The Excellence of Jesus Priesthood

posted on 27 April 2010 | posted in Hebrews | ( 2 ) Comments

As we start reading in Hebrews 8:16 we find the writer to the Hebrews has just described the Melchizedek priesthood in all its splendour:

It is forever, with out beginning or end;
God confirmed it with an oath;
Its founded on personal greatness and not legal or racial qualification;
It does not offer repeated sacrifices;
Its pure - it did not need to make sacrifice for its own sin

Now the write is making a great claim, the write is saying "It is a priest precisely like that we have in Jesus"

Jesus has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of majesty.
Jesus is our High Priest, in the place of highest honour in heaven, at God's right hand. This place at God's right hand belonged to Christ because he was more than just a high priest; he is God's Son.

The highest place that heaven affords
Is his, his by right,
The King of kings, and the Lord of lords,
And heaven's eternal light

Jesus is a minister of the sanctuary.
He is unique in both majesty and service. Jesus never looked on majesty as something to be selfishly enjoyed. He knew that he had been given his supreme position to enable others to attain it and to share it. In him the supreme majesty and the supreme service are met.

The writer to the Hebrews comes back to one of his recurring points – the role of the priest was to open the way to God. To remove the barrier of sin between God and man and to build a bridge into the presence of God that we can cross. The priests who offered sacrifices served in a place of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. This continues to show the insignificance of the Jewish priests" earthly service. Certainly it was important work, but their service was only an illustration of what was coming.

God gave Moses the pattern for the Tabernacle and Moses was warned to follow it carefully, having been warned to make everything according to the design God had shown him (see Ex 25:40). This earthly sanctuary was meant to reflect, however imperfectly, the heavenly Tabernacle.

The book of Hebrews does not try to describe heaven; instead, it shows how;Jesus serves in a better, more personal way than any other priest could. Although the priests descended from Aaron possessed a job of high honour and dignity, the ministry Jesus has received is far superior to the ministry of those who serve under the old laws. Jesus ministry and the new covenant are superior for several reasons:

they completely fulfil and replace the priests ministry and the old covenant;
they last for eternity, because Jesus is High Priest forever;
they require no further sacrifices; they accomplish what all the other sacrifices could not do—truly atone for sin;
they provide sinful humanity the opportunity to have a personal relationship with God;

This better covenant based on better promises that the writer will discuss in greater detail in Hebrews 8:10-12.

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Comments ( 2 ) - Add Your Comment

Now we know who the sensilbe one is here. Great post!

by Delia on 6 September 2011 6:57

This article is a home run, pure and simlpe!

by Lucky on 7 September 2011 7:42

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The Excellence of Jesus Priesthood