Mike
Scriptures:
Hebrews 4:14-16 Exodus 28:1
Leviticus 8:6 Numbers 8:11 Numbers 16 Luke 7:26-28
Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16
When the priesthood was first established, Moses was instructed by God to bring his brother Aaron, and his sons from among the people of Israel, they are to minister as “priests to Me”. From the beginning of the priesthood, the priests were not only to minister for God but it was to be by His appointment. When Korah tried to alter the terms of the priesthood by claiming that any Israelite could be a priest, it met with the wrath of God and He caused the earth to swallow them up.
It clearly follows that Jesus would have to meet all the parameters for the priesthood or He would not be acceptable to the Father and would not have opened the way for us to come boldly before the Throne of Grace.
In Matthew 5:17 Jesus confirms that He has not come to destroy the law, or the prophets: “I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”
John the Baptist was a Prophet and a Priest.
John was the only person in Israel that Jesus could come to in order for Him to fulfil the Law. Jesus’ coming to John showed His approval of John's baptism, bearing witness to it, that it was from heaven and approved by God. Jesus recognizes that there is something that both He and John must do in order to proceed in both their ministries, this is the point of no return. The preparation work was finished, the wineskin was ready for the new challenge, nothing from this day on will be the same and part of that is going to be done in Him receiving John’s baptism. He clarifies to John, that “I am not being baptized because I need repentance. I am being baptized in order to fulfil all righteousness; to fulfil all right standing before God”.
John as a Prophet was able to ceremonially wash Jesus for His consecration as our Great High Priest, in the same way that Moses did to Aaron.
And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water. Leviticus 8:6
John as a Priest was able to offer Jesus before the Lord as a wave offering from the people of Israel, that He may do the service of the Lord for His 3 ½ year ministry on earth.
And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the LORD. Numbers 8:11
Although Jesus was not a Levite, His baptism represents His entry into public ministry. It says that He was consecrated, set apart, showing that God had called Jesus into service and that He was to serve in His Father's kingdom, and was going to align Himself with the Father.
We know the Father’s response to this ceremony was “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” and the descending of Holy Spirit in the form of the dove upon Jesus. Here we have a picture of the Triune Everlasting God in complete unity about the journey that they will walk in the next 3 ½ years. It also depicts the work of the Father, Son, and Spirit in the salvation of those Jesus came to save. The Father loves the elect from before the foundation of the world, He sends His Son to seek and save the lost, and the Spirit convicts of sin and draws the believer to the Father through the Son. All the glorious truth of the mercy of God through Jesus Christ is on display at His baptism.
In Christ, we have the perfect High Priest to represent us before God the Father. He totally fulfills every divine requirement and completely understands every human frailty. Through doing so, He completely knows and understands what we go through as His people living in this fallen world and opens the way to the Throne of Grace for us all.
Prayer: We give You thanks Father for sending Your Son to fulfill the whole law so that we may freely, boldly come to Your Throne of Grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
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