The Gospel of Jesus Christ (9) Jesus Christ, the High Priest (1)

​“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)
 
Review
We’ve been talking about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Last Sunday, we talked about the third indication of Jesus—the snake lifted up in the wilderness.
 
After refusing to enter the promised land, the Israelites wandered the wilderness for forty years and their hearts became hardened. They spoke against God and rebelled against Him.
 
So God took away His protection and sent snakes to bite the Israelites. Once they were bitten, they died. But when the Israelites repented, God gave them the way to live. He told Moses to make a snake and put it up on a pole. God said that anyone who looked at it would live.
 
The snake lifted up in the wilderness represents Jesus Christ. He said, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him” (Jn 3:14-15)
 
Just as the Israelites were healed by looking at the snake on the pole, those who look at Jesus Christ hung on the cross and believe in Him will have eternal life. To give us this life, Jesus willingly laid down His life on the cross, bearing all our sins, shame, and failures along with God’s wrath.
 
But not everyone who hears this good news accepts Jesus and receives everlasting life. Last Sunday, we talked about two major obstacles that prevent people from believing in Him.
 
The first is that the cross doesn’t seem attractive. Paul said that the cross is like a stumbling block to the Jews because they demand signs. But there was no miraculous sign on the cross. Jesus Christ died powerlessly. So the Jews refused to believe in Him.
 
The second reason is that the cross doesn’t sound reasonable. The gospel claims that Jesus achieved salvation by being crucified and raised from the dead. The resurrection may sound foolish to people because it makes no sense. So Paul said that the cross is foolishness to the Gentiles, who look for wisdom.
 
These were the two obstacles that may have prevented the people of Israel from looking at the bronze snake lifted up in the wilderness. And, Satan uses these two obstacles even now to keep people from believing in Jesus.
 
But, still, we are to proclaim that the cross is the power of God through which He saves us and the wisdom of God through which He reveals who He is to us. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians,
 
“The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God… In the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe” (1 Co 1:18,21)
 
Even though the cross doesn’t seem attractive, it is the power of God. Even though the cross doesn’t seem rational, it is the wisdom of God. And even “the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength” (1 Co 1:25)
 
That’s the cross that we should look to and hold on to in order to be saved.
 
Jesus, Our Eternal High Priest
All right. That’s what we’ve talked about for the last two weeks. Now, let’s move on to the next indication of Jesus Christ written about in the Old Testament—the high priest who served in the tabernacle.
 
I personally like the book of Hebrews because it does a great job explaining who Jesus is and what He does. The author shows how Jesus’ ministry of salvation is closely related to that of a high priest in the Old Testament. That’s what I want us to explore today.
 
Hebrews 8:1-2 says, “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)
 
This is how the author of Hebrews explains Jesus’ ministry of salvation. In the Old Testament, high priests served in the earthly sanctuary built by human hands. But the new high priest we have now, Jesus Christ, doesn’t serve in an earthly sanctuary because He serves in the true tabernacle in heaven set up by the Lord Himself, not by mere human beings.
 
Then the question is, what does Jesus do as our high priest? And how is it related to our salvation? In order to understand Jesus’ role as our high priest, we first need to know about the tabernacle and what high priests did there.
 
The Tabernacle
In Exodus, after the Israelites came out of Egypt, God led them to Mount Sinai. There, God made a covenant with them. It was kind of like a wedding ceremony. Mount Sinai was the wedding hall. God became the bridegroom and the Israelites became his bride. By making a covenant with the Israelites, God established an official relationship with them. He became their God, and the Israelites became His people.
 
After making the covenant with the Israelites, God called Moses up the mountain, where He would give him the law that the Israelites needed to follow as His people, including the Ten Commandments.
 
Exodus 24:18 says, “Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights” (Ex 24:18)
 
On the mountain, God gave Moses many different commands. One of them was to make the tabernacle. God said,
 
“Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you” (Ex 25:8-9)
 
God wanted to dwell among His people and speak with them. He also wanted them to know that He was among them. So God showed Moses how to make the tabernacle. The tabernacle served as a powerful symbol of God’s presence where He had fellowship with His people and communicated with them.
 
