Christ - Our High Priest

Q: What does the Bible say about Christ as our High Priest?

The Bible teaches that Christ, as our High Priest, entered the holy place with His own blood to obtain eternal redemption for His people. According to Hebrews 9:12, Christ is described as the High Priest who entered the holy place with His own blood, accomplishing what the sacrificial system of the Old Testament could not achieve. Unlike the annual offerings made by earthly priests, which only provided a temporary covering for sin, Christ's sacrifice was once for all and perfected for those He represents. This act of entering the presence of God signifies not just ritual, but the basis of our redemption, revealing His glory and unique priesthood as both God and man. In His priestly role, He mediates between God and humanity and provides the one true sacrifice that offers eternal salvation.

Q: How do we know Christ's sacrifice is sufficient?

Christ's sacrifice is sufficient because He offered Himself once for all, and by it, He perfected forever those who are sanctified. The sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice is rooted in the doctrine of definite atonement, as outlined in Hebrews 10:14, where it states that by His one offering, He perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. This contrasts with the Old Testament sacrifices, which could never fully take away sins and were repetitive by nature. Christ's sacrifice was unique because it was offered by Him, the spotless Lamb of God, and it fully met the requirements of God's justice. His resurrection and ascension into glory further affirm the acceptance of His sacrifice by God. Therefore, believers can have confidence that through Christ's work, their sins are permanently dealt with and they possess eternal life.

Q: Why is the High Priesthood of Christ important for Christians?

The High Priesthood of Christ is crucial because He represents believers before God and secures their eternal redemption. The importance of Christ's High Priesthood lies in the fact that He serves as the mediator between God and man, as emphasized in Hebrews 4:14-16. He is able to sympathize with our weaknesses, having been tempted in every way yet without sin. His role as a High Priest assures Christians of His continual intercession and advocacy on their behalf. Because He has passed through the heavens, believers can approach God with confidence, knowing that they are fully accepted in Christ. Moreover, His eternal priesthood ensures that His intercession for His people is unceasing, which brings profound comfort and hope as believers rest in His finished work for their salvation.

Q: What does eternal redemption mean in Christianity?

Eternal redemption means that through Christ's sacrifice, believers are permanently freed from sin and guaranteed everlasting life. Eternal redemption signifies a full and complete salvation that cannot be revoked. As stated in Hebrews 9:12, Christ obtained eternal redemption through His own blood, highlighting that His sacrifice not only addressed the immediate need for atonement but secured a lasting position before God. This concept encompasses forgiveness of sins, deliverance from judgment, and the gift of eternal life. Therefore, believers can rejoice in the assurance that, once redeemed, they hold a substantial promise of being eternally secure in Christ's finished work. The eternal nature of this redemption stems from the character of God Himself, who is eternal, thus reinforcing the everlasting impact of Christ's sacrifice.

