The Prophecies of Jesus as Priest, 12/7/25

In continuing our Advent series and looking at

the prophecies of Jesus in the Old Testament

and seeing their fulfillment in the New, we come

today to the prophecies of Jesus as a priest,

a priest. Our text is first of all from Psalm

110, and then we're going to turn over to Hebrews

Hebrews 9:11–28

9, verses 11 through 28. Hear the word of the

Lord from Psalm 110. The Lord said to my Lord,

Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies

your footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of

your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst

of your enemies. Your people shall be volunteers

in the day of your power. In the beauties of

holiness. From the womb of the morning you have

the dew of your youth. The Lord has sworn and

will not relent. You are a priest forever. according

to the order of Melchizedek. The Lord is at your

right hand. He shall execute kings in the day

of his wrath. He shall judge among the nations.

He shall fill the places with dead bodies. He

shall execute the heads of many countries. He

shall drink of the brook by the wayside. Therefore,

he shall lift up the head. Now turn over to the

book of Hebrews. Chapter 9, verse 11. But Christ

Hebrews 9:11

came as high priest of the good things to come.

With the greater and more perfect tabernacle

not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.

Not with the blood of bulls and calves, but with

his own blood, he entered the most holy place

once for all. Having obtained eternal redemption.

For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes

of a heifer. Sprinkling the unclean sanctifies

for the purifying of the flesh. How much more

shall the blood of Christ. Who through the eternal

spirit offered himself without spot to God. Cleanse

your conscience from dead works. to serve the

living God. And for this reason, he is the mediator

of the new covenant by means of death for the

redemption of the transgressions under the first

covenant, that those who are called may receive

the promise of the internal inheritance. For

where there is a testament, there must also of

necessity be the death of the testator. For a

testament is in force after men are dead, since

it has no power at all while the testator lives.

Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated

without blood. For when Moses had spoken every

precept to all the people according to the law,

he took the blood of calves and goats. with water,

scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both

the book itself and all the people, saying, This

is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded

you. Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both

the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry.

And according to the law, almost all things are

purified with blood, and without shedding of

blood there is no remission. Therefore it was

necessary that the copies Of the things in the

heavens should be purified with these. But the

heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices

than these. For Christ has not entered the holy

places made with hands. Which are copies of the

true. But into heaven itself. Now to appear in

the presence of God for us. Not that he should

offer himself often. As the high priest enters

the most holy place every year with blood of

another. He would then have had to suffer more

often since the foundation of the world. But

now, once at the end of the ages, he has appeared

to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

And as it is appointed for men to die once, but

after this the judgment, so Christ was offered

once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly

wait for him, he will appear a second time apart

from sin. For salvation. Let's ask God's blessing

again. In this time. Father there is so much

richness. In this word and today. We can only

just scratch at a portion of it. We can only

just see a little bit. But Lord this is truly

amazing. And wondrous. That Jesus Christ came.

He was the new priest. The better priest. And

he offered a perfect sacrifice. That is his own.

Sinless life. We pray that today as we study

this understanding, we pray, Lord, that you would

open up our hearts and minds, that you would

give us words to hear, words that understand,

Lord. And I pray that you would ignite within

us a passion of service to you and of worship

for our high priest. We pray this in Jesus' name.

Amen. As we look at some of the prophecies in

the Old Testament about this coming Messiah who

would be a priest, we understand that this would

be a kingly priest. He would build the temple

of the Lord, as Zechariah tells us in chapter

6, which we'll read in a moment, and he would

bring reconciliation between God and man. To

understand the significance of this, we first

need to know why priests were needed. Why did

God command that there would be priests? What

was their function? And how was their office

necessary in order to worship God rightly? A

priest is an appointed mediator who stands between

God and man. He is one who brings peace and reconciliation

between two who have been separated. and sinful

mankind. Brother Ty taught us this morning about

the holiness of God. And so we see him in his

holiness, but we understand that without God,

without Christ and his atonement, we are not

holy. In our natural state, we are not holy.

And so how can we be brought together? Isaiah

Isaiah 59:2

59 verse 2 says, but your iniquities have separated

you from your God and your sins have hidden his

face from you so that he will not hear. A priest,

a mediator is necessary. in order to do two things.

