Priestly Office of Christ

Review of Previous Studies on Christ's Offices

0:00 After a digression of several weeks during the holiday season, we return this morning to our series of studies entitled, Here We Stand. It's a great joy to look out and to see some among us this morning who have just begun to join us in our public worship services, and it is especially for your sake that I take just a moment to catch the main threads of biblical truth as they've been opening to us in this series entitled, Here We Stand. The series is basically an overview of the major doctrinal pivots of the Word of God. It is not enough to say my religion is the

0:50 religion of the Bible. We must go further and say what we understand the religion of the Bible to be. And in this particular series, we are declaring what we as a people of God understand the religion of the Bible to be. We began by considering the book we believe and obey, the precise nature of the scriptures as inspired of God and fully authoritative upon the people of God. And then we considered for some weeks the God whom we worship and confess. The great theme of Scripture is God Himself, and so it is incumbent upon us to know something about this God, that we may worship Him in spirit and in truth. And now

1:36 we are in the third broad area of concern, namely the salvation we receive and proclaim. After considering the objects of this salvation, man has created, man has fallen, for a number of weeks we have had our attention riveted upon the second major division in that category of the salvation we receive and proclaim, namely the central figure in that salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ. And after spending a number of weeks considering him in the mystery of his person, true God, true man, one person in two natures forever, we are now considering him in the majesty of his offices. For the scriptures do not set him before us simply

2:24 in the glory of his person as though it were the person of Christ divorced from his official offices which is the object of salvation. No, he is precisely what he is in his person that he might function efficiently in his offices in the salvation of his people. In the one study that we had together concerning his offices, we simply attempted to introduce this subject by giving you the number and the names of his offices. The Shorter Catechism asks the question, what offices does Christ execute as our Redeemer?

3:04 And the answer is, Christ our Redeemer executes the offices of a prophet, of a priest, and of a king, both in his estate of humiliation and exaltation. So his three official offices within which he accomplishes redemption are prophet, priest, and king. Then we considered briefly the inseparable relationship between his person and his offices. And the substance of all that I set before you can be reduced to two simple statements.

3:36 The foundation for success in his offices lies in the constitution of his person. In other words, Christ is so powerful as a priest, as a king, as a prophet, because he is what he is as the God-man, one person in two natures. The second statement, the reason for the constitution of his person is the demands of his office. He was made precisely what he was made as the God-man, that he might function as the prophet, priest, and king of his people.

4:14 And then we consider briefly the indivisibility of his offices. Though we separate for a teaching the offices of prophet, priest, and king, Christ is never a prophet without being priest and king. He is never king without being priest and prophet. He is all of these things to all of his people when they are savingly related to him.

4:36 And then finally we said a word about the necessity of his offices. These offices are calculated to meet the specific needs of those whom he came to save. The sinful creatures he came to save are ignorant. They do not know the will of God concerning salvation.

4:54 Christ becomes a prophet to teach them the will of God for their salvation. Those whom He came to save are sinful, guilty, weak, defiled, polluted. They need a priest to deal with the problem of guilt and pollution, the problem of weakness. Jesus Christ is such a priest.

5:15 And those whom He came to save are on the one hand by nature rebels, and they need to be subdued. And having been subdued and brought into the kingdom, they need to be defended and protected. Christ is such a king to govern them and subdue them by grace and to defend them in that same grace. Well, that's a brief overview of where we've been.

Reasons for Treating Priesthood First

5:38 Now, what we propose to do this morning is to begin a contemplation of Christ in his specific offices as prophet, priest, and king. Now, the general order in which these subjects are dealt with is the one that you are familiar with. Prophet, priest, and king. That's the order of the shorter catechism.

6:00 That's the order in which they are dealt with in Calvin's institutes. That's the order in which you will find them treated in most theological treatises concerning the offices of Christ. And it's so fixed in our terminology that if I were to say priest, prophet, and king, it just doesn't sound right on our ear. Well, when I originally began my preparation, I had fully intended on treating the subject in that traditional order.

