The role of the High Priest

We are approaching the Day of Atonement, and you have had—and you will hear—many excellent messages on the Day of Atonement about its meaning. Sometimes people get a bit confused between the Passover and the Day of Atonement. What is the difference? Because all, in the end, all of God's holy days, are centered about Christ's responsibility.

It is important for us to understand what is Christ's responsibility or significance on the Day of Atonement.

Now, we all know that Passover is represented as Christ as the Passover Lamb.

And basically, we represent it not only through the foot washing, but also His suffering—through the bread, the suffering of His body for our healing because of our sins—and the wine representing the blood for His death also because of our sins. But on the Day of Atonement, you'll probably hear different sermons about the need of fasting, about the importance of the significance of the two goats.

And basically, we all know the significance that represents that in the end, at that Day of Atonement, Satan will be put away for a thousand years and he will not be able to deceive the world anymore. And therefore, we are able to be at one—atonement at one—united with God through Christ without the deceiver being around.

But is there more for us to consider on the Day of Atonement?

And today, I want to bring to mind an additionally important point about the significance of the Day of Atonement so we can start thinking about it as we approach towards Atonement, which is the important responsibility and role of Jesus Christ as our High Priest.

You see, so today my intention, brethren, is to address this important responsibility of Christ as our High Priest. Now, we're going to look at that by going a little bit into Leviticus 16, and then we'll concentrate on the book of Hebrews.

So let's first turn to Leviticus 16, because in Leviticus 16, we have this ceremony described, which is a ceremony of the Day of Atonement.

And I'm not going to go through every single verse here. I'm just going to give a specific focus to help you place it in perspective.

And there are basically two sets of ceremonies or sacrifices here. There's one, which is referred in 16 verse 3, which is a bull and a ram. And then there is the second one, which is two goats.

So we have a bull and a ram, and as you read in there, in verse 3, it says, Aaron shall come into the holy place with the blood of a young bull as a sin offering and of a ram as a burnt offering. And so we can see there is this offering or sacrifice, which is for him and his household. In other words, Aaron and the Levitical priesthood after that would do this ceremony only once on the day of Atonement. And for Aaron to do this, he had to first cleanse himself because he would be now symbolically representing Jesus Christ as our heavenly High Priest.

And so he had to first cleanse himself and offer a sacrifice so he could then represent, symbolically, Christ. And we read, for instance, in verse 6, it says, And Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering, which is for himself and make Atonement for himself and for his household. So this was for him to be, quote unquote, clean so he could represent Christ in the following ceremony, or in the additional ceremony about the goats and that.

So that was done first. But by the way, they could only do this one time in a year. You read that in verse 2. It says, in verse 2, it says, Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the holy place inside the veil. Now, as you may understand, there was a tabernacle and there was a Holy of Holies behind the veil, and he could not go in there but once in a year on the Day of Atonement. So you would have to do this sacrifice to cleanse himself, so then he could fulfill the second role, which is the one about the goats.

And you read about the goats in verse 5, says, He shall take from the congregation of Israel two kids of the goats as a sin offering and one ram as a burnt offering. So there's two goats and a ram as well as a burnt offering. So there's two rams, as you can see. But anyway, the point is there is a second type of ceremony. And in verse 7 and 8, it says, The two goats, he could not distinguish which one was which one.

He had to ask God through lots to decide which goat would represent Christ for the Lord. This is here in verse 8. Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one for the Lord, so one would represent Christ, and the other for Azazel, as it's in Hebrew, which is the name of a demon which basically represents Satan in this story.

So there's two goats indistinguishable to human beings. We, as a lesson, Satan, to deceive, will come across as a good old Christian. And you sometimes can't discern it. You need God's wisdom. As we heard it in the sermon at you, sometimes it's very difficult to discern. And we need God's wisdom to do that. But anyway, and so then the lot would fall on one of the goats, which would represent Christ, and that would be killed. Right. And so the human high priest, as I said, had to first sanctify himself, clear himself or purify himself.

Look at verse 11, where it says, the human high priest says, yeah, and Aaron shall bring the bowl of the soul offering, which is for himself. You see, so that's that first part of the offering, the bowl, not the second part, which is a goat. Right. The first one is a bowl. Aaron shall bring the bowl of the son offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself. In other words, it is to purify himself so that he, as I mentioned, he can then symbolically represent Christ in the in the ceremonies.

