Hebrews 8
1 Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. 2 There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands.3 And since every high priest is required to offer gifts and sacrifices, our High Priest must make an offering, too. 4 If he were here on earth, he would not even be a priest, since there already are priests who offer the gifts required by the law. 5 They serve in a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave him this warning: “Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.”6 But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises.7 If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it.
This passage is such a beautiful reminder of the triune ministry of Jesus that is happening right now in the tabernacle or tent of heaven, from the highest authority, the throne room of God Most High. From this place of authority Jesus offers atonement for our sin as our high priest. He prophetically bestows purpose, destiny, and identity onto us. Finally all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him, and through our submission to Him has been made available to us, as He is King Jesus.
This revelation and how we are impacted by it, changes every aspect of how we view our lives in light of our relationship with Him.
As our priest we know that we are made to be in right standing before God. Jesus’s ministry does not falter or fall short, He has provided a perfect blood sacrifice to cleanse us of all our sin. When we believe in Him and the finished work of the cross, we can also believe that we are right before God when we confess and repent from our sins. For this reason we can be confident we are saved not by our own human works, but by only the finished work of the cross.
As our prophet we know that our lives are not defined by what we see, feel or have experienced. When we come into a saving relationship with Jesus, our dead sin lives are then resurrected by the Holy Spirit into Jesus’s perfect life. As we learn to live in this new life, we come to our relationship in Jesus to hear Him prophetically speak who we now are through this new covenant. His Word declares we are sons and daughters of Father God, even when we feel like orphans. His words say we are clean, even when we feel dirty and ashamed. Prophecy from the Word of God is always true whether we believe it or not, but prophecy only becomes our reality if we choose to walk in it, despite how we feel. The more you apply and steward the prophetic word of Jesus to your life, the more your life is transformed by His prophecy.
Jesus King of all the Universe. This is my favorite aspect of His ministry. He has been seated in the highest authority in all of creation. There is no other name in heaven or on earth that is above the name of Jesus. Today He rules exclusively from the throne room of heaven. Though one day soon, He will establish a new heaven and a new earth and every knee shall bow and every tongue confess under His authority that He is King of all. That is exciting! Meanwhile, He is still King of all and He is still on His heavenly throne. Though we get to choose whether or not we want to submit to His authority and kingship in our lives. Again, as we choose to submit to His lordship and confess Him as King of our lives, we make room for His authority to work through us as ambassadors of His Kingdom. We can heal the sick, cast out demons and raise the dead all through simply invoking the authority of His name. Serving Jesus and being a Christian is not a form of passivity. It's a contact sport. As we tear down the kingdom of hell around us, we in turn build the Kingdom of God through our lives and invite people to encounter King Jesus.
I love this theologically rich passage in Hebrews 8. I love that it reminds me that Jesus is actively engaged in my life, and that I am called to receive all that He is doing on my behalf. I am called to receive Him as my High Priest, My Prophet, and as High King, Lord of all.
Love,
Pastor John
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