Perfect Priest - Perfect Sacrifice

One of the many reasons we are intrigued by stories of Super Heroes is their willingness to serve, protect, and help people in need. We all know what it is like to be afraid or feel helpless, and the thought of Super Hero coming to the rescue is appealing. Thus, DC and Marvel have made millions of our fascination with these characters. 

However, some characters become even more precious to us when they do something extraordinary, even for a superhero. When a superhero is willing to die for others, giving up great strength and invulnerability, to become vulnerable and die, is very compelling. Even though most superheroes are altruistic, those who do die don’t die for enemies, or common people, they die for someone they love. 

For those who are willing to die for someone else, their willingness is either earned through respect, i.e. secret service, military, police, etc., or through love. Most people would not be willing to give up their life for someone else, because self-preservation is so instinctual. 

Romans 5:7–8

For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Jesus is different. Jesus is better. Jesus was willing to die for sinners, those who were rebelling against him. Jesus is the true Superhero, he is the Perfect Priest and the Perfect Sacrifice.

Read Hebrews 9:1-12

The High Priest was chosen to represent the people before God once a year on the Day of Atonement. He would take blood from a sin offering, representing the guilt and sin of the nation, and take it into the Holy of Holies to present it to God on the Ark of the Covenant. This was a serious and fearful task, as entering into the Most Holy Place inappropriately would result in death. 

The priestly duties had to be repeated daily, and the High Priest went into the Most Holy Place annually. Their work was a good work that brought worship to God and reconciled the people back to God. But, it was temporary in nature and had to be repeated regularly. The Law and the Sacrifices were incomplete. 

The people needed more than just this temporary system, they need a hero, a Superhero to rescue them. Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, came to be that superhero. In Hebrews 9, we read that he appeared as the High Priest and entered into the eternal tent…what does this mean?

The Tabernacle and Temple were a shadow of the eternal reality. They were emblematic of entering into the presence of God. They were the temporal places on the earth that God chose to allow the people to come into his presence. Jesus, being God, entered into the very presence of God as the High Priest.

The High Priest had to enter into the Holy of Holies with blood or he would die. Jesus offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world and entered into God’s presence with his own blood. This secured a once and for all sacrifice, that does not need to be repeated. 

Blood pictured life and the shedding of blood represents the cost of sin. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness (Heb. 9:22). Jesus shed his blood to secure eternal redemption for those who believe.  

And when he did, something tremendous happened. We read that the offerings would need to be repeated “as long as the first section is still standing” (Heb. 9:8). Well, Jesus’ sacrifice did away with the barrier.

Matthew 27:51 - And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.

The curtain separating the first room from the Holy of Holies was removed by God and access to God, through Jesus Christ, was now made available to all who believe.

As the Perfect Priest and Perfect Sacrifice, Jesus becomes our Superhero, our Redeemer, our Savior. Later in Hebrews 9, Jesus is described as our Mediator, standing in the gap and fighting for us. 

You may not be a superhero, and you may not think you would die for someone else. But there is one who loved you enough to die for you, and his death provided the ultimate provision of eternal life and the forgiveness of sins. Trusting in Jesus changes everything. And those who believe him are called to be like him, to be priests in this world. We will talk more about that next week.