Jesus our High Priest and Mediator

INTRODUCTION

In post 1 and 2 we have laid the fountain to spread awareness of Biblical teachings concerning the priesthood of all believers in Christ and how crucial this truth is in the functioning of the individual Christian and their service in the congregation and the world. We focused on the priesthood’s vital function as ministers of reconciliation in the house of God and the world. We explored the importance of their priestly service as co-workers of Christ in proclaiming Christ as the mediating High Priest who reconciled humans with God and God with humans.

We also focused on Old Testament Scriptures to show that it was God’s will and command since antiquity that His people should all be part of the priesthood who are close to Him and have access to His presence. This invitation has been rejected since the people of the Lord chose distance. The Old Testament prophetic literature also mentioned that there will be a multiplication of the priesthood in the last days. In Christ we are invited again to come close as a priesthood. Will the church and believers reject it again?

In this post we will focus on Christ, the High Priest and Mediator. Important questions to ask: Who is Jesus really? What does He want to be for us and for those we serve? What is Jesus doing after his ascension and positioning at the right hand of the Father? How does this affect our ministry skills, our experience of salvation and our relationship with Him? In this post we aim to show the necessity to know who Jesus is and His prominent role in all aspects of a Christian’s existence. We will go on a journey from before the creation and foundation of the world through His earthly ministry and His glorious and exalted heavenly ministry often neglected in preaching and teaching.

A) The Necessity of knowing who Jesus is

The extent of the revelation of who Christ is, or the spiritual knowledge or insight that one has received and the relationship in which one stands to Him, as well as the fellowship that one has with Him, is decisive for one’s spiritual progress and ministry skills. One can either experience a failed spiritual life or excel and flourish spiritually. Paul writes that we are transformed by the extent of the revelation we received of who Christ is. The better we know Him, the greater the extent of transformation or metamorphosis that takes place.

Focus on the undermentioned scriptures for a while: Ephesians 4:13 “..until we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the full size of Christ“
2 Corinthians 3:15-18 “Yes, to this day, when Moses is read, there is a covering over their heart; but when they are converted to the Lord, the covering is taken away. The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And while we all behold the glory of the Lord with uncovered face as in a mirror, we are transformed (metamorphosis) into the same image, from glory to glory, as by the Lord who is the Spirit.“
Metamorphosis is an unrecognizable change that takes place by them that makes time to get to know Him better.

John 1:26 “John answered them and said: I baptize with water, but among you stands He whom you do not know.“
There is someone among you whom you do not know. Isn’t this statement that John made true to us, the church and the world? Do we really know Him? There are so many unknown dimensions of His being that we don’t know. Let us focus on some of the important aspects of the person of Christ. We can begin with His Mediation and what it really means to Have a High Priest.

B) Mediation of Jesus our High Priest

1 Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus“
Hebrews 8:6 “But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry in so far as He is also Mediator of a better covenant which is legally based on better promises.“
Hebrews 12:24 “and with Jesus, the Mediator of the new testament, and the blood of the sprinkling that speaks of better things than Abel.“

A mediator is someone who intervenes between two parties to achieve reconciliation and peace. The reconciliation could not take place without the intervention of the Mediator. The reconciliation thus implies estrangement between parties. The Mediator initiates and brings about reconciliation, maintains it, promotes it and carries it through to the end. He is the Master of a close relationship. He knows what maintains it. We can put our trust in Him to bring it about and maintain this close relationship with God for us.

Prophets represent God to the people. Priests represent humans to God. Jesus, as High Priest, intercedes for us with God and is The Prophet through whom God speaks to us. (Hebrews 1 and John 1) He does this in his capacity as the King with divine power and authority to whom all power in heaven and on earth has been given. (Matthew 28)

All communication or traffic from God to man takes place through the Mediator Jesus. So also all communication or traffic from humans to God takes place through Jesus. He is the only medium for communication between God and humans. He is the door, the way, the ladder, bridge, “gateway” to the heavenly world.

C) The Mediation of Jesus is extensive

1) CHRIST’S PRE-HISTORICAL MINISTRY

Christ’s pre-historical mediation proves His pre-existence – his existence before the creation of the world. We can refer to His pre-incarnate ministry or prehistorical ministry BEFORE THE FOUNDATION of the world, as Mediator, as His pre-existence or prehistoric ministry since God created all things through Him.

a) Hebrews 1:1 “After God spoke in ancient times to the fathers by the prophets at many times and in many ways, He has in these last days spoken to us by His Son.”
Hebrews 1:2 “whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.“
John 1:3 “All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything that was made.“
Colossians 1:16 “…all things were made through Him and for Him.“
“Let US make man in our image.” as Genesis states. This also makes us aware that the Trinity existed before the creation.
Hebrews 1:10 “You, O Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands.“

b) We learn of His Omnipotence in the creation of the solar system, the works of his hands. HIS DIVINITY AND OMNIPOTENCE. God therefore creates through His Son. At creation Jesus acts as Mediator. Hebrews 1:10 reminds us of the creation as the works of His hands.

c) According to Ephesians, we are chosen by Jesus before the foundation of the earth.

