As we follow the Book of Common Prayer’s Lectionary this week, we continue in the Book of Hebrews. Our passage today continues with the theme of how Jesus is better than the Old Testament religious system, and illustrates how Jesus is superior to the high priests. The priests in the Old Testament were mediators between the people and God. A mediator is a go-between, a negotiator, a peacemaker. Mankind needs a mediator with God because of our sin.
Whenever someone sinned in the Old Testament, they would come to the priests with a lamb or goat, and the priest would offer that on their behalf for the forgiveness of their sins. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would come into the Holy of Holies bringing blood of sacrificed animals for an atonement for the people’s sins. These sacrifices for sin needed to be performed day after day, as we all sin daily. And the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement was done every year. Moreover, the priests, including the High Priest, needed to make sacrifice and atonement for their own sins as well. Also, the High Priest would eventually die, and a new one would have to step into that position.
The new covenant that Jesus, the Messiah, brought is a better covenant because it allows us to go directly to God through Jesus Christ. We no longer need to rely on sacrificed animals or the mediation of the Jewish priests to get forgiveness (vs 23-24). He is our advocate, a mediator between us and God.
These human priests were both sinful, as we all are, and they would die. Jesus lives forever. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice we needed for the forgiveness of our sins. He completes the work of redemption. Unlike the human priests of the Old Testament, Jesus is holy, harmless, and undefiled (vs 26). He is holy as He has piety without pollution. He is harmless, without evil or malice. Jesus is also undefiled, free from all contamination of sin. He is separate from sinners as He has no sin nature, the source of any act of sin.
Jesus is our perfect High Priest. He did not need to offer sacrifices for Himself. He didn’t need to atone for Himself, so He could fully atone for us. His own Blood was offered once for all for atonement for our sins. He did this when He laid down His life, an atonement for sin. Jesus went into the presence of God with His own Blood to obtain forgiveness for all who come to Him in faith. Since He was sinless, Jesus also only needed to do this once, as it was an all-sufficient atonement. We don’t have to look for another way to have our sins forgiven. Jesus was the final sacrifice, as the Old Testament sacrifices were no longer necessary, and would not be accepted by God any more.
What does it mean that Jesus saves to the “uttermost”? (vs 25). Jesus saves completely. He saves perfectly. Jesus forgives us all of our sins - past, present, and future. He is with the Father as a sign that our sins are forgiven. He paid the price for our sins once and for all. Jesus is our only true intercessor We don’t need anyone else. He is the sinless Son of God. He is always able to come before God on our behalf.
There is also one other wonderful thing that is spoken of in these verses, and that is that Jesus lives to make intercession for us (vs 25). That was one thing that the priests would do for the people, but unfortunately they would eventually die. Jesus lives forever. He is today in the presence of the Father making intercession for us. He is always before God praying for us, reminding the Father that He paid for our sins with His Blood. Through the storms and clouds of our life He is praying for us. He is praying for us and we should praise Him. Don’t worry, Jesus is going to the Father on our behalf!
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