A ´Little´ Big Phrase in the Bible
by D.G. Miles McKee
"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the
heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession." -Hebrews 4:14
We so very often miss the “little big phrases” of Scripture. We’ve just read one. It said, “We have.” Did you notice it? “Seeing then that we have a
great high priest.” I’m glad that it didn’t merely say, “There is a
great high priest!” No! It says instead that we have a great high
priest. He is already ours!
Our High Priest is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ!
He is the One Who is superior to all the high priests of the Old Testament.
He is the One Who replaced all the high priests of the Old Testament.
He is the One Who is seated on the throne of grace.
He is the One Who is filled with love and sympathy for His blood-purchased people.
He is the One Who ever lives to apply the benefits of His atonement to His people.
He is the One Who brings us into the welcoming presence of God.
In
the Old Testament, the High Priests of Israel were but; “faint types
and shadows of Christ.” However, they carried the names of the tribes of
Israel upon their breastplate. This pointed towards Christ’s love for
His people.
These
same names were also upon the high priest’s shoulders. This pointed
towards the power of Christ in carrying His people (see Exodus 28:6-29). Likewise, at this very moment, our great High Priest,
the Lord Jesus, abounds to us with both love and strength. What an
amazing salvation! What an amazing Saviour!
“Before the Throne of God above
I have a sure and perfect plea;
A great High Priest whose name is love,
Who ever lives and pleads for me,
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart;
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.”
Once
each year, under the Law, the Jewish High Priest went behind the Temple
veil and into the holiest of all to sprinkle the blood on the mercy
seat (see Leviticus ch. 16). But our high priest, the Lord Jesus, has, once
for all, passed through the heavens and entered the heavenly sanctuary,
with His own blood, where He, at this very moment, gloriously represents
us (Hebrews 9:24).
Let
me ask you, do you know what it is to have a High Priest or is this a
mere theory? Are you living in this knowledge or is your life
characterized by regret? Are you constantly thinking, “If only I had not
made that stupid mistake”…or “if only I hadn’t done this or that.” Is
your past robbing you of your joy? If so, it’s time to put your past
behind you! Your great high priest has finished His redemptive work. His
blood has cleansed every wicked thing that you have ever done or
thought (John 19:30). You might say, “But brother, you do not know what I
have done in the past!” I don’t need to know. The blood of Jesus
cleanses from all sin (I John 1:7).
Consider
Paul; watch him and see how in a murderous frenzy he wasted the early
church. I’m sure that was hard for him to forget. But he knew about the
shed blood of the Lord Jesus. He knew that his Lord was his Great High
Priest and intercessor. He knew that his sins had been taken away and,
as a result, he was able to forget those things that lay behind.
Like
Paul, we can forget our past for we have a great High Priest. Our past
is past. It has been wiped out. It is gone! Jesus our High Priest
sympathizes with us in our temptations. He supplies us with strength. He
is everything we need!
And that’s the Gospel Truth!
Comments