Jesus is the eternal High Priest

   Hebrews is a book of the Bible I cherish.  Studying it during the summer, the term “high priest” kept sticking out for me.  Priests served in a crucial position in the community of Israel under the Mosaic Covenant.  Priests had to be in the lineage of Aaron, so it was a select number of Levites who had that privilege and responsibility.  We learn from the Old Testament that sacrificing animals, including daily sacrifices and sacrifices on a mass level during the three yearly festivals, was a primary role of priests.  From an altar in front of the tabernacle starting when the Israelites were in the desert, to an altar in an area in front of the temple when the first temple and the second temple were in place, priests killed animals as a sacrifice to God in order to gain temporary forgiveness for the people.  Just as Moses had been a mediator of the covenant between God and the Hebrews, priests were mediators between God and the people as they offered sacrifices for the sins of the people.

   Plus there was the selection of the single “high priest.”  Though the high priest made sacrifices throughout the year, one pinnacle duty of the high priest was the sacrifices he would carry out on the Day of Atonement.  Prescribed in Leviticus 16, a bull was sacrificed by the high priest for his own sins and the sins of his family, and then two goats were sacrificed for the sins of all of the people.

   Hebrews explains why Israelite priests no longer should make animal sacrifices.  The reason: Animal sacrifices merely gave temporary forgiveness.  In Hebrews 5:3, the author states it was necessary for the high priest to offer sacrifices for their own sins, revealing priests were not perfect.  And in Hebrews 7:11, the author bluntly states: “If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there still need for another priest to come – one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron?”  The sacrifice of animals did not perfect the priests who were sinners, and those countless sacrifices did not perfect the people.  The animals were not a perfect or permanent sacrifice, rather a temporary sacrifice.

   Yet the Mosaic Law served an important purpose since I think God had the intention of using it to show people their need of a perfect and permanent sacrifice.  Thus the Mosaic Law leads to the high priesthood of Jesus.  First, He is perfect, being without sin, as stated in Hebrews 4:15.  Second, His priesthood is permanent: “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” (Hebrews 7:23-24).

   And the radical revelation in this book is that Jesus was both the High Priest and also the sacrifice!  “… He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself” (Hebrews 7:27).  Being the perfect and permanent High Priest, He was likewise the perfect and permanent sacrifice.  “He did not enter by the means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12).

   Though Jesus does not seem to qualify as a high priest under the Mosaic Law, since Jesus was from the tribe of Judah, the author of Hebrews gives a detailed explanation that Jesus is the High Priest in the order of Melchizedek, as was prophesied.

   All of us have sinned, thus all of us are in need of forgiveness, because God is Holy, and He does not commune with those who are not holy.  Eternal forgiveness is available because Jesus, the eternal High Priest, and the Lamb of God, died on a cross for the forgiveness of sins of anyone.  He was the perfect and permanent atoning sacrifice for the wages of sin, which is spiritual death.  No more sacrifice is needed!  “…because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (Hebrews 10:14).  People who believe in Jesus will be transformed to be holy and will dwell forever with Jesus.  If you believe in Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you will have eternal life in heaven with Him!

Hunter Irvine

Keep on Loving All People - Jesus does!

   Before receiving Jesus thirty years ago, I lived in Annandale, Virginia, in a neighborhood where there were folks of a variety of ethnic groups.  There I had a friend, Derick, who is African-American.  He had a great smile.  His passion was basketball, and he and our 6th grade teacher had much fun jousting with each other that year when the Washington Bullets played the Seattle SuperSonics in the championship series.  Our teacher, Mrs. Henderson, was a transplant from Seattle.  That was the beginning of a number of blessed friendships I have had with folks who are African-American.

   In this year of the pandemic catastrophe, we have had another tragedy involving racism, violence, and hatred.  Racism is a sin.  God has revealed in Genesis 1:27 that all people were made in the “image of God,” both males and females, which involves all people having a soul.  Scripture reveals all people came from Adam and Eve.  And Scripture reveals in Galatians 3:28 that no Christian is superior over another, which was the way God created the human race in the first place.  And hate is a sin.

   From the Samaritan woman at the well, to the robber on the cross next to him, Jesus loves all people.  Jesus loves all people to the extent that He died for all people, all people of every ethnic group of all time, as the substitute for our sins.  Christ died for every single human being!  Now all have the opportunity to receive His gift of eternal life.

   Once I was unemployed and desperately in need of a job.  Filling out a job application for a place I really wanted to work, I got to the question, “What is your race?”  I checked “Other,” and then wrote “human.”

