Prophet, Priest & King - Adult SS - Lesson 2: Priest (On Earth)

Good morning, everyone. Handouts at the back, pens as well. I'm a bit more alive today.

I might still cough, so please excuse me, but I'm here. I'm well. Let me pray and we'll

just dive straight in. Lord God, we thank you for the Lord Jesus Christ, the Anointed

One, the Prophet, Priest and King who has come to save us, who intercedes for us in heaven

right now and whose cross, that glorious cross, is our salvation. And we ask that we would

gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of his work today, of his death, of the cross.

And would we not only know it in our minds, but would we love it in our hearts? And we

ask all this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Amen. So this is a series all about the work of Christ. As we've seen over the past few

weeks, we've seen that God saves us through offices. So through prophets, priests and

kings. So God doesn't just generally save. He doesn't just zap this thing called salvation

down to us. No, he saves by providing three types of men, three offices, which are given

to solve our three problems of sin. Prophets cure ignorance, priests cure guilt, and kings

free the enslaved. And over this series, we're seeing how each of these offices Christ fulfills,

and that's how he saves us. And so when Christ came to save us, he came to fulfill these three

offices. That's how he saves. So as we learn these offices, we then better appreciate how

Christ saves us. And that's the intention of this whole series. And today we've come to

the office of priest. And there's a lot to get through. So let's first just define what a

priest is and does. And this is the first point today. A priest brings us to God. So Hebrews

5 gives us the classic definition of a priest. For every high priest chosen from among men

is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.

So just a few things to note here. We'll unpack this as we go. But just a few things to note here.

First, do you see a priest is a man, a human being. They're chosen among men. And that's important

because a priest is appointed to act on behalf of men. A priest represents the people. And representing

how, did you see, in relation to God. So they don't represent the people on behalf, like toward other

nations or towards animals or nature or whatever it might be. No, that they represent the people in

relation to God. A priest represents God's people up to God. So we can't come to God on our own.

We can't come individually or kind of in any old way. But instead, a priest represents us to God,

brings us to God. And what does he do for us in order to bring us to God? Do you see at the end of

verse one, he offers gifts and sacrifices. Sacrifices are inseparably tied to the priesthood

and coming to God. Priests and sacrifices go together. But if you want to just simplify all

that, just think, a priest brings us to God, okay? And this is in distinction to prophets who bring

God to us. So think of it like this, and think back to all we've learned about prophets. A prophet

is a mediator who brings God down to us, and the arrow goes down, right? So we need to hear from

God, and so a prophet does that. A prophet represents God to the people. But a priest represents the people

up to God. So we come to God through a priest. And we need both of these for salvation, don't we? So we need

to know God for eternal life, and we need to hear from him, prophets. But also, we need to be with God

for eternal life. Knowing him means being with him. And to understand why we need a priest to do this,

to be able to come to God at all, we need to understand that the effects of sin are very vast.

So first, just think, as we think of prophets, we've seen that sin has done something in us.

Hasn't it? So it's changed us. Do you remember why we need a prophet? Well, because sin has done

something in us, we've become ignorant, haven't we? Our minds have become darkened.

And in ourselves, we've become corrupt.

So sin has done something in us. I would just kind of like you put this, that over us and in us were not that artistic.

So just think, all that sin is in the people, with the people.

And so God sends prophets to save us from these effects of sin.

But sin has also done a lot more than that.

Sin has done something to God's attitude toward us.

How God relates to us has changed.

So just look at some of these verses to see God's disposition toward us as sinners.

So Ephesians 2.

We are children of wrath.

In our sin, God's attitude towards us is wrathful.

And what else?

Sin has faced God's wrath and fury, Romans 2.

We are God's enemies.

There's enmity now.

What else?

And how does God feel about his enemies?

Well, he says they need to die.

That's why the promise to Adam is, if you sin, you shall surely die.

And the wages of sin is death.

And that means both physical death and eternal death in hell.

So something has changed in our relationship with God.

Ever since the fall, God's attitude and relationship toward humanity has changed.

He's now wrathful and furious.

Now, that isn't to say that God has changed in himself.

As if, kind of, he was a nice God before, but now with sinners, now he's turned into an angry God.

No, no, we're not saying that.

Think back to our doctrine of God classes.

God doesn't change in himself.

