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.

Why is Christ's Birth Like Apollo 11's Launch?

I realize that this sounds like a strange comparison. Even so, the Birth of Jesus is like the launching of three American astronauts to the moon and back.

Firstly, both were promised beforehand. President John F. Kennedy declared America's intention to land a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s.

The Old Testament is filled with God's promises to send a messiah to save those who believe in him. The first mention of the "seed" who would be born as messiah was in Genesis 3:15 (KJV) Where God said to Satan in picturesque language, "And I will put enmity between thee and the  woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy  head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." The Word "his" indicates a single person, namely Jesus.

As Matthew 1:21 (KJV) reads, "And she(Mary)  shall bring forth a son, and thou (Joseph) shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."

What we call Christmas is only the beginning of Jesus' mission to save humanity from eternal damnation. He did so in part by fulfilling the law through living a perfect life for thirty-three years. As 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."

Furthermore, Jesus knew that he was sent to die for whosoever repents and believes in him. As Mark 8:31 (KJV) reads, "And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again."

Just as Jesus completed his mission on earth, so the Apollo 11 astronauts blasted off, landed on the moon, and returned safely. As the launch of the rocket started that historic voyage, Christmas is only the beginning of the greatest mission in history.

I greatly hope that readers of my blog have yielded their lives to Christ. God's Word says that the only other destination for souls after death is hell. This is why I feel constrained to write my book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? Far too many people assume that most everybody goes to heaven when the truth is that most won't.

What Will You do With Jesus Christ?

This is a question which Everybody must deal with. I've been blogging about who will be going to heaven for the past year or so and this is the crucial matter. Get it wrong and you're headed for an agonizing eternity. Get it right and you'll be in heaven with all those people through time and space whom God predestinated.

No matter what other religions teach, there is only one way to be with the heavenly Father. Christ explained to Thomas in John 14:6 (KJV) about the only way to God. "Jesus saith unto him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.'"

But how can this be so when other religions say they teach the way to paradise in the afterlife? Only Jesus fulfilled all God's requirements in the law which he gave Israel. Hebrews 4:15 (KJV)states, "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."

This is why he could say that he was the only way to the Father. As he told Martha when her brother Lazarus was dead for four days, (John 11:25 KJV) "Jesus said unto her, 'I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:'"
Christ will judge every person who ever lived. Look at what John 5:26-29 (BBE) says. "For even as the Father has life in himself, so he has given to the Son to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to be judge because he is the Son of man. Do not be surprised at this: for the time is coming when his voice will come to all who are in the place of the dead, And they will come out; those who have done good, into the new life; and those who have done evil, to be judged.

Will you be with the ones resurrected unto life eternal or condemned to eternal agony? Matthew 28:18 (KJV) says, "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, 'All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.'" Since Christ told his disciples this, it shows that we all must obey the gospel. That means we must beg him for forgiveness of our sins and yield control of our lives to him.

I'll be writing much more about this in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? This is thee question we all must deal with.