More Than A Priest!

Click Here to Listen to or Read the One Year Bible Online Lessons 

18 Yes, the old requirement about the priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless. 19 For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

A lot of the book of Hebrews is about how Jesus was a superior priest in the order of Melchizedek. You can read the story about Melchizedek in Genesis 14:18-20.  He was the king of Salem and also a priest of the Most High God. In a similar way Jesus was both a priest and a king, but in a much more significant way. Jesus' sacrifice was superior to the priest who went into the most holy place every year to offer the innocent lamb's blood on behalf of the people. Jesus offered the once and for all sacrifice for the forgivness of sin. Jesus is the only one who could make this sacrifice, because he was the sinless Son of God. 

Importantly the author says the old priesthood was "weak and useless".  It never made "anything perfect". You might say it was only a "band-aid". The only power it had was to protect the people from God's wrath. It made atonement for their sin but had no power to change and transform their lives. 

But the author says, "Now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God." 

Our hope in Christ is better because it was guaranteed on the cross and fulfilled in the resurrection. The resurrection assured us that one day when we die, we will be raised from the dead just as Jesus was. Therefore, we don't have to fear death. Also, the once and for all sacrifice Jesus made for us draws us near to God. We don't have to be afraid of God, or "shy away from him.".  In the garden, Adam and Eve were ashamed and hid from God covering up with fig leaves. Though we are equally as sinful as they were, we have been made one with God in Christ.

What does this mean practically? We don't have to try and be perfect! The Good News is Jesus is the only one who was ever perfect, and through his perfection, we have been given his "perfection" in a sense. We say though we were unrighteous (we didn't always do the right thing), we have been given the righteousness of Christ (which covers us where we are deficient). 

We are set FREE to obey God and in live in confident hope Jesus' sacrifice offers us because it covers every single sin we have committed and every single sin we will commit. Instead of using this as a license to go back to our sinful ways, His graces compels us to live a life worthy of our calling!

When is the last time you have spent time contemplating what your High Priest Jesus did for you? How does it make you feel that you can have a confident hope that because of the sinless sacrifice Jesus offered on your behalf that you can draw near to God without fear. We don't have to be afraid, because Jesus has made us friends of God!  

The best way to give thanks for this indescribable gift is to give back your life to God and share this amazing grace with others so they too can have the same confidence as you do. 

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