That's why I've written these words, not in God, but kind of in the relationship between God and man.

That this is a change in relation.

That this change is a reaction towards sin.

Our sin now provokes God's holiness and the justice of God, which results in a change of relationship.

Wrath.

And so now, there is this huge and terrifying demand hanging over humanity, and it's needing to be met.

It's separating us from God, and it's this demand needing to be met.

And it's weighing down on humanity.

So it's going to be like this.

Okay, we can just sum it up with wrath and death.

Okay?

So, that there is now, in our relationship with God, that there is now this huge demand both separating us, weighing down on us.

And it's a demand that needs to be met.

It's a penalty.

A demand needing to be met if we're to relate to God at all.

And so, we can't approach God as we are.

God is too holy, too righteous, too just for us to just approach him as we are in our sin.

Because as soon as we approach him, all that we would encounter is his wrath and death.

These demands separate us from God, bar us from coming to him.

And so, if we want to approach God and be reconciled to him and to know him and to have a good relationship with him and to have life with him, what needs to happen?

These demands need to be met.

They need to be satisfied, paid for, dealt with.

But how can that happen?

Well, we need someone holy enough to come into his presence.

And we need that same person to deal with the demand that stops us approaching him.

That is the only way we can come to God.

In a word, we need someone to achieve propitiation for us.

This is a strange but important word.

I want to teach you new words here.

And I want us to learn this.

Propitiation means to appease God's anger.

To end and satisfy the demands of God's justice and anger.

So, when someone propitiates God, they settle his anger.

Okay?

Is everyone on board with that?

And so, we need someone to achieve propitiation.

Okay?

So, propitiation is the state in God.

With God's anger settled.

And the verb to propitiate, someone propitiates toward God.

And when that happens, this relationship is restored.

We can come to God when that happens.

And when someone does that, this is called atonement.

Atonement.

And this is another word I want us to learn.

Atonement.

There's a handy way to remember this.

Atonement means being at one with God.

Right?

At-one-ment.

Atonement.

It means dealing with guilt.

The guilt of sin.

And propitiating God's anger.

Restoring the relationship.

And so, when you have propitiation, that means that disappears.

And when you have atonement, it means it kind of refers to the whole relationship.

The whole thing is restored.

And so, we need someone to step in between us and God.

A mediator.

To propitiate God's wrath and achieve atonement.

And this is where a priest comes in.

A priest does exactly that.

God provides priests as mediators to propitiate the wrath of God.

And provide atonement.

And provide atonement for our sins.

And how do they do that?

Remember the definition from Hebrews 5.

They achieve this through sacrifice.

So, if we are to come to God at all.

We need a priest and a sacrifice to be able to come to God.

One and two.

Right?

That's the only way to come to God.

So, God says, you can't approach me in any old way.

Your sin is too severe.

My justice is too perfect.

Instead, you must come through an appointed office.

A priest.

And through an appointed means.

Sacrifice.

And through him, only then can these demands be met.

And only then can you approach God.

And so, sacrifices are key to any priestly work.

And key to propitiation and atonement.

And coming back to God.

They're key to salvation.

And so, with this in mind.

I want us to now just look at the Old Testament.

And at how sacrifices and priests worked.

And then we'll kind of piece it all together.

And I want us to use all of this to shape our understanding of the cross.

So, we'll do a quick Old Testament priests and sacrifices overview.

So, this is the second point today.

And there are two things I want us to see about the Old Testament.

The first sub-point is this.

Animal sacrifices were substitutes and propitiation.

Now, there are various types of sacrifices in the Old Testament.

And that we used at different times for different occasions.

But I kind of want us to just simplify things for now.

And just show that the typical sacrifice for sin.

And the process went like this.

So, if I was an Israelite sinner.

I would bring an animal to the tabernacle or the temple.

I'd bring it to the outer court.

So, not inside the holy place or the holy of holies.

I'd bring it to the outer court.

And the outer court was a bit like a butcher's house.

A slaughterhouse.

So, I'd bring my, let's say, goat or bull.

I'd bring it along.

I would take it to the outer court.

I would lay my hand on it.

And then I would kill it.

And then the priest would come along.

And take the dead animal.

And he would take it over slightly in the courtyard towards the building, the tabernacle of the temple.

