3 December | Teens
«Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.» Hebrews 4: 16
The book of Hebrews is the most important book we have in the whole Bible for understanding Jesus' ministry as our High Priest. But what is a high priest? In the Old Testament, the high priest was someone very special chosen by God to take care of the sacred things in the temple. He played an important role as an intermediary between the people and God. One of the high priest's most significant tasks was to enter the holiest place in the temple, called the Holy of Holies, once a year, on the Day of Atonement, to make offerings for the sins of the people.
In Hebrews, the author states that today Jesus is our High Priest in Heaven! He is in Heaven, interceding for us. When we pray, it's as if Jesus himself picks up our prayer and takes it to God. That's why we end our prayers with the phrase “in Jesus' name.” It's as if we were signing our prayer with His name. Best of all, Jesus understands us perfectly. He is more than perfect for this role, because He knows what it's like to be human, because He became human when He came to earth. He faced challenges and temptations, so He understands all our difficulties. That's why we can trust that our High Priest is interceding for us every day before God the Father!
Take Action
How about researching and designing the clothes of a high priest? You could also try to discover the meaning of the twelve stones he carried in his breastplate. This could help you better understand the role of the high priest in the Old Testament and appreciate even more Jesus' ministry as our High Priest today.