Read Hebrews 7:23-8:2, Hebrews 4:14-16If I were to ask you who your "priest" was, how would you respond? Did you know that Jesus is your priest? Most people don't think of Jesus in this way. They see Him as their friend, Lord, Savior, Messiah, etc. While these are all true depictions of who Jesus is, He also serves as the great High Priest. What does this mean exactly? Hebrews 7:23-28 and 4:14-16 are great passages that shed light on Jesus' role as priest and should help us understand this role more clearly.
Verse 23 of chapter 7 starts out by talking about the former priests under the Mosaic Law in the old covenant. In this covenant that God initiated with the Jews, a sacrificial system was established with Levitical priests (this just means that all priests were from the Jewish tribe of Levi). The Jews couldn't go to God directly like we have the privilege of doing now. They had to make an animal sacrifice and have a priest intercede to God on their behalf. Only the priest was allowed to enter the presence of God on the day of Atonement, by entering the Holy of Holies, which was the restricted section of the Temple located behind a veil.
This sacrificial system and arrangement of the priests interceding for the people was just a temporary arrangement by God until the real solution came in the person of Jesus Christ. Under the old covenant, multiple priests fulfilled the role of intercessor for the people, because they were mere humans who would only live for a short time (23). Their role was temporary, and they had to be replaced after their death. When Jesus came, He was able to fill the role of priest forever, since He is fully God and lives for eternity (24). He is the perfect fulfillment to the old system, which was imperfect and only a temporary arrangement until Jesus would come as the perfect solution to sin. He intercedes for His people, allowing us to talk to God directly (something those under the old covenant were unable to do). His role as intercessor for us in heaven gives us access to God. Do you remember when the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom at Jesus' death? God ripped the veil in two in order to show us, that because of Jesus' sacrifice, we would now have access to God.
One thing that makes Jesus the perfect sacrifice and intercessor for us is the fact that He is sinless (26). The priests of the old covenant had to atone for their own sins before offering up sacrifices for the people (27). Because Jesus lived a sinless life and is undefiled by sin, He is able to serve as the great High Priest in the way that no other person could ever do.
Blood had to be shed in order to atone for sins, and this blood had to come from an undefiled animal without flaws. This is why the only person who could have made this sacrifice on our behalf was Jesus, who came to earth fully man and fully God and lived a life with no sin. His sacrifice satisfied the wrath of God, as He took all of man's sins on Himself. His sacrifice occurred "once for all," so we no longer have to offer animal sacrifices to pay for our sins (27). They've already been paid for by Jesus on the cross.
So what does Jesus' role as priest mean for us today? It means that we have an advocate for us in heaven who intercedes on our behalf, enabling us to confidently approach the God of the universe (Heb 4:14, 16). Because He lived on earth as a man, He is a priest who is able to sympathize and fully understand our condition and will consequently help us in our time of need (Heb 4:15-16). Is this not an amazing thing? I am so glad that I was born in 1984, under the new covenant, and don't have to go through some priest in order to have access to God or sacrifice an animal each time I sin (which would mean a LOT of dead animals!). Praise God today for sending His precious Son Jesus, who was the perfect solution to the problem of sin. Through Him we have redemption, atonement, and a direct line to the Father. What a great Priest!
*I also encourage you to read through the whole book of Hebrews for a greater understanding of Christ's Priesthood.
