A mediator between God and man
Jesus, Our High Priest
Jesus is the great High Priest to whom every priest of Scripture pointed, the One who offered not the blood of animals but Himself, once for all, and who now ever lives to intercede for His people. In Him the whole long line of mediators finds its meaning and its end.
“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.”Hebrews 4:14
“For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.”Hebrews 7:17
Who he was
Who he was. The book of Hebrews gathers all the threads of the priesthood into one glorious confession: "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" (Hebrews 4:14). He is fully God and fully man, the eternal Son who "was made flesh, and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). Because He shares our humanity, He can represent us; because He is sinless, He can save us. Like Aaron, He did not take the honor to Himself but was called of God, "Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee" and "Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec" (Hebrews 5:5-6). He learned obedience through suffering and "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). He offered up prayers "with strong crying and tears" (Hebrews 5:7), and He offered Himself upon the cross as both Priest and sacrifice. Raised and ascended, He has "passed into the heavens" and sits at the right hand of God, "a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God" (Hebrews 2:17).
His priesthood
His priesthood. Christ's priesthood is greater than the old in every way. It is of a higher order, "not after the order of Aaron" but "after the order of Melchisedec" (Hebrews 7:11), established by God's oath: "The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever" (Hebrews 7:21; Psalm 110:4). It is permanent, for unlike the many priests who died, "this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood" (Hebrews 7:24). It is sinless, offered by One "holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners" who needed no sacrifice for Himself (Hebrews 7:26-27). And its offering is final: "nor yet that he should offer himself often ... but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself" (Hebrews 9:25-26). Where the Levitical priest stood daily offering sacrifices that could never take away sins, "this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God" (Hebrews 10:12). He entered not a tabernacle made with hands but heaven itself, with His own blood, obtaining eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12, 24).
How it points to Christ
How it points to Christ. Here the pointing is complete, for He is the One to whom all the rest pointed. Melchizedek's endless, kingly priesthood is His by God's oath. Aaron's breastplate of names is fulfilled in the Priest who bears His people on His heart before God. The blood of the day of atonement is answered by His own blood, and the torn veil now grants us access: "having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus ... let us draw near" (Hebrews 10:19-22). Phinehas turned away wrath for a moment; Christ turned it away forever. The guilty Joshua clothed in clean robes shows what Christ does for every sinner He justifies. Even Caiaphas unwittingly named Him the one who dies for the people. And His work is not finished at the cross alone, for "he ever liveth to make intercession" (Hebrews 7:25). "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him." Every priest before Him died and passed the office on; He holds it forever, and through Him alone we come to God.
Questions people ask
Why is Jesus a priest after the order of Melchizedek and not Aaron?
Because Jesus came from the tribe of Judah, not Levi (Hebrews 7:14), His priesthood cannot be Aaronic. Instead, by God's oath in Psalm 110:4, He is "a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec," a priesthood based not on descent or law but on "the power of an endless life" (Hebrews 7:16). This makes His priesthood higher than and prior to the Levitical order.
What does it mean that Christ ever lives to intercede?
Hebrews 7:25 says He "ever liveth to make intercession" for His people, and so is "able also to save them to the uttermost." His priestly work did not end at the cross. Risen and ascended, He continually represents His people before the Father, pleading the merit of His finished sacrifice, so that our salvation is secure and our prayers are heard through Him.
How is Jesus both the priest and the sacrifice?
Under the old covenant the priest offered an animal, but Christ "offered himself without spot to God" (Hebrews 9:14). He is the Priest who presents the offering and the Lamb who is offered. Because His one self-offering perfectly takes away sin, "there is no more offering for sin" (Hebrews 10:18), and He sat down, His work of atonement finished forever.