And he can see that he will then take the blood of the bowl and sprinkle it with his finger. You see that on verse 14, on the mercy seat, that is, on the Holy of Holies. You can only go there once a year. On the east side, and before the mercy seat, he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times. He was to sprinkle some of the blood seven times, which represents completely. Right. Seven means completely.

Right. Then, now let's look at the other role of the two goats, because now the important part that maybe we have not read it in detail yet is that now we need to focus on the role of the high priest, because he's now taking the role or playing the role of Christ. And this is the part that I want you to pay attention to, because it says here in verse 15 and 16, he says, then he shall kill the goat of the son offering, which is for the people. Now, it's not for himself. It's for us. It's for humanity. It's for the nation. It's for us, people.

He says, which is for the people? Bring its blood inside the veil. What do you mean inside the veil? Into that holy of holies, which basically represents God's throne symbolically. Right. Symbolically represents God's throne.

And do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull. What did he do with the blood of the bull? He sprinkled it on a mercy seat from many times, seven times. So now he's representing Christ, going with his own blood. Because it's crushed blood, right? So think about what the symbolically is representing Christ, going with his own blood and sprinkling seven times completely. And verse 16, and so he shall make atonement for the holy place because of the uncleanliness of the children of Israel and by extension of mankind, because this applies to all mankind, because of their transgressions and all their sins. So he shall do that. So you can see there is an atonement being done here, and that is inside the veil, which is symbolically on the area of God's throne.

So let us think clearly about this. Verse is an act that error now is a role play acting as Christ, our high priest, and this is something very important that sometimes we don't think about. Now we go a little bit further on verse 17. It says, there shall be no man in the tabernacle of meeting when he goes in to make atonement in the holy place.

And that symbolically could well represent that while Christ is doing this, there will be no man in heaven, and much less on God's throne. No human being. We're all dead. We're not resurrected yet. You see, so it is an enacting of what Christ is doing today for us as our high priest. And continue reading in verse 17. There should be no man in tabernacle meeting when he goes in to make atonement in the holy place until he comes out. When does he come out? It's the second return of Christ when he comes out. The second coming, symbolically.

That he may make atonement for himself and his house, and for all the same. So yeah, we have, symbolically, Christ in heaven as our high priest going to God's throne and atoning us after we've been baptized, when you and I do things wrong and we get on our knees and pray to God for forgiveness, Christ then intercedes for us as our mediator and cleanses us of any other sin that you and I may have done.

And this happens until he comes back. And when he comes back, then we read in verse 20, which says, and when he has made an end of atoning for the holy, the workplace is in italics. The tabernacle of meeting and altar he shall bring the live goat. And Aaron shall lay above his hands on the hand of the live goat, confess over all the inequities of the children of Israel. Right? And then he says, putting them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man. And you and I know that after Christ come back on the day of atonement, he will then put Satan away into, let's call it jail, that he cannot deceive mankind for a thousand years. And he is sent, we read that in Revelation 20, verse 1 through 3, by an angel. And we also can see in verse 21 that Christ puts the accountability of the deception of mankind on Satan's head, on this live goat which represents Satan as a cell. Now, this is all more detailed in the book of Hebrews.

So I just wanted to get this simple context out of Leviticus 16, and now we're going to move to the book of Hebrews to back this up, how the writer of Hebrews, which I believe was Paul, correct, and how he explained the responsibility of the high priest, which is Christ, the high priest, according to the order of Melchizedek. Now, this is important for us to understand, because maybe something we've never really considered. What is Christ doing now in heaven for you and I? You see, you read it, now the Scripture says, well, we're walking light, but if any one of us says he's got no son, he's a liar, right? You read that in John. So just because you've been baptized and I've been baptized, we cannot say that now and again we're still not tripping. And you know that when we do trip, in our weakness, in our frailties, we can go to God's throne through Christ, our mediator, our high priest, and he sprinkles, at that time, symbolically, his blood to forgive us. And this is after baptism. So let's go then to Hebrews, and we're going to start in Hebrews in chapter two. We're going to read various little bits of Hebrews throughout the book, till basically the end, to support this understanding of what Christ is doing as a Howard High Priest. In Hebrews chapter two verse 16, we read a scripture that many don't understand because it says, for indeed Christ does not give aid to angels. What it means is Christ did not take the form of angels to help angels. He took the form of human beings to help human beings. But he gives aid, he gives assistance to those of the seed of Abraham. And you and I, once you and I are converted, spiritually speaking, we are of the seed of Abraham. So Christ came back, came his first coming, to give help, to give aid to human beings of the seed of Abraham.