And just before you get to the entrance, there's this big metal grate, a big barbecue, basically.

And you would put the sacrifice on that.

Burn it.

And depending on what type of sacrifice, there'll be different parts of the animal that would be burned.

But ultimately, the priest would take it and burn it.

Okay?

That's kind of the sacrificial system in a nutshell.

So, look at Leviticus 1.

These are some of the commands of what happened.

Now, key thing I want us to see here is the laying on of hands.

When the sinner placed his hand on the animal, this was a sign of his sin and guilt transferring to the animal.

It was showing my sin is now passing from me onto something else, onto this lamb or goat or bull.

And so, in Leviticus 16, this is all about the Day of Atonement, when the high priest would atone for all the sins.

Just look what he would do.

This makes the picture a little bit clearer.

And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel

and all their transgressions, all their sins.

As he touched the goat and confessed all the sins of Israel, it was showing that all the sins of Israel are now going onto this goat.

Whatever happens to this goat from now on, this is happening instead of the people.

The animal became a substitute for the sinner.

And what would happen to it?

It would be killed.

It would die instead of the sinner.

The sacrifice of this animal is this real vivid picture of what needs to be done to us.

My sin goes to that goat and so that goat must die.

The whole sacrificial system of the Old Testament, it reveals this demand of death and the need for propitiation.

It's saying the only way you can approach God is if your sin goes onto something else and that something else needs to die

because those are the demands separating you from God.

And so the only way for us to approach God is for that wrath to land on something or someone else.

Because look what this then achieves.

Leviticus 1 again.

It shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.

Do you remember atonement at one with God?

These sacrifices propitiated the wrath of God and achieved atonement for the sinner.

So, think of it like this.

As the Israelites placed his or her hand on the animal, what happens?

It's like all the sin...

Let me write sin here.

It's like all the sin and guilt of that people...

It's going...

It's not on them anymore.

It's going...

Onto the sacrifice, onto the animal.

And so what then happens to the animal in death?

Well, all the demands of God upon sin...

It's not going on to the people anymore.

It's going on...

To the animal.

To the sacrifice.

It's being diverted.

So the sin on us is being diverted to another.

And the wrath, the demands of God are being diverted to another as well.

And so, what is this whole thing?

So, this...

You can think of this little section here.

This is propitiation.

This is the demands, the wrath being satisfied.

And this whole thing, with this restored relationship, this whole thing is atonement.

So you can kind of think that's propitiation.

But this whole thing is atonement.

Right?

And so, as the offerer laid hands on the animal, all the sin and guilt is going to be transferred to the animal.

And in its death, the wrath of God, all these demands are being met and falling onto the animal instead.

And then, the worshipper would then be made right with God.

You see, atoned for.

And so, the animal sacrifices were substitutes, right?

In place of the people.

And they were propitiation.

Because the death goes onto the animal.

But a second thing about the Old Testament.

Priests carried the people with them.

I think this is on the other side of your sheet.

So, whenever the priests sacrificed and laid hands and went into God's presence in the tabernacle or did anything,

it's important to understand they never did this kind of in solitude or just for themselves.

Priests carried all the people of God with them in whatever they did.

So, have a look at this picture of a priest that I got there for you.

I want you to notice what they're wearing.

Just have a look.

What catches your eye?

So, in Exodus 28, we read, it's kind of a whole laws about the garments for the priests.

And we read that the priest had to wear two stones on their shoulders.

You can kind of see them a little bit.

Just on their shoulders there.

Two stones on his shoulders.

And on those stones were written all the 12 tribes of Israel.

Simeon, Gad, Reuben.

And not only that, look on their chest.

They had a breastplate.

And if you can count, how many stones were on that breastplate?

Twelve.

Each of those stones also had a name of the tribe of Israel written on them.

And so, you could say that the people's names, all the people of God, were written on the heart of the priest.

And he would carry God's people on his shoulders.

And so, this was an amazing picture showing that whatever the priest did, he did it on behalf of the people.

United to the people.

Sacrificing and coming to God for them.

On behalf of them.

And so, when Aaron entered into God's presence in the temple,

He was not just one bloke going in alone.

But actually, all of Israel were coming in with him into God's presence.

And so, God set all this up, all this system up, these priests and these sacrifices,

all so that his people could come to him and approach him.

Okay?

