Jesus, The Apostle and High Priest

Jesus, The High Priest

 

In the idea of the Apostle, Jesus is God’s legal representative to man. In the High Priest, He is man’s legal representative to God. 

Heb. 5:1 (ESV) For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
4 And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.
5 So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”;
6 as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” 

The Israelite high priest represents the entire covenant community before God. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest wore a breastplate with twelve precious stones embedded in it. Each stone was inscribed with the name of one of the twelve tribes. On that day, the high priest was all of Israel wrapped into one man. When God looked upon the high priest on that day, He saw One Man standing for the whole covenant community of Israel.  On that day, and at that time, He was Israel.

Jesus, as our high priest, represents the New Covenant Ekklesia in His person. He is the One who stands in for us before God. We are not perfect, and that which stands before God must demonstrate the perfection required [Lev. 21].

This is why the earthly high priest had to be without physical defect. He was a prophetic shadow of the One Perfect Man, Jesus Christ, who would stand before God for us. We do not stand in God’s presence in our righteousness, for ours is as filthy rags [Isa. 64:6]. We can only approach God in the righteousness of Christ. Only In Christ, do we have standing.

I want as briefly as possible, to comment on Jesus being High Priest, after the order of Melchizedek.  Hebrews’ argument for a new type of high priest is very similar to the argument of why a new covenant was needed. If the Old Covenant was able to make men righteous, there would be no need for a new covenant. There was a fault with the Old. The fault was with the recipients themselves.

In like manner, in Hebrews 7:11, the writer argues,

If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

The term here, perfection, means to complete what is lacking, to render full. If the completion of the worshipper could come by the Levitical priests and their offerings, then why is there a need for a different priest, after the order of Melchizedek? If the Levitical priesthood did the job, why do we need something else, something different?

7:12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

When was the priesthood changed? The Levitical priesthood was no longer needed at the resurrection of Christ and ceased to exist 40 years later with the temple’s destruction. The change of the law, is the change of the Levitical Law, regarding the sacrifices, rites, and ceremonies for the offenses of man. The word, change, means a transfer, a transposition. It comes from the root word, meaning, to exchange. It is changing, or exchanging the law of the earthly priesthood and temple for the heavenly priesthood, after the order of Melchizedek.

13 For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar.
14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.
15 This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek,
16 who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. (ESV)

There is nothing in the Law of Moses which speaks of the tribe of Judah, regarding the priesthood. It is evident, after the likeness of Melchizedek, a different kind of priest was needed. This priest is not according to the law of carnal commandment, i.e., not a continual succession of earthly priests. This priest, after the order of Melchizedek, would function according to the power of an indestructible life. Ps. 110:4 The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. The LORD swore to the Messiah that He would be a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. He can be a priest forever because He is a different kind of priest, functioning according to the power of an endless life. In the Biblical record concerning Melchizedek, he had no beginning and had no end. That is, we don't have a record of his birth, nor a record of his death. This is what is meant by "the order" of Mechizedek. As long as Jesus lives, the Community of Faith will have a perfect representative standing before God to intercede for them.

Jesus, the Apostle of God, represents God to man because He was sent (apostled) from God. He is the image of the invisible God [Col. 1:15]. As the High Priest, He represents in His Being, the New Covenant Community to God [Heb. 5:1]. He is the Israel of God in His Person, just as the OT high priest represented the Israel of Sinai.

Jesus, the Surety and Mediator

The letter to the Hebrews also signifies Jesus as the Surety and the Mediator of a better covenant.

A. “By so much was Jesus made a SURETY of a better covenant.” [7:22]

The word surety is a legal term used in contracts. It is the Greek word engous (pronounced in-goose), which means, guarantee. Jesus, as the Guarantee, takes upon himself to guarantee the performance and payment of the legal obligation required by the covenant. In this way, He is the guarantor, the surety of a Better Covenant. He stands in our place, fulfilling the requirements of the Covenant. This Guarantor stands in for another, taking upon himself the demands made and guaranteeing its performance.

B. “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.” [8:6]

Jesus, being the mediator of a better covenant is understood in this way. Mediator is the Greek, mesites  (pronounced, mes-i-tās) meaning in the middle or one who stands in-between. In contracts, the mesites is the one person both sides can trust. He can be an umpire or a negotiator of peace. The word, mesites, appears in the LXX only at Job 9:33.

