August 13
“For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself,” Hebrews 7:26-27.
In the Old Testament times, the priesthood was not perfect. The men who filled the office were far from being perfect. They were sinners like everybody else. When they offered up sacrifices, they offered a sacrifice first for their own sins, and then they offered up sacrifices for the sins of the people.
Jesus Christ was the perfect High Priest whom we needed. He is holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. Jesus is the sinless Son of God, as the angel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God,” Luke 1:35.
The Lord Jesus could look all of His enemies in the eye and challenge them, “Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God,” John 8:46-47. During His trial and at the crucifixion, the Roman rulers Pontius Pilate and King Herod, Pilate’s wife, the penitent thief on the cross, and the Roman centurion standing beneath the cross all had to confess, as Pilate did, “I find no fault in Him at all,” John 18:38.
Yes, Jesus is the perfect, sinless High Priest. He did not have to offer up a sacrifice first for His own sins, because He was and is the sinless Son of God. He came into the world to help, not to harm anyone. He assures us, “I am the Good Shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep . . . Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again,” John 10:11, 14-15, 17-18.
Jesus laid down His life on Calvary’s cross. When He said, “It is finished,” John 19:30, He had completed paying the price for our redemption. He had poured forth His holy, precious blood to wash away the sins of all people. To the Romans, Paul wrote, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” Romans 5:8. With His own suffering and death, He made the one sufficient sacrifice to redeem all people. Now there are no more sacrifices for sin. You are invited, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,” and you are promised, “you will be saved,” Acts 16:31.
He died, but we do not have a dead Savior! On Easter morning, He rose from the grave and conquered death and the devil. We have a living Savior who is “higher than the heavens.” He ascended on high, and He is at the right hand of God, ruling all things.
“How can I thank Thee, Lord,
For all Thy loving-kindness
That Thou hast patiently
Borne with me in my blindness?
When dead in many sins
And trespasses I lay,
I kindled, holy God,
Thine anger ev’ry day.
It is Thy work alone
That I am now converted;
O’er Satan’s work in me,
Thou hast Thy pow’r asserted.
Thy mercy and Thy grace
That rise afresh each morn
Have turned my stony heart
Into a heart new-born.” Amen.