The whole tabernacle looked like this. The 12 tribes of Israel surrounded the tabernacle. God was present here and spoke to the Israelites. Let’s look at it more closely.
 
Here’s the bronze altar where animals were sacrificed and burned, which we talked about a few weeks ago. This is the bronze laver. After making the sacrifice, the priest would wash himself here. Now, let’s go into the tent.
 
This is a possible shape of the tent according to Exodus 25. This place was called ‘the Holy Place,’ where only priests could enter. It housed the golden lampstand, the table of bread, and the altar of incense.
 
Behind the Holy Place was ‘the Most Holy Place’. It was the most holy place because God’s direct presence was there. The ark of the covenant was inside, and God said that He would speak with His people there.
 
God said,
“Make an atonement cover of pure gold - two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. Make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends. The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover. Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law that I will give you. There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the covenant law, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.” (Ex 25:17-22)
 
This is the ark of the covenant. Above the ark, 2 cherubim overshadowed the atonement cover. This part above the wings is called ‘the Mercy Seat.’ This was the most important place because it was where God met with the Israelites and spoke to them. 
 
Hebrews chapter 9 does a great job describing what we’ve talked about regarding the tabernacle. It says,
 
“Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant… Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover [the mercyseat, KJV]… When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry.” (Heb 9:1-6)
 
So, the tent was divided into two spaces by the curtain. Priests could enter the first room on a regular basis, but they couldn’t enter the second room, the Most Holy Place, because it was where God’s direct presence was, and no sinner could stand before Him.
 
But there was one person who could enter the Most Holy Place—the high priest. Hebrews chapter 9 continues,
 
“But 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 in ignorance. The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning.” (Heb 9:7-8)
 
Here, the author talks about what high priests did on the Day of Atonement. It was the day for the high priest to go into the Most Holy Place to make atonement for all the Israelites’ sins.
 
As I said earlier, the Most Holy Place was separated from the rest of the tabernacle by a curtain, and no one could enter it. Even the priests appointed to serve at the tabernacle could only enter the first room, the Holy Place. This shows the deep separation between God and people because of sin.
 
“The way into the Most Holy Place” where God’s presence was “had not yet been disclosed.” The curtain that separated us from God’s presence was still there because the problem of sin hadn’t been solved yet.
 
Only the high priest was allowed to go into the Most Holy Place one day a year, on the Day of Atonement. He entered the Most Holy Place to make atonement for all the Israelites’ sins with goat’s blood.
 
So, the Most Holy Place was the most important place in the tabernacle not only because God was present there but also because all the Israelites’ sins were atoned for there.
 
The Day of Atonement
We can find specific rules for the Day of Atonement in Leviticus chapter 16.
 
On that day, the high priest would enter the Most Holy Place three times.
 
First, he would enter the Most Holy Place with burning coals and fragrant incense. He would put the incense on the fire to make smoke until the smoke concealed the atonement cover, the Mercy Seat.
 
It had to be completely covered by smoke because God sat on the mercy seat above the ark of the covenant. If sinners saw God, they would have died right away because of their sins.
 
Leviticus 16:13 says, “He is to put the incense on the fire before the Lord, and the smoke of the incense will conceal the atonement cover above the tablets of the covenant law, so that he will not die” (Lv 16:13)
 
After that the high priest came out and entered the Most Holy Place for the second time with bull’s blood. He had to take the blood of the bull and sprinkle it on the atonement cover with his finger seven times. This was to make atonement for the high priest’s sin.
 
Then, he would come out of the room again. He would kill a goat and enter the Most Holy Place with its blood to make atonement for all of Israel’s sins. Leviticus 16:15-16 says,
 
“He shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and take its blood behind the curtain… He shall sprinkle it on the atonement cover and in front of it. In this way he will make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, whatever their sins have been…” (Lv 16:15-16)
 
This time, the high priest would go into the Most Holy Place with goat’s blood and sprinkle it on the atonement cover. This was the most important part because all the Israelites’ sins, uncleanness, and rebellion were forgiven this way.
 
