The Great High Priest

In the book of Hebrews, Paul focused on how Christ and the new covenant were greater than the Law of Moses.  One of the terms that he repeatedly used for Christ was “high priest”, showing both how the Levitical high priests were a prefiguration of Christ but also how Christ was greater than they.  Paul called Jesus “a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17).  Just as the high priests went in on the Day of Atonement to make a sacrifice for the people, Christ also made “reconciliation” for the people and their transgressions.  But His sacrifice was greater. 

The high priests of the Law of Moses “entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others” to make the sacrifice both for themselves and for the people (Hebrews 9:25).  But Christ was different: He was “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself” (Hebrews 7:26-27).  Christ was perfect and needed no sacrifice for Himself, and He did not need to make repeated sacrifices like the Levitical high priests.  His sacrifice was “not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl” but as Amulek taught, “an infinite and eternal sacrifice” (Alma 34:10).  The high priests of the Mosaic law were those from the tribe of Levi who held the Aaronic priesthood.  Paul emphasized how Christ as a high priest had a greater priesthood; He was “called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec” (Hebrews 5:10).  And whereas the Law of Moses with its ordinances and high priests was only temporary, Jesus was “made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec” (Hebrews 6:20).  Christ’s Priesthood is forever. 

                Paul always employed the term of “high priest” for Christ in order to help the Hebrews to look to Him as their source of salvation and help.  Surely the ancient Israelites looked to the high priest as a prominent figure in their midst to whom they could go and receive blessings from God.  Given that, it seems that Paul wanted them to see how much more important it was to come to Christ, the great high priest who was not a fallible mortal like the Mosaic high priests.  He called the Savior “the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus” (Hebrews 3:1).  In other words, Christ was the high priest of their faith and testimony.  He also wrote that Christ was “come an high priest of good things to come” (Hebrews 9:11).  Through Christ we can look forward to good things, most important of which is our salvation which is made sure through Christ.  And Christ was one in whom they could trust because He understood their trials and temptations perfectly: “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.” (Hebrews 4:14-15).  Even though He was perfect, because Christ came down to earth like us and made himself “lower than the angels”, He endured and experienced the whole of human life, suffering, and death (Hebrews 2:7).  And because of that He can be touched in all the feelings of our infirmities and mortal experiences.  Christ is the great high priest in whom we can place all our trust.