Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.
The job of a priest is to make offerings on behalf of God’s people. If we think carefully about the different offerings specified in the Old Testament, the worshiper doesn’t actually make the offering. He turns the offering over to the priest, who makes the offering on his behalf. God appointed the priesthood for that specific purpose, to demonstrate something. We can’t make adequate offering for ourselves. The only person who does make offering for himself is the high priest, and he is helped by others. We approach God in thanksgiving or in petition for forgiveness only with help.
The New Testament describes Jesus as our high priest. He is the one who makes perfect sacrifice on our behalf, by giving himself, both perfect man and perfect God. He has dealt with all the weaknesses that we have, but has done it without sin. Because he is truly human he is able to die as a human. Because he is unmarked by sin he is able to be the substitute for humans who have sin. We approach God through Jesus, God the Son.
The author of Hebrews points out that this news should give us great peace and comfort. We are able to approach God’s seat of mercy without fear, without shame, without any sort of doubt. He is able to cleanse us and, through Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf, has done so. Our righteousness is nothing that we have in ourselves. Just as the preist in the Old Testament makes the offering to take away our sin, so Jesus makes the offering to take our sin from us and bear it himself.
What need to we have? They have all been met in Christ’s perfect sacrifice. Let us then rejoice and trust in God who has had mercy upon us.
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