Jesus, Our High Priest

“For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. And inasmuch as not without an oath He (Jesus) was made Priest.”  Hebrews 7:19-20

The law was weak.  It was designed specifically to show men their sinful state, but it could do absolutely nothing to relieve men and women from the burden of sin.  The law required perfect obedience but could give folks no help whatsoever to achieve that perfect obedience.  It was never meant to make one perfect nor could it.  It was meant to show folks their need for a Savior, One who was perfectly obedient to the Father and perfectly obedient to His law.  Christ brought in a much better hope for sinners such as you and me.

When Jesus entered the office of High Priest, God took an oath that Jesus’ position would be forever after the priesthood established by God through Melchizedek, the priest who brought bread and wine to Abraham (Genesis 14:18-20), and who is a type of Christ in the Old Testament.  It is possible that Melchizedek was Christ in one of His Old Testament appearances, but Melchizedek’s true identity is a mystery.  All of the Levitical priests in scripture who held the office of high priest never took an oath and neither did God give an oath regarding their tenure.  They were all mortal men who could never permanently hold that office.  Christ was and is the only One who can forever be High Priest over His people as was secured by God’s oath, an oath that God will never take back.

So what does this mean to us as mortal creatures here on earth?  We have all heard of a document known as a contract which is made official by the signatures of the people which are the parties to the contract.  To sign a document indicates the person who is signing it is pledged to follow through on his part of the agreement.  Jesus’ signature, that is His pledge to bring reconciliation between God and man, was written in His own blood as surety of His promise, His guarantee that God would forgive us our sins and accept us into His family when we come to Christ in repentance and faith.  These are the terms of God’s contract with us.

These terms set forth the conditions or responsibilities of each party.  Jesus’ gospel guarantees to those who turn from sin, place their faith, hope, and trust in Him, and allow Him to live His life through them that He will save them from God’s wrath, and guide, strengthen, and comfort them in life and bring then in death to live with Him in paradise forever.  He did all the work necessary to ensure the validity of His covenant.  All we have to do to keep our end of the contract is to believe and faithfully live for Christ.

Unlike the Jewish priesthood of which new priests were brought in upon the death of the priest, Jesus’ position as High Priest will never have to be filled by another.  In secular organizations, new leaders come and go.  They all have different philosophies and management styles.  Those under their leadership never know what to expect when the new boss arrives.  Not so with Jesus.  We need never fear that He will change His mind or renege on His promises or pass His role as High Priest to another.  He will continue to rule with honor, love, and mercy for all eternity.  And on that we can depend.