THE SON: A PERFECTLY SUITED HIGH PRIEST. Hebrews 7:26-28 These verses summarize the entire chapter and serve as an introduction to the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ as our High Priest in the following three chapters. We are sinful, but He is holy. We are separated from God, but in God’s presence, He is higher than the heavens. He has offered Himself and is “perfected forever,” and our Savior-Priest has made it possible for us to be where He is.
The Lord Jesus Christ, our High Priest, is holy by nature. He is without blemish in every way, so His sacrifice of Himself met God’s holy standards. He is “harmless” or “guiless,” like an innocent child without evil thoughts. His words were without guile, so if they condemned people, it was clear His words were true. He is without guile “yesterday, today, and forever.” Our Lord was undefiled, unsoiled, uncontaminated, even though He befriended sinners. As our Great High Priest, He will remain forever undefiled. Being separated from sinners doesn’t mean He had no contact with them, but He was a true man who kept Himself from sin. There was nothing in Him that made sin seem attractive. He lived among sinful people without “knowing sin.” He never committed any sin. Now, He is higher than the heavens, at God’s right hand, above all authority, power, dominion, rule, or any person on earth or in heaven. Those who have been “born from above” have a High Priest above. God has seated us with Him in heavenly places. Yet, He sympathizes, loves, and cares for us who have been “dug from the hole of a pit,” because of His sovereign mercy and grace.
In Old Testament times, day after day, there was endless repetition of sacrifices made that could not take away sin, nor was their effect lasting. In contrast, our Lord Jesus offered Himself and laid down His life for “His sheep,” we who were lost sinners. That offering for sin was “once for all.” There is no other offering for sin to be made, nor will there ever be one needed. His sacrifice brought an end to the entire sacrificial system. He dealt with the sin of the past, present, and future, fully completing the work of redemption. The sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ was the final one. Forgiveness of sins is assured when repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ are genuine and personal to the seeking sinner.
There is no infirmity in our Great High Priest like in the priests of Judaism. He is exalted above the heavens in a spiritual body that has no weakness. His eyes never sleep from weariness as He prays for us, and His energy never diminishes as He ministers on our behalf. He is fully and permanently effective forever as our Great High Priest.
Everything we need as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ to be acceptable to God has been accomplished. We cannot add anything to the completeness of His sacrifice. His eternal life empowers everything He does. The purpose of His work for us is that, through Him in us and us in Him, we can approach God with a “new hope”—a fresh and everlasting way. The scope of His priestly work is that He can save completely; nothing is left undone.
This priesthood is eternal! He is a Son, perfected forevermore, and He is our Great High Priest who gives us the life we have and the power to live it in a way that pleases God. We have a full and complete salvation because of God giving His Son to be our Savior. Now, God accepts us in His Son, who lives forever and represents us before God.
All previous priests had personal shortcomings due to their limited human nature and the fact that they were born sinners. The personal excellence of our Lord Jesus Christ and the kind of life He leads—His eternal life—guarantees eternal security and makes His priesthood superior. Christ's holiness characterizes His priesthood, enhancing its superiority. Christ needs no sacrifice for Himself, which also establishes the superiority of His priesthood. Christ, God's Son, is perfect forever by His nature, His practice, and His life. "He knew no sin," "He did no sin"—in Him is no sin. His service is never hindered by anything men might do or any laws they might create, further emphasizing the superiority of His priesthood.
In Hebrews, we learn extensively about the eternal glory of Christ and the everlasting nature of His work: His throne is forever and ever… 1:8. His deity has gained even more glory because He is the Sin-Purger on our behalf and now is the resting Servant who has fulfilled the divine will of His Father. He is the Source of God’s eternal salvation for us… 5:9. The Savior who suffered for us, "The just for the unjust that He might bring us to God," has fully satisfied God's righteous justice on our account. He now serves as God’s High Priest forever for us… 6:20; 7:21,24,25. As High Priest, He continually intercedes for us through His priestly ministry. He has obtained eternal redemption for us… 9:12. Christ, the Redeemer, paid the purchase price for our redemption with His "precious blood." Nothing can be added to it, nor can anything be taken away. We have received the promise of eternal inheritance… 9:15. As the Provider of every "good and perfect gift," we share in God's inheritance with Him as "heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus." He has become the One Sacrifice for sins forever… 10:12. The Substitute who satisfied God on our behalf has ended the necessity for innocent substitutes. He has "made propitiation for our sins," and nothing else will suffice. By His one offering, He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified… 10:14. The Sacrifice God has accepted is the "Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world." God provided a suitable offering, and we are set apart for Him forever because of His sacrifice of Himself. His eternal glory will never diminish. It will be the theme of songs sung by men and angels because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever… 13:8. The King will reign in righteousness, and under His rule, there will be peace. "Of His kingdom there shall be no end."