This is what high priests did on the Day of Atonement. Even though the high priest had many responsibilities, his most important task was offering sacrifices of atonement because all the Israelites’ sins were forgiven through these rituals.
 
God said to Moses,
“On this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins.” (Lev 16:30)
 
But even though all the Israelites’ sins were forgiven on the Day of Atonement, the sacrifices had to be repeated every year. God continued,
 
“Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites.” (Lv 16:34)
 
The fact that the Day of Atonement had to be kept every year shows that the sacrifices weren’t perfect.
 
Hebrews 10:4 and 11 says, “It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins…  Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.” (Heb 10:4, 11)
 
Even though many high priests offered countless bulls and goats every year throughout the history of Israel, it could never perfectly cleanse the Israelites’ sins.
 
Jesus, Our Eternal High Priest
But the good news, the gospel, is that Jesus Christ came to the world as our eternal High Priest to make perfect, everlasting atonement for our sins.
 
Hebrews 10:12 says, “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God” (Heb 10:12, ESV)
 
This new High Priest God sent to us, Jesus Christ, is superior to all the high priests in the history of Israel. That’s one of the important subjects of the book of Hebrews.
 
First, as our High Priest, Jesus serves in the better tabernacle, the heavenly one, set up by the Lord Himself, not in the earthly tabernacle built by human hands. In fact, the earthly tabernacle is just a shadow of the true tabernacle in heaven.
 
Hebrews 9:11 says,
“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.” (Heb 9:11)
 
Second, Jesus is superior to the high priests in the past because He was sinless and thus His atonement was perfect.
 
Hebrews 7:26-27 says,
“Such a high priest truly meets our need - one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.” (Heb 7:26-27)
 
Hebrews 9:12 also said, “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 9:12)
 
Third, Jesus is superior to all the high priests in the past because He lives forever and thus always helps us.
 
Hebrews 7:23-25 says,
“Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” (Heb 7:23-25)
 
That’s the High Priest we have—Jesus Christ. He serves in the better tabernacle, He is sinless, and His atonement is perfect. What’s more, He lives forever and is able to help us and save us.
 
He is the only way through whom we have access to the Most Holy Place in heaven beyond the thick curtain of sin. He allows us to directly and deeply experience God’s presence.
 
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.” (Heb 9:24)
 
Hebrews 10:19-22 also says, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb 10:19-22)
 
This is Jesus, our eternal High Priest sent from God. That’s the gospel, the good news, we find in Jesus Christ. He is always for us and helps us in our times of need. He can completely cleanse us from all our sins. He lives eternally and He is interceding for us even now.
 
He is the new and only living way through which we can have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place and have a close relationship with our heavenly Father.
 
I want us to think more about who Jesus is and what great blessings we’ve received from Him today so that we can all experience the great blessings He has given us by sacrificing Himself on the cross. I hope that we may become holy and blameless through our relationship with God.
 
Let’s pray.
 
[Closing Prayer]
Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us this great chance to have a better understanding of what the gospel of Jesus Christ is through Your word.
 
We profess that only Jesus is our perfect and eternal High Priest whom we can truly rely on. We proclaim that only His perfect and eternal sacrifice can save us, purify our sins, and make us holy and complete in Your sight.
 
So we rely on You, Lord. We want to have our thoughts fixed on Jesus Christ. Please open our minds and hearts and grant us stronger faith so that we can continue to stand strong in Your presence.
 
Continue to guide us to the truth of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit so that His holy character may be reproduced in us.
 
We thank You for the confidence to enter the Most Holy Place that You’ve given us through Jesus’ sacrifice.
 
Please continue to draw us nearer to You through the new, living way Jesus opened for us by His sacrifice and allow us to take after You day by day so that we can reflect Your holiness in the world for Your name’s sake.
 
Again, we thank you for all the things you’ve done through Jesus Christ, your Son.
 
In the precious name of Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.
 
[Reflection Questions]
1. Jesus is doing many things for us as our eternal High Priest. He cleanses us from our sins, allows us to enter the Most Holy Place where we can experience God’s presence deeply, intercedes for us, and helps us in our times of need. Which one of these speaks to you most? Why? How can you apply it in your life in more practical ways this week?