“Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life” (Hebrews 7:16).
TEXT — Hebrews 7:14-16
Message
The office of the high priest was very significant in Israel. It was held in high esteem as it played a central role in the relationship between God and His chosen people. The priesthood was God’s initiative such that the high priest, supported by other priests, was saddled with the duty of carrying out atoning sacrifices on behalf of the people. The high priest’s role was imperative whenever the people sought to approach the almighty God.
Our passage today reveals a superior priesthood, one that surpasses the Levitical order of Aaron and spans the Old and New Testaments. It introduces Jesus Christ as our eternal High Priest who, according to the flesh, came through the tribe of Judah. This shift from the old order to the new priesthood of Christ is “evident” in the change from the priestly tribe of Levi to the tribe of Judah, that had nothing to do with the priesthood based on God’s revelation to Moses.
Jesus Christ is introduced as the high priest whose priesthood is eternal, heavenly, sufficient to take away the sins of the world and to make us perfect by His efficacious sacrifice at Calvary. By implication, He has broken down every barrier and limitation of the Old Testament priesthood by His sacrifice, made “after the power of an endless life” and not after the law of a carnal commandment. Therefore, Christ’s priesthood offers countless benefits of redemption, which the Old Testament could not provide.
Jesus Christ, our High Priest, abolished the cumbersome ceremonial laws of the Levitical priesthood by tasting death for every man. Therefore, reach out to Him today in faith for cleansing from sin, and receive grace to walk perfectly before God.
Thought for the day
Look no further; all you need to reach God is found in Christ.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
