Sunday, April 5, 2015

The High Priest of a New Covenant





4.5.2015 Easter Sunday                     Hebrews 7:23-8:13 The High Priest of a New Covenant


The Resurrection of our Lord

Jesus is our eternal High Priest whose sacrifice was for all people for all time. This passage deals with the argument that Jesus is an eternal high priest after the order of Melchizedek. The Levitical priests of the past were compelled to give up their priesthood because of death, but Jesus lives forever! Therefore He can save all for all time because He is a living Christ who intercedes for all who call upon Him.

Not only is Christ the high priest eternal, but He is sinless as He is seated at the right hand of God in exaltation. His sacrifice was perfect and timeless. Therefore, other sacrifices are unnecessary.[2]

We need an intercessor who alone is Christ Jesus our Savior.  His perfect sacrifice made it possible for the Father and disobedient people to be reconciled.  This reality is made perfectly clear to us today. Because of what Jesus did on Good Friday we can be guaranteed a happy and blessed Easter.

Almighty God the Father, through Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, You have overcome death and opened the gate of everlasting life to us. Grant that we, who celebrated with joy the day of our Lord’s resurrection may be raised from the death of sin by Your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen[3]


[1] Schnorr von Carolsfeld woodcuts © WELS permission granted for personal and congregational use
[2] Lectionary Preaching Workbook Series B, John Brokhoff, pg.296, © 1981 CSS Publishing. Lima, OH
[3] Collect for Easter, Lutheran Service Book, © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis

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