One, to represent humanity before God in offering

sacrifices for sin, in bringing prayers and intercession

and worship on behalf of the people, and to bear

their names in the needs of the people before

God, as Aaron did in Exodus chapter 28, where

Exodus 28 · chapter mention

he had the names of the tribes on his shoulders

and over his heart. But then a priest is also

to represent God to mankind by declaring God's

blessing, God's forgiveness, and God's will to

the people by teaching God's law and by consecrating

and sanctifying both people but also things as

we just read in Hebrews 9. In the Old Testament,

two priestly lines are spoken about. First is

the order of Melchizedek. which we just read

in Genesis 14. And then there's the order of

Aaron and his successors. Now, Aaron was of the

tribe of Levi. Aaron was appointed to be high

priest, and then high priests all descended from

his line. Levites also served in the temple in

the worship of God, and they were the only ones

who were to do that. They were set apart for

this. So there's the order of Aaron and of the

Levites and the order of Melchizedek. Now Melchizedek

is a mysterious and an enigmatic figure. He appeared

to Abram before the laws the first time we hear

of him in the Bible. He appears to Abram before

the full institution of tabernacle and temple

worship at Mount Sinai with Aaron and the Levites.

This man was both a king of Salem, that is a

king of peace, and he was a priest. Of the most

high God. And he comes to Abram. After Abram

rescued his nephew Lot. By defeating these four

kings. Who had fought against Sodom. And captured

Lot. And Abram goes and he fights. And he gets

Lot back. He frees him. And then Melchizedek

meets him. He brings bread and wine to Abram.

He blesses him in God's name. And he receives

tithes of Abraham. Now this line of Aaron and

the Levites came over 400 years later after this

event. And this line, the prophetic and the priestly

gifts are explained in much greater detail in

the books of Exodus and Leviticus and also Numbers.

And out of that priestly line, one was chosen

then to serve as high priest. And it is he alone

who once a year would go into the Holy of Holies,

where the Ark of the Covenant was in the tabernacle

and then in the temple, and he would make atonement

for the people of God. He alone could do this.

So why then, if all of this was set up, why was

an eternal priest both promised and longed for?

Well, it's because the law appointed priests

who were themselves sinful men, and thus they

had weakness. The high priests of the Levitical

line had to offer up sacrifices for their own

sins first, and only then could they make sacrifices

for the people. This is explained in Hebrews

Hebrews 7:26–28

7, verse 26 to 28. Therefore, the sacrifices

had to be done over and over and over and over

for years upon years and generations and generation

and generation. They continued. The sacrifices

had to be done. The blood of bulls and goats

could not take away sin. The offerings were animals.

They were sacrificed by sinful men who could

only be a type of mediator. And they were not

a perfect and a pure mediator. The high priest

alone could go into the Holy of Holies once a

year to make atonement at the mercy seat. And

if he entered improperly, he would be struck

dead. If he offered, if he entered it improperly

and he did not bring a right offering. This is

in Leviticus 16 verse 2. Now, we who are on this

Leviticus 16:2

side of the cross, believers in Jesus and seeing

the perfect sacrifice. We so often do not fully

comprehend what all went into the worship of

God. The sacrifices for sin that needed to occur

before Christ. The many animals that would be

brought for the slaughter. If you read and understand

the temple more, it actually was structured in

some ways like a slaughterhouse with places for

the blood to run down and the continual smell

of the offerings going up. And of course, when

it was a whole burnt offering, it was not necessarily...

a good smell to us you know because of the skin

and everything so anyway all of those things

it was it was hard work this is why a levite

who helped with the offerings had to be 30 years

old and he had to quit when he was 50 he had

20 years of service in the really hard work of

all of this slaughtering. Then there was the

various washings. There were the robes and the

ceremonies, the precise order. Now, all of these

were instituted by God, but they pointed to Christ

who was yet to come. The priests carried all

of this out. But in the midst of this, during

the time from Abraham to Jesus, from Genesis

to Revelation, there were prophecies about a

coming priest who would be different from all

of the rest. And now we'll take a quick look

at a few of these. The first Old Testament prophecy

is that the Lord Adonai, the Messiah, was not

of the Levitical line, but it was of the order

of Melchizedek. And this we read in Psalm 110.

