape of Scripture and the contextual culture of the times and places.
When Hebrews says Christ is our Great High Priest it is a direct contrast with the Aaronic priesthood, where the high priest enters into the holy of holies once every year to offer a sacrifice upon the mercy seat for the whole nation. Christ, rather, has made the sacrifice of His own life, body, and blood upon the cross–once and for all. Therefore He is a superior priest, with a superior priesthood: His sacrifice is perfect, finished, done–for all.
Further, the author of Hebrews envisions Christ, having ascended into the heavens and seated at the right hand of the Father, as mediating even now–we have Jesus who is our intercessor with the Father. We come before the Father THROUGH His Son, through Christ.
Historically the Christian Church has understood that when we confess our sins and the pastor declares sins forgiven, it is Christ speaking–(because Jesus told His Apostles, “Wheover’s sins you forgive are forgiven them” and said that the forgiveness of sins would be preached throughout the world in His name). Likewise the Church historically understands that when we come to the Lord’s Supper, it is Christ who presides, offering us His body and blood. And even when we were baptized, it was Jesus who is doing the baptism through His Church. So the preaching of the Gospel, the administration of the Sacraments–the sacred ministry of the Church–is not by human power and ability, but is the sacred work of Jesus, through His Church, operating by the power of the Holy Spirit, under the sovereign God and Father who is above in and through His Church by His Son and Spirit.
So Jesus is High Priest:
Why should the title and role of priest and high priest be unfamiliar to Christians today?
Are you saying that Christians do not read the nativity account or the account of the crucifixion?
I understand that many are to lazy to read the old Testament and so miss the roles and importance of the Levitical priesthood as well as the symbolism of the sacrificial system pointing to Jesus’s sacrifice.
What does it mean that Jesus is our high priest?
We are priests with the right of access to our heavenly Father, but Jesus is the one who dealt with our sin, our guilt, our shame and bore our punishment.
This is fundamentle to our relationship with God.