The Jesus Bible Reading Plan / COMPASSIONATE HIGH PRIEST

The Jesus Bible Reading Plan

Day 264 of 365 COMPASSIONATE HIGH PRIEST Old Testament priests had many rules to follow. God was not one to be approached flippantly; the priests had to go through certain steps in order to prepare themselves to encounter God (Lev 16; Heb 5:1 - 3). Only on specific occasions could the high priest enter the Most Holy Place to intercede between God and his people. Jesus is superior to every high priest in the Old Testament priesthood (Heb 4:14 - 7:28). He came to be both the sin sacrifice and the high priest who presided over the atonement. Jesus is fully human - he is able to empathize with the people for whom he makes atonement. And Jesus is fully God - he is able to atone for the sins of people fully and completely. Jesus is also the only high priest who can usher believers directly into the presence of the Father. When he died on the cross for the sins of his people, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom (Mk 15:38). This signified that God was no longer unapproachable and that people now have direct access to God through Jesus instead of having to go through an intermediary (Heb 4:16). Most major religions of the world teach that God dwells at a great distance from people and that he can only be approached with great apprehension. Christianity teaches that Jesus has made a way for God to be with his people. Jesus, thank you for making my relationship with God a personal experience. I know there are people who have been hurt by religion. Help me to help them understand that you are about so much more. Amen. Hebrews 5:1-10 NASB 1 For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; 2 he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness; 3 and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself. 4 And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was. 5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, "Y ou are M y S on , T oday I have begotten Y ou "; 6 just as He says also in another passage, "Y ou are a priest forever A ccording to the order of M elchizedek ." 7 In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. 8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. 9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, 10 being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.