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Tuesday, June 10, 2003
Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, “You are my Son.” - Hebrews 5:5
TODAY IN THE WORD
Recently a prominent university professor lost his job when the college administration discovered that he had consistently lied about his credentials, especially his record of military service in the Vietnam conflict. He had not, in fact, even served in the military, much less been decorated with medals. He claimed honors for himself that he had no right to claim. Our passage today wants us to understand that the role of high priest has never been open to anyone based on their own claims to be an adequate mediator between God and humanity. Instead, one may hold this position only by God’s call.

This is important for us to grasp if we’re going to have proper confidence to go to Jesus as our intercessor before God (vv. 15-16). We may think Jesus’ qualifications to serve are self-evident; but from the standpoint of the Mosaic Law, Jesus isn’t qualified because He wasn’t from the tribe of Levi (cf. Heb. 7:14, Num. 18:5-8). Hebrews reminds us that ultimately God’s call really makes one a high priest. God has the right to appoint whomever He desires as high priest.

As we have seen before, Hebrews doesn’t simply dismiss the Old Testament. Rather, this book is filled with quotations from the Old Testament, demonstrating that the Old Testament itself looks forward to the time when God would bring something new. God has not, in appointing Jesus as high priest, reversed Himself. We find in the Old Testament itself that God would appoint His Son as a priest in the order of Melchizedek (Heb. 5:5-6). Jesus is truly qualified to serve as our high priest–not because of His lineage, but because of God’s call.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Aren’t you glad that Jesus is our great high priest, and that He always intercedes for us before the Father? Take time today in prayer to thank Him for suffering on our behalf. Also, thank the Father for appointing Jesus as our eternal high priest, and thank the Holy Spirit for revealing this to us in Scripture. Then pick a song of praise to sing to Jesus such as “Crown Him with Many Crowns” or “Before the Throne,” and go forth with joy to serve Him today!

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