Tuesday
Tuesday
The Priesthood of Jesus
Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood.
Hebrews 7:23–24
One of the major themes of Hebrews is the stark contrast it draws between the Old Testament Levitical priests with all their inadequacies and the perfect adequacy of the priesthood of Christ. The author of Hebrews sees in the strange Old Testament figure of Melchizedek a foreshadowing of the priesthood of Jesus. (1) Melchizedek was both a king and a priest, as Jesus was. (2) Melchizedek showed his superiority to Abraham (Levi’s ancestor) by blessing him and receiving a tithe from him. (3) Melchizedek appears in the Genesis story with neither parentage nor posterity, which is symbolic of the eternity of Jesus.
What, then, were the inadequacies of the Old Testament Aaronic priesthood?
Firstly, their priesthood was mortal. The Old Testament priests could not stay in office forever, but “Jesus lives forever” (v. 24). Again, “he always lives to intercede” for his people (v. 25). Nothing will ever interrupt or terminate his priesthood.
Secondly, their character was sinful. One of the obvious anomalies of the Old Testament system was that before the priests could offer sacrifices for the people, they had to offer sacrifices for themselves. Jesus, however, had no sins of his own for which atonement needed to be made. Verse 26 contains a wonderful statement of the sinlessness of Jesus: “holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.”
Thirdly, their sacrifices were repeated daily. Everything they did was only a temporary expedient, for they kept repeating the same sacrifices. But Jesus offered himself as a sacrifice for sin once and for all.
Here, then, is the perfect adequacy of the priesthood of Christ. Firstly, his earthly life was sinless. Secondly, his sin-bearing death was complete. Thirdly, his heavenly intercession is eternal. “Such a high priest meets our need” (v. 26).
For further reading: Hebrews 7:11–28