Our Interceding High Priest

Our Interceding High Priest
Hebrews 4:1-16
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of god…let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

The tragedy of sin is that it not only brings guilt and punishment, it separates us from a holy and just God who is untainted by sin.  Because God is sacred, to stand before God as a sinner is to face the certainty of judgment.  In the Old Testament temple, a veil separated the people from the Holy of Holies, where the presence of God was manifested.  This veil served as a continual reminder that sin and its subsequent guilt separate us from God.  Therefore, for humanity to have a relationship with God, they needed a representative who would serve as the liaison between God and us.  In the Old Testament, this liaison was the High Priest, who advocated for the people by entering into the Holy of Holies to sprinkle the sacrificial blood of the Mercy Seat to pay for the people's sins.  However, because he was tainted by sin, even the High Priest could not freely go into the presence of God but could only do so once a year.  Before he could function as the representative of the people before God, he also had to offer a sacrifice for his own sins (Hebrews 5:4).
 
When Christ came, He became humanity's complete and final High Priest.  When He presented the sacrifice of atonement to pay the penalty for our sins, He did not do so with the blood of a sacrificial animal as the other high priests in the Old Testament.  He did so with His blood.  Because He was sinless, He was able to fully pay the penalty for our sins so that we might obtain complete forgiveness. In His death, He freed us from our bondage to sin by making “propitiation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:14-18).   Unlike all the previous High priests, Jesus was sinless. Therefore, His sacrifice was complete, for He died for our sins.  The sacrifices of the High Priests were temporary, for they only served to “cover” the sins rather than entirely remove the guilt.  However, when Christ became our High Priest, His sacrifice was final, having entirely freed us from guilt. He continually remained in the presence of God, serving as our advocate and testifying that our sins are forgiven.

In the Old Testament, the people remained outside the temple in fear because the guilt of their sin was only covered but not removed.  However, in the death of Christ, He completely removed our guilt so that we now have free access to the Father.  While Hebrews 4:16 is familiar to us, it would have been shocking to the Jews to whom this letter was written.  For generations, they were taught to fear God’s presence, but now, because of Christ, we can draw near with confidence.  We no longer live in fear of God’s judgment, but now we have confidence in His mercy and grace available to us at any time of need.  In other words, when we are the most sinful and in the greatest need of His mercy and grace, God freely gives it to us. No matter how grievous our sins are or how much we are enduring trials in the present, God is ready to forgive and respond with His assistance and forgiveness. When we feel the most alienated from God, when our guilt seems overwhelming because of the depth of our sin, God responds with favor and grace because Christ stands in our place as our advocate. Therefore, we can have boldness and confidence in God’s presence.  Do you still struggle with guilt from sins of the past?  Do you feel overwhelmed by the struggles in the present?  Does God seem distant and remote because you feel the weight of your sin?  You can enter into the presence of God with confidence and freedom because you have one who entered before you and paid the penalty of your sin so that you now have free access to the Father.  Instead of living in the guilt of the past, enjoy God's forgiveness, acceptance, and blessing in the present, for Christ has already prepared the way.