Thursday, October 20, 2011

We have a Priest to run to

 
Hebrews 7:11-28

If you or I had grown-up under the order of Aaron, a priest would have made sacrifices daily, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people, and then, just like the Jewish Christian, we would have a hard time going to someone else for the forgiveness of our sins.  Plus, if you had false teachers coming into the church teaching Jesus plus, you would need someone to guide you to the truth.  One thing that had to be over come was that no priest came from the tribe of Judah, yet Jesus was from the tribe of Judah; so it was important that these Jewish Christians understood that Aaron and his sons were set aside by God and were consecrated, but Jesus was made a high priest forever by an oath.  You will find that oath in Hebrews 7:21, “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever.’”  It was so important that they understood the meaning of verse 22, “This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.”   The word “guarantor” is a legal term meaning; “somebody who gives a guarantee, especially a formal promise to be responsible for somebody else’s debts or obligations.” 

 Jesus is in an order like Melchizedek, verse 24-26 states, “but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever.  Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.”   If we look at this from a modern perspective, we understand that preachers and priest can and do sin, and some of them steal, some live in adultery both spiritually and physically, and so did some of these Jewish priests.  They and us need to understand that Jesus is our high priest, we need no one as a go between, He lives to make intercession for us.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

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