November 22 – Perfect and Satisfactory

“For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin."   Hebrews 4:15 (NASB)

We believe Christ’s ministry as our eternal high priest is worth understanding. The first time in the Bible that we read about the function of a priest is Genesis 14.  He was a priest of God Most High and he went out to meet Abraham. This was the priest Melchizedek, King of Salem. His name means “king of righteousness” which suggest that he was a righteous ruler who was God’s representative. Melchizedek was the only one of two kings meeting Abraham that Abraham accepted as his spiritual superior and he was a prototypical for Christ Himself, Melchizedek was both a king and a priest blessing and receiving tithes from Abraham. His priesthood, like Christ’s is uninterrupted by succession. There are no successors to Christ to be our high priest. Knowing this, we can trust His ministry to be genuine and eternal. As our High Priest, Jesus was His own perfect sinless sacrifice to God the Father on our behalf and His sacrifice made propitiation for our sins and satisfied the debt. Jesus knows what temptation is by His own experience because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted (Hebrews 2:18).

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October 15 – Our Forever Priest

“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.”  Hebrews 4:15 (ESV)

The word ‘priest’ is very common in our vernacular. It can conger up many different ideas if it is not defined for the context where we find it. Perhaps we think mostly of those in service to the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches. The priests are those authorized to perform the sacred rites of their religion. In the Old Testament when the Law of Moses was given to the People of Israel, priests were established to be the ones who performed the required sacrifices and offerings people brought. Our verse today has for us the promise that we who believe have a high priest who is Jesus Christ. He offered Himself as the finale sacrifice for sin. In Hebrews 5:5-6 we learn that it was God the Father who called His Son and declared Him to be a Priest Forever (Psalm 110:4). Jesus became our perfect High Priest who lived a life like ours in a form like ours and was himself tempted many times in many ways. His sacrifice of Himself was accepted by the Father and authenticated by His resurrection from the dead. With direct access by the Holy Spirit, we need no other priest.

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December 30 – Perfect Prayers Forever

“Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”   Hebrews 7:25  (NASB) 

A promise today for all who have, in faith, believed God and received forgiveness and salvation because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.  We learn in today’s verse that Jesus is able to save forever, or to the uttermost, because He lives to make continual intercession for us.  If Jesus Christ, seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven, did not go on interceding for us forever, He would not be able to save us forever.  In the larger context of this verse we learn that the priesthood of Jesus is permanent and was sealed with an oath and confirmed by God (Psalm 110:4). This is why, as our high priest, Jesus is so much greater than any human priest can be.  His priesthood is eternal.  Our salvation therefore, is not a one-time thing but it continues as long as Jesus intercedes for us and this is something that God promises will never end. Because of the eternal intercession of Jesus for us in heaven, we are being saved today, tomorrow, and every day for eternity.  We are promised that, in heaven, we are saved forever by the eternal prayers and advocacy of Jesus on our behalf.

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