This is a prophecy of Christ. It's prophesied

by David, a Psalm of David. And it was that the

Lord had sworn, and there's two lords in the

English language, okay? But one is the Lord Jehovah,

and the other is the Lord Adonai. So speaking

of God the Father and God the Son in two persons

of the Trinity. So the Lord said to my Lord,

sit at my right hand till I make your enemies

your footstool. And then he goes on and again

says, the Lord, that is the Lord Jehovah, the

God the Father has sworn he will not relent that

the Lord Adonai, that is Jesus, you are a priest

forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Now, why Melchizedek and not Aaron? Why not of

the order of Aaron? Well, first of all, Aaron

was of a different line and there was all sorts

of things associated with him. And there was

a priest who died and then the next ones came

after and the next ones. But Melchizedek instead

is a priestly king. He did not come from a line

of priests and there were no priests who descended

from him. This description is given to us in

the book of Hebrews chapter 7. For this Melchizedek,

Hebrews 7 · chapter mention

king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who

met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the

kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave

a tenth part of all, first being translated king

of righteousness and then also king of Salem.

meaning king of peace, without father, without

mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning

of days nor end of life, but made like the Son

of God, remains a priest continually. Now consider

how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch

Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils. Now I do

not have time today to go into all of the understanding

about Melchizedek. As I mentioned, he's somewhat

mysterious. I think what Hebrews is talking about

here without mother or father is simply that

we don't have his ancestry and we don't have

record of his descendants. He stands as a priest

alone and his priesthood continues and would

be continued with Jesus Christ because he would

be a priest after the order of Melchizedek. And

that's all I'm going to say about Melchizedek

in that specific way. But Jesus is prophesied

to be of his order. Why is this? Alfred Barnes

lists several reasons. One is that he who was

spoken of would be in the proper sense of priest.

That is, the one to come would be a priest. He

would have, number two, a perpetual or permanent

priesthood. It would be forever. Number three,

he would not be of the established line of priests

in the tribe of Levi, but his appointment would

be unusual and extraordinary. Number four, the

appointment would come directly from God. It

would not be derived from those who went before

him. As a priest, number five, he would resemble

Melchizedek, according to the record found in

the book of Genesis. Number six, this Melchizedek

was a priest of the Most High God, so also would

be the priest to come. Number seven, Melchizedek

combined in himself the functions of both a priest

and a king. So also these would be found in the

coming one. And finally, as Melchizedek had no

successors in office, neither would the coming

priest. So there's just a whole number of similarities

between Jesus and Melchizedek. Now this central

text in Psalm 110 is quoted repeatedly in the

book of Hebrews. Speaking about the better, the

non -Levitical priesthood of Jesus. Hebrews 5,

Hebrews 5:6

verses 6 and 10. Hebrews 6, verse 20. And Hebrews

Hebrews 6:20 Hebrews 7:17

7, verses 17 and 21. This is the one major prophecy

of the priesthood of Jesus that is in the Old

Testament. Psalm 110, verse 4. A later prophecy

Psalms 110:4

was then also given by the prophet Zechariah.

Thus says the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the

man whose name is the branch. From his place

he shall branch out and he shall build the temple

of the Lord. Yes, he shall build the temple of

the Lord. He shall bear the glory and he shall

sit and rule on his throne. So he shall be a

priest on his throne and the council of peace

shall be between them both. This again points

to Jesus that he would be both a priestly king

and a kingly priest. In other words, the two

offices are very similar, just like it was with

Melchizedek. He was the king of peace and he

was also a priest of the most high God. So also

would this coming one, the one who would build

the temple of the Lord and rule and sit on his

throne. Then we have a prophecy in Isaiah chapter

Isaiah 53:4–12

53, verses 4 through 12. I'm not going to read

all of this, but in this, the prophet Isaiah

speaks of the suffering servant. He would be

bruised. He would be put to grief. His grave

would be made with the wicked. But in doing so,

he would then justify many. He would bear their

iniquities and sins and he would make intercession

for the transgressors. While Isaiah does not

use the word priest, he uses the terminology

and the description of priestly activity in Isaiah

53. And then lastly, in the Old Testament, the

prophet Daniel also spoke of the coming Messiah.

