Letter to the Hebrews Volume 69

 The Absolute Necessity for a New Priesthood Part 8

Hebrews 7:26 For such an High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;  KJV Note: CEV= Contemporary English Version

Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for sin is our propitiation, that is, His death was the atonement or the compensation for all our sins and wrongdoing eternally before the Throne of God the Father, therefore, we find next the writer of Hebrews giving a detailed narrative of why He alone was and is the High Priest needed to the replace the Levitical Hebrew high priest, but also the High Priest for the entire Gentile world of humanity as well, as it is written here in Hebrews 7:26, "For such an High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;" (Hebrews 7:26) (KJV). The idea (to many skeptics or people who don't believe in God or that He even exist) that He (God) became a Man sounds more like a fantasy novel to them than the absolute reality it truly is, however, to those of us who have been redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ it is not fantasy or fiction or folly, but it is our assurance, our authority, and our affirmation that we have a God the only God who not only loves us enormously, but also wanted to become just like those whom He created (who had drifted away from Him and His love because of Adam's disobedience) in order to sympathize with our human condition becoming our overcomer and deliverer for us of our greatest fear and that being death, as it is written for us by this same writer of Hebrews way back in Chapter 2 with these words (remember them), "We are people of flesh and blood. That is why Jesus became one of us. He died to destroy the devil, who had power over death. But He also died to rescue all of us who live each day in fear of dying. Jesus clearly did not come to help angels, but He did come to help Abraham's descendants. He had to be one of us, so that He could serve God as our merciful and faithful High Priest and sacrifice Himself for the forgiveness of our sins. And now that Jesus has suffered and was tempted, He can help anyone else who is tempted." (Hebrews 2:14-18) (CEV).

Who is this High Priest Jesus Christ who became us? First, the writer of Hebrews here in Hebrews 7:26 declares Jesus Christ 'holy' and this English word is translated by the Greek word hosios meaning that He is pure from sinful defilement and perfectly answering God the Father's will in reverent piety (this is not true of any other human being past, present, or future). Here is what Alexander MacLaren says about Jesus Christ being 'Holy', "'He is holy'; that is to say, not so much morally free from guilt as standing in a certain relation to God. The word here used for 'holy' has a special meaning. It is the representative of an Old Testament word, which seems to mean 'Devoted to God in love.' And it expresses not merely the fact of consecration, but the motive and the means of that consecration, as being the result of God's love or mercy which kindles self-surrendering love in the recipient. Such is the first qualification for a Priest, that He shall be knit to God by loving devotion, and have a heart throbbing in unison with the Divine Heart in all its tenderness of pity and in all its nobleness and loftiness of purity." Second, the writer here in Hebrews 7:26 declares Jesus Christ 'harmless' and this English word is translated by the Greek word akakos which means not bad, that is, (objectively) innocent or (subjectively) unsuspecting: - harmless, guileless, free from malice and craft. Here is what Alexander MacLaren says about Jesus Christ being 'harmless', "The priest we need must, in relation to men, be harmless - without malice, guile, unkindness; a Lamb of God, with neither horns to butt, nor teeth to tear, nor claws to wound, but gentle and gracious, sweet and compassionate; or, as we read in another place in this same letter, 'a merciful High Priest in things pertaining to God.'" Third, the writer here in Hebrews 7:26 delcares Jesus Christ 'undefiled' and this English word is translated by the Greek word amiantos meaning unsoiled, that is, (figuratively) pure: - undefiled; not defiled by stain contracted from others, in relation to men. Temptation, to which He was exposed, left no trace of evil in Him. Here is what Alexander MacLaren says about Jesus Christ being 'undefiled', "The priest that we men, spattered and befouled with the mire and filth of sin, which has left deep stains upon our whole nature, need, must be one 'undefiled,' on whose white garments there shall be no speck; on the virgin purity of whose nature there shall be no stain; who shall stand above us, though He be one of us, and whilst 'it behoves Him to be made in all points like unto His brethren,' shall yet be 'without blemish and without spot.'"

Fourth, when the writer of Hebrews declares our Lord Jesus Christ to be 'separate from sinners', he means that even though He is still Man and God both simultaneously, He is no longer among us here on the earth, but rather separated from us by His exaltation by God the Father to His Right Hand, as it is written here, "After the Lord Jesus had said these things to the disciples, He was taken back up to heaven where He sat down at the right side of God." (Mark 16:19) (CEV) and as it is wrtten here, "But Christ offered Himself as a sacrifice that is good forever. Also while He was on the earth, He was seperate from sinners in the fact that He never sinned once in word, thought, or deed which made Him the unique, that is, the radically distinctive and without equal Man ever to live in human history. Now He is sitting at God's right side;" (Hebrews 10:12) (CEV) and lastly as it is written here, "Christ is now in heaven, where He sits at the right side of God. All angels, authorities, and powers are under His control." (1 Peter 3:22) (CEV). Christ has been lifted above His brethren here on the earth physically, but He is with each and every one of us spiritually through God the Holy Spirit who is not only with each one of us who have been born again, but He dwells within us (John 14:17).

Fifth, when the writer of Hebrews declares that our Lord Jesus Christ is 'made higher than the heavens', he means that He passed through the heavens as not only God, but as Man also, just as this same writer of Hebrews declared for us earlier in Chapter 4 with these words, "We have a great High Priest, who has gone into heaven, and He is Jesus the Son of God. That is why we must hold on to what we have said about Him. Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because He was tempted in every way that we are. But He did not sin! So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help." (Hebrews 4:14-16) (CEV). He (Jesus Christ) the God/Man is the perfect Man and Human and we are the imperfect men and women and this is why each and everyone of us need Him to stand in our place before the Throne of God the Father who is of such pure eyes that He cannot look upon evil (Habakkuk 1:13).

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…