6:28 But the more I considered the biblical materials, the more I was convinced that I was going to have to disrupt that normal order. And even though it will jangle on your ear, we shall consider Christ in the majesty of his offices, not prophet, priest, and king, but priest, then prophet, and then king. Now let me say at the outset, it is not an itch for novelty that presses me to do this. I have too much respect for the history of theological thought and careful Bible study to be innovative for the sake of appearing clever.

7:06 And I trust everyone who deserves the name of teacher shares that sentiment. No, I'm disrupting the normal order, the order of the catechism, not to be innovative, not to be novel, but because of two fundamental reasons. First of all, because the emphasis upon his priestly function is predominant and central in the Word of God. There are literally entire chapters in the New Testament given over to an exposition of Christ functioning as the priest of his people.

7:42 However, there are just verses and groups of verses scattered through the New Testament pointing to Christ in his official office as prophet and as king. So if I am to be true to the emphasis of scripture, then there must be a predominance with respect to the priestly office. And then the second reason is this. The functions of his priesthood define and regulate those of his prophetic and kingly offices.

8:16 In other words, it is what Christ is as a priest that determines what he does and how he functions as prophet to his people, and what he is and does as king to his people. And as I racked my brain for an illustration, I planted myself visually in this pulpit, and then I came up with the illustration. As I preach to you, there are two spotlights up here on the wall, coming at me from equal angles. This one coming at about a 45 degree angle, striking this side of me, that one striking this side of me.

8:52 Now as I stand here, I can see a very well-defined shadow of my body extending about 17 feet to the platform behind me. this light striking my body is casting a shadow that way. But when I look this way, this light striking the same body is casting a shadow of equal length in this direction. Now, I can't haul you all up here one by one to show you that I'm not just making this up for the sake of illustration.

9:17 It's true. If I were to believe the shadows, I'd say there were two of me, because there's one of me there, and there's one of me over there. Now, what has happened is this. The one person standing in the one place is receiving light from two different directions, which cast two distinct shadows of the same person.

9:36 Likewise, when we turn to the Scriptures, we see that in the accomplishment of redemption, it is the Lord Jesus Christ functioning as priest that is predominant, that is central. And it is the nature of his priestly work which casts its shadow over all that he does as a prophet, and it is the nature of his priestly office which casts its shadow over all that he does as a king. He is a priest centrally, predominantly, primarily and he is a prophet to the end that he may expound the nature of his priesthood. He is a king to the end that he may apply the intentions and the virtues of his priestly function

10:21 And because his ministry as prophet and king is colored by his priesthood, we must begin with his priesthood and then we shall have a basis upon which to understand his prophetic and his kingly offices. At this point I quote from my namesake, and that's about all that is similar between us, for I greatly admire and am grateful to God for the gift to his church of a man by the name of Hugh Martin, who lived in another generation in Scotland, who speaking to this very issue says, to assign the position of primacy among Christ's offices to his priesthood is not to disparage. You kids, disparage means to downgrade, to play down, to think little of the other offices.

11:11 On the contrary, it is to honor them and to prepare the way for the display of their real importance and bearings. You see what he's saying? To set the priesthood central is not to disparage the prophetic and the kingly. Rather, it is to bring them out in their true and proper light.

11:34 And then Hugh Martin goes on to elucidate that principle. I shall not take the time to read the quote, though it is a very fascinating and eloquent statement of this principle. Just remember the spotlights, and I hope that will help. All right, so much for that background and introduction.

Christ Specifically Called a Priest

11:52 Now this morning, we come to the first of what will probably be at least three considerations of Christ in his priestly office. The first thing I shall attempt to do is to establish the reality of his priestly office. How do we know that in the accomplishment of redemption, Jesus Christ acts as a true priest? Whatever a priest is whatever a priest does how do we know that Christ in the accomplishment of redemption functions as a bona fide priest When the Catechism asserts Christ our Redeemer executes the offices of prophet priest and king both in his estate of humiliation and exaltation,

12:40 how do we know that that's not just the imposition of some theological notions? Well, I want to establish with you the reality of his priestly office, and I shall attempt to do so along two lines. Number one, he is specifically called a priest, and secondly, his work is described as an official priestly function. First of all, then, he is specifically called a priest.

