The Doctrine of Christ

LESSON THIRTY-NINE Christ Our Priest

1. In order that he might become a priest to make propitiation for sin, Christ partook of the same flesh and blood which we have. Hebrews 2:17; 4:15. TDOC 101.1

2. Christ is priest after the order of Melchizedek, and not after the order of Aaron. Hebrews 5:6; 7:11-14, 1-3. TDOC 101.2

3. The priesthood of Christ is superior in various particulars. Hebrews 7:15-17, 20-24. TDOC 101.3

4. Christ is priest in the heavenly sanctuary. Hebrews 8:1, 2, 4; 9:11, 12, 24. TDOC 101.4

5. Christ is priest upon the throne of grace to minister mercy and grace. Zechariah 6:12, 13; Hebrews 4:14-16. TDOC 101.5

6. Christ’s ministry is a more excellent one. Hebrews 8:6. TDOC 101.6

7. As priest he pleads in our behalf the offering up of himself for sin. Hebrews 7:26, 27; 9:25-28. TDOC 101.7

8. That offering is effectual for our salvation. Hebrews 10:10-14. TDOC 101.8

9. As our priest Christ gives himself wholly to securing salvation for us through his continual intercession. Hebrews 7:25. TDOC 101.9

NOTES: The meaning of the sacrificial worship

“Christ was the foundation and life of the temple. Its services were typical of the sacrifice of the Son of God. The priesthood was established to represent the mediatorial character and work of Christ. The entire plan of sacrificial worship was a foreshadowing of the Savior’s death to redeem the world.” The Desire of Ages, 165. TDOC 101.10

The Heavenly reality

“The Levitical system, the tabernacle, its arrangements, its ritual, were the earthly copies of a heavenly pattern and original, revealed first to Moses in the mount (Exodus 25:9, 40; 26:30; Numbers 8:4; Acts 7:44; Hebrews 8:5); and again, by special inspiration, to David when he was preparing the plans for the temple on Moriah (1 Chronicles 28:12, 19). Above it all (so to speak) and behind and through it all, the eye of faith can, now at any rate, discern a heavenly reality then existing, yet kept in the background until the actual incarnation and the completed work on earth of Christ an the real minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched, and not man (Hebrews 8:2), should render its full disclosure possible.” TDOC 101.11

The abiding presence

“In 1 John 2:1, Jesus Christ the righteous is himself called an advocate with the Father; that is, one who acts as intercessor and mediating high priest for us (compare Hebrews 7:25; 9:24; Romans 8:34). Being such an advocate, he must needs also be our helper and comforter, and hence his own words in John 14:16-20, where our Lord implies that he in himself the Comforter, but will come to his disciples in the abiding presence of the Spirit of Truth.” TDOC 101.12

“While Jesus ministers in the sanctuary above, he is still by his Spirit, the minister of the church on earth. He is withdrawn from the eye of sense, but his parting promise is fulfilled, ‘Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ Matthew 28:20. While he delegates his power, to inferior ministers, his energizing presence is still with his church.” The Desire of Ages, 166. TDOC 101.13

Our High Priest

“After his ascension, our Savior was to begin his work as our high priest. Says Paul, ‘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.’ Hebrews 9:24. As Christ’s ministration was to consist of two great divisions, each occupying a period of time and having a distinctive place’ in the heavenly sanctuary, so the typical ministration consisted of two divisions, the daily and the yearly service, and to each a department of the tabernacle was devoted. As Christ at his ascension appeared in the presence of God to plead his blood in behalf of penitent believers, so the priest in the daily ministration sprinkled the blood of the sacrifice in the holy place in the sinner’s behalf.”-Patriarchs and Prophets, 357. TDOC 101.14

“In the offering of incense the priest was brought more directly into the presence of God than in any other act of the daily ministration. As the inner vale of the sanctuary did not extend to the top of the building, the glory of God, which was manifested above the mercy seat, was partially visible from the first apartment. When the priest offered incense before the Lord, he looked toward the ark; and as the cloud of incense arose, the divine glory descended upon the mercy seat and, filled the most holy place, and often so filled both apartments that the priest was obliged to retire to the door of the tabernacle. As in that typical service, the priest looked by faith to the mercy seat which he could not ace, so the people of God are now to direct their prayers to Christ, their great high priest, who, unseen by human vision, is pleading in their behalf in the sanctuary above.”-Patriarchs and Prophets, 353. TDOC 102.1

“By virtue of his death and resurrection he [Christ] became the minister of the ‘true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.’ Hebrews 8:2. Men reared the Jewish tabernacle; men built the Jewish temple; but the sanctuary above, of which the earthly was a type, was built by no human architect. ‘Behold the man whose name is the Branch; he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne.’ Zechariah 6:12, 13. The sacrificial service that had pointed to Christ passed away; but the eyes of men were turned to the true sacrifice for the sins of the world. The earthly priesthood ceased; but we look to Jesus, the minister of the new covenant, and ‘to the blood of sprinkling, that speaks better things than that of Abel.’ Hebrews 12:24.” The Desire of Ages, 165, 166. TDOC 102.2

“As a priest, Christ is now set down with the Father in his throne. Revelation 3:21. Upon the throne with the eternal, self-existent One, is he who ‘has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows,’ who ‘was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin’ ‘that he might be able to succor them that are tempted.’ ‘If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father.’ Isaiah 53:4; Hebrews 4:15; 2:18; 1 John 2:1. His intercession is that of a pierced and broken body, of a spotless life. The wounded hands, the pierced side, the marred feet, plead for fallen man, whose redemption was purchased at such infinite cost.” The Great Controversy, 416. TDOC 102.3

The two sanctuaries

“Here [Hebrews 8:1, 2] is revealed the sanctuary of the new covenant. The sanctuary of the first covenant was pitched by man, built by Moses; this is pitched by the Lord, not by man. In that sanctuary the earthly priests performed their service; in this, Christ, our great high priest, ministers at God’s right hand. One sanctuary was on earth, the other in. in heaven.”-Id., 413. TDOC 102.4