Okay, now we're turning again
to Hebrews, the ninth chapter, and verse 11. Hebrews 9, verse
11. But, see how that starts? B-U-T. That's a big word. That's a big
word in Scripture. But Christ, Christ, the anointed
of God, is prophet, priest, and king. But the Lord Jesus Christ
being comes. being come, son of God, in the
fullness of time, God sent forth His Son. Christ being come, a
high priest of good things, good things to come, by greater, more
perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not
of this building, neither by the blood of goats and calves,
but by His own blood. Now underscore that in your mind.
His own blood. He entered in once into the holy
place. It's not the holy place made
with hands. It's the holy place in the presence of God. When
He by Himself purged our sin, where did He sit down? The throne
of glory. By His own blood, He entered
once into the holy place, having, because He completed salvation,
having obtained delivered for our offenses, raised again because
He did justify us, because He did accomplish salvation. He
obtained for us, what does it say there? Eternal. Eternal redemption. Salvation is eternal. The forgiveness
of sin we enjoy as His people and the deliverance from sin
we have is eternal. Eternal blessing. Now, throughout
the book of Hebrews, the Lord Jesus Christ is set forth In
the glory of His person? The glory of His person. Now
hold your place here and find Hebrews chapter 1. He set forth
in the glory of His person, being made so much better than the
angels. There's that key word again,
better. Christ is better. Hebrews chapter 1, look at verse
3. Who being the brightness of His glory? That is God's glory. The expressed image of His person.
Our Lord says, you've seen me, you've seen the Father. I and
my Father are one, upholding all things by the word of His
power. He's the all-powerful One because
He's God. When He by Himself purged our
sin, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high, being
made so much better. He is better. We see the glory
of His person. He is God, manifest in the flesh. We see the glory of His office. Prophet, priest, and king. He
is the priest of God. The glory of His priesthood.
Sixteen times in this book of Hebrews, it talks about the priesthood
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's read a few of them. Find
Hebrews chapter 2. Hebrews chapter 2, verse 17.
as sinners need a high priest to represent us to God, who represents
us with an offering that is acceptable to God, and that is the Lord
Jesus Christ Himself. Now, Hebrews 2.17, It says in
verse 16, "...he took not on him the nature of angels, but
he took on him the seed of Abraham." He was a real man. "...identified
with our flesh apart from sin. Wherefore, in all things that
behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might
be a merciful, faithful high priest." He is near kin to us.
He has a right to redeem us being near kin. He is a faithful, merciful
high priest in things pertaining to God to make. To make atonement,
is the word there, atonement for the sin of the people. It's
a definite atonement. It's protective redemption. Just
as that high priest of old, when he went in representing the tribes
of Israel, for whom did he officiate? It wasn't the Philistines. It
wasn't the Amalekites or the Jebusites or the Hittites or
any otherites. It was Israel that he represented. So he made atonement for the
sin of his people. at particular redemption, death,
and atonement. We preach it and believe it ardently
because the Scriptures teach it. Hebrews 3.1 talks about the
High Priesthood of Christ. Holy brethren, partakers of a
heavenly calling, we've been called out of darkness into life
in Christ. Consider the Apostle, the Lord
Jesus Christ, is one sin of God. That's what the word there means.
He's the High Priest of our salvation. the Lord Jesus Christ. Now turn
to another one, talks about, and you could look these up,
and I would encourage you to do so, but at least 16 times
it talks about the priesthood of Christ. Hebrews chapter 4,
seeing then, seeing then that we have a great high priest that
is passed into the heaven, seeing then we do. He officiated here
for us, representing us here, but also in the presence of God.
Seeing then, we have a great high priest that is passed into
the heavens." Well, that's good news. John said, when you sin,
we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
A great high priest that is passed into the heavens. Jesus, the
Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. Again, turn over
to Hebrews 7, and we could read others. Verse 22, Hebrews 7, but so much
with Jesus, That is, the Savior made a surety, a surety of a
better, better covenant. And they truly were many priests
under the law because they were not suffered to continue by reason
of death. But this man, this one, this
one, he continues ever. There's no end to his priesthood.
