Our High Priest
““We have a great High-Priest.” — HEs. iv..
MOST likely this does not seem such an
easy name as the rest; but I want you
to try all the more to understand it, and be sure to find out all the texts.
St. Paul explains to us how everything that God commanded the Israelites about their worship was meant to teach something about Jesus Christ; and nearly all of it was to teach about His saving and cleansing us from sin.
Aaron was appointed the first high-priest. Once every year there was to be a great day of atonement (Exod. xxx. ). Then Aaron was to kill the goat of the sin-offering (Lev. xvi. ), and to take its blood within the veil, into the holy of holies, and sprinkle it go Morning Stars.
before the mercy-seat. With this blood atonement was made for the sinful souls of the people (Lev. xvii. 11, and Heb. ix. 22. Mind you look out these verses!) No one was to go in with him, and no one could help him; he was to do it all by himself. Now get the gth chapter of Hebrews, and see how St. Paul explains it. Jesus is our High-Priest (ver. ). He did not take the blood of goats, but His own blood; and with this He entered into the holy place and obtained eternal redemption for us (ver. ). He does not need to do it every day (Heb. vil. ); nor every year (Heb. ix. Ne but once, and only once (ver. ); because His blood is so precious that that was enough for us all and forever (Heb. x. ). Noone éver had or ever can have anything to do with this great atonement by blood; it was by Himself that He purged our sins (Heb i.
), and by Him we have now received the atonement (Rom. y. ). So now we may draw near, with a true heart, in full as-Morning Stars. g!
surance of faith (Heb. x. ) (that means being guste sure), because Jesus is our High-Priest, and God’s Word tells us what He has done for us, so that there can not be any mistake about it. And He is a merciful and faithful High- Priest (Heb. ii. ), and knows all about our little feelings and temptations (Heb. iv. ) better than any one else does, ‘Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find graze to help in time of need” (Heb. iv. ).