High Priest Forever - Hebrews 7

"Hence, also, He is able to save forever

those who draw near to God through Him,

since He always lives to make intercession for them.

For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest,

holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners

and exalted above the heavens;

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.

For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak,

but the word of the oath, which came after the Law,

appoints a Son, made perfect forever."

(vs 25-28)

The picture of Christ as the great high Priest continues. In Hebrews 7 we are shown further exactly why He is so much more excellent a Priest.

Christ is an eternal high priest. He is able to save us "forever." Mr. Henry writes: "There can be no vacancy in this priesthood, no hour nor moment in which the people are without a priest to negotiate their spiritual concerns in heaven." There is never a time when Christ is not on call. His eternality, omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, and immutability are a great comfort to us, His people.

Christ is a perfect high priest. He is "holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens." He is a high priest who will never blow it and He is a high priest who's sacrifice is sufficient in and of itself. Due to the perfect nature of His atoning work it is a one and done deal. Because of His sinless perfection "this He did once for all when he offered Himself."

Quoting Henry again: "Our case as sinners needed a high priest to make satisfaction and intercession for us. No priest could be suitable or sufficient for our reconciliation to God but One who was perfectly righteous. The Lord Jesus Christ was exactly such a high priest as we needed for He has a personal holiness. He is absolutely perfect. He is holy. No sin dwells in Him, though it does in the best of Christians. He is innocent and never did the least wrong to God or man. He is undefiled. Though He took upon Him the guilt of our sins, yet He never involved Himself in the fact and fault of them. He is separate from sinners, though He took a true human nature, yet the miraculous way in which it was conceived set Him upon a separate footing from the rest of mankind."

Christ's Priestly role was entirely for God's glory and for the good of God's people. He had no need to offer anything up for Himself yet in marvelous mercy offered all that He had for us. Friends, this is our Great High Priest and He is our High Priest forever. Are we eternally grateful?

Atoned for by His work,

Lori