JESUS IS OUR ETERNAL HIGH PRIEST

Psalm 110:4-7 says, "The Lord has taken an oath and will not break his vow: 'You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.' The Lord stands at your right hand to protect you. He will strike down many kings when his anger erupts. He will punish the nations and fill their lands with corpses; he will shatter heads over the whole earth. But he himself will be refreshed from brooks along the way. He will be victorious." The first part of Psalm 110 describes the kingship of our Lord Jesus Christ. When He returns to this earth a second time, He will reign as the King of Kings. The second part of Psalm 110 describes His priesthood. Our Lord Jesus Christ is both the King of Kings and the High Priest. As the High Priest, He both represents us before our God the Father, and He represents our Heavenly Father before us. In the Old Testament, all priests were required to come from the lineage of Aaron, who was the brother of Moses. However, the priestly line of our Lord Jesus is traced back to Melchizedek, who lived long before Aaron was born. This distinction is why the priesthood of our Lord Jesus is considered far superior.

Our Lord Jesus has the authority to forgive our sins because He is our High Priest. Since He represents us before our Heavenly Father, we pray to our God the Father through our Lord Jesus, and this is the reason we pray in the name of our Lord Jesus. He is our only perfect mediator. Hebrews 4:14-16 says, "So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings (trials or hardship) we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." Our Lord Jesus can understand all of our difficulties, failures, and mistakes. He is not the God who is always upset and angry, ready to punish us when we sin, but He is the God who is ready to forgive when we humble ourselves before Him, confess our sins, and ask for forgiveness. 

Our Lord Jesus is both our King and High Priest. He has the right to bring judgment to the wickedness of this world, but He also has the right to forgive those who humble themselves before Him, confess their sins, and ask for forgiveness. Let us be confident because we have a High Priest who loves us, is always with us, and cares for us.

Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) What does it mean that my Lord Jesus is my High Priest? Who should I approach when I need forgiveness and help? How should I feel knowing that I have a High Priest who loves and cares for me?

Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven, I can come before you boldly because of what my Lord Jesus has done for me. My Lord Jesus sacrificed His life for me to restore my relationship with you. I am not alone because I have a High Priest who understands, loves, and cares about me. Please give me wisdom and direct my path as I deal with what concerns me today. Thank you, Jesus, for being my High Priest. In your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.