He's the eternal priest. He has an unchangeable priesthood,
an everlasting priesthood after the order of Melchizedek. Wherefore,
he is able to save them to the uttermost that come to God by
him, seeing that he ever lives to make intercession for us.
For such a high priest, verse 26, became us who is holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from sinners. He had no sin. Knew no sin, he's
made higher than the heavens. This is our high priest. This
is the good news of the gospel. We see in this book of Hebrews
the glory of his person, the glory of his priesthood, and
we also see the glory of his sacrifice. The glory of his sacrifice. when He offered one, notice verse
14 of Hebrews 10, for by one offering He perfected forever
them. There's that definite atonement
again. For those for whom He represents, for those for whom
He died with their sin, for by the one offering, they offered
many sacrifices that never took away sin. He offered one, one
sacrifice, and it put away the sin of His people forever. have
perfected forever them that are sanctified. How perfect is His
sacrifice? Look at verse 17. And their sins
and iniquities, God says, well, I remember no more. They're gone. He put away sin. That's what it says in Hebrews
9.26. He put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And my friend, the good news
of the gospel is He didn't fail. He got the job done. Without
the Lord Jesus Christ being the appointed high priest, bringing
the appointed sacrifice, we have no remission for sin. Without
Christ, there's no pardon of sin apart from Christ. The blood
of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin. Without the Lord Jesus
Christ being sent and appointed of God with the appointed sacrifice,
we'd have no pardon of sin, we'd have no righteousness that justifies
us before God, and we'd have no hope. No hope of salvation
apart from Christ crucified. No wonder the Apostle Paul said,
I'm determined, I'm determined to know nothing among you but
Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Crucified. God in Christ. is the sinner's high priest,
mediator and servitee, substitute that fulfilled everything that
was given in that old covenant. The tabernacle itself is a picture
of Christ. The priesthood itself is a picture
of the Lord Jesus Christ. All those sacrifices of those
substitutes who died under the law, the blood of bulls and goats,
the burnt offering, the sin offering, the trespass offering, all those
offerings are all pictures of Christ. the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the fulfillment of it all.
Our Lord said, I didn't come to destroy the law, I came to
honor the law of God. And that's what he did. He did
that for his covenant people. Now look at Hebrews 9, verse
11. Christ being come, being come. Now we pass from shadow to substance. We pass from shadow to reality. The law having a shadow of good
things to come. But now the Lord Jesus Christ,
He has come. And He is the High Priest with
good things. He is. All that is good. We pass
from shadow to substance. The High Priest, and notice it
says there that Christ being come, a High Priest. A High Priest. Not a martyr. Not an example,
not a reformer, but a priest to represent us and to make atonement
for His covenant people. Call His name the Lord Jesus. Call His name Jesus, Savior.
He shall save His people from their sin. And that's the good
things. See verse 11? That's the good
things. You see, the gospel is called
good news. And it presents good things to
come. Peace, pardon, righteousness,
redemption, reconciliation, all spiritual blessings in the heavenly
in Christ. These good things to come. And then it says, thereby greater,
more perfect tabernacle. It's not a tabernacle made with
hands. He didn't officiate in that earthly temple or tabernacle. He is the tabernacle. He is the... You know, the tabernacle
is where God dwelt. Where the glory, manifestation
of the glory of God dwelt over that tabernacle and over that
mercy seat. And God said, that's where I'll meet with you. The
Lord Jesus Christ, God Almighty, tabernacled in that body of a
man. He's God and man and one blessed
person. And He officiates for us as a
God-man mediator. This is a perfect tabernacle. He said, A body, look at Hebrews
10 verse 5, Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he saith,
Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, but a body thou hast prepared
for me. in burnt offerings and sacrifice
for sin, thou hast had no pleasure. Then he said, Lo, I come, in
the volume of the book it is written of me to do thy will,
O God. He tabernacled among us as God
in the flesh, representing his people. These spiritual blessings
were obtained by a far more greater sacrifice than the animal blood,
his own blood, his own blood. He entered in, it says there,
with His own blood, neither by the blood of goats and calves,
but by His own blood. He obtained eternal redemption
for us. We read in Scripture that we're
