A High Priest From Birth

It might seem strange to some folks but Jesus was born into the office of high priest. The job of that man in Israel was to bring the blood of the sacrifices for sin into the temple's holy of holies.

This is what Jesus did when he was born, lived a sinless life, and offered his life as a ransom for us. Hebrews 9:14 (KJV) speaks of this much greater sacrifice. "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"

Christ could have had honour and praise in this world but he set it aside so that we would be saved. Matthew 20:28 (KJV) quotes him as saying, "Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."

Hebrews 2:17 (KJV) explains why Christ also set aside his heavenly prerogatives. "Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people."

Better still, Christ understands our weaknesses. Hebrews 4:15 (KJV) explains, "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."

Jesus was born to be our priest between God and us. Hebrews 10:10 (KJV) says, "By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

We know this is true from what Hebrews 10:5 (KJV) says. "Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, 'Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:'"

What a wonder it is that the second member of the Trinity became a baby and experienced all the things we do in this life. But this person wasn't just a nice man who preached about people being nice to each other. I'll be writing about his kingship and priesthood in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? The world thinks of Christ's incarnation as a quaint holiday story but we know differently.

On Thursday, I'll show that Christ was no mere prophet. Muslims and liberal Christians think so but the Bible says otherwise.