Anyway aside from all that This post you will want to read because I am going talk about one of the Greatest Subject Matters aside from our Salvation, by Justification by faith which I discussed in my first post. This will be about Christ who is our Great High Priest.
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| Jesus Christ Our Great High Priest |
The Text comes from Hebrews Chapter Four, in particular if you look at verses 14-16
Hebrews 4 (ESV)
1Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. 2For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.[a] 3For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said,
"As I swore in my wrath,'They shall not enter my rest,'"
although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: "And God rested on the seventh day from all his works." 5And again in this passage he said,
"They shall not enter my rest."
6Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, 7again he appoints a certain day, "Today," saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted,
"Today, if you hear his voice,do not harden your hearts."
8For if Joshua had given them rest, God[b] would not have spoken of another day later on. 9So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.
11Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 12For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Jesus the Great High Priest
14Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15For 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.
God's Plan in the history of mankind in the plan of Salvation is when He sent His Son in the form of Likeness of man, and lived His perfect Will in the person of Jesus Christ, who later took our sins upon Himself to pay for them so that we could be once again Reconciled again to God, after man having fallen away in the Garden of Eden (Genesis)
Christ was a man in every respect, though He lived a perfect life in every respect, He was tempted and tried in every way, as we seen in the Gospel of Mark, for example, when Jesus was tempted by the devil 3 times during the 40 day fast. Since Christ has endured both physical and spiritual suffering (as was on the Cross), He can as the writer of Hebrews puts- "sympathize" with us-
One of the other things I would also like to tie in to this discussion about the role of the priest in Biblical Times - now if you turn to the Book of Leviticus (comes right after Genesis) in particular to chapter 16 where it talks about the Day of Atonement (Click here for Scripture it's a long one so click here to read it: Levticus 16 )
There is a lot of detail that I won't go into about this passage - but one thing I would like to point out is look how many things in particular the priests had to do - their work was never really finished in the temple- they were constantly moving around, doing things, because of the people's sin, ect. In fact I heard a sermon from John Macarthur said the following ( From Sermon: The New Covenant, Part I)
You see, the thing is, no priest ever finished his work. He could never sit down. The job was never done. He just kept offering more and more sacrifices, because the sacrifice you offered was only as good as the time until you committed the next sin. And it just kept going and going and going and going. And no priest ever sat down.
The job of the priest in the Temple in Leviticus was never done, he NEVER sat down.
In the Apostles Creed which a lot of Churches Recite on a Typical Sunday:
The Apostles' Creed
"The Old Roman Creed"
BELIEVE in God almighty [the Father almighty—(Rufinus)]
And in Christ Jesus, his only Son, our Lord
Who was born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
Who was crucified under Pontius Pilate and was buried
And the third day rose from the dead
Who ascended into heaven
And sitteth on the right hand of the Father
Whence he cometh to judge the living and the dead.
And in the Holy Spirit
The holy church
The remission of sins
The resurrection of the flesh
The life everlasting. [Rufinus omits this line.]
Now do you notice in the next Phrase in the confession here: SEATED At the Right Hand of the Father. SEATED (Or Sittith) at the Right Hand of the Father. This is VERY important to Note here.
That is the indication/God's Decree that Christ's Finished Work on Calvary is Complete/Finished for us on our Behalf as Believers once we Trust in Him as our Lord and Savior.
This is Such a Glorious Thing to Realize my Bretheren! Christ's Work is finished! We do not have to Add ANYTHING to it . Christ's Work on our Behalf is FINISHED. As the Last Words of Jesus on the Cross were "It IS Finished." What a Wonderful thing to know that we do not have to work for our Salvation, but rather trust in the Merits of Jesus Christ on our Behalf, Repent of our sins, and Believe this Glorious Gospel and to know That Christ is our Great High Priest Who Intercedes on our Behalf, and The Mediator Between God and Man.
Amen! Soli Deo Gloria!
Here is a Great Worship Song that relates to This - Revelation Song sung by Philips, Craig and Dean:
