Jesus is a Priest

Welcome to Southwest!

• Message Series: “Behold Your King” (The Identity of Jesus)
• Last Week: Jesus is a Prophet who speaks the words of God.

Today: Jesus is a Priest.

The Sermon in One Sentence: Jesus is our perfect high priest who has offered the perfect sacrifice that allows us to receive eternal life through our faith in him.

The Temple and the Holiness of God:

• Priesthood was established during the time of the Tabernacle and Temple, buildings that represented God’s presence with Israel. 
• Only priests could enter the holiest places in Temple, and even then there were strict rules (Hebrews 9:6-7).
• These restrictions reminded Israel that God was holy and they were sinful.

God’s Dilemma:

• God wants to dwell with his people, but our sin separate us from God.
• The Overarching Question in the Bible: How will people be able to reunite with God without violating his holiness?

The Priests Bridge the Gap Between God and his People.

• The priests were mediators who represented the people in their worship.
• Priests went through an intricate process of being set apart and purified so they could enter God’s Temple to offer sacrifices (Exodus 29, Leviticus 9).
• These priests would offer sacrifices for themselves and on behalf of the people.
• Animal sacrifices never actually solved the problem of sin; they just reminded people of how serious it was (Hebrews 10:3-4, 11).
• Israel needed a better Temple, better priests, and a better sacrifice — they needed Jesus!

Jesus is our Perfect High Priest.

The Book of Hebrews repeatedly makes the point that Jesus is our perfect High Priest who offered the perfect sacrifice for sins.

Scripture: Hebrews 5:1-10.

• Many priests represented the people and offered sacrifices, but only Jesus became the of our salvation.

Perfect Priest, Perfect Sacrifice.

What made Jesus so unique? Why was he able to accomplish what other priests and sacrifices couldn’t? 

• He was the perfect priest who offered the perfect sacrifice.

Scripture: Hebrews 7:23-28

• The priests of Israel lived and died—but Jesus lives forever.
• The priests of Israel were guilty of their own sins, but Jesus never sinned at all. 
• The priests of Israel offered animal sacrifices, but Jesus offered himself, the only sacrifice that truly solves the problem of sin. 

The Curtain in the Temple

• Inside the Temple was a large curtain (veil) that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple (Exodus 26:31-35).
• It was a physical symbol that God was too holy to approach (Leviticus 16:2).
• At the very moment Jesus died, this curtain was torn in two (Matthew 27:50-51).
• Jesus’ death opened a way for God’s people to be reunited with God, without violating his holiness.

Scripture: Hebrews 4:14-16

• The Blessing: We can come to the Father with through of Jesus the Son. 
• Our Responsibility: Put our trust in Jesus — not ourselves. 
• We didn’t earn our salvation; Jesus purchased it. That means we can’t achieve it… we must receive it (Ephesians 2:8-10).

December Bible Reading Plan:

• 24-in-24 Challenge: Read one chapter of Luke each day, starting December 1st. You will finish the book on Christmas Eve.

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Study & Reflection:

• Read Hebrews 10:1-4 and 10:11-12. This passage tells us that the animal sacrifices in the Old Testament didn’t actually remove people’s sins. If that’s the case, what was the point of offering those sacrifices?
• What makes Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross fundamentally different than all other sacrifices in the Bible?
• Now read Hebrews 10:19-25. What are some of the spiritual blessings (or benefits) that we get to experience because of Jesus’ death on the cross?
• Leviticus 16:2 says that people who entered the Most Holy Place without being authorized would die as a result. What has changed that now allows us to enter it with confidence (Hebrews 10:19)?
• How does Jesus’ death on the cross demonstrate God’s commitment to holiness and grace at the same time?
• Imagine you are a Christian in the first century who grew up in the Jewish faith. As a Christian, you are no longer welcome in the Temple because of your faith in Jesus. That makes you worried about your relationship with God since you can’t offer any of the sacrifices the Old Testament talks about. How does this passage (and the whole book of Hebrews) address your concerns and reassure you about your standing with God?
• Do you tend to have more of an achieving mindset or a receiving mindset when it comes to God’s love and our salvation? How can we balance the fact that salvation is a free gift with the fact that the Bible does command us to do good things for God?
• It’s often been said that the true value of something is whatever the buyer is willing to pay. God was willing to sacrifice his beloved son for you. What does that say about your worth in God’s eyes?