Christ our High Priest

The ministry of Christ is one that has been presented to us through various roles and functions, which has also been manifested at different times and seasons. It is commonly understood that Jesus has come to fulfill the primary roles of prophet, priest and king.

When Yeshua walked on this earth some 2,000 years ago, He was undoubtedly recognized as fulfilling the role as a prophet. He thus prophesied the destruction of the temple, the betrayal of Judas, the sifting of Peter, and more importantly His death and resurrection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit; moreover, there are many more examples that could be given to validate this truth as unquestionable. When He came born of a woman, He did not fulfill the role as king, because He first came to deal with the issue of sin. After dying on the cross, resurrecting and ascending to heaven, He thus awaits for the appointed time and season for His return - not in humiliation, but as the exhalted King of kings and the Lord of lords (Acts 3:19-21), to rule and reign in majesty, and will subdue all enemies under His feet.

The ministry of Christ as our High Priest is one that is essential to our walk and communion with G-d. Isaiah (chapter 53) revealed to us the glorious blessing of the suffering servant, having been identified as a righteous offering, while Zachariah (Chapter 9) spoke of the King who was to come being just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey. All of this pointed to His humility and sacrificial work and purposes of being offered up as atonement for the sins of the world, wherein Paul thus acknowledged this in declaring, "For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us" (1 Cor. 5:7). Notwithstanding, His ministry as the great high priest did not begin until after His death on the cross, from which He went and cleansed the heavens.

(Hebrews 8:1-6) "Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man. For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer. For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things...But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant which is established on better promises.

As a high priest after the order of Melchizedek, He serves in an unchangeable priesthood that is established forever. He serves as the sacrifice, with His blood havening cleansed the heavens and purchased our salvation, for it’s “Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption” (Heb 9:11).

Yeshua, came from the line of Judah, which makes Him different from the former high priests, which came from the line of Levi. He is often recognized in duel and opposite roles and examples such as a servant and king; the lion and a lamb; and as a high priest being the offering and the offeror. This culminates into the most profound function as our Great High Priest. The realization comes by way of noting that the Latin word for high priest is pontifex, which means “Bridge Builder.” That’s right, the role of the high priest was to create a path in bringing a sinful, broken, and unworthy people into the presence and accepted company of a holy and perfect God.

Shalom,
Brian