Christ as Priest

In the Old Testament there were three different offices for the people of Israel. These offices were the prophet who spoke the words of God to the people, the priest who offered sacrifices to God and intercede on behalf of the people, and the king who ruled over the people.1 Throughout the New Testament Christ is seen as holding and fulfilling all three of these offices. He is the eternal prophet, priest, and king. The Old Testament picture of these offices was a foreshadowing of what Christ was to fulfill.

Hebrews specifically focuses on Christ as The Great High Priest. In the Old Testament there are commands for what the high priest is supposed to accomplish, but because of the imperfection of the Old Covenant it was never fully fulfilled. Jesus alone can perfectly fulfill these commands of the High Priest. The Old Testament high priest has several duties. He is to offer sacrifices on his behalf and the behalf of the people (Leviticus 9:15-21)2, he is to enter into the presence of God and be the representative of the people (Leviticus 16:17), he is to pronounce benedictions on Israel (Numbers 6:22-27), and stand between the people and God to intercede.

In Jeremiah 33:17 God promises that there will eternally be a high priest. Jesus is that eternal High Priest. Jesus also holds and fulfills these duties as the Great High Priest. Though Jesus does completely fulfill these roles, His priesthood looks a little different than that of the Old Testament priesthood. “Christ's priesthood is perpetual, is in one person, without predecessor or successor, making one offering, once for all; an offering not symbolically effective, deriving value not from appointment alone, but from its nature also.”3 Also, the Old Testament priests were required to come from the tribe of Levi. Jesus did not come from the tribe of Levi, but the tribe of Judah. His office of “Priest” was divinely appointed.4

Hebrews 7:11 tells that the Levitical priesthood could not reach perfection; because of imperfection, a new priesthood had to arise. This priesthood was through Melchizedek. Jesus is in the likeness of Melchizedek, who is a greater high priest than that of the priesthood from Levi. Melchizedek is a foreshadowing of a priesthood that is higher that Aaron and thus fulfilled in Jesus Christ5 Hebrews 7 goes on to say that the Law made nothing perfect and was filled with weaknesses. Because of that weakness a new and better hope is needed. This new hope is found in Christ Jesus.

Since Jesus is viewed as the perfect High Priest, He must fulfill what the Old Testament priests could not fulfill on their own. Christ was to offer the sacrifice for the sins of the people just as the Levitical priests did. Again, Christ's priesthood looks different than that of the Old Testament priesthood. Not only is He offering the sacrifice, but He is the sacrifice. Christ was able to lay the sacrifice “Upon the alter of oblation, and through it appeasing the wrath of God, making reconciliation between God and man, and securing, in its proper presentation, the removal of guilt and punishment from man.” 6 In the Old Testament the priest had first to make sacrifice for himself then for that of the people, but Christ had “No sin of His own for which to atone, he was the Lamb of God, the sacrifice with neither spot nor blemish, the one able to make atonement for the sins of others.”7 Only a perfect and spotless lamb could completely fulfill once and for all the sacrifice that was required for the sins of the people, and this perfect and spotless lamb was Jesus.

Because of this atoning work of Jesus “We have confidence to enter the holy places (Heb. 10:19).” In the Old Testament only the priest was allowed to go into the holy of holies, but we can now enter in with confidence through Jesus. In the Old Testament there was a curtain keeping the holy of holies separate, but at the death of Jesus that curtain was torn (Heb. 10:20). We are no longer separated from God and dependent upon another to enter for us, but we are reconciled to God the Father forever. “As our perfect high priest, he continually leads us into God's presence so that we no longer have need of a Jerusalem temple...but he has gone into the heavenly equivalent to the holy of holies, the very presence of God himself in heaven.” 8

Not only are we reconciled to God, but at the death of Jesus a new covenant is brought forth. Hebrew 9:15-22 tells us that any covenant that is formed must be brought about by the shedding of blood. The Old Testament High Priestly duties were under the Old Covenant. The blood for this covenant was that of animals. Jesus, however, came to initiate a new and better covenant. This covenant is established by the shedding of His own blood. The Old covenant had fault, and therefor we needed a better and everlasting covenant. Hebrews 8:7 says “For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.” This second covenant is initiated by Jesus (Hebrews 6:22). It is called the New Covenant. This New Covenant is promised in Jeremiah 31:31-34. It is promised that David's throne will never be empty, and there will be an eternal sacrifice that is laid before the Father. Also in this new covenant, the Law will be written on the hearts of the people.

Just like the Old Testament priest, Jesus pronounces benedictions upon the people. In Numbers 6:22-24 Aaron is told to bless the people. He says may “the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” We see Jesus using this same language in the New Testament. At the ascension, just before Jesus is taken up, He is said to bless them (Luke 24:51). In John 20:19 when Jesus first appears to the disciples after the resurrection he says “Peace be with you.” This too is a benediction that is being spoken.

Finally, as High Priest Jesus is constantly interceding for us. Because He is eternal He is able to save the uttermost, and He is constantly making intercession for them (Heb. 7:23-25). His intercession is three-fold. First,

“It is justificatory. Jesus presents his righteousness to the Father for out justification. He also pleads the cause of his righteousness for believers who, while previously justified, continue to sin. And finally, it appears, particularly from the instances during his earthly ministry, that Christ beseeches the Father that believers might be sanctified and kept from the power of the evil one.”9

Jesus is able to make specific requests on behalf of believers. In Romans 8:34 and Hebrews 7:25 “The word for intercede is entygchano. This work does not mean merely “to stand as someone's representative before another person,” but clearly has the sense of making specific requests or petitions before someone.”10 Jesus is praying very specifically for the ones God has given to him. He knows and understands their needs even better than they do.

Jesus is able to intercede on our behalf because He is fully man and fully God. Because Jesus is a man he is able to sympathize with us as man. Hebrews 4:15-16 tells us that “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne on grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Jesus has experienced our temptation, and our pain. He has experienced our loneliness and our grief. He is able to understand every aspect of the human condition, and that is why we can draw near to Him. We can draw near to this throne of grace, and there we will receive great peace, mercy and grace that only Jesus can give.


1Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (United States: Zondervan, 2000), 624
2The Bible, English Standard Version (Wheaton: Crossway, 2007) (All other Scripture is from the ESV unless otherwise noted)
3James P. Boyce, Abstract of Systematic Theology (Cape Coral: Founders Press, 1977), 291
4James P. Boyce, Abstract of Systematic Theology, 292
5P. Ellingworth, “Priests,” in New Dictionary of Biblical Theology: Exploring the Unity and Diversity of Scripture, ed. T. Desmond Alexander, Brian S. Rosner, D.A. Carson, Graeme Golsworthy (Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 2000), 700
6James P. Boyce, Abstract of Systematic Theology, 293
7Paige Patterson, “The Work of Christ,” in A Theology for the Church, ed. Daniel L. Akin (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2007), 550
8Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, 626
9Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic. 2009), 787
10Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, 627