Christ our High Priest

God Qualifies His Servants

There was a sermon from Ligon Duncan that was quite informative on the budded staff of Aaron. I’ll share a few highlights here.

In **Numbers 17**, God provides a miraculous sign to affirm His appointment of Moses and Aaron as leaders and priests, addressing the ongoing rebellion and complaints from the Israelites. This follows a pattern of grumbling from the people, highlighted in **Numbers 16**, where the Levites and others challenged Moses' leadership and Aaron's priesthood. In response to these challenges, God confirms their authority in a dramatic way.

Summary of the Passage:

Miracle Design and Command (Numbers 17:1-5):** God instructs Moses to collect twelve staffs, one for each tribe, and place them in the Tent of Meeting. The staff belonging to Aaron (from the tribe of Levi) will miraculously sprout, confirming that Aaron and his descendants are God's chosen priests. This sign is intended to end the people's rebellion.

Miracle Performed and Displayed (Numbers 17:6-9):** The next day, Moses finds Aaron’s staff has not only sprouted but also blossomed and produced ripe almonds. Moses presents the staffs to the people, and God orders Aaron's staff to be kept as a sign for the rebels.

Miracle Preserved and Explained (Numbers 17:10-11):** God commands Moses to preserve Aaron's staff as a lasting reminder that He alone appoints His leaders and priests, and no one can take this role for themselves.

Miracle Understood and Applied (Numbers 17:12-13):** The people, realizing the significance of the miracle, respond with fear, acknowledging that no one can approach God except through His appointed means.

Key Points:

God Appoints His Ministers (Numbers 17:1-11):** - The miracle affirms that leadership and ministry come directly from God. No one can assume these roles on their own; they are divinely appointed. The blossoming of Aaron's staff confirms that God chose him and his descendants to serve as priests. This demonstrates that true ministry and access to God’s presence are determined by God's will, not human choice.

The Necessity of God-Appointed Ministry (Numbers 17:12-13):** - The Israelites' response underscores the need for a mediator to approach God. They realize that they cannot approach God's presence on their own. This is a key lesson about the need for a divinely appointed mediator to reconcile humanity with God.

Theological Significance:

Only God can provide the way into His presence:** Humanity cannot redeem itself. The Israelites' acknowledgment that they cannot approach the tabernacle without God's appointed priesthood illustrates the broader principle of divine mediation. In the New Testament, this concept is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the ultimate High Priest, who provides the only way to God. Like Aaron's priesthood, Jesus' role as mediator is divinely appointed and essential for salvation.

Jesus as the Fulfillment:** Just as Aaron's staff blossomed as a sign of his divine appointment, Jesus' ministry is attested by God through signs and wonders. He is the appointed mediator between God and humanity, as shown in passages like **John 14:6** and **Hebrews 4:14-16**. Jesus' death and resurrection make it possible for people to approach God, but only through Him, the appointed Savior.

Conclusion: This passage teaches that ministry and access to God come through God's appointed means, and highlights the necessity of a divinely appointed mediator—ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The Israelites’ failure to understand this fully mirrors the need for a Savior who can bridge the gap between humanity and God.

Jesus is the Qualified High Priest

God qualifies Jesus as the high priest, not through lineage, but through resurrection. This is the crux of Hebrews 7:15–17 “This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. For it is witnessed of him, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.””

The writer of Hebrews quotes Psalm 110 here, the same passage where that Jesus used when referring to Himself in reference to David calling Him Lord.

So, just as Aaron was confirmed by a sign: the budded staff, Jesus, too, was confirmed by a sign: resurrection. Further, He is in the line of Melchizedek (the “King of Righteousness”).

But, Jesus is also superior in His role as a priest. Hebrews 7:26–28 “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.”

Just before this, we learned earlier when talking about Jesus’ role as intercessor, about Jesus’ superiority as a priest because He abides forever. And, as tempting as it was, I had to stop short there because we were focused on His forever priesthood compared to those whose service was ended due to death, but He forever intercedes so that we can be saved to the uttermost.

Now, the rest of the story. Three things that makes Jesus a better high priest than any who had served before Him:

He is a high priest who is perfect in His righteousness (“holy, innocent, unstained…no need…to offer sacrifices…first for His own sins…”).

He is a high priest who is perfect in His holiness (“separated from sinners”, i.e., perfectly set apart to His Father’s will).

He is a high priest who goes beyond the veil, beyond the holiest place, and into God’s very presence (“exalted above the heavens…”).

Jesus Qualifies us to Enter God’s Presence

What is the implication for all of this?

First, we have a great high priest over the house of God who, as we have noted, is a final sacrifice and constant intercessor, so I won’t belabor those points.

Second, we are able to boldly go beyond the veil as we studied a few weeks back.

Third, He qualifies us to go into God’s presence by making us priests as well.

We have direct access to God, which allows for personal intimacy.

We have direct access to God, which allows for private devotion (no need have a human intermediary — we worship God personally).

We have direct access to God, which calls us to public responsibility (church involvement). We are to function as priests in the world!

Go beyond the veil and weep for a wayward world.

Go beyond these walls and preach a glorious and gracious gospel.