our great high
and powerfu l
is a ceaseless Christian
The in tercesso ry m in istry o f our Saviour w ork that sustains e v e r y
B y W . A . Crisw ell
T he sinner needs a sacrifice; the believer needs a priest. That we be delivered from our sins is not enough. The atonement of our Lord on the cross mightily avails for this-— “ In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins”—Eph. 1:7; yet we are down here in this world of weakness, poor wanderers, feeble creatures, exposed to temptations, likely to stumble. We stand in need of the perfect sympathy from the heart of One who was temp ted in all points like as we are. We cannot continue to live without the ceaseless, powerful, intercessory min istry of our High Priest. In the pres ence of God He represents us, prays for us, and guides us always. The life of our Saviour down here in this vale of tears was infinitely precious, but here among us He was no priest. He did not enter into the sphere of His priestly service until He had accomplished the work of re demption. “ For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer” (Heb. 8:3). To have entered the heavenly sanctuary empty-handed would have been to leave us in our sins. There was no purpose to the life of Christ in the earth except as it had to do with our salvation. He came to be our sacrifice, to offer His body and blood as an atonement for the sins of many; He ascended into the heavens to present that sacrifice beyond the holy veil, opening the way for us to come after Him. Until He had completely finished and abso lutely accomplished the work of re
tect, and keep us. We could not per severe for a moment down here were He not living for us up there. But “ because I live, ye shall live also” (John 14:19). His resurrected, glori fied life is a pledge and security for the life of all His people. So long as Christ endures, we shall endure; so long as Christ lives, we shall live; death cannot break the bond that hides us in Him, for it is formed in the resurrection. To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever-—to Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and made us kings and priests unto God and the Father. The Earthly Picture of the Heavenly Minister Upon the day described in Leviti cus, the eighth chapter, when Aaron was consecrated to the high priest hood in the presence of all the peo ple, we are told that Moses clothed Aaron with all the beautiful garments indicative of his exalted office. God gave minute and specific directions for the weaving and making of these gorgeous robes. The commandments of the Lord concerning the holy gar ments made for glory and for beauty, are recorded in Exodus 28. The way the craftsmen cunningly divided the beautiful apparel is recounted in the 39th chapter of the book. Every color, every piece, every material, every part, had a heavenly significance. Nothing is more interesting than to see in them pictures, adumbrations of the life and ministry of our Saviour. For example, what could be more colorful than the -m M> Mr ^ golden bells and ^ 11
demption, He could not be a priest. It is upon the basis of sacrifice, of the shedding of blood, that sinful men approach God. Our precious Lord was that sacrifice for us, and upon that basis of the merits of His outpoured, forfeited life He intercedes in heaven as our mediator. Our Saviour was in the temple many times; He taught there upon numerous occasions. But not once did He ever presume to offer sacri fices, to burn incense, to fulfill any of the offices of the priesthood. There was never anyone on earth ordained of God to discharge the functions of a priest save Aaron and his sons. “ For it is evident that our Lord Sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood” (Heb. 7:14),; and again, “ For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest” (Heb. 8:4). Heaven alone is the sphere of the priestly ministry of Christ. “ But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect taber nacle, not made with hands . . . Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he en tered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us” (Heb. 9:11,12,24). Our Lord has all power and au thority in heaven and in earth. He uses this power for the salvation of His people. The same Saviour who died for us ever lives to sanctify, pro
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