July 3, 2022 Preaching | Bro. Julius Consulta
In Hebrews 8, the author talks about 3 compelling proofs why Jesus is the Supreme High Priest, and not just a High Priest.
- His Seat
The highest proof of the superiority of Jesus’ priesthood is his posture – not standing, not kneeling but sitting down. In the time before Jesus Christ, God instructed the Israelites to build a tabernacle with no chair. The Levitical priests were always standing as their sacrificial work was never finished. Everything that they did was never enough. On the other hand, Jesus is seated which proves that His redemptive work is finished once and for all. He offers a sacrifice so significant that it does not have to be repeated ever again. Not only that, He is seated at the right hand which signifies His power to write pardons. It expresses His judgment of discharge, acquittal, absolution of our sins.
- His Sanctuary
The earthly tabernacle that is the Jewish temple made in the time of Moses was a pattern, a copy of the original and made by men. On the other hand, the true tabernacle is in heaven and made by God himself. Jesus as supreme High Priest ministers not on the earthly tabernacle, but on the true sanctuary in heaven. He is not only a priest offering a sacrifice, He is the sacrifice himself. He offered himself as the perfect sacrifice before the throne of God in heaven.
- His Supreme Covenant
The covenants that God made with Noah, Abraham, Moses and David are all good, but they are the old covenant. They culminate, lead, and point to the new covenant which God established through the Messiah himself. Jesus activated and set in motion this new and better covenant. The fault in the old covenant is it is just a list of standards, it does not have the power to transform. In contrast, the new covenant is superior because it provides genuine power to transform lives. The old covenant was not meant to save us. Its intent is to expose us. The law’s purpose is to point us to our Savior, the Supreme High Priest. It was good but incomplete, that is why the new covenant is necessary. Now, God and man never enter agreements on equal terms. God makes the new covenant on His terms. Man either accepts it or rejects it.
Benefits of the New Covenant
- Inner transformation – God will transform your heart so that you will have willingness to obey. In the old covenant, the law was written on stone, everything was external. In the new covenant, the law is written in our hearts and is internal. The old covenant was obedience based on fear, while the new is obedience based on love. The key to this inner conversion is the Holy Spirit.
- Personal relationship – It is no longer about religion, but relationship with God himself. We have this relationship not based on our own efforts but based on the new covenant. We can intimately know Him who now lives in us through the Holy Spirit.
- Total forgiveness – God has chosen not to remember all of our sins. In the new covenant, all of our sins are covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. As we confess, repent and yield to the saving power of Jesus Christ, all of our sins are gone and paid for.
Because a new covenant is established, the old covenant can vanish not to forget about it, but in a way that it cannot be the measure of our relationship with God. The question to ask ourselves is – Is Jesus really your Supreme High Priest? If it is true, then you must be experiencing the benefits of new covenant. To examine oneself, answer these truthfully: Is my heart transformed? Do I have a relationship with God? Have I really experienced God’s forgiveness?