Why does anyone need to follow Jesus? Didn’t God already give His Law to us through Moses? Didn’t God already establish priests by the Law to intercede for us and to offer sacrifices to atone for our sins? Since this is so, why did God find it necessary to establish a different priesthood? Why did He appoint Jesus – a person who could not even be a priest under the Law – as our High Priest?
We saw in previous programs that God appointed Jesus as High Priest, not by means of the Law of Moses but, in the order of Melchizedek. God also established Jesus’ priesthood by an oath rather than by a rule regarding His ancestry. But in what ways is Jesus’ priesthood superior to the one which was established under the Law?
The inspired book of Hebrews, chapter 7, verse 23 through chapter 8, verse 2, explains it this way, “Many, indeed, have been made priests, because they are hindered from continuing by death. But he, because he lives forever, has his priesthood unchangeable. Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, seeing that he lives forever to make intercession for them. For such a high priest was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who doesn’t need, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices daily, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For he did this once for all, when he offered up himself. For the law appoints men as high priests who have weakness, but the word of the oath which came after the law appoints a Son forever who has been perfected. Now in the things which we are saying, the main point is this. We have such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a servant of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.”
One way in which Jesus is superior to the priests appointed under the Law of Moses is that He lives forever. In contrast, all the priests in the Levitical priesthood died. For example, the Bible records, “At the Lord’s command Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor, where he died on the first day of the fortieth year after the Israelites came out of Egypt. Aaron was a hundred and twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor.” (Numbers 33:38-39 NIV)
From this passage we see that even though Aaron lived to be a very old man, he still died. It is the same with all the other priests who were appointed by the Law of Moses. They all died. It is obvious that a priest can no longer serve when he is dead. He can no longer intercede. He can no longer offer sacrifices. However, Jesus rose from the dead after His crucifixion. He lives forever, and because He lives forever, He can also serve as our Priest forever. Because His priesthood lasts forever, there will never be a time when Jesus cannot intercede on our behalf. Because He lives, He can complete the work of saving us from the consequences of our sin. The Apostle Paul writes, “…he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6 NIV)
Another way in which Jesus is superior to the Old Testament priests is that He is holy, blameless and pure. The Bible records some of the sins of the priests. For example, God said to Eli, “Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?” (1 Samuel 2:29 NIV)
In contrast, the Bible repeatedly affirms that Jesus never sinned. He, Himself asked His accusers, “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?…” (John 8:46 NIV)
Because Jesus is sinless and pure, God exalted Him. As the book of Hebrews says, Jesus is seated at God’s right hand in heaven (Hebrews 1:3, 8:1). None of the priests appointed under the Law of Moses were ever exalted in this way.
This has another implication. The priests who came before Jesus had to offer sacrifices for their own sins as well as intercede for the people. However, no sinner can fully ransom the guilt of another. Psalm 49 says, “No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him – the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough – that he should live on forever and not see decay.” (Psalm 49:7-9 NIV) This is why, a few verses later, the Psalmist says, “But God will redeem my soul from the grave, he will surely take me to himself.” (Psalm 49:15 NIV)
What man cannot do for himself, God has done for him. The priests of the Old Testament were both mortal and sinners. They were incapable of presenting a perfect sacrifice before God which would pay for their own sin, let alone ours. But, as the book of Hebrews has already told us, Jesus, God’s Son, “…is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being…” (Hebrews 1:3 NIV) Because Jesus is God in the flesh, and because He is sinless, He is perfect. And, because He is perfect He could present the perfect sacrifice in payment for our sin. He could redeem us from sin while no other priest can. As Jesus, Himself said, “…the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45 NIV) Truly, God has redeemed those who accept Jesus’ sacrifice on their behalf, just as the Psalmist wrote. The question is: have we accepted Jesus as our priest and have we accepted His perfect sacrifice on our behalf?
There is still another way in which Jesus’ priesthood is superior to that of the Mosaic Law. It is the place in which He serves. The priests of the Old Testament served in a Tabernacle which the Israelites took with them while they traveled in the wilderness. Later, after they had entered the land God promised them, Solomon, at God’s direction, built a Temple in which the priests served. However, Jesus serves in heaven itself. The book of Hebrews calls this the “true tabernacle.” In contrast to the Tent, or Temple in which the earthly priests served, this Tabernacle was set up by God, not man. In fact, God intended for the earthly Tabernacle and Temple to serve as a picture or representation of the true, heavenly Tabernacle. The earthly Tabernacle was a copy and shadow of what is in heaven.