Jesus as High Priest

Jesus’ first act as High Priest was to enter into heaven itself—the true sanctuary—to obtain an eternal redemption. Then the devil, Satan, who had accused the saints before God day and night, was cast down from heaven. Rev. 12:7-11; Luke 10:18. In this way Jesus cleansed the heavens by His blood, and now He stands in the presence of God—not as our accuser, but as our intercessor. Heb. 7:25; 9:11-28.

“[God] . . . make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ.” Heb. 13:21. This describes Jesus as our Mediator. We are God’s field. Jesus has redeemed us for God by His blood. Obviously God wants to cultivate His field, and it is through Jesus Christ that He brings forth in us what is pleasing to Him.

If we take the illustration of a field, with a landowner and his manager who cultivates it for him, we can call God the “landowner” and Jesus the “manager.” The manager sits in the office with the landowner and plans the cultivation of the various plots of ground. Then he goes to work according to the landowner’s will. However, the “manager” also has many co-workers: first and foremost the Holy Spirit; secondly those whom He has placed in the church, who through obedience are being saved and trained to become “managers.” These are His brethren—sacrificial priests of the Lord Jesus Christ. But Christ Himself is the Chief Shepherd.

The manager doesn’t just have to execute the landowner’s plans; he must also produce results. We can say that the landowner wants to make a profit. “You also . . . are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Pet. 2:5. We can see that the fruit reverts to God through Jesus Christ.

Here are some examples of spiritual sacrifices: “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” Heb. 13:15-16. “Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.” Phil. 4:18. We can also say it in other words: spiritual sacrifices are the fruit of the Spirit. Gal. 5:22.

“Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man. For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer.” Heb. 8:1-3.

In the first covenant the priests brought not only sin and guilt offerings, but also peace offerings, burnt offerings, and gifts. Every man came with his basket full of the things with which God had blessed him. When he came with his offerings he testified before the priest of God’s goodness to him: that God had led him from the house of bondage and fulfilled all His good words to him. In other words, he testified to the fact that God had kept His part of the covenant, and now he was keeping his part, and this gave him boldness to ask for even greater blessings. Deut. 26.

“Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer.” This is obvious. There has to be a result from the work the manager has expended on the land he has purchased. Everybody understands this when it concerns earthly things. It will become clear to us spiritually as well, if, using the same illustration, we read Romans 5:10 as follows: “For if when we were barren land we were purchased for the landowner, by the manager’s death, how much more, having been purchased, shall we be cultivated by His life?”

If His death produced such great results, how much greater will be the results of His life before God’s face? If He does not succeed in bringing forth fruit from us, but we bear thorns and thistles instead—the works of the flesh, Gal. 5:19—we know that wrath, seeking honor, anxiety, greed, etc., is not something our heavenly High Priest can bring as an offering. But when the landowner asks: “How is it going with the plot of land that is Demas and Diotrephes?” The manager will intercede for them and suggest new methods; perhaps then they will bear fruit.

“But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God . . . .” Gal. 4:9. The field becomes acquainted with the landowner once the manager begins to cultivate it; but it is much greater if the landowner gets to know the land by the fruits, which the manager presents to him. Rev. 3:5. He asks, “Have you harvested yet on Timothy’s land and on Demetrius’ land?” “Yes, those are valuable parcels of land on which we have to expend even more effort.” John 15:2.

You may pray to God to bless you, which is well and good; but it is far better if others can praise God for you. Some people are always so poor that they have nothing to give whether it be temporal or spiritual goods. They expect others to help them, and they have, in a way, convinced themselves that they have nothing. They are only interested in receiving. A person like that is bound to remain poor. If you would be rich, you must sow and keep on sowing. No matter how little seed a farmer has on hand, he must sow it rather than use it for bread. If he sows it, he will have plenty of bread to supply his needs later on; but if he does not sow it, he will go hungry.

If you do not give the little you have so that others will have a reason to praise God for you, you will always suffer lack no matter how much you pray. Read 2 Cor. 9:6-15. There will be abundant fruit because many will give thanks for you to God. Paul himself prayed, but he nevertheless asked the Corinthians for their help “that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.” 2 Cor. 1:11. This was extremely effectual. Now the “landowner” could easily see that His grace had not been bestowed in vain on Paul’s parcel of land. 1 Cor. 15:10.

I profess the gospel of Christ by the fruit of my life just as the plant that sprouts up shows what has been sown. 2 Cor. 9:13. It is the epistle of Christ that can be read by all men. 2 Cor. 3:2-3. Let us not dishonor our heavenly High Priest. He who reconciled us to God by His death will save us much more by His life before the Father for our sake. Let us be thankful for His work in our lives, for His chastening, so that we can be partakers of His holiness—the blessed fruits of righteousness. Heb. 12:10-14.

“. . . I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” John 15:16.

These blessed fruits of righteousness remain. The fruits that are presented to the Father by our heavenly High Priest will become our treasures, reserved for us in heaven, where thieves cannot break in and steal. We become rich in God. What a glorious result from a life that was lived in this sinful world.

“Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them.” Heb. 7:25. Just consider how great He is, this Melchizedek—Jesus, our heavenly High Priest. Vs. 4.