13:08 Will you turn, please, to the book of Hebrews? And it is this book, above all others, that will be the focus of our study over the next few Lord's Day mornings. The book of Hebrews, chapter 2.

13:26 In the second chapter of this book, the writer to the Hebrews is showing, among other things, that Christ is supreme, Christ is better than the angels. And he goes on to demonstrate that in the accomplishment of salvation, Jesus Christ is the author of salvation. Verse 10, it became him for whom are all things and through whom are all things in bringing many sons unto glory to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Salvation is being brought to glory.

14:04 Salvation is being brought to glory by Jesus Christ. He is the author of that salvation. Furthermore, it is being brought to glory by Jesus Christ in terms of his sufferings. All of those lines of truth are embodied in verse 10.

14:22 Now as he goes on to develop his theme, he comes to the statement to which I direct your attention in verse 17. Wherefore, it behooved him in all things to be made like unto his brethren that. Why did Jesus Christ assume a similarity of nature with us? He did not assume the nature of angels, verse 16, but he became like us.

14:49 Why? Well, here's the purpose. in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest. You see, when I stated in the introduction that Christ was constituted just the kind of Redeemer he was because of the necessities of his office, this is one of the passages that buttresses that assertion.

15:18 He became light to his brethren in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest. Now there is much in the verse that we're passing over. We're simply establishing this principle. That in accomplishing the work of redemption, bringing many sons to glory, Jesus Christ became incarnate in the womb of the Virgin Mary, that He might have a nature similar to us in order to function as a priest.

15:50 And He is explicitly called in this passage a high priest. Now it doesn't say he was made like a priest. As though he was something analogous to a priest. Something parallel to a priest.

16:05 No, no. He is specifically, explicitly called a high priest. Chapter 4 and verse 14.

16:16 The reality of his priestly office is established by the fact he is specifically called a priest. The language of Hebrews 4.14 again is very strong on this point. Having then a great high priest.

16:34 Notice he doesn't say having one who is like a high priest. As though what Christ does has some comparison with. No, no. He is actually a great high priest who has passed through the heavens.

16:47 He is identified as Jesus the Son of God. Let us hold fast our confession. For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with boldness.

17:04 Now again, the point of the passage for our study this morning is this. We are encouraged to hold fast our confession. And that confession rests down upon the reality of possessing a true priest. Having a great high priest.

17:25 He is specifically called a priest in the area of accomplishing the redemption of his people. Now one last passage, and these are just a few of many. Chapter 5, verses 5 and 6. Having established that no man ever takes the priesthood upon himself, God must call him to it.

17:45 So Christ, Hebrews 5, 5. Christ glorified not himself to be made a high priest, but he that spake unto him, Thou art my son this day, have I begotten thee, as he saith in another place, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. And here our Lord Jesus Christ comes to the priesthood, notice now, not because His followers, having beheld His beautiful life, having thought about His sacrificial existence, then concocted the notion, well, wouldn't it be wonderful if we attributed to Christ the virtues and functions of...

18:25 No, no, no, no, no, none can do that. No man can install another man in the priesthood. That's the statement of verse 4. No man takes the honor to himself.

18:37 Christ did not take to himself the role of a priest, but he came to that office by the appointment of God, which was confirmed with an oath, as the writer picks up then in chapter 7, verses 20 and following. But for our purposes this morning, Jesus Christ is clearly designated a priest. Alright, the reality of his priestly office then is established, first of all, because he is specifically called a priest. One man has tabulated the numbers of times in this epistle and says that six times he is called a priest, twelve times a great or a high priest.

19:20 Now you may not understand why I am emphasizing it now, but hang in there, there is a reason. It never says he is like a priest, similar to a priest, but he is a priest by name because he is a priest by office. And he is a priest by office in order to accomplish redemption.

Christ's Work Described as Priestly Function

19:42 Redemption is the outworking of priesthood. The priesthood is established by divine appointment. Hold those things together and you will never doubt that in the accomplishment of redemption, Jesus Christ assumes the office of a priest. But we know the reality of his priestly office not only because he is specifically called a priest, but because, secondly, his work is described as official priestly function.