   Tragically we are at a time where much sin and much division haunts our culture.  Why?  I am convicted the reason is that many people, for decades, have ignored, distorted, or even rejected the Scriptures, which are the sacred writings from God.  In the 1990’s, there was a huge movement arguing the Scriptures could not be taken literally.  When a number of Christians are disputing the authenticity of the witness of Christ, their outreach to people in the culture who are not in the Church will fail, because people are not going to embrace a muddled god, who is not really God.

   So what can we followers of Jesus do?  Keep loving God and keep loving people.  Being such a loving person requires receiving love from Jesus.  And it requires growing in the love of Jesus, thus we must be students of Scripture.  And remember, telling people the Gospel is always loving people!

   In my years of following Jesus I have seen much love towards people of all ethnic groups.  When I was a new Christian, I worked a job in Washington, D.C.  There was a fellow employee there, Sheila, who is African-American, and a longtime Christian.  She was so caring for me, like a sister.  I remember once I treated her to lunch, and that one hour made my entire week.

   How about Bill McCartney?  Attending Promise Keepers in 1995 and 1996, I learned of Coach McCartney’s passion for racial reconciliation.  He loves people of all ethnic groups.  And at those revivals I got to hear from many great African-American preachers such as Tony Evans and E.V. Hill.

   The first Christian music album I ever purchased was “Jesus Freak” by dcTalk in 1996.  That one album had a huge influence on the Christian community at that time.  One of my favorite songs on the album is all about racial reconciliation.

   I served as a youth minister for an internship under an African-American pastor who was truly special.  I have served as a college pastor under a young man from Africa who was the student leader of the group.  And every church I have ever been an active parishioner in had at least a few people of various ethnic groups.  We are all family.

   And praise be to God I have given love to people of countless ethnic groups.  Going back to Promise Keepers, a highlight for me of the final one I attended in 1998 was being asked to pray with a young man who is Latino-American whose parents were going through a divorce.  I will never forget that.

   Many Christians have been loving people of all ethnic groups for 2,000 years.  And a number of Christians have been pioneers for racial harmony.

   Granted there have been some Christians who have hampered racial harmony over the years, just as there are divisions among Christians to the present day regarding other areas of morality.  Even genuine Christians have different interpretations of the Bible.  For example, a number of ministers and leaders of various Christian denominations in the south in the 1800’s interpreted the Bible as permitting slavery.  Yet the abolitionist movement was fueled by Biblical conviction.   Truly, many Christians are the pioneer lovers.

   So keep loving people indeed.  Hate and hypocrisy is going to continue, tragically.  Yet God instructs us: “…overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).  Rely on the Scriptures, since they contain revelations from God.  And rely on the Holy Spirit, who will enable a follower of Jesus to be loving.  No need to shy away from identifying sin!  If you love someone, you do not want them to get hurt.  Sin always results in hurt, thus you do not want people you love to sin.

   In my view, Christians often get treated like Scripture: ignored, distorted, or rejected.  Yet when disaster strikes, there is a unique opportunity to be a light for Jesus, who is the Messiah.  Keep being a pioneer of love, as hard as it can be.  Keep loving all people!  Jesus does!

Hunter Irvine

Jesus wants to save us!

   During my worship time in my room yesterday, I was reading the passage of Luke 23: 35-39.  I started intensely pondering how a number of people insulted Jesus after He was nailed to the cross.  Luke records Jesus was mocked by religious rulers, Roman soldiers, and a man who had robbed who was also being crucified then.  I add Matthew 27: 39-44 reveals some people passing by “hurled insults,” and that mocking from religious rulers was extensive.  Also, Matthew informs us that at the start, both men who had committed robbery were insulting Jesus.  Thanks to Luke, we learn that one of the robbers had a change of heart.

   Now the insults recorded centered on the point that if Jesus is the Messiah, then He should save Himself.  The tone was mocking!  The only exception is the one robber who later got rebuked by the robber who had a change of heart, who possibly had some dim hope Jesus could still save them.  Those individuals seem convinced that since Jesus had already suffered beatings, a crown of thorns, an agonizing death-sentence march, and being nailed to a cross, that He was unable to rescue Himself from the execution.

   However, I pondered how Jesus could have saved Himself.  Being God the Son, just as He walked on water and brought His friend Lazarus back from the dead, He could have rescued Himself from that cross.  (And note Matthew 26: 53-54).  Yet He stayed there.  Dying for the sins of people was His mission.  Jesus allowed Himself to be murdered so He could be the atoning sacrifice for the sins of people.  The consequence of sins is physical and spiritual death, and Jesus died as the substitute for that punishment.  Why?  Because Jesus loves people, and He endured the ultimate suffering to save us!

   Consider a time when you did something for someone you love which brought hardship upon yourself.  Was it worth it?

+ Thank You Jesus for being willing to suffer more than I can comprehend by taking our sins in Your heart and dying as the substitute for people.

Hunter