not redeemed with corruptible things. Do you remember 1 Peter
1.18? Silver and gold. Works tradition. But with the precious blood of
Christ. He is the spotless Lamb of God. that taketh away sin." All those
sacrifices under the law, you go back and read Leviticus and
Exodus and others, that sacrifice had to be an animal sacrifice
that had no blemish. It couldn't have scurvy. It couldn't
have a broken leg. It couldn't have different diseases. It had to be, as far as outward
eye could detect, it had to be a perfect lamb, a perfect bullet. something that was deformed or
defective. And that picture is the Lord Jesus Christ who is
the spotless Lamb of God that takes away our sin. Now, let's take a look and let's
work on verse 12. First thing we see here, the
sacrifice by which He entered glory. The sacrifice by which
He entered glory. It says there, with His own blood
that He offered Whose blood is this? What did you say? That's right. He bought us, God
bought us with His own blood. Where is that? Acts 20, 28 isn't
it? God bought us with His own blood. It's just not that blood was
shed. It's whose blood is being shed. His own blood. There never
has been or ever will be such a man as this. He's the God-man. God manifests in the flesh. He's
God and man and one blessed person. It's who He is that gives merit
to His sacrifice. Is that right? That's right.
So we see This sacrifice was special and unique. Secondly,
this sacrifice was substitutionary. It says there that He entered
in. Now, those two words there, for
us, you see those two words are italicized? That means they're
added. But it doesn't hurt because the
whole body of Scriptures teach that the Lord Jesus Christ died
in the room instead of His covenant people. So it's a sacrifice that's
substitutionary and satisfying. The Lord Jesus Christ is not
dying because of His own sin. He had none. But my sin became
His. That's what we call substitution.
He had none, but He's dying for the sin of His covenant people.
He was manifested to take away our sin, and in Him is no sin. Now, you know 2 Corinthians 5,
verse 21, God made Him to be sin for us. God made him, and
those two words there, 2B, are really italicized. They're added,
too. God made him sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might
be made the righteousness of God in Him. The just suffering
for the unjust. Find 1 Peter 3. 1 Peter 3. This glorious sacrifice we have
in Christ Jesus. 1 Peter 3, 18. For Christ also
has once suffered for sins, That's a key word, one time. One suffering,
one sacrifice for sins. The just for the unjust. Now, he's just in every way.
And he's dying for, what does it say there? The unjust. Now, that's his people. In themselves,
they're unjust. In Romans 5, 6, it says that
Christ died for thee. What's the rest of that? Huh?
Ungodly. Christ died for the ungodly.
He suffered for sins, one time the just for the unjust. Now
watch this, that He might bring us to God. Can we come any other
way other than accepted in the Beloved, justified in Christ
Jesus, that He might bring us to God? Being put to death in
the flesh, quicken. by the Spirit of God. He didn't
stay there, did he? How do we know his sacrifice
was accepted of God? Well, God raised him from the
dead and thrown him in glory. He bodily ascended to glory and
he occupies the throne right now. And he's coming back one
day soon. So we see the sacrifice was substitutionary. It says there in Hebrews 9.12,
for us. Something else about this special, unique sacrifice
by which He entered glory. And He came as a representative
man, but He enters glory also as a representative man. And
Adam all died, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. This
sacrifice He brought was personal. Personal. It was a personal sacrifice. Himself. Notice that word there. Himself. By His own blood. His own blood. Our Lord didn't
bring the merit of others, the sufferings of others. He brought,
or the blood of others. He brought His own blood. Himself. Christ Himself. He poured out,
it says in Isaiah 53, 12, He poured out His own soul unto
death. In 1 Peter 2.24, He bare our
sin in His own body on the tree. In 1 John 4.10, He loved us and
gave Himself for us. In Hebrews 9.26, here's the word
I was looking for, He appeared in the end of the age to put
away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. He tread the winepress
of the wrath of God alone, Isaiah 63. In the garden he prayed alone,
Not my will, but thy will be done. You see, it was a sacrifice
of himself. Now, get a hold of this. This
sacrifice that the Lord Jesus Christ offered was unto God. Unto God. You read throughout
the Old Testament, it was the blood on the altar that was offered
before the Lord, before the Lord. Now find Ephesians 5, Ephesians
5, it wasn't offered unto, you know when they, when the high
priest went into the, under that veil, that heavy veil that separated
the holy place from the holy of holies, when he went in there