This is the only way you can do it.

But there's something insufficient about all this Old Testament priesthood and sacrifices.

And I want you to look through Hebrews to find out what they are.

So, in the little breakout box there, break out into groups and just answer two questions.

Shouldn't take long.

We'll give you a couple of minutes.

Look up these passages and find out what is the problem with the Old Testament sacrificial system.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

My name that that Ryan who has the Ryan who has the

okay let's bring it together so what is the problem with the old testament sacrificial system

uh hebrew said what was the problem with the the priesthood remember there are two elements

the priests and the sacrifices uh moses what what was wrong with the the priesthood they would die

right so so we need a priest to come to god but but that priest would die and so you would need to

replace that priest and that priest would die then replace that priest and so in this system if we need

a priest to come to god this these priests really aren't doing it but because they're kind of a

temporary measure to get us there but then they would die and we need to replace

and so it he can only bring us to god as long as he lives so it's a bit like um have you ever seen

watson gromit in the wrong trousers amazing film you know in the final kind of big uh train chase scene

do you remember that um uh gromit's riding this little uh toy train and he's coming to the end

of the track and what he does is uh he picks up a box of spare track and he's kind of laying it as he

goes you're in that it's amazing um and so he he's uh you kind of think think of the old testament

sacrificial system like that like we're trying to get to god and so we put a a priest down a bit of

track and then we come to the end of that and we've got to lay another and so we're just constantly

having to lay a new track new track but we're never really getting to god but we need a permanent

eternal priest who can lead us all the way to god and who will never die

and how about hebrews 10 what was the problem with the old testament sacrifices um malvina

um they were never sufficient um yeah right yeah yeah there's a lot going on there but but it's

quite it's quite striking isn't it it is impossible for the blood of bulls to take away sin to to to

achieve forgiveness

and that's in part because animals can't pay for human sins

but remember the demands of death for us for humans

and so think of all the the millions of liters of blood

that was poured out by israel over the centuries even all that blood

being shed every day throughout the centuries that that's just like throwing a thimble of

water onto a fire so it's not actually solving the issue

otherwise this is the point the writer the hebrews makes

otherwise if a bull was good enough then one bull will do

but but the constant sacrifices every day every week every year throughout the centuries

these constant sacrifices were a constant reminder that this isn't really achieving propitiation

or atonement it's not really doing it and so what do we need we need a priest who can live forever

and we need one sacrifice that is good enough to atone for sin forever

and so with this priesthood and this problem in the background that this shapes everything about why jesus had to become man

what jesus's death achieved

and what jesus was doing for us on the cross

and i want us to see these three things as we look at jesus the great high priest

