"....We have such a High Priest...." (Hebrews 8:1
The writer is summing up the revelation of Jesus Christ as, "our High Priest." He is emphasizing that, "We have," Him. Jesus is ours, and is for all people and nations, if, that is, they receive Him.
Talk of, "High Priest," seems so archaic to generations which have cast off the concept of priests, liturgy, community, Covenant People. Modern religion for most is a personal matter, which is code for, "I'm my own church," or, "I prefer to hold my own ideas and am accountable to no one." It is to the poverty of professing Christians when they have no concept of, "such a High Priest."
Hebrews 4:14 in the ASV says, "Having then a Great High Priest, Who hath passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession." The Amplified Bible says, "Inasmuch then as we have a great High Priest Who has [already] ascended and passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith in Him]." In time/space language, Jesus went somewhere. He, "ascended and passed through," taking us with Him! You and I, "were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the Blood of Christ," not the blood of animals, not the self made sacrifices of our own efforts and choosing, but, "by the Blood of Christ," our, "Great High Priest."
Whether modern religion wants to accept it or not, humanity has not outgrown its need for, "a Great High Priest." We are all poor, miserable, lost sinners, "having no hope and without God in the world." The horror of the thought that we were all in such a state, "But now in Christ Jesus [we] who were once far off have been brought near by the Blood of Christ." Wait; didn't you just write that? Indeed, and I wish to keep on writing it and confessing it to myself, over and over, "But now in Christ Jesus," my, "Great High Priest," my Wonderful Advocate, in Him Who lives in me and by His Indwelling Presence allows me in Him to, "....pass[] through the heavens," into the very Throne Room of the Universe, "the Most Holy Place," invited to, "sit with Me on (Greek, "inside") My throne," and participate in a "constant prayer meeting" with/in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--------------- "and He shall reign forever and ever, King of kings, and Lord of lords, King of kings and Lord of lords, and He shall reign forever and ever"-------------------------- camp meetin' time.
Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You for the continual loosing of Your Word. Amen.
The writer is summing up the revelation of Jesus Christ as, "our High Priest." He is emphasizing that, "We have," Him. Jesus is ours, and is for all people and nations, if, that is, they receive Him.
Talk of, "High Priest," seems so archaic to generations which have cast off the concept of priests, liturgy, community, Covenant People. Modern religion for most is a personal matter, which is code for, "I'm my own church," or, "I prefer to hold my own ideas and am accountable to no one." It is to the poverty of professing Christians when they have no concept of, "such a High Priest."
Hebrews 4:14 in the ASV says, "Having then a Great High Priest, Who hath passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession." The Amplified Bible says, "Inasmuch then as we have a great High Priest Who has [already] ascended and passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith in Him]." In time/space language, Jesus went somewhere. He, "ascended and passed through," taking us with Him! You and I, "were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the Blood of Christ," not the blood of animals, not the self made sacrifices of our own efforts and choosing, but, "by the Blood of Christ," our, "Great High Priest."
Whether modern religion wants to accept it or not, humanity has not outgrown its need for, "a Great High Priest." We are all poor, miserable, lost sinners, "having no hope and without God in the world." The horror of the thought that we were all in such a state, "But now in Christ Jesus [we] who were once far off have been brought near by the Blood of Christ." Wait; didn't you just write that? Indeed, and I wish to keep on writing it and confessing it to myself, over and over, "But now in Christ Jesus," my, "Great High Priest," my Wonderful Advocate, in Him Who lives in me and by His Indwelling Presence allows me in Him to, "....pass[] through the heavens," into the very Throne Room of the Universe, "the Most Holy Place," invited to, "sit with Me on (Greek, "inside") My throne," and participate in a "constant prayer meeting" with/in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--------------- "and He shall reign forever and ever, King of kings, and Lord of lords, King of kings and Lord of lords, and He shall reign forever and ever"-------------------------- camp meetin' time.
Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You for the continual loosing of Your Word. Amen.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
