Hebrews: Christ Is Greater and BetterSample

Jesus the Perfect Priest
Read Hebrews 7:11-28

Although we know the heart of our faith is the transformation of our lives by the word of God and the working of the Holy Spirit, attending Sunday worship and Christmas and Easter celebrations undoubtedly play a big part in our Christian lives. In the same way, although keeping the Law was the daily expression of Jewish faith, the temple sacrifices were major events for the Hebrews.

Anyone raised on the Old Testament would feel the importance of the priest, whose role was instituted in the Law. The priest offered sacrifices to God as prescribed. Not just anybody could be a priest. The Law stated he had to be a descendant of Aaron and Levi. So now in declaring how Jesus is a superior priest to Aaron’s sons, the writer of Hebrews tells us two things about the superior institution of Jesus’ priesthood. The first is that, He is a priest of an order, the order of Melchizedek, which was before and greater then Aaron. He is a priest who is also a king of righteousness and without beginning or end. Second, His appointment is not by genealogy but was given to Him by an oath from God, something in which it is impossible for God to lie.

Having shown us our need for a priest, the writer brings us now to consider how wonderful a priest Jesus is. Unlike other priests, Jesus lives forever and needs no successor. His sacrifice of himself once for all never needs to be repeated.

Jesus is able to save us in every situation, because He always lives to intercede for us.

Hebrews coming to Christ had to deal with their past ties with priests and sacrifices. As Asians, what religious ties to our past do we need to deal with?