Advent Sunday Week 2: A Priestly Child Is Born
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Modern conveniences are wonderful. When my husband and I welcomed our little one into the world, we did so in a clean private room surrounded by all the technology to track my delivery and the health of the baby, tended by a team of nurses and midwives. Not only that, but this particular hospital had a tradition of playing a lullaby for the baby as mom and child left the birthing ward and journeyed down the hallway to the private room they would occupy for the next two days as everyone was cared for. What a sweet way to celebrate the birth of precious child!
Jesus, our great high priest, was born in the flesh in a humble stable.
The birth of Jesus couldn’t have been further from this experience. Don’t even think of a clean hospital or a comfy home birth—there was not even an available bed in an inn already packed with strangers and travelers. Instead, a stable would have to do, full of smelly animals. As idealized as the picture is often painted, I can’t imagine Mary was feeling that her situation was ideal. And this child was no ordinary child, he was a high priest—one who would have received great honor and recognition, one set aside for an important and life-giving task.
The Levitical priesthood had the distinction of serving God in the tabernacle and in the temple. The high priest had special and beautiful clothing, and a unique job only he could perform before God for the people:
“Then [the High Priest] shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses. (Lev. 16:15-16)
It was the high priest’s job to make a sacrifice and present the blood of the sacrifice before the Lord, so that his own sins and the sins of the people could be forgiven in God’s sight. This action looked forward to the time when a better high priest, one without sin and who would live forever, would offer his own blood to atone—cover with his blood—the sins of his people so they could be forgiven.
Jesus was a high priest from a better priesthood than the Levitical priesthood.
Jesus would take the death-punishment that all wickedness and every sin deserves so that those who trust in him might live forever, their sins having been forgiven. Jesus was a high priest from a better priesthood than the Levitical priesthood as he was from the priestly line of Melchizedek:
For it is witnessed of him,
“You are a priest forever,
after the order of Melchizedek.” (Heb. 7:17)The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. (Heb. 7:17, 23-27)
The newborn baby laid in the manger wasn’t wearing the well-made, beautiful clothes of a high priest; rather, he was wrapped in cleaning cloths for animals. He didn’t look glorious or important, but his job was the most important in the world—to give himself throughout his life and in his death on the cross to save a people from the righteous judgement of a good and holy God.
Jesus came to be a high priest for those who believe in him.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit had agreed from all eternity that they would save a sinful people, even though the price was the death of the Father’s beloved Son. Out of God’s love for us, this plan was undertaken willingly by the persons of the Trinity.
Although he was a son, [Jesus] learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. (Heb. 4:8-10)
Believe in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, for he came to be a high priest for those who believe in him. And this baby in the manger was and will always continue to be a high priest, sent to shed his blood for the sins of his people and now living forever as proof of his perfect sacrifice.
Click below to read the entire Advent Sunday series!
Part 1: Advent Sunday Week 1: The Story of a Warrior Child.
This article was originally published on December 5, 2020.
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