under that veil, who went in there with him? Nobody else,
he went in there alone. No one saw outside that tabernacle
what was going on. That blood that was put on that
mercy seat, did the people outside see that? No. It wasn't offered
unto them. It was offered unto God. It's
the blood on the altar before the Lord. Now, Ephesians chapter
5. Look at verse 1. Be ye therefore
followers of God as dear children, and walk in love. As Christ also
has loved us and has given Himself, there's that word again, for
us, an offering and sacrifice to God for a sweet, smelling,
satisfying savor. The blood atonement of Christ
is not left to the sinner's will to give it merit, is it? God
said, when I see the blood, I'll pass over you. God is satisfied
with His blood atonement and demands the unconditional surrender
of His covenant people. Bow to the Son! Kiss the Son! Lest ye be angry, and ye perish
from the way, when its wrath is kindled but a little. The
second point is this. Notice the manner of his entrance
in Hebrews 9-12. The manner of his entrance. Those Old Testament priests entered
in once every year, but year after
year after year after year. It says here that he entered
in one time. One time. One sacrifice. He entered in once into the holy
place. His atonement was never... The High Testament old priests
entered many times, many times, but their atonement was never
effectual, only typical. Notice, if you will, verse 3
and 4 in Hebrews 10. But in those sacrifices, there
is remembrance again made of sin of every year. Made of sins
every year, for it's not possible that the blood of bulls and goats
should take away sin. They came every year because
their atonement only pictured Christ coming. But their atonement
never put away sin. It pictured Christ. There is
no need for the Lord Jesus Christ to repeat His offering because
His blood effectually accomplished atonement for us. No veil now
hangs in our way. He says, Come boldly unto the
throne of grace. You remember reading in Matthew
chapter 27, When he cried, it is finished. Remember what happened
to that veil that hung in the temple? It was ripped. Salvation is not from the bottom
up. It's from the top down. Salvation is of the Lord. God
tore that up. Tore that in two. And we have
access and entrance and boldness. Look what he says over here.
Enter in the holiest by the blood of Christ. Hebrews 10. Look at
verse 19. This is good news. "...having
therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by
the blood of Jesus." We have what? Boldness. Notice that word
there in the center reference. If you have the Cambridge, it's
liberty. We have liberty to enter in. "...upon His merit, upon His
sacrifice, by a new and living way which He consecrated for
us through the veil." That is to say, His flesh. And having
a high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with
a true heart and full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled
from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."
That's the gospel. And that's the sanctifying work
of the Holy Spirit in us. So the manner of His entrance
is one time. One time. One sacrifice. By the
one offering, He perfected forever. Turn back to Hebrews 10. Let's
read these verses here. Hebrews 10. Look at verse 9. Then said he, Lo, I come to do
thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that
he may establish the second. Now, he took it away by way of
fulfillment. He's talking here about that
law covenant. He took it away that he might establish the second,
by the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body
of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily
ministering, offering oftentimes the same sacrifice, which can
never take away sin. But this man, after he offered
one sacrifice for sin forever, sat down on the right hand of
God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his
footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected
forever them that are sanctified." The manner of his entrance, one
time. Now, thirdly, the object of His entrance is this. It says
in Hebrews 9, 12, having obtained eternal, eternal redemption. The object of His entrance, having
obtained eternal redemption for us. He redeemed us. Redemption
here is deliverance by payment. By payment. Our sin debt had
to be reckoned with. Had to be paid. And he by himself,
it says over here in Ephesians, one in whom we have redemption
through his blood, the forgiveness of sin according to the riches
of his grace. Payment was made, and payment
was made with his blood, and it was made to the full. Full
payment. Job said, deliver them from going
down to the pit. I have found a ransom. We read that in the book of Job.
Job 33. And when the ransom's paid, the
captive's set free. He paid our debt. And He sets
us free. He redeemed us. He delivered
us. Now, talking about the object
of His entrance. To appear. Look what it says