And then verse 17, therefore in all things he had to be made like his brethren. Christ had to empty himself of being the word of the form of God, as you and I read in Philippians 2 verse 6, and became a human being to be made like his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest. You see, as the role of Christ is our High Priest, in things pertaining to God to make propitiation for the sins of the people, a tisine with a tongue.

For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to aid to help us, as human beings. We are tempted, even though you are baptized and you have repented and committed to God, but after baptism, believe it or not, we still sin. And we need that sprinkling when we pray and say, God, I've slipped up again. Please help me.

And if anyone says, I have no sin, the Bible says he's a liar. We all have. Thank God that we have a High Priest interceding for us in heaven and sprinkling his blood completely to heal us, to aid us, to help us to be forgiven. Let's jump to Hebrews 4, verse 14. Hebrews 14, then, that we have a great High Priest, which is Christ, who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God. Let us all fast our confession. Admit our mistakes.

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses. Yes, we baptized, we've repented, we committed to obey God, but we still have weaknesses.

And he sympathizes with us. But was in all points tempted as we are yet inevicent. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace. Let's come boldly to God's throne.

You know, symbolically, that is what's called the mercy seat, right? It doesn't call it the judgment seat. It's the mercy seat. It's very encouraging to the throne of grace that we obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. When you and I are in trouble, you and I can come to God through Christ and say, Help me, please. And He will help you.

You see, that's why we're fast. We've got to be meek. We've got to be humble. We've got to be teachable. We've got to change our attitudes. Or read the Psalm about fasting. It's very fascinating because it says, What type of fast have I looked? But that you stop doing what you're doing. Stop saying the way you say things. Stop being hard on other people. How many of us are hard on other people? We've got to change. And we need help. We need help. And particularly through His Spirit, we need that help. Now let's jump to Hebrews 5. Starting in verse 5, So also Christ did not glorify himself to become high priest. He did not say, Yeah, I am going to be the high priest. No, the Father made him say, You are my son. Today I have begotten you. And then he says, You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Christ is our heavenly high priest.

For in the days of his flesh, verse 7, when the air offered prayers and supplications with fame and cries and tears, Christ was a complete 100% human being with a carnal body with pulse and stresses like you have. But he had divinity inside that carnal body and there was ineffecent. He was always divine, ineffecent.

And he says, Who was able to save him from death and was heard because of his godly fear.

Though he was a son, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered. He learned what it is to be obedient as a human being.

Atheists and others say, Oh well, God does not know what it feels like being a human being. Well, God does because your God, your Creator, because the Father created everything through Christ. So Christ is our Creator under the delegated authority of the Father. He understands the pain, the difficulty, the challenges, the suffering, the pressure of the carnal mind.

And so he learned to obedience what it is to be obedient under that stress.

And before having been perfected, he became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him. When people say, Oh well, you don't have to obey, what do you mean? To all who obey him.

Called by God as High Priest according to the Order of Melchizedek, of whom we have much to say and are to explain since you have become dull of hearing.

There's a lot to say about Christ's role as a High Priest.

And it is time that we start to consider what Christ is doing for us. Because, you know, it says, you shall be saved by his life. What do you mean saved by his life? It's because he's now a mediator before the Father and as our defense advocate and saying, put your name there, Tom D. Carey, whatever your name is, and it says, Tom D. Carey, I paid for his sin. He has the blood, sprinkled.

So it is a real blessing. Let's jump now to Hebrews chapter 8. Hebrews chapter 8. We're gonna read in verse 1 and 2. Now, this is the main point of the things we're saying. We have such a High Priest.

Is the book of Hebrews talking about the role of Christ as a High Priest or no?

