Devotional - Luke Lusted - Threefold Office | A Greater Priest

First Baptist Shreveport

Darryl Strawberry, a story by Justin Carroll, was first published in 2014 in the Gulf Coast Journal of Literature and Fine Arts. One of the unique literary features of Darryl Strawberry was Carroll’s use of descriptive words to explain something he was referencing without explicitly naming that thing. Instead of saying baseball field, he would use words like bleachers, mound, and first base to describe things related to it without actually saying its name. In Genesis, we see Moses use words and ideas associated with the role of a priest without explicitly naming Adam as a priest. A priest is a God-appointed mediator between man and God and performs specific duties such as offering sacrifices to atone for the people’s sins. Adam is portrayed as a priest based on his placement in creation, duties assigned in the creation mandate, and the garments the Lord provides Him after the fall.
Throughout the Old Testament, we see priests and priest-like individuals and groups. After the flood, Noah built an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings, and Job offered burnt offerings on behalf of his children. Next, we see that Israel was named the son of God and called to be a kingdom of priests. The most important priestly figure in the Old Testament is Melchizedek. Hebrews 7 describes Melchizedek and how Jesus is like this priest. Melchizedek embodied the roles given to Adam and pointed forward to Jesus as the High Priest. Melchizedek literally translates as “king of righteousness” and “king of peace,” both terms used in scripture to also define Jesus. Jesus is the priest in the order of Melchizedek, who has a permanent priesthood (Heb. 7:17).
Jesus Christ is our High Priest and the fulfillment of all that came before Him. He was set apart according to the order of Melchizedek and as the anointed One, where The Holy Spirit empowered him at His baptism. Like Adam and the other priests, He guarded and kept the temple, clearing it out when people exchanged money and sold things (Matt. 21:12-13). Most important is Jesus’ sacrificial and atoning work. Sacrifice in the Old Testament was the way to atone for sins. On the Day of Atonement, the annual event where Israel would have their sins atoned for, the High Priest would offer a sacrifice for himself, his house, and God’s covenant people. Only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies to sprinkle the blood of the animal sacrifice at the mercy seat. He would take another animal, transfer the sins of the people on it, and release it into the wilderness. This process both atones for and removes the guilt of sin. Jesus is our High Priest, who offered Himself as the unblemished lamb, the perfect sacrifice. By His work on the cross, He removed sin and guilt from us and God’s wrath over us for all who believe in Him. He mediates God’s presence and intercedes on behalf of His people. Jesus is our High Priest.

As Christians, we have been called a royal priesthood of believers (1 Pet. 2:9). This means that we all mediate the knowledge of God to all people and have the ability to read and understand the teachings in the Bible. We also join in sacrificial giving by presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice, doing good, and sharing with others (Rom 12:8; Heb. 13:15-16). The Holy Spirit empowers us to carry out Jesus’ ministry to the ends of the earth by guarding the church, proclaiming the gospel, and being a light to all. We are a royal priesthood of believers with a great High Priest.