Christ: Our High Priest

Person and Work of Christ Series

Recap Weeks 1 and 2

Kevin- Incarnation, Prophet

Hebrews 5:1–10 ESV

1 For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. 3 Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. 4 And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. 5 So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; 6 as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” 7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

What is a High Priest?- look at Old Testament and explain what the High priest did, his importance. The significance of the Day of atonement and the High Priest’s role.

Our Text gives us the qualification and some of the roles and function of the high priest.

The Mosiac Law gives us the formation of priest and their service to God. Exodus 28:1 “1 “Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests—Aaron and Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.”

God calls out the tribe of Levi to serve as priest in the service of God and the people.

Priest were to mediate to God on behalf of sinful humanity.

High Priest were no different, they served in the same way however they had more responsibility. They had to live out a higher standard than the priest.

The high priest was held to a higher standard of behavior, which restricted him from mourning family members and limited who he could marry (Leviticus 21:10-15). If he sinned, his behavior brought guilt on all the people (Leviticus 4:3). The high priest also interceded for all the people’s sins on the Day of Atonement.

Lev 21:10-15 “10 “The priest who is chief among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil is poured and who has been consecrated to wear the garments, shall not let the hair of his head hang loose nor tear his clothes. 11 He shall not go in to any dead bodies nor make himself unclean, even for his father or for his mother. 12 He shall not go out of the sanctuary, lest he profane the sanctuary of his God, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him: I am the Lord. 13 And he shall take a wife in her virginity. 14 A widow, or a divorced woman, or a woman who has been defiled, or a prostitute, these he shall not marry. But he shall take as his wife a virgin of his own people, 15 that he may not profane his offspring among his people, for I am the Lord who sanctifies him.””

Lev 4:3 “3 if it is the anointed priest who sins, thus bringing guilt on the people, then he shall offer for the sin that he has committed a bull from the herd without blemish to the Lord for a sin offering.”

On the Day of Atonement, the high priest entered the Holy of Holies to make multiple sacrifices to cover his sins and all the people’s sins (Leviticus16). First, the priest sacrificed a bull for his sins.

After receiving forgiveness for his sins, he sacrificed two goats to intercede for the people’s sins. The blood of the first goat was for a sin offering. The second goat was the scapegoat; the people’s transgressions were placed on a live goat through confession and then removed from the camp.

Leviticus 16:16–23 ESV

16 Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses. 17 No one may be in the tent of meeting from the time he enters to make atonement in the Holy Place until he comes out and has made atonement for himself and for his house and for all the assembly of Israel. 18 Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the Lord and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around. 19 And he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it and consecrate it from the uncleannesses of the people of Israel. 20 “And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. 21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. 22 The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness. 23 “Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting and shall take off the linen garments that he put on when he went into the Holy Place and shall leave them there.

Mediates between the People and God

Makes sacrifices to God for the sin of the people

Jesus a better High Priest- according to Hebrews, Jesus had to be made like His brothers in every way in order to be a worthy high priest (human form, sinless).

High priest as teacher, purifying the temple, authority to forgive sin.

Christ fulfills the qualifications of the High Priest set forth in verses 1-4 of our passage: Specifically 1.Divine appointment and 2. solidarity with humanity

From Ligoner Ministries: Anthony Carter- Blood Work

“As Priest, Jesus offered Himself as the sacrifice for all our sin. In the Old Testament, the high priest was the mediator between the holy God and His sinful people. As mediator, the high priest entered the Holy Place and offered a sacrifice to God on behalf of the people once a year on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:34). He sprinkled the blood of the sacrifice on the mercy seat "because of the uncleanness of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins" (Lev. 16:16). This he did year after year after year. Christ, as our Mediator and High Priest, not only offered the sacrifice (once and for all), but He is the sacrifice. Like the high priest of old, Christ entered the Holy Place, but unlike the high priest, He entered to offer Himself. He had to enter only one time, for He sprinkled His own blood on the mercy seat.

Heb 9:11-14 “11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”

Why do we need a High Priest?

Jesus intercedes on our behalf

Hebrews 4:14–16 ESV

14 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. 15 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. 16 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.

now lauren will come with Seth Harkin, and Michael Warner will give us some practical ways we can serve as Priests