Jesus: High Priest of a NEW & BETTER COVENANT
It may take more than one post to cover the magnitude of this teaching–for so much of our Christian beliefs and doctrine come from this deeply profound truth: Jesus is the guaranteer of a BETTER covenant established on BETTER PROMISES. (Hebrews 7:22; 8:6)
Let’s begin by looking at why we needed a new and better covenant:
Hebrews 7:11
V11 If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood– and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood–why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron?
V12 For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also.
Let’s stop there for a moment. Jesus is the high priest who came in the order of Melchizedek. How was the law changed?
At the time Jesus came on the scene, the Hebrew people were used to obeying the law of Moses, through which God designated the high priests to be chosen from the tribe of Aaron to perform rituals and sacrifices that would cleanse people from their sins within the Holy Tabernacle. (Lev 9:7).
These sacrifices first took place in tents that could be packed up and moved around as God’s people traveled through the wilderness. Eventually, God had His people build temple structures/buildings that were built according to His specific instructions.
At that time, temples were needed because the only way a person could become righteous before God was for a High Priest to enter into the “Holy of Holies” within God’s temple, and perform rituals and sacrifices to cleanse people from their sins. These rituals were called “guilt offerings” or “sin offerings”.
The Levitical law, or law of Moses, governed the Old Testament system of sacrifices, which was the God’s ordained mechanism for maintaining or obtaining a forgiveness of sins.
But when Jesus began his ministry he began to radically change up the way people thought about God, forgiveness and faith. He made bold statements about forgiveness and SALVATION through FAITH that challenged the Pharisees tolerance and even resulted in accusations of blaspheme! WORSE YET–the Pharisees were so angry that they plotted to kill Jesus!
What had them so riled up? Why were they so threatened by Jesus and his teachings? Jesus was claiming that the people no longer needed a priest to make them right before God–instead, Jesus simply told the people to believe in HIM through FAITH.
This was the NEW TEACHING the Pharisees just couldn’t understand! I can hear them now: “How can a person possibly be forgiven and receive salvation without a temple guilt sacrifice when this is God’s holy order?” But God was doing a NEW THING through his son JESUS.
Sadly, the Pharisees missed Jesus and his kingdom!! They were too proud; too arrogant to see what God had designated all along to do through Jesus and were more concerned about their RELIGIOUS PRACTICES making them HOLY than they were about examining their hearts when Jesus spoke and lived among them.
And let us not forget that Jesus didn’t just TELL them the truth: he SHOWED THEM the truth with signs and miracles and they were STILL TOO BLIND to see Jesus standing right in front of them.
WOW.
Jesus was very clear in stating that the original law was not wrong, but simply no longer NEEDED.
Jesus said in Matt 5:17:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to FULFILL them.
Ultimately, the law of Moses or Levitical law was only a type and shadow of the SUPERIOR sacrifice JESUS made when he died on the cross for our sins–becoming himself the “guilt sacrifice” for our sins ONCE and for ALL.
Truly, Jesus’ death on the cross FULFILLED the Old Covenant law, making the need for TEMPLES and guilt sacrifices for sins OBSOLETE.
Not only that, but Jesus HIMSELF became the TRUE TABERNACLE set up by the LORD himself:
Hebrews 8:1,2
Now the main point of what we are saying is this: we do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the truth tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.
Heb 7:27
Such a high priest truly meets our needs – one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once and for all when he offered himself.
Here it is–in scripture! Jesus fulfilled the Levitical law with his death on the cross! The temple veil was “rent” or torn from top to bottom when Jesus declared the words “It is finished” from the cross.
Why in the world any religion would chose to re-instate Old Covenant practices, rituals and “spiritual ordinances” to be performed within modern day temples as a means for becoming “holy” or made “right” before God is beyond comprehension! For when you truly understand the Bible and its teachings about Jesus’s sacrifice as the FULL and COMPLETE FULFILLMENT of the Old Covenant law, you CLEARLY see that practxing Old Covenant Law is flat out REJECTION of what the Jesus taught and what the Bible teaches!
FOR WHEN THE PRIESTHOOD IS CHANGED, THE LAW MUST BE CHANGED ALSO.
Hebrews 7:11
How had the Priesthood changed? Jesus became the fulfillment of the law and the guaranteer of a BETTER COVENANT based on better PROMISES. Heb 8:6
What are the better promises?
SALVATION through FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST…
AN Inheritance in the KIMGDOM of HEAVEN…
that will NEVER PERISH SPOIL or FADE…
for NO ONE CAN SNATCH YOU from the FATHER’s HAND. (1 Peter 1:3-9)
Praise the Lord!! ???
Peter, whose name means “rock” reminded the people that God sent Jesus to build a SPIRITUAL TEMPLE that would dwell inside the HEARTS of every believer of Jesus Christ!
Now, because of Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the hearts of everyone who places their faith in Jesus, ALL believers comprise God’s temple! TRULY, His presence lives in people all over the world, not just in one building made of stone.
The Jesus Bible Comm: “Jesus is truly the cornerstone of the church, precious to those who believe. He is the first in importance and the SOURCE of the church is power, direction and purpose. He is OUR strong foundation–Jesus is our CORNERSTONE that will endure FOREVER!” ( Matt 7:24-29)
1 Peter 2:6-9
“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame. Now do you believe, the stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and a stone that causes people to stumble in a rock that makes them fall.
They stumble because they disobey the message – which is also what they were destined for. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into this wonderful light.
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Praise be to our Lord Jesus Christ that we have salvation through faith that can never be taken from us because of the mercy of our faithful, merciful, gracious, loving, righteous God!❤️?
Eph 2:8
For it is by GRACE you have been SAVED, through FAITH –and this is NOT FROM YOURSELVES, it is he GIFT of GOD.
Jesus has fulfilled the law and placed us in a right relationship with God through his sacrifice in the cross!! The RESULT? TRUE SAVING GRACE!!❤️
HALLELUJAH!!
Ashley?