Part Two: Jesus Our Priest
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through
the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
Hebrews 4:14
Christ is our great High Priest. This fact is worthy of rejoicing!
However, if we fail to realize the significance of Christ being
our Priest, then we will not think it any big deal at all. It is
very hard for us in the modern Western world to fathom the system
of sacrifices that were in place with the Jewish religion. The Jewish
religion today is nothing like the Jewish religion back in Ancient
Palestine. Many current day Jews are even atheist; they do not even
believe in God. However, back in these times, they knew there was
a God. Yahweh was the Holiest of All.
In their mind, they were afar off from Him. They could
only see God as a hostile enemy who was waiting to judge them at
any faulty or false move. Their view of God was one of terror and
fear. They really had no relationship with the God whom they served
for so long.
God did not intend for it to be this way. God wanted to restore
fellowship between Him and His creation. However, the sin of man
kept this fellowship and good relationship away and out of reach.
Therefore, since God is the very being of justice, He had an obligation
to punish the transgressions man had committed against His law.
If God failed to punish sin, then His law would have
no authority. If His law has no authority, ultimately His word would
have no authority. Once God’s word ceases to lose power and
authority, then everything will be obliterated because the universe
is upheld by the power of His word.
However, how could God keep in line with His just nature and also
keep in line with His merciful nature? Enter the act of atonement.
Atonement is defined as the reconciliation of God to humankind through
the death of Jesus Christ. However, prior to Christ, there was still
atonement. In the Old Testament, atonement can be defined as to
cover, purge, or to make reconciliation. The way that God could
satisfy His just nature and still be merciful was to provide a system
of atonement for the people. The wages or punishment for sin is
death (Romans 6:23).
Therefore, if something died on behalf of the offended
party, then the transgression could be vicariously (in the place
of) transferred to the innocent life, and when that innocent life
dies, reconciliation can be made. This is atonement. This very act
itself is merciful. The transgressor has every reason to be punished
for his or her transgression, so to provide any system at all that
provides the avenue of forgiveness is merciful!
What God did was allowed for animals to temporarily atone for sin.
God would transfer the sins of the people to the lambs and goats
that were sacrificed who really had not sinned, and allowed those
animals to die in the place of the people. Praise God that He set
up a system that would provide forgiveness. However, there was one
problem: it was not possible that the blood of animals could take
away sins for good (Hebrews 10:4). The Day of Atonement when this
was performed was once a year and it had to be repeated each year
(Leviticus 16). In this act, there was a constant reminder of the
fact that the people were sinners (Hebrews 10:3). There had to be
a better way! Enter Jesus the Christ! Bear with me it gets even
better!
As you would have guessed, there had to be people set aside who
would perform these rituals day by day, year after year (Hebrews
9:25). God ordained a priesthood who would be responsible for performing
these sacrifices. A sacrifice is something that is offered usually
on an altar after it has been slain. The sacrifice makes atonement
for the people in which it died. Because there had to be actual
people offering up a sacrifice on the behalf of the people, this
is where the priest came into play.
God instructed Moses that the priesthood would be from the lineage
of Aaron and the Levites. Levi was one of Jacob’s sons and
those who descended from Levi became that tribe in Israel. Those
who were apart of that tribe were the only ones who were allowed
to be priests. This is why it is called the Levitical priesthood.
However, there were certain duties that only the high priest was
allowed to do. Aaron was the first established high priest of the
Levitical priesthood. He had greater responsibilities than all the
other priests did. He was the lone person who was permitted to enter
into this place called the holy of holies in the tabernacle (later
the temple). This place denoted the presence of God. He was supposed
to on the Day of Atonement sprinkle the Mercy Seat which was located
on the Ark of the Covenant. I will not break down all those meanings
of what those things represented because it is extremely in depth
(now you are beginning to see how intricate and why Exodus through
the book of Numbers is so specific. What is amazing is that these
people lived this day after day and they knew in and out and kept
it with master precision).
So what does all this have to do with Christ? I am getting to that.
What you must get is that the holy of holies was separated with
a veil. This veil was a representation that man was not permitted
to enter in the presence of God because of his own sin. It was a
constant reminder that man’s sin damaged the good relationship
between him and God. It was a reminder that he was not allowed to
know God. As a result of his own sin, man began to imagine what
God was like. They began to create all these manner of idols (God
knew this and this is the reason for the prohibition against idolatry
in the first two commandments). There was a deep desire in humankind
to serve and worship God, yet through sin, this desire could not
be fulfilled the way that it was designed to be filled
. Therefore, man created all these idols physically
and mentally that he would serve. This happens still to this day.
We think because we are so “sophisticated” that we do
not serve and worship idols. On the contrary, our idols have simply
become more sophisticated with our sophisticated selves! Now they
are things like the internet, our careers, our families, our ideas
and philosophies, and many other things – our entertainment!
