Jesus as High Priest
While growing up as a Catholic boy, I grew increasingly curious as to why the Church gave more prominence to the gospels than the epistles. As I grew older, I came to understand that basic Catholic theology places its emphasis on the fact that men crucified Jesus. It is a theology based upon regret.
In today’s Protestant theology, the emphasis is all on the crucifixion itself. Many Sunday preachers continually browbeat their congregations about man’s sinfulness and how Jesus became a sacrifice in order to appease God’s wrath. Both of these preeminent theologies fail to appreciate the believer’s rightful place because of the Plan of Redemption and Jesus’s Present-Day Ministry. Indeed, who has heard a sermon on Hebrews anytime in the last ten years?
One reason that modern preachers do not preach the substance of Hebrews is because they misread John 19:30 where Jesus said, “It is finished.” They believe that Jesus was speaking of His own work in the Plan of Redemption. He was not referring to His own work, but to the Old Covenant with its covenant sacrifices and its priesthood. On the third day, the day of His resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven presenting and sprinkling His own blood on the Mercy Seat. By accomplishing this, He obtained an eternal redemption for mankind. It was only presenting His blood for redemption and Himself as the firstfruits of the New Creation that He could sit down on God’s right hand signaling His finished work in the Plan of Redemption. From that moment, men could be redeemed from sin and could become new creations as elucidated in II Corinthians 5:17 and John 3:36.
When His Redemptive work was finished, Jesus assumed His Present-Day Ministry. One aspect of this ministry is his position as High Priest of the New Covenant. When the Old Covenant was finished, there came a need for a new priesthood with the New Law. In the new priesthood, Jesus acts as our High Priest where He ever lives to make intercession for us.
“Wherefore also he is able to save to the uttermost them that draw near unto God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25 (RV)
We, as believers, have become a holy priesthood under the New Covenant who offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus.
“ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:5 (RV).
As priests, we are to consider and esteem Jesus as the “High Priest” of our confession.
“Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, even Jesus Christ.” Hebrews 3:1 (RV)
Instead of the blood of animals, our New Testament sacrifices are the fruit of our lips.
“Through him then let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips which make confession to His name.” Hebrews 13:15 (RV).
Jesus being the High Priest of the believer’s confession is a tremendous New Testament fact. When the individual believer realizes that Jesus, in reality, personally takes the fruit of our lips and offers them before the Father as a spiritual sacrifice, his appreciation of the 21st century living Jesus is greatly heightened. Indeed, vital knowledge of this fact leads to some of the most tremendous spiritual growth in the believer’s life.