Our High Priest
The Old Testament sanctuary service was a model for the entire
plan of salvation. It is often referred to as the "gospel in types
and shadows. Each detail of the tabernacle, furniture, and
services was to represent some aspect of Christ's ministry or
describe something about His character. As important as the
sanctuary itself were the people chosen by God to minister there.
These were the priests. They were to be living representatives of
Cod's character and ministry to mankind. At the head of the
priesthood was the High Priest. Everything about his garments, his
work, and this life was to be a testimony to the life and work of
the coming Messiah.
Actually, it was God's intention that every priest, prophet, and
king in Old Testament times should be a "type" (example) of the
coming Messiah. Too often they were miserable failures. All but
a handful of the kings were said to have done “evil in the sight of
the LORD. But the greatest disappointment of all was the
priesthood; those chosen to teach the way of salvation to the
children of Israel. Not only did they pervert the meaning of the
sanctuary services in to a religion of "works”, they even used the
sacrificial service as a means of exploiting the people through
graft. No wonder Jesus said, "woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for
ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are
entering to go in." Matthew 23:13. What could more perfectly
illustrate the blindness of God's "chosen people" than the High
Priest Caiaphas condemning Jesus for blasphemy? (Matthew 26 59-66).
No wonder Jesus had said to the Jewish leaders, "Ye are of your
father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. John
8:44
But no matter how deep the inroads Satan made on God's human
instruments, he could not thwart the divine plan. Jesus came to
this earth, died without sin as our substitute, and emerged from
the tomb to take His place next to the throne of God as our TRUE
High Priest. That is why He is "able also to save them to the
uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing he ever liveth to
make intercession for them." Hebrews 7:25.
2. |
How did Jesus qualify to be our High Priest?
Hebrews 4:15
|
Helps and hints: Jesus Christ is the only person ever to
live on this earth without sin. By keeping God's law perfectly
throughout His lifetime here, He proved that God's law could be
kept, that it was just, and in the best interests of mankind.
Satan's claim that God's law was oppressive and impossible to keep
was shown to be a farce. Had Jesus committed just one sin, He could
not have risen from the dead or taken the place of our Advocate in
the heavenly courts. But all that Jesus did for us in these
things, He did as a man. He was subject to even greater temptations
than any of us will ever know, for He was the target of Satan's
most ruthless personal attacks. The phrase "in all points tempted
like as we are" has been a problem to some. Was Jesus ever
tempted to steal a car? No. But He was undoubtedly tempted to
STEAL at some point in His life. Actually the phrase simply means
that Christ was not shielded from temptations. He received no
special protection. In fact, He faced stronger temptations than any
of us must face.
3. |
What garments did God say for Moses to make for Aaron the
High Priest?
Exodus 28:4
|
4. |
What was the ephod (covering for the chest and back) to be
woven from?
Exodus 28:6
|
Helps and hints: In this garment the major characteristics
of the Messiah were illustrated as woven together in one piece.
Gold represented purity of character. Blue is the color for
faithfulness. The apostle Paul speaks of Jesus “Who was faithful
to him who appointed him." Hebrews 3:2 Purple is the color of
royalty. They dressed Jesus in a purple robe when they mocked Him
as king of the Jews. Scarlet, the color of sin, indicated that
He would bear our sins. And the fine twined linen, symbolizing
mortal mankind, indicated that the Messiah would be one with us.
He would belong in a special way to the human race.
5. |
What was to be inscribed on the two onyx stones and where
were they to be worn?
Exodus 28:9-12
|
Helps and hints: Isaiah 9:6, a prophecy of the Messiah
says, "unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the
government shall be upon his shoulder." This is the meaning of the
onyx stones. It represents Christ as our king. When Pontius Pilate
asked Jesus if He was a king, Jesus answered, "Thou sayest that I
am a king. To this end was I horn, and for this cause came I into
the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth." John 19:37.
Helps and hints: The two onyx stones each had six tribes
engraved on them. On the breastplate the stones were engraved
"every one with his name." Exodus 28:21. While Jesus takes full
responsibility for the human race collectively as our king, He also
bears each of us on His heart individually as our personal Lord and
Savior.
7. |
Why was the breastplate always to be worn in God's presence?
Exodus 28:29
|
Helps and hints: Jesus never ceases to minister in our
behalf. There is never a moment that His watchful, loving eye is
not directed toward the needs of His children. He is never off
duty. God wanted the Israelites to be especially aware of this
truth.