And it says, we have such a High Priest who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in Heavens. He's right there next to the Father. On the Holy of Holies, the Heavenly Holy of Holies, he's right there. And it's not like the human priest on the day of a time that could only go there once a year. Christ is there every second. Verse 2. A minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected and not man. You see, the tabernacle on earth was made by man. It was just a symbol, a shadow, an image of the heavenly.

But he's on the heavenly tabernacle where God is, which is not made by man. And he's our minister, our High Priest. Look at verse 5. He says about these things, he says, who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things. In other words, the human tabernacle that was built by the Israelites was, let's call it, a physical, very simplistic example, an image, a shadow of the heavenly one. To bring his lessons, to teach his lessons. As Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle, for he said, see that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain. Because that pattern was according to what is in heaven. But now, verse 6, he has obtained a more excellent ministry. Yeah, Christ has a far more excellent ministry than that of the human high priests. Inasmuch as also the mediator is our intermediator, is our mediator, is our defense advocate of a better covenant, which was established on better promises, which is eternal life. Our promised land is beyond just a land, it's eternal life forever in eternity.

So the symbols of the old covenant were just symbols to teach us lessons. And you and I, as physical human beings, sometimes need physical things to remind us of lessons.

And so, during the day of atonement, what the priests played up when there was a temple, when they played up, I mean role played, that's what I meant, it was a ceremony of the high priest going beyond the veil to God's throne, to the Father's throne, to seek for our forgiveness, our reconciliation with God, uniting us as one with God and one with one another.

And brethren, you and I cannot be at one with God if you are not at one with one another.

This is an important point. You see, we can speak, we can give lectures, we can give sermons, we can give all the stuff about prophecy and all the things about dates.

If we don't live God's way in love with one another, it's all in vain. It's all technical knowledge. Yes, it is important to understand the truth and doctrine, yes, but we have to live godly love with one another.

And if you and I are arrogant and coming across as arrogant towards other people, we have to change. That's what the meaning of fasting is all about. We have to get it.

You see, you and I cannot be in the kingdom of God in eternity by saying, I'm not going to talk to this brother or sister in the church. So can you think in the kingdom of God that this brother or sister sits on the far eastern corner of eternity and the other brother or sister sits on the far western corner because they haven't reconciled?

Let me tell you one thing. One of them, if they're not prepared to do it, or both of them, will not be in the kingdom. Simple. Simple.

This is serious stuff.

But we have a high priest that can sympathize with us, sympathize with us, and help us to overcome our difficulties. We have to be humble. We have to be meek and teachable. We have to seek God's ways, and we have to seek peace. We've got to be peacemakers. That's what the Beatitudes are all about, right? On the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5.

You see, God wants to have a special relationship with you and I.

And that relationship to be one. You remember in John 17 when Christ just before He died, before He was betrayed, He said, Father, I pray that they may be one as you and I are one, that they may be one in unity with us. But we have to be one first amongst ourselves.

In Philippians 2, verse 5, it says, Be of the same mind as Christ is, that He humbled Himself. Quite often there are problems amongst us, because we have not humbled ourselves and said, I've done wrong.

Are we prepared to put our pride aside and admit our mistakes? We have to. If we don't, we will not be in the kingdom. As much as you keep the Sabbath, keep the holidays, do all these things, know exactly which day Christ is coming, whatever it is.

You cannot put the cart before the horse. And the important is to love one another. Verse is the great commandment. Love God and love one another.

So, let's look at Hebrews 9, verse 6. Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services, but into the second part the high priest went alone once a year on the day of atonement. Yes, we read that in Levitic 16 a moment ago. Not without blood, but he offered for himself and for the people, sins committed in ignorance, in our weakness, in our frailties. The Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the holiest of all, in other words, to God's throne, was not yet manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. People did not get the real depth of this meaning because it represented Christ. It was symbolic, verse 9, for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him or perform the sacrifice perfect in regard to the conscience. In other words, that old covenant with those sacrifices could make nobody perfect. It was just a lesson, was just a symbol, symbolism to point to Christ, the real sacrifice. In other words, those things that had concern of foods and drinks and various washings and flesh and ordinance is imposed until the time of Reformation, which is until Christ changed it.

