"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, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” 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."
Jesus is our high priest. That is the message of the book of Hebrews. He is no mere priest, nor is he merely a high priest either. He is the High Priest who provided a perfect, once-for-all sacrifice--His own body. He died, and yet rose again, which means He can continually intercede for His people. That is what this passage is talking about.
Firstly, Jesus is seated at the right hand of the God. Because of His humbling of Himself and His willing sacrifice on the cross, He was given the universe. The person interceding eternally for us is the one at the helm of the universe. What confidence this should inspire! This also demonstrates that God the Father and God the Son are in constant harmony in the plan of salvation. Jesus did not come to Earth on His own in an attempt to appease an angry God. No, God, in love, sent Jesus and exalted Him after His resurrection.
Secondly, Jesus is ministering in heavenly places. We ought to study the work of the Old Testament priests in order to learn more about what Jesus is doing in Heaven. The tabernacle was designed for this purpose and the Revelation we have of it in the Bible retains the purpose of elucidating Christ's work at Savior. The priests made sacrifices for the sins of the people in order to make them ceremonially acceptable to God. Jesus gave Himself in order to make His people truly acceptable to God. He stands in Heaven presenting His sacrifice continually to God in order to free us continually from the sin that remains in our lives. As a sidenote, this concept of Heavenly places seems to imply that God has established a physical place as a dwelling place for Himself. You find this idea hinted at throughout the books of the Bible. Just as God had set the glory of His presence in a certain physical place (the tabernacle), so He has set His presence physically in Heaven.
Thirdly, we see why the Aaronic priesthood pictured and necessitated Jesus' priesthood. The priests under the law offered animal sacrifices that were ordained by God, but that were worthless in and of themselves. They were merely an object of faith used by God to point His people to true redemption from sin. These sacrifices had no eternal value in and of themselves, but were carefully crafted by God to picture His Son's future person and work.
Fourthly, as better Christ is than the Old Testament priests, so is His covenant greater than the Old Covenant. It's not a law-grace dichotomy thing. It's not that they were saved by works and we're free and so the New Covenant is better. It's better because they were given patterns and promises of things to come, and we have been given realities and promises that have been fulfilled. That is the way in which our promises are better. They are realities. The certainty of the rest of the promises of God for our lives and for the future is based upon the fact that God has fulfilled the greatest promise He made--sending a Messiah. As Paul says so well in Romans 8:32, "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" We rarely reflect on the superiority of our own day to that of our fathers. We ought to. Our sacrifice has been accomplished for all eternity. We celebrate this every Sunday not with blood sacrifices but with bread and wine! How much better are our promises!!
Jesus is our high priest. That is the message of the book of Hebrews. He is no mere priest, nor is he merely a high priest either. He is the High Priest who provided a perfect, once-for-all sacrifice--His own body. He died, and yet rose again, which means He can continually intercede for His people. That is what this passage is talking about.
Firstly, Jesus is seated at the right hand of the God. Because of His humbling of Himself and His willing sacrifice on the cross, He was given the universe. The person interceding eternally for us is the one at the helm of the universe. What confidence this should inspire! This also demonstrates that God the Father and God the Son are in constant harmony in the plan of salvation. Jesus did not come to Earth on His own in an attempt to appease an angry God. No, God, in love, sent Jesus and exalted Him after His resurrection.
Secondly, Jesus is ministering in heavenly places. We ought to study the work of the Old Testament priests in order to learn more about what Jesus is doing in Heaven. The tabernacle was designed for this purpose and the Revelation we have of it in the Bible retains the purpose of elucidating Christ's work at Savior. The priests made sacrifices for the sins of the people in order to make them ceremonially acceptable to God. Jesus gave Himself in order to make His people truly acceptable to God. He stands in Heaven presenting His sacrifice continually to God in order to free us continually from the sin that remains in our lives. As a sidenote, this concept of Heavenly places seems to imply that God has established a physical place as a dwelling place for Himself. You find this idea hinted at throughout the books of the Bible. Just as God had set the glory of His presence in a certain physical place (the tabernacle), so He has set His presence physically in Heaven.
Thirdly, we see why the Aaronic priesthood pictured and necessitated Jesus' priesthood. The priests under the law offered animal sacrifices that were ordained by God, but that were worthless in and of themselves. They were merely an object of faith used by God to point His people to true redemption from sin. These sacrifices had no eternal value in and of themselves, but were carefully crafted by God to picture His Son's future person and work.
Fourthly, as better Christ is than the Old Testament priests, so is His covenant greater than the Old Covenant. It's not a law-grace dichotomy thing. It's not that they were saved by works and we're free and so the New Covenant is better. It's better because they were given patterns and promises of things to come, and we have been given realities and promises that have been fulfilled. That is the way in which our promises are better. They are realities. The certainty of the rest of the promises of God for our lives and for the future is based upon the fact that God has fulfilled the greatest promise He made--sending a Messiah. As Paul says so well in Romans 8:32, "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" We rarely reflect on the superiority of our own day to that of our fathers. We ought to. Our sacrifice has been accomplished for all eternity. We celebrate this every Sunday not with blood sacrifices but with bread and wine! How much better are our promises!!
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