Jesus Christ Is Our Priest

Having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.
–Hebrews 5:9

In Hebrews 5:5-10, the writer showed that Jesus Christ not only met but exceeded all the qualifications for a priest.

First of all, Christ was selected by God. “Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You’” (5:5). Jesus did not come to glorify Himself. He came to glorify God because it was God who called Him to be a priest. Not only that, God also called Jesus to be a co-ruler with Him.

Second, Jesus sympathizes with His people. Hebrews 4:15-16 says, “We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Jesus can sympathize, deal gently, with us in our weaknesses. Why? He was tempted in all things just as we are.

Third, Christ offered a sacrifice for sin. “Having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation” (5:9). The sacrifice Christ offered had two results. First, Christ’s sacrifice resulted in Christ’s perfection. That word “perfect” means “complete.” By offering His sacrifice for our sins, Jesus completed God’s purpose for His life. Second, Christ’s sacrifice resulted in our eternal salvation. Have you ever wondered, “Can I lose my salvation?” The answer is here: no, you cannot. If salvation can be lost, then it is not eternal. Jesus offers eternal salvation.

The concept of eternal forgiveness was foreign to the Jewish mind-set. Year after year, the high priest offered sacrifices for the sins of the people because it was only a temporary salvation. But Jesus Christ, the perfect high priest, offers eternal, once-for-all salvation to all who believe.

In the great revivals that swept east Africa a few years ago, the Christians there had a custom. If a Christian wanted to confess his sins, he would just stand up during a church service and start confessing his sins. Wouldn’t that make church more interesting? But if a church member started to confess a particularly heinous sin, immediately the people would stand and sing the doxology: “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.” They would sing so loudly that their voices would drown out the confession of that awful sin. That person had the experience right then of having his sins drowned out by the grace of God.

That is what Jesus offers you today. It does not matter what you have done. It does not matter how long you have done it. The forgiveness of God is available to you.

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Today’s devotion is excerpted from “Who Needs A Priest?” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2018.

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.