There is no arbiter (mesites) between us, who might lay his hand on us both. [Job 9:33 ESV]

The mesites is one who stands between two parties, and is able to put his arm around them both, and facilitate their reconciliation. However, he also can be the one who guarantees the accomplishment of the agreement. The connection here is engous, the surety, stresses the guarantee of a better, stronger Covenant, while mesites, the mediator, stresses the actual accomplishing of the guarantee.

In the case of Jesus, it is his vicarious death and vindicating resurrection that is the guarantee, the surety of a better, stronger Covenant for those who partake of it. Jesus does not simply give the guarantee, HE IS the guarantee in his person. As the mesites, His being Alive Forevermore is the accomplishment of the guarantee. As long as He Lives, our redemption is sure and guaranteed. He forever lives, standing between God and man, as the only arbiter of peace.

Heb. 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author (causer) of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
Heb. 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost (unto completeness) that come unto God by (through) him, seeing he ever (at all times) liveth to make intercession for (on behalf of) them.

Quick Rabbit Trail: This is also closely related to the idea of the Advocate or Parakletos.

Contained in the idea of the Advocate, or Parakletos, is one who comes to the side to help. In the Greek, it designates an attorney, or one who pleads the case and cause of another. Jesus is called our Parakletos in 1 Jn. 2:1. He is the one who stands before the Father, pleading our cause. This does not mean Jesus is begging God not to fry us all. No, it means the very Being of Jesus in the Father’s Presence, is what states our case. Jesus is our argument before God. Jesus, also said,

“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless (orphans): I will come to you.” [Jn. 14:16-18]

Jesus said He would request of the Father that He would give another Parakletos, of the same kind as was with them then, so He might remain with them forever. This other Parakletos, or Advocate, is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, which is the Spirit of Jesus, who is the Truth. This is why Jesus told them concerning this Advocate, “You know Him, for He is living with you and shall be in you. I will not leave you orphans: I will come to you.”

Jesus said this of Himself. He was living with them. He would be in them. He would come to them. How will He come to them? He would come to them by His Spirit. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of Christ.
Rom. 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

As I already said, the Spirit of Truth is the Spirit of Christ, for He is The Way, The Truth, and The Life. Jesus is our Parakletos/Advocate, pleading our cause to the Father, while the Spirit of Truth is God’s Parakletos/Advocate, pleading His cause to us. But, I digress.

 

Jesus, as the Mesites, brings the two parties of God and Man together in a way that had not been before. As Engous, He guarantees the covenant performance of both parties.  He guarantees God’s part of the covenant, while also having fulfilled man’s part.

Jesus accepted the obligation of the payment for our debt of sin. Because we could not satisfy God’s requirement for the payment, i.e., an innocent, perfect offering was required, He stepped in and paid the debt for us. He guarantees this satisfaction of payment on our behalf to God. God accepted His payment on our behalf. The acknowledgment of payment accepted, is seen in the fact that God raised Jesus from the dead. His resurrection is the validation that His offering was accepted and our sins are covered.  The scarlet thread forever remains white.

If we acknowledge the satisfaction of the debt Christ paid on our behalf, and trust in His offering, He has decreed glorious things. He has decreed that we shall receive the forgiveness of sins and the gift of righteousness. He also translates us into the Kingdom of His Dear Son. He guarantees the performance of the covenant blessings on God’s behalf toward us. All God has promised is provided in Christ.

For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. [2 Cor. 1:20]
Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: [Rom. 15:8]

Jesus, as the High Priest, acts as the true Sent One, representing the community before God. At the same time, He is the true Sent One of God, representing God to the community. As the Apostle and High Priest, Jesus represents God to the community (Apostle) and represents the community before God (High priest). (Yes, I repeated myself, because it is important that we understand this.) It is in this way, that He is seen as the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession. He is the Apostle of God and the High Priest of Man.

Jesus is the New Covenant in Himself,
 the One True, Righteous Israelite.

Our part is to have complete trust and confidence in what He has already done, not in what we can perform. When we trust in our righteousness (the performance of our flesh), it is the ultimate slap in the face of God. We trample underfoot the blood of His Son. For it says to Him, “What your Son did upon the cross was not sufficient. I must add to it.”  If any man boasts, let him boast in the LORD Our Righteousness. It is He who stands before God on our behalf; it is He who took the penalty and payment for our sin on the cross.

This picture of Apostle and High Priest is the most concise picture we can find of just how different the New Covenant is from the Sinai Covenant. In the Sinai Covenant, the people were the fault as to why the Law could not make them righteous. Now, as the One Perfect Israelite, Jesus the Messiah stands before God as our Everliving Legal Representative and as God’s Legal Representative to Man.  

Jesus IS the New Covenant, period!