And then let's read verse oh, or let's continue reading. Verse 12, not with the blood of goats and cows, but with his own blood, that's Christ, he entered the most high place, the holy place, that is God's throne, once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. Christ is now there once for all. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a high ephir sprinkling the unclean sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, verse 14, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And you, to serve God, you have to serve people. As we heard in a recent sermon about service, we have to serve.

And for this reason, he is the mediator of the new covenant by means of death, for the redemption of the transgression of the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of eternal life. Let's now jump to Hebrews chapter 10.

This is a powerful chapter. Really, take time to read it, but I'm just going to jump now to Hebrews chapter 10. We're going to pick up a few points. In verse 1, it says, for the law having a shadow of good things to come. You know this law is talking about this law of the sacrifices of these offerings. You just read the context. You will see it. This law was a shadow of things to come, which pointed to Christ, and not the very image of the things can never with the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year make those who approach perfect. It's talking about these sacrifices, particularly on the Day of Atonement. It cannot make people perfect. For then they would have ceased to be offered. For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more conscience and absence. So once they were purified, they were clean. They didn't need to offer anymore, but they had to continue to do those sacrifices. Day after day, week after week, month after month, annual Sabbath after annual Sabbath, year after year. Why? Because they did not cleanse them. Cleanse them.

Verse 4, For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. They were just a lesson to point to Christ.

And then it says, that's a very interesting section in verse 5, which says that you do not desire sacrifice, but Christ said, you give me a body. And then he got a physical body, and he came and offered himself for us. Very, very fascinating bit of scripture there. And then he says, verse 10, By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all. We have been justified by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ once for all. And look at verse 14, for by one offering, he has perfected forever.

By one offering, Christ's sacrifice, you and I have been perfected forever. We don't need another sacrifice. Those who are being sanctified. And there is the present continuous. You are being sanctified, how? By the work of the high priest and God's Holy Spirit. God's Holy Spirit breaks your conscience, says, put your name or put mine. Okay, George, don't do this. Don't think this, whatever it is. And then you get on your knees, and I'm sorry that I thought the wrong things. I've said the wrong things or whatever it is. And then Christ sprinkles at that moment. You don't have to wait for Passover. You don't have to wait for Day of Atonement. At that moment, on your knees, you ask for forgiveness and you are forgiven.

That is the role of the high priest for you today. Verse 19. Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus. Do you have the confidence to enter God's throne today by the blood of Jesus that's sprinkling your sins and forgiving you when you and I do things wrong?

Verse 20. By a new and living way. You see, the old way, you had to go through the physical high priest and he can only do it once a year on the Day of Atonement. We have a new and living way that you and I, through this new way, we can go through Christ any moment and you have access to God's throne beyond the veil. As it says, by a new and living way, which was consecrated for us through the veil. In other words, all the way to God's throne. And that veil is Christ's body, Christ's flesh. And having a high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled back to that sprinkling, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold the confession of our hope without wavering. For you promised is faithful. He promised to forgive you if you and I are repentant and we change you will. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. That's why for us to have peace with God, we have to have or to be at one with God, we have to be at one with one another. And how can you be at one with one another? By spending time with one another, not forsaking the assembly, assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching. Fall! Continuing, fall because if we sin willfully by not fellowshipping with one another, by not having peace with one another, after we receive the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins. If you and I don't want to repent, big trouble. And that's why it says in Hebrews 11 verse 6, without faith it is impossible to please Him. You have to trust God and do your part. Without faith it is impossible to please Him. And then as you continue reading, in Hebrews 12, Hebrews 12 verse 1, therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let's lay aside every weight and the sun which so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance the rice that is before us.

And then you read, seek peace.

And then he goes on to chapter 13 verse 1. He says, let brotherly love continue. Let brotherly love continue. During the day of atonement, we need to honor God, and we do so through our high priest who mediates for us and leads us into a way of peace. Remember, still in chapter 13 at the end of verse 5 says, I will never leave you nor forsake you.

God will never, through Christ, will never leave you or forsake you. Never! And then, read verse 20 of Hebrews chapter 13. Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great shepherd of the sheep, our high priest, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us complete, make us perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you what is well pleasing in his sight, and what is well pleasing in his sight, that there is brotherly love and peace amongst us, so that we may be one, because that was Christ's lost will, quote-unquote, just before he died, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.