i want us to see how jesus fulfills all this

so look at the first point jesus became man

to be a human sacrifice

so look what hebrews says about why jesus had to become human

why christmas

hebrews 2

therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect

so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest

in the service of god to make propitiation

for the sins of the people

the son of god

had to become human

because only human sacrifices will do to save us

only a human sacrifice will make propitiation for our sins

so jesus he was born

with a purpose

he was born in a human body

to be a sacrifice

and because he's sinless

and because he's the son of god

and his life is infinitely valuable

infinitely more valuable than

than any animal or bull or goat

that means his life

can match

this huge and terrifying demand

that hangs over us

and that is why it says in hebrews 9

but as it is he has appeared once

for all

at the end of the ages

to put away sin

by the sacrifice of himself

millions of liters of animal blood

could never do this

but the cross

definitively

once and for all

atoned for the sins of the people

but also

think about this

if jesus was the sacrifice

who offered that sacrifice

priests

priests offer sacrifices

don't they

right

so if jesus is the sacrifice

who offered it

where's the priest

in this transaction

jesus is the priest

he offered himself

but what does jesus say

in john 10

i lay down my life

for the sheep

who laid it down

who offered it

jesus did

jesus is both

the priest

and the sacrifice

and so when christ

comes in the fullness

of time

we have this pattern

of priest

and sacrifice

needing to be fulfilled

and how is it fulfilled

it's fulfilled

one man

who will live forever

the christ

and it's

on his cross

on that first good friday

as the skies were darkened

something priestly was happening

the true priest

was offering

the sacrifice

of himself

on the altar

of the cross

and his blood

was shed

to propitiate

god's wrath

and atone

for the sins

of the people

this is why

jesus is called

the lamb of god

this is why

his death

occurs

on the passover

that's no coincidence

god is showing us

that this is the sacrifice

and the priest

to end all sacrifices

but a second thing

all this shows us

what the cross

achieved

so if we understand

what jesus was

on the cross

he was a sacrifice

we can understand

what he achieved

on the cross

jesus

was

satisfying

the demands

of god's justice

all the force

of god's

holiness

on evil

all the wrath

that needs to be

poured out

on sin

it was all

falling

on jesus

to propitiate

god's anger

which means

jesus didn't only

die a physical

death

which he most

certainly did

but he also

died a spiritual

death

he felt

the wrath

of god

in his soul

he experienced

what it is

truly like

for god

to unleash

his anger

on a sinner

and that's why

in gethsemane

do you remember

what happened

in gethsemane

that's why

he was so

terrified

about what

was about

to happen

that's why

he sweat

drops of blood

he knows

he's about

to drink

the cup

of god's

wrath

all these

demands

and so

look what

the bible

has to say

about what

that achieved

what did

the cross

achieve

1 john 2

he is

the propitiation

for our

sins

in this

is love

not that

we have

loved god

but that

he loved

us

and sent

his son

to be

the propitiation

for our

sins

christ jesus

whom god

put forward

as a

propitiation

by his

blood

finally

propitiation

has been

achieved

christ has

ended

the anger

of god

for his

people

for you

and so

there isn't

a single

demand

hanging over

your head

anymore

richard

dawkins

once said

this in

an interview

he said

this

if god

wanted to

forgive our

sins

why not

just forgive

them

without having

himself tortured

and executed

in payment

well can we

see why

he's so

wrong to

think that

what needs

to be

done

if there

is to

be any

atonement

or forgiveness

what does

it take

the demand

of god's

justice

and anger

and wrath

that needs

to be

satisfied

god is

too holy

for this

just a

slide

and he's

too just

to just

ignore these

demands

this

wrath

it has

to go

somewhere

but the

question is

where is it

going to

go

who's it

going to

go on

and on

the cross

jesus was

our priest

propitiating

god's wrath

so that we

can now

come into

his presence

the wrath

isn't on

us anymore

it has all

in the past

been laid

on christ

which brings

me to the

final thing

to see

here

we'll wrap

up in a

minute

jesus was

representing

us on

the cross

so just

like aaron

had the

people written

on his

heart as

he went

to the

altar

so jesus

had our

names

written on

his heart

as he

went to

the cross

this is

why we

can and

we do

say jesus

died for

us

he was

representing

us on

that cross

look at the

language of

the bible

god shows

his love

for us

in that

while we

were still

sinners

christ died

for us

for us

for the

love of

christ

controls us

because we

have concluded

this that

one has

died for

all

therefore all

have died

he himself

bore our

sins in

his body

on the

tree

so let

me ask

you did

you die

on the

cross

in one

sense no

praise god

i didn't die

on the cross

because i

could never

do that

only jesus

could have

done that

he was

the substitute

in place

of me

jesus was

replacing me

on that

cross

but in

another in

another sense

did you die

on the cross

yes

because he

was representing

you he

had your

name in his

heart carrying

you on his

shoulders and

your sin in

his body

and so you

were united

to him

on that

cross

this is why

paul says

we have

been united

with him

in a

death like

his

and so

what is

happening on

the cross

can be

described in

three words

again i want

to teach you

new words

here what

happened on

the cross

was penal

substitutionary

atonement

so you might

have heard

these words

before it

just means

that on

the cross

jesus was

the propitiation

for our

sins

he took

the penalty

that demands

the penalty

of god's

wrath

penal

he did

it in

our place

representing

us

substitutionary

and that

death

what did

it achieve

atonement

and so

there's a lot

that we can

say about

the cross

but this

is the

heart

of it

this is

just the

utter

beauty

of it

and it's

really shaped

and appreciated

but when we

understand

that this

isn't random

jesus worked

it didn't

come out

of nowhere

it's not a

mathematical

transaction

either

no

he is a

priest

who offers

the sacrifice

of himself

to achieve

the propitiation

of god's

wrath

and what

does he

achieve for

us

we now

have

atonement

i'll end

there and

i'll open

up to

questions

you