Man’s sin created the state that he was not able to fulfill
his purpose: to worship and fellowship with God. The veil reminded
them that they were now the enemies of God.
It was so hostile, that only once per year was the high priest allowed
to enter in and appease this God. The high priest had to wear certain
garments, which were called holy garments. The garments consisted
of an ephod, which looks similar to an apron. On the top of the
ephod, there is a square shaped breastplate that consisted of twelve
stones. On the shoulders, there were two stones. He wore a blue
robe, over white fine linen, a white turban on his head that had
a base that consisted of a crown of gold that said, “Holy
to the Lord”. There is significance to each of these things.
This is where the revelation of our High Priest: Christ will become
a little clearer.
The ephod was made of four colors. Each of these four colors had
significance. The colors were blue, purple, scarlet (red), and white.
The blue represented heavenly and godly. The purple represented
kingship or royalty (most people know that purple is the color of
royalty). Scarlet (red) represents the blood. White represents purity
and right humanity. Let me tell you, if you are not exited yet,
then just you keep on reading and you will be. These colors were
woven together with gold thread. Gold signifies something that is
precious. It was also understood by the Jews as being divine and
heavenly.
Now think about this: all of these things were woven together. Woven
together, these form a picture of Christ. He is the precious, divine,
heavenly, pure royal king who with His own blood made atonement
for our sins.
Praise God! Man and that is
just the ephod!
On the shoulder there were two stones remember? On these stones,
there were six names on each. These were the twelve tribes of the
children of Israel. The names of His people were on His shoulder.
What is the significance? Do you remember this scripture?
4 "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one
of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go
after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has
found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he
comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying
to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'
Luke 15:4 - 6
It is a picture of Jesus being the Good Shepard. Jesus went after
you and I who were LOST until He found us. When He found us, he
laid us on His shoulders and carried us back into the sheepfold.
This is where we would have fellowship with other believers! When
we were received back, there was a time of rejoicing. Look at how
excited the Lord was to rescue us! Do you see it? Do you see how
much we mean to the Lord? He sees the worth in us even when we cannot
see the worth in ourselves.
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for
the sheep. John 10:11
Then there is the breastplate. It was square, embroidered with gold.
Inside of the breastplate were twelve precious stones. Each of these
stones represented the twelve tribes of Israel. Each stone had the
name of one of the tribes engraved on it. In other words, the names
of God’s people were on the priest’s heart. We are familiar
with the term, “I know that number by heart”. Something
that is on our hearts is something that we know very well. We cherish
that which is on our hearts. We are known and loved by Christ.
3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and
he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he
brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow
him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow
a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice
of strangers." 14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep,
and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know
the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. John 10:3 –
5, 14 – 15
This is so amazing! God knows us! Jesus has even laid down His life
for us.
Lastly, there was the turban and the crown. The turban was pure
white. It was on the head. If you think about it, the head represents
the thoughts. The thoughts that Christ had were completely pure,
all together righteous, and completely holy! Even the Lord said,
“The thoughts that He thinks of us are thoughts of peace and
not of evil to give us an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11).
The mind of Christ was one of humility and obedience.
The crown was that of gold that said Holy to the Lord. Jesus came
as the High Priest of our confession who is Holy to the Lord. Gold
is also that is refined by fire. Jesus is not only holy to the Lord;
He will refine those whom He has bought with the fire of His word.
He will purge our thoughts and refine them as gold. Is that not
blessedness!
Christ is our High Priest. The significance of this, if you have
been following along is that Christ with His own blood has performed
the work that the high priest of old could only mimic. They only
represented what was to come. They could not with their own blood
atone for the people. They could not ever purge the people from
an evil conscious. They could not die for the people.
11 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. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves,
but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all,
having obtained eternal redemption. Hebrews 9:11 - 12
The first tabernacle and temple was made with hands; man built it.
However, the final tabernacle was not made with hands. It was not
even of this creation. The blood of goats and calves could do nothing
in this new tabernacle. The reason is that it is a heavenly tabernacle.
Man cannot build something that is heavenly. Only God can build
that which heavenly. Therefore, only God could perform the work
in that heavenly tabernacle which He built. It could not be of anything
that was ever created: not man, not animals, and nothing else that
can be thought of in the earth. The work the priests did year after
year was for an earthly temple, and was nothing more than a mere
representation of the heavenly work that Christ would do once. The
priests had to offer their blood first to make atonement for themselves,
and then they could offer for the people. They had to be concerned
with themselves first before they could think of another. Christ’s
work was completely selfless because He did not have to offer for
Himself first! He paid the price and bought us back for eternity!
This deserves a part two. I am really not done with this aspect:
Christ our Priest. I will need to pick it up in the next lesson,
lest I write seven or eight pages. Christ being our Priest is one
of the hugest revelations that the believer needs to receive. It
will cause a rejoicing unspeakable. This revelation will change
your life!
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