2) CHRIST’S EARTHLY MINISTRY

a) During Jesus’ earthly ministry, he again acts as Mediator through whom the Lord reveals himself. He teaches, preaches and works miracles. He is sent as the predestined lamb of God to complete his mission to earth at the predetermined time.

b) His humanity, sacrifice, love, mercy, concern for his creation, obedience to the Father’s will are emphasized. God becomes flesh and walks among men as the PREDESTINED LAMB of God to be sacrificed as a substitute (vicarious) in our place or on our behalf. An atoning sacrifice for humanity, for those who believe in Him. He intervenes once again to take the punishment that brings peace with God for us, upon Himself at the crucifixion. Isaiah 53. FORGIVENESS, PENANCE, CORRECTION, REDEMPTION, ATONEMENT and PROPITIATION. Everything has been done by Him to put us in the right relationship with God.

3) CHRIST’S HEAVENLY MINISTRY. AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER. TO FULFIL WHAT HE ACCOMPLISHED ON THE CROSS.

The mediation of Jesus does not end after his crucifixion. After his resurrection, appearance to more than 500 people, ascension, His entry into the Holy of Holies to present his sacrifice to God to pave the way for us, His glorification, positioning at the right hand of God, in all of this, His mediation is continued in the offices of High Priest, Prophet and King.

a) There is an important reason for Jesus’ ascension and it is of cardinal importance for our understanding and experience as well as our practical implementation of our Christian life and also for our relationship in which we stand with the Lord. It affects all facets of our Christian life such as prayer, ministry, faith-life and experience.

b) From another Platform. With His earthly ministry, He emptied Himself, but with His heavenly ministry He shook off everything that is earthly and fully took up His divine status to exercise vital functions. He was called and anointed to carry out tasks to HOLD His OFFICE AS HIGH PRIEST. Now from a different platform, not the earthly with limitations, but the heavenly with no limitations.

c) With divine authority and divine competence, He is able to do what He promises and to do all He wants to. He acts from another platform, from heaven, without limitation. From a heavenly position of power. Heavenly divine authority, power, legal capacity, capable, with permission to do just what He wants, with all power in hand, unlimited power. With better effect, without earthly limitations such as time and space.
God saves, reconciles, grants repentance, adopts us as children and regenerates us, sanctifies us, redeems us, elects us, grants the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:33) to us and eternal life through His Son. All of God’s saving works are done through and by Jesus.

d) He opens the heavenly treasury for those who come through Him, the only Mediator. “No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)
Ephesians 2:18 “for through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.”

e) Hebrews 9 – After His earthly mission He ascended into heaven and appeared before the face of God in the heavenly sanctuary. His mission was accomplished and God granted His approval and acceptance of the sacrifice. This reconciled everything in heaven and on earth. This is Christ’s “homecoming”. That which God and all heavenly beings and humanity longed for, namely the reconciliation of all with God, is now accomplished. Thus He opens the sanctuary for us to approach God through Him to receive grace at the right time for ourselves and the people we serve.

f) All spiritual sacrifices that we bring to Him are also made through Him. Christ takes, as it were, all our imperfect thanksgivings, prayers, service, praises and good works, sanctifies them, and offers them to the Father. Hebrews 13:15; Romans 1:8 & 7:25; Colossians 3:17.

g) On a continuous basis, He is an advocate for us with God. We therefore pray with Jesus for the people we serve.

h) He is also trustworthy, consistent, merciful, kind and compassionate.

i) Appointed over God’s house (us). There He dwells. Hebrews 1 – Available, present, near, involved. It teaches what Jesus did and is doing. It teaches what we must do.

D) From the Old Testament, which is a shadow of Him who was to come and the book of Hebrews, we learn:

• That there are similarities, additions and contrasts that emphasize the excellence of Jesus.
• Perfect in contrast to weak human priests.
• Perfect in His love and care for God’s house.
• Perfect in His sympathy, compassion and empathy because He walked the path of birth, suffering, rejection and crucifixion. Therefore He can help us because He was human and was tempted Himself.
• Perfect because He is eternal and immortal. His priesthood is not passed on to others.
• He is God and can accomplish things that are far beyond the ability of human priests.
• He was sinless and brought the perfect sacrifice to God to reconcile us and took the punishment upon Himself and won favour with God for us.
• Unlimited bargaining power as the Son of God, the “appointed”, authorized High Priest who successfully completed His mission to earth as the Lamb of God.
• HOW EFFECTIVE CAN SUCH A PERSON BE TO INTERCEDE FOR US, AND GIVE US ACCESS TO THE THRONE OF GOD 1 John 2:1 to 2.
• Benefits of this access: Heavenly treasures, wisdom, creativity, mysteries, plans for survival, gifts, salvation, solutions to complex problems, powers, grace and to know Him.

CONCLUSION

Jesus died for us and also rose for us but also ascended into heaven for us and sat down at the right hand of God to be High Priest and Mediator for us and those whom we serve. Jesus is glorified with divine authority, able to be an effective advocate with God for us and the people we serve. He received God’s approval for the successful completion of his mission to earth. This acceptance of His sacrifice by God in the sanctuary before the face of God, before whom He appeared for us, opened the way to the sanctuary. Thus everything was done to reconcile us to God.

The Sanctuary and Mercy Seat of God is therefore open to those who want to enter with boldness and faith in the saving work of Jesus, on His merits and by virtue of His office as High Priest, as priests of God to effectively make requests to God on behalf of the people we serve. The reconciliation through Jesus that made the close relationship with Him possible will enable us to know His will so that all our requests and prayers are answered.

In the next post we will focus on the meaning and effect of Christ’s sacrifice. The modern human is not so familiar with the word sacrifice, although it is so important to understand for our salvation. Ancient people in the Old Testament had a very good understanding of the practise and it was part of their daily religious practices. We aim to clarify this important spiritual concept since it is vital for our salvation.