there. To appear in the presence of God for us. In verse 24. Christ did not enter into the
holy places made with hands which are figures of the true, but
into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us. He went to glory as my representative. And you know what? What's true
of the head is true of the body. Now, don't misunderstand what
I'm about to say here, but the Lord Jesus Christ is the representative
man. What He did, I did. Just the
same as in Adam all died, what Adam did was charged to me. What
Christ did is also charged to me. He is my representative.
When He came and obeyed the law, I did. When He died, when sin
exacted full payment and the wrath of God fell on the substituted,
it fell on me. Crucified with Christ. When He
went in the tomb, I went in with Him. And when He came out, I
came out. And when He ascended, we're already ascended and seated
in Christ Jesus. That's right. I've not experienced
that in my person, but in Christ it's already done. See, with
God there is no time. We're creatures of time, but
with God it's just the eternal present. He sings all eternity
right now. It's just a now. Seated in Christ Jesus. That's
good news. Good news. to perfect us, to perfect us
forever. Because He made an end of sins
and gave us His blessed righteousness, who can lay anything to the charge
of God's elect? That question is asked. Who can
lay anything to the charge of God's elect? If He put all my
sin away, and I'm saying the Scriptures said that He did,
who can lay anything to my charge? It's God who justified me. Who
can condemn me? Christ already died. Ye rather
is risen again. who is even at the right hand
of God, who also makes intercession for us. Not even God Himself
can charge me with my sins. That's right. There's no condemnation
of those who are in Christ Jesus. Is that what the Word says? That's
right. That's right. He perfected us
forever. That's what it says in that verse. In Christ Jesus, were holy, unblameable,
unreprovable in His sight. Well, lastly is this, the glory
of His entrance. He enters in because the work
is done. He said it's finished. He satisfied
every requirement that God demanded of Him and us. He honored every
precept of God's law and satisfied the penalty of that law in His
death. He redeemed us from the curse
of the law being made a curse for us. He entered in once into the holy
place, having obtained eternal..." Now, notice this. It's eternal
redemption. He saves us with an everlasting
salvation. He gives His sheep what kind
of life? Eternal life. And then He says,
"...they'll never perish. Neither can any man pluck them
out of My hand. My Father and I are one, and
no man can pluck them out of My Father's hand." You see, His
work is an eternal work. He saves us with an everlasting
salvation. His work is eternal because His
work is done forever. Three times in these few verses,
He uses the word eternal. Notice verse 14. How much more
shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered
Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead
works and serve the living God? And then again in verse Fifteen,
and for this cause, he's the mediator of the New Testament,
that by means of death and redemption of the transgressions that were
under the First Testament, they which are called might receive
the promise of a eternal inheritance. We have eternal forgiveness and
eternal inheritance and eternal redemption, eternal salvation. Why must our salvation be eternal? Because God's eternal. His sacrifice
dealt with eternal things. Sin, death, hell, and judgment.
When the Lord Jesus Christ offered Himself through the eternal Spirit,
by that offering He paid our debt forever. Forever. Eternal redemption. Now, let me close with this question.
Do you have such a High Priest? Is that your hope? Your only
sole hope of forgiveness before God Almighty who is holy is the
blood atonement of Jesus Christ. Is that all your righteousness
before God? I pray that it is. And if it's
not, I pray God would radically change you. Not only change your
thinking, but change you to trust the Lord Jesus Christ for everything
in salvation. Neither by the blood of goats
and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy
place, having obtained eternal redemption." What kind of redemption? It's eternal. Eternal redemption.

Christ - Our High Priest

What does the Bible say about Christ as our High Priest?

How do we know Christ's sacrifice is sufficient?

Why is the High Priesthood of Christ important for Christians?

What does eternal redemption mean in Christianity?

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Christ - Our High Priest

What does the Bible say about Christ as our High Priest?

How do we know Christ's sacrifice is sufficient?

Why is the High Priesthood of Christ important for Christians?

What does eternal redemption mean in Christianity?

Sermon Transcript

About Tom Harding

Comments

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