Question 29: How does Christ perform the office of a priest?

Christ performs the office of a priest by once offering himself as a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice, and to reconcile us to God; and by making continual intercession for us before God.

DAY 1: Hebrews 2:17; 7:25

“Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” Heb. 2:17

“Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” Heb. 7:25

Jesus performs His office as a priest by first becoming like those He would intercede for. The verse we look at today, Hebrews 2:17, tells us that He was made like His brethren. This simply means that Christ became man so that He might endure the same things that men endure. However, Jesus Christ endured those things to the fullest extent possible.

Why did He become man? It was so that He could fulfill His role as priest by being merciful and faithful. The writer uses the words eleemon and pistos for merciful and faithful. Eleemon simply means merciful and comes from a root word which means “to help one afflicted or seeking aid, to help the afflicted, to bring help to the wretched”. Pistos means “one who kept his plighted faith, worthy of trust, that can be relied on; of persons who show themselves faithful in the transaction of business, the execution of commands, or the discharge of official duties”. From the time of Antiochus Epiphanes to the destruction of Jerusalem the high priest was an office given by the civic and military leaders. Before this time, it was a life long office instituted by God. This is a good example of what the writer is trying to communicate. That is that Jesus did not look at the office of a priest as something to put on His resume or that it was simply some office whereby He could gain power. It was an office where He could understand firsthand what His creatures experienced and could relate to them on that basis. He is one who brings help to those who are afflicted and seek His aid and He is also sympathetic and compassionate towards them. He can be relied upon. He can be taken at His word. Jesus is trustworthy and understanding.

Christ showed us mercy as He gave Himself for us on the cross and He demonstrated His faithfulness towards God by doing so. Why would He do such a thing for such a wicked people? The answer is in the last line of the verse. He did it to make propitiation for the sins of the people. The writer uses the phrase “make propitiation for”. In the Greek it is one word, hilaskomai. The word means, “to render one's self, to appease, conciliate to one's self; to become propitious, be placated or appeased”. Christ’s sacrifice of Himself became an appeasement to God. God had to deal with sin and so Christ took the place of His people upon the cross in order that He might dispense mercy to them, yet the judgment of sin, demanded by the very character of God would be fully dealt with.

The second passage, Hebrews 7:25, tells us what He does as our high priest. First of all the verse speaks of Him being able to save. The word able, in the Greek, is dunamai, which means “to be able, have power whether by virtue of one's own ability and resources, or of a state of mind, or through favourable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom”. In other words Christ is powerful enough to save those who come to God through Him. That is not to say that He is not powerful enough to save those who don’t come through Him. It is just a statement of exclusivity as to whom He will save. Not only is He able to save them, but save them to the uttermost. His is a complete salvation. Christ does not offer us salvation in installments, but rather a complete and perfect salvation. It is one that saves and continues to save throughout eternity.

Lastly, we notice that He always lives. This is in contrast with those of the high priestly order both before Antiochus Epiphanes and after. While the high priest before would carry their office for life, they would eventually die and that office would be passed on. When the civic and military leaders granted these offices there might be many high priests in one’s lifetime. Jesus, however, is not like those high priests. He lives forever. There will be no change of high priests because of death. Nor will one be able to politic for His office. No, He is there and remains in His office to make intercession for His people. The word intercession is entugchano, which means “to go to or meet a person, esp. for the purpose of conversation, consultation, or supplication; to pray, entreat” Jesus Christ continually prays to the Father on our behalf. He is our mediator and we can bring our sins and problems as well as petitions before Him and He will go to our Father on our behalf.

DAY 2: Hebrews 9:28

“so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” Heb. 9:28

The preceeding verse tells us that it is appointed unto men to die once and after that come the judgment. While men do die and then face judgment, they are contrasted in this passage with Jesus Christ who offered Himself once, speaking of His death. However, because Christ was without sin, He did not face judgment. In saying that, I must clarify that He did experience God’s judgment, but not for His own sins, but for ours. That judgment came before His death. It was experienced upon the cross. That is the place where He bore our sins and He bore them in His own body on the tree.

The Old Testament priests, on the Day of Atonement, would go into the Holy of Holies. They would perform a prescribed method of offering a sacrifice for the sins of the people. They had to follow strict guidelines, as God had made it clear that if they did not, they would die. The people for whom the priest was interceding would eagerly await his return from the Holy of Holies. When they say him they would be relieved and filled with joy because they could be assured that God had accepted the sacrifice made on their behalf. This is what is being alluded to in this verse. Christ has offered Himself, not once a year, but simply once as a sacrifice for our sins. We eagerly anticipate His return, because it will be the physical confirmation that our sins have been fully dealt with and that we are truly accepted by God in Christ.

The first time Christ came, He came to deal with sin and thus had to endure the penalty of death as though He were the sinner. The second time He comes, He will be apart from sin and His coming will bring the consummation of salvation. He will bring to an end sin and its presence and power over mankind. While we may have doubts in this life and while we may not “feel” like we’re saved, there will come a time a Christ’s return when there will come the relief that God has accepted His sacrifice on our behalf. This is not to say that we should not trust God’s word on the matter, it is simply the manifestation of what is communicated to us in the Scriptures.

DAY 3: Ephesians 5:2; Romans 8:34

“And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” Eph. 5:2

“Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” Rom. 8:34

The context of the Ephesians 5:2 passage is that of Paul’s appeal to believers to be imitators of God. In imitating God, we are to walk, or conduct ourselves in a particular manner. That manner is love. Both words for love in this passage are from the root word agapao, which references an endeared and gracious love for someone. Our love is to reflect the love of Christ. How was His love manifested? It was manifested in His giving of Himself for us. Again , the giving of Himself was indeed an offering and a sacrifice to God. Under the Old Testament sacrificial system there were several kinds of sacrifices. For instance, there was the burnt offering, the meal offering and the peace offering which all produced a “soothing aroma to the Lord” (Lev. 1:9, 13,17; 2:2, 9,12; 3:5, 16). A sweet smelling aroma was identified as being acceptable and well-pleasing to God.

There was also the sin offering and the trespass offering. These were repulsive to God. Though they depicted Christ, they depicted Him as bearing sin. However, this does not mean that when Christ bore sin that it did not please God for Him to do so.

Even though Christ became sin for us in order that He might make an end of sin, His sacrifice was a sweet smelling aroma to God. This identifies His sacrifice as being pleasing and acceptable to God.

The passage in Romans gives us the stages of Christ’s work as our high priest. First it tells us that He died. The Greek word used here is apothnesko. This word means a literal death. There was not a swoon or a faking of death, but a literal death. This constituted the sacrifice offered to God.

Second, there was a resurrection. What good is a high priest if he is dead? Can he make intercession for us? No he cannot. Therefore, it was imperative that Christ come back to life. So, not only did Christ put sin to death, but He came back from the dead to prove He had done so.

Third, He was exalted. The passage goes on to say that He is at the right hand of God. This is the term for the place of prominence, honor, and authority. No longer is He the One who is in a condition of humility, but He is one who is in a condition of exhaltation.

Lastly, He is an intercessor. We looked at the word intercession earlier this week. Christ speaks to the Father on our behalf and pleads our case before Him for us. Remember that He is faithful and merciful and that He has endured the things we endure. Therefore, He is sympathetic toward us in the matters we bring before Him. Though His work of atonement was completed on the cross, He still has an ongoing ministry. That ministry is one of intercession on the part of believers.

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:24; Hebrews 2: 17; 7:25; 9:28; Ephesians 5:2; Romans 8:34.