20:10 Now the great theme of the book of Hebrews is the better things of the new covenant. all the way through the book of Hebrews. Better things, better things. These people were tempted to go back to the old structure.

20:23 And the writer says, no, no, the better things have been ushered in in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Now, one of the things that is better is a better priesthood. And chapters 7 through 10 of the book of Hebrews are a description of that better priesthood. And in those chapters you will find similarities between the priesthood of Christ and the former priesthoods, but you will find contrasts, and above all, you will find statements concerning the supremacy and the finality of the priestly work of Christ.

20:59 But, now here's the point, follow closely. In setting forth the similarities, the contrast, the supremacy and finality of Christ's priesthood, The writer never says that Jesus Christ did this by negating the idea of priestly function, not by materially altering the concept of priestly function, but by such a fulfillment of every valid aspect of priestly function that He has computed everything the priesthood ever demanded and ever signified, and therefore we look for no other priest beyond him. But all that he did, he did as official priestly function.

21:47 Now let me give you just two classic examples in the book of Hebrews. Chapter 9.

21:55 In chapter 9, in the first ten verses, he gives a thumbnail sketch of the activities of the old tabernacle in the old temple. Verse 2, there was a tabernacle prepared. And then there were these various implements, candlesticks, showbread, etc. And then there was the priest.

22:17 And the priest could only go in certain places at a certain time, and then he could go in other places at other times. And all of this had significance. Verse 8, the Holy Spirit this signifying. And now after giving this thumbnail sketch of the priestly function in the old economy, Notice how he describes the work of Christ beginning with verse 11 through 14.

22:41 But Christ having come a high priest, he is called a priest, a high priest of the good things to come, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, nor yet through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, entered in once for all into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling them that have been defiled sanctify to the cleanness of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish unto God cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living and the true God.

23:29 Now, for our purposes this morning, do you see the point? Christ's work in procuring redemption is described in strict priestly categories. Verse 11, he became a high priest. So what did he do?

23:45 He entered a tabernacle. Not an earthly one, but a heavenly one. He had blood with him. That blood was offered.

23:51 That blood secured something. All of his work is described as official priestly function. And he's done away with all the old establishments of priesthood, not by saying those concepts had no validity, but by showing that all of their validity finds expression in his mighty priestly activity. Now you have essentially the same thing in chapter 10.

24:20 In the first four verses, the writer describes the old situation. He calls it the shadowy situation. The law having a shadow of the good things to come. You see, I could look at no shadow if there was no substantial body.

24:37 If I were a phantom, there'd be no shadow. If there was no true priesthood, how could you have a shadow in terms of an earthly priesthood? He says the earthly priesthood in the tabernacle was a shadow A shadow of what You can have a shadow from nothing So the earthly priesthood and the earthly sacrifices and the earthly tabernacle were shadows of the substantial and the true And so after showing the inadequacy of the earthly, the first four verses, then he goes on from verse 4 through 14 to describe the true sacrifice, the true offering, that sacrifice made by the one who assumed a body to the end that he might die. And verse 10, by which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

25:27 Every priest stands day by day ministering and offering oft times the same sacrifices the witch can never take away sin. But he, here's the true priest, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down in the right hand of God. Well, do you see the emphasis? In accomplishing redemption, it was real, official, priestly function which secured the redemption of the people of God.

25:55 So then we are irresistibly drawn to the conclusion, the mediator Jesus Christ functions preeminently in the accomplishment of redemption as the priest of his people. Now do you see what that tells us? It tells us that if we divorce His work in our thinking from the biblical concepts inseparably identified with priesthood, we will have a very poor understanding of the nature of the work of Jesus Christ. If we divorce Christ's saving activity from the categories of a true priestly act, there will either be on the one hand crippling obscurity as to the true nature of His work,

26:45 or on the other hand damning heresy as to the true nature of His work. And I believe many of God's people are crippled in their spiritual lives because they have little or no appreciation of their redemption being the redemption of priestly activity. I confess that for years I never heard anything or next to nothing concerning my Redeemer as my priest. And many of the strongest consolations in all of Scripture derive from this concept of priestly function.

