Title: Jesus Christ as High Priest
(Hebrews 4:14-16)
The relationship between Jesus and the high priest is very important. The book of Hebrews connects Jesus with the high priest. Nevertheless, it is emphasized again and again that he is not a legal high priest, but a high priest in the order of Melchizedek. We need to understand why this is so important. The author of Hebrews says in verse 14, “Therefore, we have a great high priest.”
1. The great high priest we have
Verse 14 says that we have a great high priest. This high priest refers to Jesus, so why is Jesus called the great high priest? Because he was not like the high priest under the law that existed on this earth. The high priests in the Old Testament times were people who were established according to the law, and they have held the office of high priest. These were the people who were born of the tribe of Levi, and they were only high priests in office, but everything was no different from ours.
But this is not the case with Jesus. He said that Jesus became our high priest by an oath, not by an official high priest established by the law. Please see Hebrews 7:20-21. It says, “And it was not without an oath that Jesus became a priest.” This is a quote from Psalm 110:4, which says, “The Lord has sworn and will not change, saying, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”
Whose order did you say you followed? Whose order was Israel's high priest? However, it is said that our Jesus was not a Levite, but a Melchizedek who became the high priest. Whatever the order, it is biblical to take over the position. Jesus is not a Levite. So what tribe are you from? You are of Judah. This is a people who can never become a high priest. But why is he called our High Priest in the Bible? On what basis did Christ, not a Levite, hold the office of high priest? The author of Hebrews is introducing Melchizedek here to testify to this very biblically. Because Melchizedek was not of the Levites, but God gave him the office of high priest (see Genesis 14:18).
2. Our High Priest after the Order of Melchizedek
Melchizedek is not from Judah. When Melchizedek was alive, there was no one but Abraham. Nevertheless, the Bible speaks of him as a priest of God. After that, this Melchizedek priesthood was never passed on or passed on to anyone. The priests that were created after that began from the tribe of Levi, a descendant of Abraham. Therefore, the fact that Jesus took up the office of high priest is not according to the order of the tribe of Levi that came down according to the law, but it is saying that he is a priest who inherited the priesthood of Melchizedek.
As such, Jesus did not become our priest without any legal process. The Jews always questioned Jesus' office as high priest. So the book of Hebrews gives a clear answer to the process by which Jesus' priesthood was received. There is no objection to this biblical basis for those who believe in the Bible. It fundamentally corrected the wrong thinking of the Jews who had rejected Jesus' high priesthood because they insisted on only the legal priesthood.
In order to establish Jesus as our high priest, God has already appeared Melchizedek in the book of Genesis and made it the legal proof of Christ's high priesthood based on him. Next, he said that our high priest was not appointed as the Levites, who would disappear when the reality came according to the law, but as a son who was made perfect forever.
The law said that humans with weaknesses were appointed as priests. Weakness is a defect that cannot be perfected, which means human sin. Because humans are sinners, they can always break the law. But our Lord is not like that. He is forever perfected. He is the One who has heavenly life. There is no sin in him. Therefore, our High Priest, Jesus Christ, is worthy to hold this office as our High Priest forever.
Another reason Jesus is our great High Priest is that He is not a priest on earth, but He is in the Most Holy in heaven. A high priest who has the office of a priest on this earth cannot ascend to heaven. They can only offer a ransom prayer to God in front of the ark of God in the Most Holy. This is only a clear shadow of what is to come.
Conclusion: Jesus did not enter the Most Holy, who became a shadow, but He ascended to the Most Holy in heaven through a new mountain road. The high priest on earth changed because of his death, but because Jesus is our eternal priest who lives forever, he is eternally unchanging. Please see verse 16. “Therefore, let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” I ask you to go before this throne and tell all your things before our high priest.