Many men were born into the Old Testament priestly role. Their function was to stand in the gap for unholy, sinful people before a Holy, sinless God. To do this, they offered blood sacrifices from animals to atone or to pay the penalty for sin.
Jesus didn’t fit the Old Testament priestly mold. Yet He was and is a priest—our high priest—not according to the legal requirement concerning bodily descent but by the power of an indestructible life. (Heb. 7:16 RSV)
He didn’t fit the OT model because He wasn’t from the tribe of Levi—one of the requirements. He was from the tribe of Judah. The writer goes into detail concerning why this was God’s perfect plan, why Jesus was a different and superior kind of High Priest.
Most important, Jesus was unlike Old Testament priests because He offered His own body and blood—and because His blood is indestructible. His blood is eternal—it continually pays the penalty for sin—over and over and over and over and over.
When priests offered the sacrifice, they were interceding or praying for God’s people. So when Jesus prays for us, He fulfills His priestly role. But unlike Old Testament priests, His intercession is eternal. Since He will live forever, He will always be there to remind God that He has paid for their sins with His blood. (Heb. 7:25 LB)
Originally published March 26, 1982.
Picture: Las Vegas, NV, 2008. Photo by Solveig.
Jesus didn’t fit the Old Testament priestly mold. Yet He was and is a priest—our high priest—not according to the legal requirement concerning bodily descent but by the power of an indestructible life. (Heb. 7:16 RSV)
He didn’t fit the OT model because He wasn’t from the tribe of Levi—one of the requirements. He was from the tribe of Judah. The writer goes into detail concerning why this was God’s perfect plan, why Jesus was a different and superior kind of High Priest.
Most important, Jesus was unlike Old Testament priests because He offered His own body and blood—and because His blood is indestructible. His blood is eternal—it continually pays the penalty for sin—over and over and over and over and over.
When priests offered the sacrifice, they were interceding or praying for God’s people. So when Jesus prays for us, He fulfills His priestly role. But unlike Old Testament priests, His intercession is eternal. Since He will live forever, He will always be there to remind God that He has paid for their sins with His blood. (Heb. 7:25 LB)
Originally published March 26, 1982.
Picture: Las Vegas, NV, 2008. Photo by Solveig.
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