27:25 And so when I say the results of failure to see Christ acting officially as priest results in a crippling obscuring of the true nature of his work, I only give my testimony. and the presence of the Church of Rome in history is eloquent testimony that damning heresy comes as the worst expression of this. For at the heart of the Romish system with her doctrine of the Mass is an utter misunderstanding of the nature of the priesthood of Christ. Well, so much then for establishing the fact of His priesthood.

General Consideration of Priestly Function: Four Prepositions

28:04 Now, we begin this morning, and that's all we'll be able to do. something concerning the functions of his priestly office. We've established the fact of his appointment as priest, the reality of his priestly office, now the functions of his priestly office. And I have two major headings, a general consideration of priestly function, and then secondly, a specific delineation of priestly activity, and that will have to wait until next week.

28:35 First of all then, a general consideration of priestly function. If we attempt to reduce the biblical concept of priesthood to its simplest terms, what do we have? If we go to the Old Testament and we take everything we see about hints concerning priestly activity from Moses and Abraham right down to the line of Aaron and the sons of Levi, and we take all the Bible says about priesthood and we put it in the pot and we boil it and let it boil and boil until we get the distilled essence, what do you have as the essence of priestly function in general? Well, I'm so grateful there's a passage of Scripture which does that for us.

29:15 And it's wonderful when the Holy Spirit has done all that reducing for us. Now, sometimes our work is not quite as easy because we have to do that by careful analysis and deduction and comparison. But if you turn to Hebrews chapter 5, we have the inspired answer to the question, what are the essential elements, the basic factors involved in priestly activity?

29:40 Hebrews 5 gives us the answer. For every high priest being taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. Now the key to what the writer is giving us is to be found by looking closely at the four prepositions that he uses in the passage. Look at them. You don't need to know the original to see them. They're a little more forceful in the original, but here they are. Every high priest being taken from among One man is appointed for men in things pertaining to God that he may offer for sins.

30:43 There in a nutshell is the biblical concept of priestly function. Let's look at them in the order in which they stand in the text. The priest, it is said, is taken from among men. In other words, the priest is always a man who can identify with his fellows, who shares their plight and their situation.

31:08 No angel was ever made a priest. There's the argument of Hebrews 2. Christ did not take on him the nature of angels. He took upon him the seed of Abraham, made like unto his brethren.

31:21 Why? The first ingredient of the priesthood, he must be taken from among men. The rationale for the incarnation is the priesthood, according to Hebrews 2 and Hebrews 10.

31:36 Let me give that again. The rationale for the incarnation is the priesthood. A priest must be taken from among men. Jesus Christ cannot be our priest unless he is taken from among us and he can't be taken from among us unless he comes to us and there you have Hebrews 2 and Hebrews 10 but then secondly he is appointed for men who pair anthropo on the behalf of in the stead of When you have that preposition with the genitive, you fledgling Greek students.

32:19 In the behalf of, in the room of, in the stead of, a priest is taken from among men, but he is appointed for men. Now see the contrast with the prophet and the king? For whom is the prophet appointed? Not for men, but he is appointed for God.

32:38 He is God's mouthpiece. He speaks for God. The prophet has his back to God, his ears to God, but his face to the people and his mouth to the people. What's the watchword of a prophet?

32:51 Thus hath the Lord. The prophet doesn't go to God to tell God things about the people. He comes from God to the people to tell them things about God. But not the priest.

33:03 What about the king? He has his face to the people. He has his scepter to the people. He rules in the name of God.

33:08 You see, the posture of the priesthood is different from that of the prophetic and the kingly office. The priest is taken from among men and appointed for men. You see, the priesthood is inseparably identified with a representative function and character. You remember the high priest in the Old Testament?

33:33 What did he have upon his breastplate? Not the names of God. As though he were proclaiming the names of God to the people, what did he have upon his breastplate? The names of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Priest vs Prophet vs King: Postures Contrasted

33:47 So that when he was before the ark, and when he was before the Shekinah glory, he was the representative of the people, taken from among men, but towards God, appointed for men. And then thirdly, appointed for men with respect to what? the things pertaining to God, would be a literal translation. He's appointed for men in the things pertaining to God.