Helps and hints: The golden plate on the High Priest's
mitre was possibly the most conspicuous aspect of his dress. It was to be
"always upon his forehead." Exodus 28:38. Not one of us has any
righteousness of our own. Isaiah 64:6 says, "all our
righteousnesses are as filthy rags", but John reminds us that "we
have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." 1
John 2:1. We must never forget the source of our righteousness.
Jesus once told a parable about a king who held a wedding feast.
Each of the guests was provided with a special wedding garment.
When the king entered he saw one man who did not have on the
wedding garment. He asked the man why not, and the man was
"speechless." The king then ordered the man to be cast into outer
darkness. The wedding garment represents the righteousness of
Jesus Christ, freely available to all. Where did the Jews fail?
The apostle Paul says, "For they being ignorant of God's
righteousness, and going about to establish their own
righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness
of God." Romans 10:3
9. |
What was the work performed by the High Priest on the day of
atonement?
Leviticus 16:34
|
Helps and hints: The Jewish calendar and feast days were
arranged so that the entire plan of salvation from sin and the
restoration of the universe was represented over the course of each
year. The high point of each yearly cycle was the Day of
Atonement, representing the final judgment and the putting away of
all sin for all time. The work of the High Priest on the Day of
Atonement illustrated Christ's role of judge as well as advocate.
John the Revelator describes Jesus returning from heaven on a
white horse at the head of the armies of heaven, saying, "in
righteousness he doth judge." Revelation 19:11
10. |
What was the High Priest to wear on the Day of Atonement?
Leviticus 16:4
|
Helps and hints: The fact that the High Priest wore the
attire of the common priest on the Day of Atonement was to
illustrate that Christ laid aside His royal robes in the heavenly
courts when He cane down to this earth, took the nature of mankind
upon Himself, and died like a common criminal, that we might be
forgiven of our sins.
12. |
What did the death of our High Priest accomplish in the war of
the universe?
Hebrews 2:14,15
|
Helps and hints: Had God destroyed Satan when he first
rebelled in heaven, the rest of God's creation might have had
reason to wonder if God was really righteous in making that
decision. When Satan engineered the death of Jesus Christ on the
cross at Calvary, he sealed his own doom. No longer was there a
shred of doubt in the minds of God's unfallen creation as to who
was righteous and what the cost of sin really was. In that one
supreme act of sacrifice, Jesus Christ won the right. to bestow
eternal life on those who accept His righteousness and eternal
death on those who do not.
13. |
If Jesus needed only to come to this earth and die for us, what
purpose did it serve for Him to live 33 years on this earth,
growing up from childhood and experiencing the temptations common
to mankind?
Hebrews 2:17,18
|
Helps and hints: The accusation can never be fairly made
that God was unwilling to get his hands dirty to rescue His
creation. There is an old saying that you can never really know a
man until you have walked a mile in his moccasins. Which of us
could have endured the pressure of walking a mile in the -sandals
of Jesus, knowing that every decision He made could mean eternal
life or eternal death for millions of inhabitants in the universe.
Jesus did indeed walk in our shoes and He understands our needs.
14. |
What effect should this truth have on our relationship with God
in our daily life?
Hebrews 4:14-16
|
Helps and hints: What a tremendous privilege and
opportunity for us to know the truth about Jesus Christ, OUR HIGH
PRIEST. What a comfort to know that what- ever our problem,
whatever our need, Jesus holds out mercy and help, not
condemnation. How sad that some have only known Him as a crucified
Savior and not as a living High Priest. How many among even
professed Christians depend on human instruments to solve their
problems and give them the hope of salvation when they could have
personal access to the throne of God!
The Old Testament priesthood was instituted by God to teach the
plan of salvation. Just as the animal sacrifices focused attention
on the death of Jesus Christ in our behalf, the priesthood focused
attention on His eternal life of ministry to us. When Jesus took
His place as OUR HIGH PRIEST in heaven, there was no longer any
need for an earthly priesthood, just as there is no longer any need
for animal sacrifices. These things were all a "shadow of good
things to come," (Hebrews 10:1), but Jesus Christ is the very
substance of the truths these things were given to represent.
"And they truly were many priests, because they
were not suffered to continue by reason of death:
Hut this man, because he continueth ever, hath an
unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also
to save them to the uttermost that come unto God
by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession
for them."
Hebrews 7: 23-25
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