Jesus our High Priest (Part 1)

TEXT:

‘Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest’ (Hebrews 3:1 NIV)

THOUGHT:

When Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem, people in the city were amazed and asked, ‘”Who is this?” So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus”’ (Matthew 21:9-11). Reading Saul’s conversion in the Book of Acts recently, I was struck by the following thought. He went to the High Priest for authority to persecute Christians in Damascus.¹ On the way there he was struck blind by a dazzling light and Jesus, our High Priest, asked him a question, ‘Saul, Saul why are you persecuting Me?’²

The Book of Hebrews contains many references to Jesus being our High Priest. Each verse helps us to understand Jesus’ character and what He has accomplished for us in that role.

His Person

• Jesus is Merciful – ‘that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God’ (Hebrews 2:17)

God is rich in mercy³ therefore Jesus must be merciful too. The Syro-Phoenician mother⁴ and the epileptic son’s father cried for mercy for their children and both were delivered from demonic powers and healed. The ten lepers⁶ and Bartimaeus⁷ cried for mercy and all were healed of leprosy and blindness. We have to show mercy likewise, ‘Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy’ (Matthew 5:7).

• Jesus is Faithful – ‘that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God’ (Hebrews 2:17)

Jesus was faithful to do God’s will⁸. As we are faithful He will help us with the battle of temptation⁹, and forgive us when we get things wrong¹⁰. He makes this wonderful promise, ‘The Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one’ (2 Thessa-lonians 3:3).

• Jesus is Compassionate – ‘Since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses’ (Hebrews 4:14-15 NLT)

Sometimes we think God is watching, looking for opportunities to punish us, but the reverse is true as this verse makes clear, ‘When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless’ (Matthew 9:36 NLT). Compassion drove Jesus to raise the Widow of Nain’s son from the dead¹¹ and feed the five thousand¹² as well as to send out many disciples to preach the gospel and heal the sick.  

• Jesus is Sinless – ‘For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin’ (Hebrews 4:15)

When the High Priest offered the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement, he first had to shed blood for his own sin, then the sins of the nation. Jesus only had to offer Himself as the sacrifice for our sins, not His own, for He was sinless. ‘He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honour in heaven’ (Hebrews 7:26 NLT). He was perfect and could say, ‘Which of you can truthfully accuse me of one single sin?’ (John 8:46 TLB).

• Jesus is Humble – ‘Christ did not elect himself to the honour of being High Priest; no, he was chosen by God’ (Hebrews 5:5 TLB)

It was humility enough to come into our world. At Christmastime we are reminded of His birthplace, a lowly stable not a palace. ‘He humbled himself even further, going so far as actually to die a criminal’s death on a cross. Yet it was because of this that God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name which is above every other name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow’ (Philippians 2:8-10 TLB).

• Jesus is Eternal – ‘It was after he had proved himself perfect in this experience that Jesus became the Giver of eternal salvation to all those who obey him. For remember that God has chosen him to be a High Priest with the same rank as Melchizedek’ (Hebrews 5:9-10 TLB)

Many think that Jesus only came into existence at Christmas, but He is eternal, existing before creation because He created all things by the word of His power. He has no beginning and no end. The only thing that stopped an earthly high priest from continuing was death. Thank God Jesus is alive, has conquered death and offers eternal life to everyone who puts their trust in Him.

Endnotes:

¹ Acts 9:1         ² Acts 9:3-4      ³ Ephesians 2:4            ⁴ Matthew 15:22         ⁵ Matthew 17:15

⁶ Luke 17:13    ⁷ Mark 10:47   ⁸ Hebrews 3:1-2          ⁹ 1 Corinthians 10:13  ¹⁰ 1 John 1:9

¹¹ Luke 7:13     ¹² Matthew 15:32