- A high priest officiates for sacrifices and offerings, He intercedes for the people He is responsible for, and He sympathizes with people.
- There are three priesthoods related to the different ages or dispensations.
- Dispensation of Gentiles had the family priesthood, Abraham, Job, and Melchizedek.
- Dispensation of Israel had the Levitical priesthood. The high priest was from the one tribe, Levi.
- Dispensation of the Church has a universal priesthood. Every believer is a priest.
- Jesus Christ holds the office of eternal High Priest (Hebrews 3.1; 5.10; 6.20; 7.21-24). Jesus was qualified to be the eternal high priest.
- Jesus was true humanity and a man (Hebrews 2.17).
- Jesus was called, appointed, and made high priest by God’s oath (Hebrews 5.5, 6, 10).
- Jesus’ priesthood was like Melchizedek’s (Hebrews 5.10; 7.14-18).
- Jesus’ priesthood was an eternal priesthood (Hebrews 7.24-28).
- Seated at the right hand of the father (Hebrews 8.1).
- The high priest ministry of Jesus includes
- Sacrifice of Himself once for all time and all people. This was a past ministry for Him (Hebrews 7.27; 9.11-14; 9.25-28). Our salvation is secure.
- Intercessory prayer ministry. This is a present ministry (Hebrews 7.25). Christ prays for us before the Father.
- Sympathize with those who are tested and tempted. Jesus gives mercy and grace to those who draw near to him in fellowship, prayer, and faith. This is a present ministry (Hebrews 4.14-16). Christ has a sense of what we are going through. We draw near to Christ by our fellowship with Him, by our prayer to Him, and by our faith in Him.