how that he would make an end of sins, he would

make reconciliation for iniquity, and he would

bring in everlasting righteousness. And in so

doing, he would be cut off. This is, again, priestly

language applied to the coming Messiah in Daniel

Daniel 9:24–27

chapter 9, verse 24 through 27. These four are

prophecies of Jesus coming as priest. Well now,

let's look a little bit further. What are the

shortcomings of the former priesthood? Why was

a new priest needed? Hebrews 7 gives us several

explanations. And I'm going to move through these

fairly rapidly because of time. The priests,

number one, were sinners. They were in need of

atonement themselves, as I mentioned before.

Verse 27 and 28. Those high priests needed to

offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins and

then for the people's. For the law appoints as

high priest men who have weakness. Hebrews 7,

27 and 28. Number two, the law made nothing perfect.

It had no ability to justify or to make righteous.

It was the standard of righteousness, but it

could not make one righteous. It is given as

a standard, a mirror to show us our sin and the

holiness of God. Hebrews 7, verse 18 and 19.

Hebrews 7:18

For on the one hand, there is an annulling of

the former commandment because of its weakness

and unprofitableness. For the law made nothing

perfect. On the other hand, there is the bringing

in of a better hope through which we draw near

to God. To the contrast between the two priesthoods.

In the one, the annulling of the former commandment,

that is the law of sacrifices, what we call the

ceremonial law, it was weak, it was unprofitable

because it could not make anyone perfect. Number

three, the third shortcoming in Hebrews 7, the

priests died and their descendants followed on

after them. There were many of them because the

power of death was on them. Verse 23, also there

were many priests because they were prevented

by death from continuing. So it was a continual

change with new people coming on because of death.

And number four, they could only offer animals.

And they did so year after year, which could

never take away sin. They could cover, but they

could not take away sin. For the law, in chapter

10, one through four, Of Hebrews, for the law

having a shadow of the good things to come and

not the very image of these things can never

with these same sacrifices which they offer continually

year by year make those who approach perfect.

For then would they not have ceased to be offered.

For the worshipers once purified would have had

no more consciousness of sin. But in those sacrifices

there is a reminder of sins. Every year, for

it is not possible that the blood of bulls and

of goats could take away sin. Number three, then,

how is Jesus a better high priest? And were these

prophecies fulfilled that were spoken of him?

Where shall we begin? There are many that we

could go, but I'm going to give you a few to

start. How is Jesus a better high priest, a better

priest? Well, first of all, Jesus offered himself

once for all. Once for all. Because he was a

perfect man. He was not descended from Adam.

He came to his life and he did not bear the sin

of Adam because he was born of a woman who was

conceived by the Holy Spirit. And so he was the

God man. He was perfect. He did not sin. And

therefore he was able to offer himself once.

Hebrews again, Hebrews 7, 26 and 27. For such

a high priest was fitting for us. Hear how Jesus

is superior. He is holy, harmless, undefiled,

separate from sinners, and has become higher

than the heavens. Who does not need daily as

those high priests to offer up sacrifices, first

for his own sins and then for the people's. For

in this he did once for all when he offered up

himself. He was the perfect sacrifice. and thereby

he suffered once for all. This is how he's a

better priest. Number two, Jesus has not entered

into the holy of holies in the temple. He has

gone into heaven himself. For Christ has not

entered the holy places made with hands, which

are copies of the true, but into heaven itself.

He now appears in the presence of God for us.

Not that he should offer himself often as the

high priest entered the most holy place every

year with the blood of another, but he wants

at the end of the ages has appeared to put away

sin by the sacrifice of himself. Number three,

this priesthood now is unchangeable for Christ

does not appear from time to time to make intercession

for us, but he lives, he lives forever. And in

his living forever, he lives, he always lives,

the scripture says, to make intercession for

us. See, a priest would intercede before a holy

God on behalf of the people. Jesus lives and

he doesn't approach through the holy of holies

in the tabernacle or the temple. He appeals to

God the Father directly. He appears before him

and he continually intercedes for us, for his

people. Hebrews 7, again, verse 24 and 25. But

he, because he continues forever, has an unchangeable

priesthood. Therefore, he is also able to save

to the uttermost those who come to God through

him, since he always lives to make intercession

for them. This is what brings peace and goodwill

to men. For Christ was born for this. Christ

came to the earth so that this would happen,

so that he would accomplish this. Like the second

verse of good Christian men rejoice puts a verse.

