HEBREWS 14 Jesus, Our High Priest (3) (Heb 8:1-2)

“Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.” (Heb 8:1-2)

We Do Have A High Priest
After talking about how Jesus became our perfect and eternal high priest in the order of Melchizedek in Hebrews chapter 7, the author said in Hebrews 8:1-2,
 
“Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.” (Heb 8:1-2)
 
The main point that the author of Hebrews really wants us to know is that we have such a high priest, Jesus, that he explained in the previous chapter. And, in chapters 8 and 9, the author talks about how Jesus’ priesthood is superior to all the high priests of the past.
 
Covenant, Tabernacle, and Sacrifice
He specifically explained three aspects that show Jesus’ superiority as a high priest. They are the new covenant (8:6:13), the perfect tabernacle (9:1-10), and the perfect sacrifice (9:11-22).
 
They are not separate, individual things, because they're all connected as one. And, these are very important in understanding what Jesus did for our perfect salvation as our high priest.
 
In order to understanding the meaning of these elements, it’s very helpful to see how they existed in the history of Israel in the Old Testament.
 
Right after delivering the Israelites from Egypt, the first place God led them to was Mount Sinai. There, God first made a covenant with them and gave them laws on the basis of the covenant.
 
The law includes how to make the tabernacle and how to offer animal sacrifices for their sins. The covenant, tabernacle, and animal sacrifice were very unique and essential things through which the Israelites had a relationship with God.
 
The covenant defined the relationship between God and the Israelites. Through the covenant, God said to them,
 
“Out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. You will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Ex 19:5-6)
 
The Israelites became God’s treasured possession and his holy people because God made a covenant with them. In other words, their relationship with God is based on the covenant God made with them.
 
The tabernacle was the symbol of God’s presence. Even though God didn’t really need a place to stay, he commanded them to make a tabernacle and gave them specific rules to make it, because he wanted them to see it and feel his presence among them. The most important place was the Most Holy Place where God sat on the mercy seat above the ark of the covenant and spoke to the people.
 
An animal sacrifice was also an important way to keep the relationship with God. Since God hates sin and sinners can’t go before his presence, the most important matter was to find a way to atone for their sins.
 
Since God put the life of a creature in its blood, atonement could only occur through shedding blood. In the Old Testament, animals were killed and sacrificed on behalf of people. Since sin is the biggest barrier between God and people, God decided to solve the problem of sin through animal sacrifice.
 
Again, these three elements—the Covenant, tabernacle, and animal sacrifice—were essential in the Israelites having a relationship with God as his people and priests played key roles.
 
Even though they were very important in the Israelites’ faith, none of them were perfect because they only served as shadows of spiritual reality.
 
Heavenly Tabernacle and True Sacrifice
About the tabernacle, the author said,
 “We do have such a high priest… who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being… They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain” (Heb 8:2, 5).
 
What the author makes clear is that the earthly tabernacle set up by people according to the law was just a copy and shadow of the true tabernacle in heaven set up by the Lord himself. In other words, the earthly tabernacle was built to reflect the heavenly tabernacle on earth.
 
The earthly tabernacle needed priests and a high priest. Likewise, there’s a priest in the heavenly tabernacle, that is Jesus, our eternal high priest who serves in the tabernacle in heaven for us.
 
One of important jobs of a high priest was to offer sacrifices. A high priest on earth offered animal sacrifice at the earthly tabernacle. Hebrews 9:7 says,
 
“Only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed” (Heb 9:7)
 
The problem was that “the sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper” (Heb 9:9), because they just served as “external regulations applying until the time of the new order.” (Heb 9:10)
 
But, Jesus offered a true sacrifice for all people’s sin which is in effect forever at the heavenly tabernacle. Let’s read Hebrews 9:11-12 together.
 
“But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.” (Heb 9:11-12)
 
This shows us how Jesus’ priesthood is superior to that of all the previous priests in the history of Israel. They only served at the earthly tabernacle set up by people, which was no more than just a copy of the true, heavenly tabernacle set up by God.
 
They entered the Most Holy Place to atone for all the Israelites' sins with the blood of goats and calves. They had to go into the Most Holy Place with animal sacrifices again and again because the effect and atonement from animal sacrifices were not perfect and didn’t last long.
 
But as our high priest, Jesus entered the Most Holy Place in the heavenly tabernacle with his own blood and thus obtained eternal redemption that was perfect and would be in effect forever.
 
Hebrews 9:24 says,
“For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence… he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Heb 9:24).
 
So, what the author wants the readers to know is that the earthly tabernacle and sacrifices can’t even compare to the heavenly tabernacle where Jesus serves as our high priest and the sacrifice he offered with his own blood.
 
What the writer implies to the readers is that turning away from Jesus and going back to Judaism is like going back to an old and imperfect tabernacle and sacrifice which just served as a copy of heavenly reality.
 
The New Covenant
There’s one thing left to talk about Jesus’ ministry as our high priest. I said that the earthly tabernacle and sacrifice were based on the covenant God made with the Israelites at Mount Sinai.
 
However, the covenant itself was imperfect as well. Even though God faithfully remembered the covenant and kept it, the Israelites often forgot about it and weren’t faithful to it. The first covenant, or the old covenant, had shortcomings. As a result of the Israelites’ turning away from the covenant, they were destroyed by the Babylonians and taken as prisoners.
 
But God still didn’t give up on them. He remembered them and said that he would make a new covenant with them.
 
God said through the prophet Jeremiah, let’s read it together.
“The days are coming, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them. This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time, I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (Jr 31:31-33)
 
God said that he would make a new covenant with his people. It wouldn’t be like the first covenant he made with them at Mount Sinai which they broke. The biggest difference is ‘where’ the covenantal words are written.
 
When God made the first covenant with the Israelites, he wrote down his law on stone tablets. But, in the new covenant God would make with his people, God said that he would put his law in their minds and hearts. It means that God would directly come into their hearts and change them from within.
 
This is what exactly the author of Hebrews quotes in Hebrews chapter 8. He said,
 “But God found fault with the people and said: “The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord. This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (Heb 8:8-10)
 
What’s important is that the author of Hebrews said that this new covenant was achieved through Jesus’ ministry.
 
Hebrews 8:6 says,
“The ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.” (Heb 8:6).
 
Hebrews 9:15 also said,
“For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance - now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.” (Heb 9:15)
 
The new covenant God said he would make with his people was achieved in Jesus. The author introduces Jesus as the mediator of the new covenant. A mediator is a person who mediates and helps to settle a dispute when there is conflict between people.
 
That’s what Jesus does as our high priest. As the representative of all human beings, Jesus mediates between us and God and settles a dispute and resolves a conflict.
 
To reconcile us with God, he died as a ransom for our sins to set us free from them and made a new way through which we can go to the Most Holy Place and have access to our heavenly Father.
 
So, Jesus is worthy to be called as the mediator of the new covenant. Through Jesus Christ, all the barriers of sin were destroyed and we can have direct access to God in our hearts.
 
These are what Jesus achieved as our high priest. He offered a perfect sacrifice once and for all with his own blood and life. He made a way through which we can also go into the Most Holy Place in the true, heavenly tabernacle. And, he is the mediator of the new covenant God makes with his people now.
 
These are the truth of Jesus as our high priest that we should know and keep in mind. If we hold on to this truth and rely on him in everything we do, fixing our eyes on Jesus, we won’t be shaken, but stand firmly in our faith no matter the circumstances.