Wednesday, March 4
Read Hebrews 5:1-10
What characteristics of a high priest are described in verses 1-4? Which of those characteristics would apply to Christ and how would they apply? Which do not? Why? I Peter tells us that those of us who are Christians are priests. How do these verses apply to your life? In what ways do these verses apply to our ministry to the world? What keeps you from being that kind of priest in the world? Ask God to help remove whatever obstacle is keeping you from carrying our your mission in the world.
I often find it fun to blatantly ignore questions asked and run on a rabbit trail for a moment or two. There is something in here that I find great comfort in: Jesus was a priest according to the order of Melchizedek (vs. 6 and 10). This is older than even God's covenant with Israel. It is older that even God's covenant with Abraham (as Abraham paid his tithes to Melchizedek long before the priesthood was established with Israel). In a momentary flash if insight (which admittedly don't happen to terribly often), I realized that Jesus’ intercession for us, and consequently our intercession for each other, is even older than Israel itself. I suppose it all falls under the writer of Hebrews wanting to point out over and over how Jesus is better than... In this way, Jesus’ priesthood is better than Israel's priesthood could ever hope to be. In context, I would think that would have been very comforting to the authors immediate audience, as they were looking at the very real possibility (which turned into a reality) of the total destruction of Israel and its priesthood.
ReplyDeleteGrace and Peace,