Hebrews 7:26

Hebrews 7:26

Such a High Priest!

How can anyone sufficiently unpack what this verse is saying? It lists five of the attributes of our High Priest, the qualities and characteristics that set Him apart from all human priests.

Firstly, He is holy. The Hebrew word is “Kadosh” and in Greek it is “Hagios”. These words describe One who is sacred and unique. Jesus is set apart for God and from the world, He transcends this earth with all its problems and is far higher than anything or anyone else that God has created.

Secondly, Yeshua is blameless. The Scriptures attest to this and no human being could find fault with Him. Even the Roman Governor, Pilate, had to wash his hands and declare that Jesus was innocent.  What is even more impressive is that God could not indict Him either! As we saw in Hebrews 4:15, “He was tempted in every way, just as we are – yet He did not sin.” Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” Sin carries a penalty, it is death, that is a fundamental truth of the Bible. All sinners will die, those who have not sinned, cannot die. The very fact that God raised Jesus from the grave is evidence that He could find no fault in Him!

Jesus is pure. Purity in the Bible describes that which is undefiled, untainted and unblemished by sin, the world and the devil. However hard his enemies tried, Jesus was able to side-step their accusations and their attempts to tarnish His reputation and His character. 

To be set apart from sinners is almost impossible for us as human beings. The only ones who may successfully have attempted this are hermits and those who have locked themselves away in sacred orders. There is plenty of evidence that even these radical attempts at sanctity are fraught with weaknesses. Jesus did not lock Himself away, He did not live in isolation in a cave, in fact He went out of His way to mix with people and engage in daily contact with the crowds. So, to be “set apart from sinners” does not mean to be cut off from people, it means that in thought, word and deed, He was untouched by their worldliness and sin. 

Last of the High Priestly attributes of our Lord Jesus is this glorious phrase that tells us He is “exalted above the heavens.” Although this does not mean that He exists in some kind of paradise outside of the cosmos, it means certainly that He occupies a place beyond this world. It seems that a comparison is being made here with the activity of the earthly high priests who, once a year, disappeared behind the curtain into the Most Holy Place. In the same way, Jesus left the company of His disciples and disappeared into the heavens to take His place in the throne room of God Himself. In so doing, He was exalted above all priests and all spiritual beings either on earth or in heaven. He became the single most exalted being who has ever walked our earth and who has ever been given access to the heart of God’s presence. Wow and Hallelujah! And He is our ever-present, always-interceding High Priest! Another Hallelujah!

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