Jesus, the Better High Priest of the Better Priesthood

The writer of Hebrews presents to us the supremacy of Jesus Christ to everyone and everything. He is the creator and sustainer of all things (Rom 11:36; Jn 1:3; Col 1:15; Heb 1:2–3). Jesus is far above the angels and superior to Abraham, Moses, and David. Christians have confidence in our salvation because of Jesus’ Person and work, revealed to us by the Holy Spirit in the Bible.

Jesus, the Son of God, is our great high priest (Heb 4:14). He is the seed of Abraham that is blessing the nations (Gen 22:18). He is the prophet like Moses who is the very Word of God (Jn 1:1, 14; Acts 3:22; 7:37). Jesus is the heir of David who sits upon His royal throne, forever (Ps 110:1–3). His life is the indestructible life of God with limitless power (Heb 7:16). Those people to whom He gives eternal life draw near to God through Christ (Jn 6:37; 17:2, 6, 24), who has sat down at the right hand of majesty (Heb 1:3; 8:1), the right hand of God the Father (Acts 2:33). Christ alone has right standing before the Judge of the whole earth (Gen 18:25). There, He ever lives to make intercession for His redeemed people, whom He saves…absolutely (Heb 7:25).

The better priesthood belongs to the order of Melchizedek (Gen 14; Ps 110:4–6), who was the type and predecessor of Christ Jesus, the better high priest (Heb 7). The term “better” compares one priesthood to another. The “other” priesthood, that of Aaron of the tribe of Levi, was also ordained by God in the Law given at Mt. Horeb. Its whole purpose was to show the weakness of the inferior high priest and the failed system of imperfect service and sacrifice. Stated another way, the Aaronic priestly order served as a foil for the perfection of Christ as high priest.

Aaron was just a man, a sinner who served the tabernacle of God by offering sacrifices day by day. From the establishment of the Levitical system in 1446 B.C. at Sinai, until the end of the system at the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, there were 83 men who served as high priest (Josephus). These men of Aaron’s family served, sinned, and died. Of necessity, each one needed to be replaced to continue the service of sacrifices offered to Yahweh, according to the commandment of the Law.

In comparison, Jesus, the Son of God, did not sin (Heb 4:15). The mark of His priesthood is perfection. He offered up Himself to God with a one-time substitutionary sacrifice (Heb 7:27). As the Lamb of God (Jn 1:29), Jesus made purification for sins by shedding His own precious blood of the new and everlasting covenant (Mt 26:28; 1 Cor 11:25; Heb 1:3; 12:24; 1 Pet 1:19). Christ laid down His life for His sheep (Jn 10:11, 15); He died for our sins (1 Cor 15:3), as the mediator of the new covenant (1 Tim 2:5), serving as the guarantor of the better covenant (Heb 7:22).

The immutable God made an oath to God the Son that He and His priesthood were forever (Heb 7:21). Christ is eternal. He remains. Therefore, He has a permanent priesthood that never ends. He has no successor and no subsequent sacrifice. It is finished, just as He said on the cross (Jn 19:30).

The extent of Christ’s atonement for sin reaches the whole body of God’s elect redeemed people from every age and every place. The Lord knows those who are His (2 Tim 2:19); and He has cancelled out the debt of sin for each one of His elect who trust in Christ (Col 2:14).

The priest, the covenant, the promise, the sacrifice, and the hope these instill are totally trustworthy. Jesus is holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens (Heb 7:26). All that was required to satisfy the standard of righteousness was achieved by the meritorious works of Christ. His righteousness is imputed to His beloved when He causes them to be born again by the Holy Spirit (Jn 3:1–8; 2 Cor 5:17; 1 Pet 1:3).

The Christian’s faith in Christ is a whole-hearted trust in the acceptability of that which secures his or her eternal life by oath and covenant (Heb 7:20). God is faithful and true to fulfill all He has promised to will and to do according to His good pleasure (Phil 2:13). Again, we believe because Jesus Christ is the only way to God the Father (Jn 14:6). There is salvation in no one else (Acts 4:12).

The deficiencies of the inferior Levitical system are set in contrast for Christians to see the foil of the Old Testament priesthood. Men are weak. They are sinners. They retire from service; and then they die. Their service is imperfect and needs to be repeated every day. They perfect nothing; and no one may draw near to God because yet another sacrifice is required of yet another high priest, by the command of the Law.

In Christ, the Law has been fulfilled (Mt 5:17). The covenant requirements have been met (Mt 26:28). All the sins of all of God’s chosen people have been atoned for by one priest offering one sacrifice once for all His people. His death on the cross was a priestly duty that continues because of His resurrection to life. Jesus is an eternal high priest with a permanent priesthood that is absolutely able to save His people from their sins and guarantee them eternal life (Mt 1:21; Jn 10:28).

The types of both Aaron and Melchizedek teach us much of the antitype — Jesus Christ. In Him, everything is better because He actually gets the job done…to perfection. Christians need to look at no other system, nor anyone else to add anything to the beauty and glory of Jesus, our great high priest and surety of the covenant that assures us that our hope and future are secure, by virtue of our position in Christ…by His doing (Rom 8:1; 1 Cor 1:30).

Sinners need an advocate on the Day of Judgment, when the Law demands payment for the crimes committed against the infinite majesty of God. Our King-Priest, the Son of God, who is the Son of Man is our advocate with the Father (1 Jn 2:1). He Himself has done what no one else could do to secure the redemption of His beloved bride (Col 1:14), His church (Mt 16:18; Eph 5:26), the Israel of God (Gal 6:16). He saved us (Titus 3:5).

My dear reader, consider the better high priest of the better priesthood. Look at all the promises of all the other religious systems and cults of priests. Who is compared to the incomparable Christ? The answer is obvious because there is no one who has a name above His Name (Eph 1:21; Phil 2:9) because no one else has done anything to secure so great a salvation that delivers us from the wrath to come (1 Thess 1:10) and gives us the eternal, indestructible life of God in the presence of God, forever.

David Norczyk

Spokane Valley, Washington

December 25, 2023

Hebrews 7:20–28