28 The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever.---------------------
This verse sums this entire chapter up. What an encouragement it is to know that Christ died once and for all. He doesn't have to continue going back to the cross in order for each one of us to enter into the presence of God and receive forgiveness of sins every day/every year like these priests had to do. We also can trust that He will reign forever! Therefore, we don't have to worry about Him dying like the priests of old time did. I also really liked how it said:
"18 Yes, the old requirement about the priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless."
This is really interesting...The requirements of old priesthood were made under Mosaic law and were therefore powerless in the eyes of eyes! Jesus' priesthood is incredible and was ordained by God for all eternity! This is amazing!
25 "Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."
ReplyDeleteHow amazing is our God that He came to be our savior, to rescue us from our own sin. It says that he saves completely those who come to him. Isn't that just amazing!? That all we have to do to be saved is to come to Jesus! As it says in later verses, we don't need to offer sacrifices, or do a set number of good works. All we need for salvation is Jesus. He loves us so much that just confessing Him as your savior you are completely saved. So I ask again, how amazing is our God?
26 "Such a high priest meets our need -- one who is Holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.
ReplyDeleteIts amazing that we have not only a high priest at our side, but THE HIGH PRIEST. The High priest of all ages, working for us, interceding for us, blessing us, and most of all sacrificing for us. The High Priest that is HOLY, blameless, PURE, SET APART from sinners, and EXALTED above the heavens. Halleluia...
BIG part there of that statement is that He's SET APART from sinners. Every other high priest was a sinner, just as you and I. But no, Not Jesus.. He's the RIGHTEOUS, spotless, HOLY Lamb of God. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah that redeems us through HIS perfection.
27 who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
ReplyDeleteJesus' sacrifice of Himself on the cross was the perfect sacrifice, and it was the last sacrifice that was needed and will ever be needed for the rest of time for our souls to be saved.
It is wonderful to know that all of my sins have been paid for with a single sacrifice, and that there is *nothing* that I can do, or that anyone can do, to change that. Because He did this once for all. Now, it is my prayer that I live my life in a manner that is worthy of His sacrifice, and one that shows how much He means to me.
11-12 "If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? 12 For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also."
ReplyDeleteI think this verse is really awesome because it points out the necessity of Jesus' coming from the perspective of the Old Covenant. It points out the flaw of the Levitical covenant, demonstrating the fact that the imperfection of human kind is not sufficient to fully carry the priesthood of God. Because of this, God sent Jesus to become a priest of a new kind, using his perfection to carry the priesthood to new heights under the New Covenant. Most of the following verses serve to point out how set apart Jesus was, through his sinlessness, his birth, etc. All of this ultimately points to the purpose God had for Jesus all along and how we benefit from Jesus's sacrifice.
-DA
19 (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.
ReplyDeleteWe have been discussing this in d-group that by the law none of us are perfect. But that trhoug Christ he has paid for our sins and we are given mercy.
25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
ReplyDeleteThis is assurance of Salvation summed up in a single verse. Jesus is the only way to have a relationship with God as it says above...But then the author takes it a step further, a person is not merely "saved" but "saved to the uttermost." This means completely saved, totally saved, fully saved. So if we have truly entered into salvation and relationship through Jesus, then we can rest assured that we have been totally saved. Once a person has entered into that relationship with God through Jesus Christ, He infinitely interceeds on that person's behalf. Meaning that there is never a point where the righteousness we have been given is withdrawn from us. We can stand confident in Christ!
The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
ReplyDelete____
The high priesthood must continue without stopping. In former times, the high priesthood was sustained by replacing the previous high priest at the proper time.
Because of this, the high priest were limited in time and power. The high priest was only the high priest for a generation of people. With each new generation there was a new high priest.
Furthermore, upon the death of a generation and its high priest, there was no one to intercede for that generation, because the high priest had passed away too.
Not so anymore.
Jesus is the High Priest of yesterday today and tomorrow. Indeed, he is the high priest until the end of the ages. He intercedes continuously for all generations, and has been since he was first appointed 2000 years ago. His sacrifice was perfect and once for all, because he sacrificed himself, yet he continues on as our high priest.