He says, good Christian men rejoice with heart

and soul and voice. Now you hear of endless bliss,

joy, joy. Jesus Christ was born for this. He

has opened heaven's door and man is blessed forevermore.

Christ was born for this. Christ was born for

this. This is our beloved Jesus Christ. Well,

I'm going to close with a few applications. What

does this mean for you as a Christian believer?

First of all, we need atonement. We can never

atone for Adam's sin that passed upon all and

we can certainly not atone for our own sins.

They stand against us. They condemn us and they

judge us because we are unholy and unrighteous

in ourselves. In our natural and fallen state,

there is no health in us, but Christ is our high

priest. He has gone into the holy of holies and

has made atonement. Through himself. The perfect

man who is God. Hebrews 9 verse 11. But Christ

Hebrews 9:11

came as high priest of the good things to come.

With the greater and more perfect tabernacle.

Not made with hands. That is not of this creation.

Not with the blood of goats and calves. But with

his own blood. He entered the most holy place

once for all. Having obtained eternal redemption.

This is because we need atonement. And so we

must understand it is not by our works that we're

saved. There is no way possible can we be saved

by our own good deeds. We are to do good deeds,

but they're a fruit of salvation and the atonement.

They are not the cause of it. We cannot. Save

ourselves. We need atonement. Number two, we

need Christ as priest. We need him as our intercessor.

We need one to stand before the Father and to

plead for us. Job said in Job 16 verse 21, Oh,

Job 16:21

that one might plead for a man with God as a

man pleads for his neighbor. Jesus is that one

who pleads. He is the intercessory for who shall

bring a charge against God's elect. Romans 8

Romans 8:33

verse 33 and 34. It is God who justifies. Who

is he that condemns? It is Christ who died and

furthermore is also risen who is even at the

right hand of God who makes intercession for

us. Dear brother, dear sister, dear person in

Christ, Jesus is interceding for you. As you're

going through the difficult time, as you're faced

with besetting sins, as you fail once again,

Jesus is interceding for you. Get that deep in

your heart and thank God for it, that we have

one who intercedes. For us. But then also. Thirdly.

God has then. In an amazing way. He has entrusted

us. With the ministry. Of reconciliation. Second

Corinthians 5. Verse 17. Therefore if anyone

is in Christ. He is a new creation. Old things

have passed away. Behold, all things become new.

Now, all things are of God who has reconciled

us to himself through Jesus Christ and has given

us the ministry of reconciliation. That is, that

God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself,

not imputing their trespasses to them and has

committed to us. That is to us human beings.

To us sinful creatures who have been made and

brought nigh before Christ. To us who have been

washed in the blood of Christ. For whom Christ

has suffered and died and made atonement. For

us, we now have been committed the word of reconciliation.

Paul continues. Now then, we are ambassadors

for Christ. As though God. We're pleading through

us. We implore you in Christ's stead, in Christ's

behalf, be reconciled to God. For he made him

who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might

become the righteousness of God in him. We are

agents, brothers and sisters, of God. reconciliation.

We are to be involved in the ministry of reconciliation.

This is why we bring good news. This is why we

should shout the loudest at Christmas time that

Jesus Christ was born for this. We know the truth.

This is not just some sentimental value. No,

it is a glorious truth that Christ was born for

this and he brings reconciliation, and we speak

that reconciliation to others who are around

us. We are ministers of reconciliation. Now,

if you are not reconciled to God through Jesus

Christ, the second person of the Trinity, I urge

you to repent and believe, to be reconciled unto

God even now, to cry out for mercy, to run to

Christ, to trust in him and receive the forgiveness

of sins. But to all of you who believe, The word

is this. Go, go out and be agents of that reconciliation.

For God has committed to you these words of reconciliation.

Go then and be ambassadors for Christ. Let's

pray.