This is 1/3 of a series on Christ as Our High Priest. I'll post the rest later.
Christ Our High Priest: The Priestly Character and Work of Christ in Hebrews
1. Merciful and Faithful High Priest
Hebrews 2:17: Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
2. Great High Priest
Hebrews 4 closes with an introduction to the next 5 chapters by introducing Christ as the Great High Priest. His office in heaven is currently occupied, and as we learn in Hebrews 8, He was not an earthly High Priest because He was not from the line of Levi. He is now passed into the Heavens, occupies the office of Great High Priest and works for those who are under the blood of the sacrifice He made.
3. Sympathizing High Priest
Hebrews 4:15: For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Since Christ is human as well as Deity, and since He walked upon this earth like you and I, He passed through many things that makes Him sympathetic toward us. His moments of anguish, such as the wilderness testing’s, the loss of Lazarus, never a place to lay His head, betrayal by a friend, denial by a friend, and only being liked by many for what He could do for them, help Him to ever hear our prayers and present them to God.
4. Ordained High Priest
Hebrews 5:5: So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.
In order to become a High Priest, it was not a matter of declaring you yourself to be one. When Aaron was made High Priest it was Moses who performed the ceremony and God who set the oldest Son of Amram as the first of this office. Concerning Christ, it was God himself in Psalm 110 declaring His Son to be High Priest.
5. Eternal High Priest
Hebrews 5:6: As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec.
Not only was He High Priest, but also uniquely He is called a priest forever. As the Aaronic Priesthood past through time, Priests were anointed and died, came from different families within Levi, and eventually were discontinued due to the failure of the people in the Covenant of the Law. But Christ, of a better Covenant and Priestly line, is a priest forever after the Order of Melchisedec.
6. Complete High Priest
Hebrews 5:9-10: And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
There were many things that were necessary for the Son of God to pass through. Each of these things occurred in the His life led by the Spirit for various reasons. His sufferings at the hands of man are one thing that fulfilled His ability to have actually passed through what was necessary to make Him completely righteous by proof. God always knew that His Son was Righteous, as He declared His pleasure in His Son at the Jordan River, but it wasn’t enough for some men to just take the word of God. He will one day have sinners stand before Him completely without excuse for rejecting the Redeeming Saviour. God provided infallible proof by putting His Son always on display, like a Passover Lamb before slaughter, to show the perfect nature of His Son even unto death.
7. Securing High Priest
Hebrews 6:20: Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
The fact that our High Priest has gone before us, is in the presence of God, and is continually working as an Advocate on our behalf is one of the securities that the believer can rely on. Since Christ has already entered into the Holy Place, it must mean that His blood is accepted by God, which ensures the believer eternal security. The glorious fact that, unlike other covenants, salvation and the New Birth is entirely based upon God (Romans 3:10-20, John 3:8, Ephesians 2:1-10). Though man must respond to the Spirit of God (Acts 16:31) and His work (John 16:7-11), the power of the new birth is in what God has done for us. Acceptation or faith in the cross work of Christ for the sins of self is enough, as God was satisfied and raised His Son three days later, allows God to save (John 3:16, Titus 3:5, Romans 10:9, Romans 6:23). We can be triple secure in God: the merits of Christ’s propitiation (1 John 2:2), the grasp of Father’s Hand (John 10:29), and the Spirit of God which has sealed all true believers until the Day of Redemption (Ephesians 1:13-14).
