Christ’s High Priestly Ministry

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Outline/Notes:

• Introduction
  • This week I am digging into my lesson archives by looking into Jesus’ role as our great high priest.
  • This subject was one that jumped out at me when I was looking at the different topics to choose from a couple of years ago for teaching Sunday School at my church
    • A couple of years ago I wrote a paper titled “Christ and Melchizedek: A Look at Christ’s Priestly Kingship.” which touched on this subject.
• The question is when one wants to learn about Christ’s priestly ministry where should one start.
  • At first when I did this lesson I was wondering if I could get enough information for a full lesson
  • Then I realized that the book of Hebrews was a great source to use as a platform for this topic; and is where I will focus my attention.
  • Some background on the book of Hebrews.
    • This was a book written to Jewish Christians in a time of persecution.
    • The author is unknown
    • The audience as I stated were Jewish believers that due to persecution were looking at leaving the faith and go back to their Jewish roots, which was a recognized religion to the Roman empire.
    • Because of this the author spent a considerable amount of time explaining to the Jewish believers why what they have in Christ is better than what they had under the Mosaic law, this included the priesthood.
  • Hebrews 4:14-16
  • Here the author presents to us and the original audience that Jesus serves as our High priest, and even though Jesus is fully God he is also fully man.
  • Then the author goes into why this is important by explaining the priest’s duties and qualifications.
  • Hebrews 5:1-4
  • We see here that the priest was to represent man before God
    • As such he had to be human as he would be able to sympathize and understand what those he ministers to is facing
    • He is also to present sacrifices and offerings to God on man’s behalf to atone for their sins
    • This made him a mediator between man and God.
    • But with the Levitical priesthood, the priests themselves were imperfect and thus also needed to offer up sacrifices for themselves
  • Then the author points out that besides the priest being human he is to also be called by God, as Aaron and his successors were when the Mosaic law was established.
• Having shown the qualifications for the priests the author goes on to explain how Jesus met them
  • Hebrews 5:5-10
  • He starts by showing Jesus’ divine calling
    • First it is rooted in his divine nature where the today is possibly looked at as being the day of Christ’s enthronement
    • Looking at His death on the cross as being the ordination sacrifice for his priestly ministry.
    • Then the author uses a quote from Psalm 110 indicating Jesus’ call to a priestly ministry.
    • Not being from the tribe of Levi, Jesus is called to the priesthood of the order of Melchizedek
    • The quote came from a royal psalm that was addressed to the Davidic king upon his coronation and on the New Year Festival.
    • The concept that some held was that as David conquered Jerusalem the Davidic king took on the priestly role of Melchizedek.
  • The author then goes into explaining how Jesus is able to sympathize with us
    • In his humanity Jesus faced temptations, struggles, trials, and fears; yet never gave in to them and thus was the perfect sacrifice to bring salvation to man
  • So with the qualifications why was Jesus’ priestly ministry needed?
  • Hebrews 7:11-28
    • With the Levitical priesthood being imperfect and unable to bring about perfection a change in priesthood and thus the law was needed.
    • The change in priesthood to an order not having anything to do with Levi meant a priesthood not restricted by the Mosaic law.
    • This priestly order of Melchizedek was such an order to not be restricted by the Mosaic law and whose duties were performed directly before God
    • Levitical priesthood was transient, everything that was related to it was bound by the physical; descent of the priests, a material shrine, and animal sacrifices.
    • Christ’s priesthood is permanent and effective due to its perfection
    • This priesthood due to the power of an indestructible life can also be regarded as a priesthood by the power of the Spirit
    • Christ’s priestly ministry is more in terms of being in relationship with God rather than being connected with the place of worship
    • Garden hose and bucket analogy
    • To understand the priesthood of Christ is to recognize a priesthood not bound by the Mosaic Law, and due to the perfect nature of Christ is a priesthood that supersedes the law.

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