1 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, 2 a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer. 4 For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; 5 who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” 6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.
Commentary
Vs. 1 "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"
If Jews thought that Christians were somehow lacking because they had the temple and the priesthood and all that was found and required in the Law, then sadly they were missing it all, because the Lord Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Law! And all that they were still holding onto was only a foreshadow of Christ Himself and His Ministry on our behalf. And so unlike Aaron and the earthly priesthood that came through him, which only served God in the earthly Tabernacle, then Temple, both of which were only made by human hands. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Everlasting High Priest of God who is now seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, and thus He alone intercedes for us from there. Something which Aaron and the high priests who followed him could never do, because of their sinful and mortal nature. For even here on earth they could only enter the holy of the holiness behind the veil only once a year, and only after going through great preparations to sanctify both the altar, the temple, the priests, the people, as well as themselves, so that their offering would be accepted, and they themselves would not be consumed by God's Holiness, for any sort of irreverence on their part (consider Lev. 10:1-3, 16:1-34). And so consider our Most Blessed State with God for we do not need an earthly priest to intercede for us, for we have Christ Himself as our High Priest before God who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.
Vs. 2 "a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man."
The Lord Jesus Christ alone is the Minister of the heavenly sanctuary and the true tabernacle which the Lord erected and not man. A read of the Book of Revelations and the related passages of it will reveal that Christ's realm and Ministry is that of God's alone. All then that God commanded be done on earth was just types and figures, representations, of His own true heavenly Ministry (vs. 5).
Vs. 3 "For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer."
Following the model that God Himself ordained that the high priest would be the one to offer both the gifts, as well as the required sacrifices for sins, it was thus necessary that this One (a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ) also have something to offer.
Vs. 4 "For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law;"
The Jesus the Messiah then did not serve as a priest on earth because there are priests who offer gifts and sacrifices according to the law, who were called by God through the tribe of Levi to serve Him there, to serve the copies and the shadow of the reality (vs. 5), all which is found fulfilled in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. His high priestly service then is not that of the earthly sanctuary but rather the heavenly, where He serves God the Father as High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek forever.
Vs. 5 who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”
And so it would be impossible for the Lord Jesus Christ to serve on earth as a priest, because He would then only be serving the copy and shadow of what He Himself came to fulfill! And that was not His purpose for coming forth from God, rather that purpose was for those descended from Levi, to prepare the people for the coming and finial sacrifice of Christ Himself. Therefore when God commanded Moses to make the Tabernacle, God solemnly told him to make all things according to the pattern shown him on the mountain.
Vs. 6 "But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises."
Therefore the Lord Jesus Christ has obtained a more excellent ministry, because His is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. The Lord Jesus Christ than is not a Minister of the Old Covenant, but of the New (2 Cor 3:5-11) which establishes for us eternal salvation because it was given through better promises which Christ Himself has fulfilled and will fulfill as He keeps us all who believe in Him secured in Himself for the day of redemption. Consider then that A Better Sanctuary, A Better Ministry, A Better Covenant, all equates with a better life both here and now and for eternity for us all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, because He is Ministering for us all who believe in Him through Better Promises. For that is what is the result of Christ's Sacrifice add Service on our behalf, not only the remission of all our sins and everlasting life the moment we believe in Him, but also abundant life here and now as we follow Him, all which culminates in an eternity with Him. Therefore if you have been seeking life and liberty and freedom and fulfillment and significance for yourself and have not found it, maybe it is because what you are doing and pursuing is not capable of doing that? For all the deepest longings of our souls are only satisfied when we are reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, as Jesus Himself said: "I Am the bread of life, he who comes to Me shall never hunger, and He who believes in Me shall never thirst." John 6:35
The Lord Jesus Christ alone then can and satisfy all those God placed deep longings within you when you come home to God the Father by faith in Him, something that mere "religion" will never do (Luke 15:11-32). Therefore I urge you be reconciled to God today, by repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for then you will be not only be saved and satisfied from on High, but you will also be transformed by the renewing and the regeneration of the Holy Spirit which will bring Christ's life and purposes into you, and thus He will begin a new life in you and work out everlasting purposes through you, impacting lives all around you, therefore don't delay be reconciled to God today!
Scripture Quotations
Vs. 3 "For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer."
Following the model that God Himself ordained that the high priest would be the one to offer both the gifts, as well as the required sacrifices for sins, it was thus necessary that this One (a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ) also have something to offer.
Vs. 4 "For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law;"
The Jesus the Messiah then did not serve as a priest on earth because there are priests who offer gifts and sacrifices according to the law, who were called by God through the tribe of Levi to serve Him there, to serve the copies and the shadow of the reality (vs. 5), all which is found fulfilled in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. His high priestly service then is not that of the earthly sanctuary but rather the heavenly, where He serves God the Father as High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek forever.
Vs. 5 who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”
And so it would be impossible for the Lord Jesus Christ to serve on earth as a priest, because He would then only be serving the copy and shadow of what He Himself came to fulfill! And that was not His purpose for coming forth from God, rather that purpose was for those descended from Levi, to prepare the people for the coming and finial sacrifice of Christ Himself. Therefore when God commanded Moses to make the Tabernacle, God solemnly told him to make all things according to the pattern shown him on the mountain.
Vs. 6 "But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises."
Therefore the Lord Jesus Christ has obtained a more excellent ministry, because His is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. The Lord Jesus Christ than is not a Minister of the Old Covenant, but of the New (2 Cor 3:5-11) which establishes for us eternal salvation because it was given through better promises which Christ Himself has fulfilled and will fulfill as He keeps us all who believe in Him secured in Himself for the day of redemption. Consider then that A Better Sanctuary, A Better Ministry, A Better Covenant, all equates with a better life both here and now and for eternity for us all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, because He is Ministering for us all who believe in Him through Better Promises. For that is what is the result of Christ's Sacrifice add Service on our behalf, not only the remission of all our sins and everlasting life the moment we believe in Him, but also abundant life here and now as we follow Him, all which culminates in an eternity with Him. Therefore if you have been seeking life and liberty and freedom and fulfillment and significance for yourself and have not found it, maybe it is because what you are doing and pursuing is not capable of doing that? For all the deepest longings of our souls are only satisfied when we are reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, as Jesus Himself said: "I Am the bread of life, he who comes to Me shall never hunger, and He who believes in Me shall never thirst." John 6:35
The Lord Jesus Christ alone then can and satisfy all those God placed deep longings within you when you come home to God the Father by faith in Him, something that mere "religion" will never do (Luke 15:11-32). Therefore I urge you be reconciled to God today, by repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for then you will be not only be saved and satisfied from on High, but you will also be transformed by the renewing and the regeneration of the Holy Spirit which will bring Christ's life and purposes into you, and thus He will begin a new life in you and work out everlasting purposes through you, impacting lives all around you, therefore don't delay be reconciled to God today!
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
Additional Resources Consulted
Additional Resources Consulted
Vs. 1. MacDonald, William. Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. Edited by Arthur Farstad. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995.
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