The Messiah - Part 24

Christ our High Priest

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
1 Timothy 2:5-6

Because of Jesus our Christ and the sacrifice He made with His own life, He has become the mediator between God and mankind. There is only one now. Before we had priests and prophets who interceded between the people and God. Now this is no longer necessary. We can go to Jesus who brings us to God. We do not have to go through an earthly priest, prophet or minister but through Jesus we can now pray straight to the Father. Isn't that great?

We still need preachers, prophets and teachers to lead us into worship, right living and into understanding the Word of God. Everyone in the body of Christ or church has a calling or ministry to edify and build up the believers. Sometimes it helps to confess our faults to one another as the bible teaches but ministers, priests and our fellow believers cannot forgive sins, only God can.

As long as any one of us has received Jesus Christ as savior we can go straight to God and do not really have to have a priest anymore to intercede for us. We are still to pray for one another and intercede for one another when one person is sick or has a problem, but for forgiveness of sins, we can go straight to God.

This is wonderful. We now can have access to God Himself. Just like the prophets of old, we can talk to God daily. We can walk with God now. We don't have to be a Daniel, Moses or Elijah. We can walk with God ourselves because of what Jesus did for us. We can receive all this by faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior. This makes my soul rejoice. I can walk with God.

Prophecy in the Old Testament

The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. Psalms 110:4

This was prophesied in the Psalms about the Messiah being a priest forever after the order of Melchizadek.

Melchizadek represented a priest that had no end. The priesthood usually ends when the priest dies. Another priest would then take over his duties. Jesus Christ died but rose again and remains a high priest forever to made intercession for our sins. He is our mediator now and we have no other.

Fulfillment in the New Testament

So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.
As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Hebrews 5:5-6

God made His Son Jesus Christ an eternal priest.

Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. Hebrews 2:17-18

Since Jesus Christ became like one of us and suffered temptation, without sin, He is able to make reconciliation for all our sins. Had Jesus sinned even once, He would have become an imperfect sacrifice and would not have been able to die for our sins. He was the perfect sinless sacrifice and is now risen, at the Father's right hand to be our high priest forever.

Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Hebrews 3:1

What great promises the Jewish people had through Jesus Christ. Promises that was also given to Gentiles or people that were not Jewish or of Israel.

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16

Not only do we have continual access to the throne of God, we can come boldly. Oh my if only people could see how necessary, how valuable, and how wonderful coming to Christ for salvation is.

Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Hebrews 6:20
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. Hebrews 7:25-27

The priests of the Old Covenant had to first offer sacrifices for their own sins and then offer sacrifices for the people. Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice only once. That was all that is needed. We no longer need to offer any sacrifices. It was done once when Jesus died on the cross over 2000 years ago.

Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.
For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:
Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.
But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. Hebrews 8:1-13

The Old Covenant was gone when the Messiah, Jesus Christ came and died on the cross. Now a new covenant is in effect. This is so beautiful. Now each one of us can know God personally. This is what the New Birth is all about. We become a new creature in Christ Jesus. We become people who belong to God. We don't have to be part of literal Israel but through Jesus Christ we become children of God. God is now our Father. Faith in Jesus Christ makes us children of God.

When we repent of sins and believe in Jesus Christ to save us from sins, we become Children of God. We are His. The New Covenant puts the law of God into our hearts instead of outward religion or sacrifices, offerings and rituals. The new covenant brings God into our innermost being. We have God living within us. Jesus did more than our minds can understand. He made a new way, a better way and an everlasting way. He is the way to God and no other.

God came into the flesh to be born of a women. This was Jesus our Christ. Now through faith in Jesus, God can come into the flesh again. When we are born again through faith in Jesus Christ, He sends His Holy Spirit to dwell in us. God in the flesh. God with us. And one thing that is sometimes hard for us to remember......God forgets our sins. He makes us "Just as if we never sinned."

Born again, free from sin. I'm happy night and day. Makes me shout, there's no doubt, I know I've been born again.

Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God.
But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:
The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:
Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;
Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.
But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. Hebrews 9:6-15

The gift of God, redemption, eternal life, forgiveness of sins is now possible through faith in Jesus the Messiah (Christ). God made it simple. We don't have to understand every detail of the above scriptures but we need only to understand that Jesus died for our sins, and rose from the dead and is now at the right hand of God the Father. He is the only way of salvation now. The old law of sacrifice and ordinances is done away with and we live under a New covenant of salvation by faith in Jesus the very Son of God. DC

Messiah Index

Messiah part 25