3. Our Greater High Priest
Week 9 • Day 3
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If Paul’s letters explain the kingdom implications of what Jesus has done for us, the book of Hebrews explains how Jesus’ work on the cross was actually able to accomplish what God had in mind!
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. - Hebrews 1:1-4
“But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.” - Hebrews 2:9-10
Since the beginning, God has been making a way for His image-bearers to be a part of what He is doing. God also knows that we have always been prone to bend the knee to the serpent, to trust ourselves first, and to act on our own fears instead of trusting His rule of “good” and “evil”. As humans, we have the tendency to pursue what seems best for us in the short term.
In response, God had made a covenant with the likes of Abraham, Moses, and David promising them that if they continued to follow God’s rule, they could experience a close relationship with Him and share in the gospel of the kingdom. As we saw way back in Leviticus, these rules contained an entire set of priestly rituals that were designed to symbolize purity, the cleansing of sins, and a commitment to love God and love others. These Levitical laws involved sacrificing animals, which were extremely precious and valuable, they required consistent offerings so that one could be symbolically cleansed from their sins, and they required a priest who knew all the logistics to help them thank God, ask something of God, or be cleansed by God. This was the Old Covenant, the set of rules that the ancient Israelites sharing in God’s kingdom adhered to while they looked forward to the coming of someone who would be the ultimate, once-and-for-all champion over the serpent.
Jesus is that champion! In the book of Hebrews, the anonymous author explains how Jesus’ life and death on earth fulfilled every requirement for the serpent to be completely defeated. On top of this, the author describes how his resurrection and ascension into heaven paved the permanent way for us to share in God’s kingdom!
The opening chapter of Hebrews reminds us that Jesus is God. The signs, miracles, and testimonies of people around him proved that Jesus possessed the powerful rule of God that could not be stopped. He was the greater Moses that we had been looking for since Deuteronomy, he was the greater Joshua who led people into their victory into the promised land of sabbath rest, and he was the High priest from the mysterious line of Melchizedek (meaning “King of Righteousness” in Hebrew) in order to inaugurate an even greater covenant!
For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. - Hebrews 3:3–6
For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. - Hebrews 4:8–11
This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever. - Hebrews 7:22–28.
If Jesus is God, and by definition in perfect alignment with God’s kingdom rule, we also know this means he was sinless. He came to earth and lived a completely perfect life. Therefore, when he sacrificed his life, he took on the role that prized and unblemished animals used to play in the Old Covenant. This time, the eternally spotless body and blood of Jesus had the power to wipe away sin permanently. In this New Covenant, we do not need to live in mourning because of our failures, in a ping-pong game of sin and sacrifice, or in fear of death and separation from God. Jesus’ perfect and divinely valuable sacrifice perfectly fulfilled the promises made in the old covenant and permanently paves our pathway to God!
“He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” - Hebrews 9:12-14
And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all….For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. - Hebrews 10:10, 14-18
Jesus fulfilled all the obligations of the Old Testament rituals and fulfilled them in abundance. Instead of using the blood of animals, he laid down his own powerful rule to use his own lifeblood. Instead of the holy place inside the earthly temple built by human hands, he went directly to the throneroom of God to present himself before the very presence of God in heaven. Instead of requiring a priesthood to understand the minute details of how to connect people with God, Jesus himself intercedes on our behalf in perpetuity giving us direct access to YHWH. In doing this, Jesus ushered in a greater covenant promise and a new way for us to be a part of God’s kingdom.
If you were an Israelite, it would be easy to ask what has God been doing for 2000 years or so before sending Jesus? The book of Hebrews shows us the arc of humanity’s relationship with God by looking at the history of Israel. God has been foreshadowing the gospel of the kingdom from the very beginning and giving His people the language to fully understand the depths of His love. EVERYTHING was pointing to Jesus! In fact, God has always been in communication with us, speaking to His people specifically in their context and in their time, and informing them of the gospel of the kingdom!
“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe” - Hebrews 1:1-2
Jesus is the ultimate mediator between God and humanity. He is fully God, divine and eternal, and present both at the creation and in heaven. And yet Jesus came to earth as fully human, enduring all the humiliations and defeats that we experience daily. Hebrews frequently reminds us that he experienced our struggles, temptations, and knows what is feels like to be betrayed, used, and tempted to take the easy way out:
Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. - Hebrews 2:17–18
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. - Hebrews 4:14–16
He knows how hard it is to remain focused on God’s kingdom in the flesh, and he offers his hands of mercy and deliverance through His Holy Spirit. It is such a relief to know that we serve a God who understands what we go through, who can comfort us in our pain and bolster us in our courage, and who continues to empower us to live redeemed lives under God’s rule with God’s people who have become God’s kingdom place.
“What has not been assumed by Jesus has not been redeemed…He took the worst upon himself to make us a gift of the best.” - Gregory of Nanzien [Remarks about the FULL human incarnation of Jesus]
Jesus is victorious over sin and death and is the only way to enter the eternal kingdom of God. Yet He loves us so much that He brought His kingdom to earth in order to enter into relationship with us, give our lives new purpose, and help us as we struggle with the effects of sin.
What does this mean for our lives moving forward, then?
Hebrews tells us that “by faith” (Hebrews 11) in Jesus’ rule as our high priest and his new covenant promises, we too can be saved! Then, by the power of the Holy Spirit (place) we ought to “fix our thoughts on Jesus” (Heb. 3:1) and “hold unswervingly” to our commitment to God’s kingdom (Heb. 4:14, 10:23). Finally, as God’s people, we are called to encourage each other every day, remembering to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Heb. 3:13, 10:24) as we walk through life together.
“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God [rule] with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly [place] to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on [people] toward love and good deeds.” - Hebrews 10:19-24
The Old Testament and the old covenant aren’t just difficult things to understand from a different culture, they show us that God has always, since the very beginning, been making a way for us to be a part of His kingdom, and they point to the amazing, specific victory that Jesus won for us. Everything in the Old Testament that seems strange or confusing to our culture today paints a picture of the tension that exists between our own priorities and God’s priorities, and of the lengths to which God will go (and the amount that He will forgive) to bring us back under His good and loving rule in His Kingdom place as His beloved kingdom family of people. Here, we experience God’s immense love for us as He rules us, guides us, and shapes our futures for His kingdom purposes.
Share the Gospel: If the Old Testament explains the Old Covenant way we are brought back into the presence of God, Hebrews explains the New Covenant way paved by Jesus! Jesus, who is God in the flesh, sacrifices his eternally spotless body and blood so that our sins may be permanently covered and that we would have access to God to experience His loving kingdom rule in our lives!