34:18 You see, while he acts for men, the object of his activity is not other men, but God. Now let me contrast. An ambassador acts for men, but he acts for men with other men. An ambassador comes as a representative of one group of men to another group of men.

34:39 But not a priest. He's taken from men, for men, but in things pertaining to God. His face is always God-ward. When you understand that, then many of the wonderful little phrases in Hebrews begin to open up.

34:59 Now to appear before the face of God for us.

35:06 Because most of us come out of a background in which we've never encountered any bona fide biblical notions of priesthood. This is all strange to us. And that's why I'm laboring the points. If you miss this, you won't behold Christ in the majesty of His office as priest.

35:22 Taken from among men. Appointed for men. Things pertaining to God. Now notice the last phrase.

35:32 That he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. That he may offer for sins. Gifts and sacrifices are what he offers. Let's drop them from our thinking for the moment to catch the thrust of his priestly function.

35:49 That he may offer for sins. On behalf of sins. With respect to sins. In other words, the great preoccupation of the priest is to deal with the problem of moral guilt and pollution.

36:07 The priestly function has at its heart the great realities of God as holy, God as just, God's law as an unchangeable standard of righteousness. Man as fallen, man as polluted, man as shut out from God because of sin. Man who cannot approach God in the nakedness of his own native state. No, no, the whole concept of the priesthood presupposes all of the fundamental realities of biblical theism.

36:48 There is a living, personal God. The biblical doctrine of divine justice. The biblical doctrine of human sin. Take those away and there is no necessity of the priesthood.

Summary of Priestly Ingredients and Cross as Godward Activity

37:00 Take away the necessity of the priesthood and Christ is a phantom priest. Take away Christ as anything other than a true priest. And you have no true salvation.

37:13 So a general consideration of the priestly function must involve these four concepts Have you got them A priest if he is a true priest must come from among men And we will see later as we unfold this why it is absolutely essential. Why he must be from among men. But he is appointed on behalf of men. The priestly office is representative to the core.

37:42 It is never an indifferent office where someone just goes through religious rigmarole for the subjective impression it may bring upon the worshiper. No, it is representative always, pervasively, extensively, continually, and exclusively.

38:00 And if we do not see our Lord in that capacity, we'll never appreciate His work. But it's always in things pertaining to God. You see, the cross has its true significance. only when we view that which human eyes could not behold.

38:17 The true significance of the cross was the Godward activity of Christ when He hung upon that cross. Not the manward activity when He said, Father, forgive them, they know not what they do. Not the manward activity when He said to the thief, This day thou shalt be with me in paradise. No, no, in the language of Hebrews, Upon that cross He was no passive victim enduring the wrath of the Father.

38:43 He was a priest in all the full integrity of His divine human being. He was lovingly, willingly, deliberately offering Himself up unto God without spot. He was both offerer and offering. And He was, as it were, penetrating the veil of the true sanctuary.

39:07 and then by His own presence into the right hand or to the right hand of the Father, in the language of Hugh Martin, He has taken that sacrifice and riveted it to the throne of the Almighty on high. And there He acts on our behalf, representative, appointed for men, things pertaining to God, and it all has reference to resolving the problem of sin. Now as I close this morning I want to make two very simple but fundamental applications. Here we stand on the threshold of opening up the scriptures concerning the majesty of Christ's office as the priest of his people.

39:55 Having established that he is called a priest. That he functions as a priest. having established the basic ingredients of priestly function and office from men, for men, things pertaining to God on behalf of sins. What does all of this say to us?

Application One: Seeing Your Need of a Priest

40:14 What does this say to you? Well, let me say in my first word of application, unless you have taken seriously the great realities out of which the priesthood grows, You are going to be bored stiff by this exposition concerning Christ as our priest.

40:34 You see, the matrix, the womb out of which the biblical concept of the priesthood grows and develops are the realities of God, this holy man, as sinful. Sin as deserving divine wrath and judgment. Sin is demanding payment by the innocent victim. And if those great realities are not burning personal issues with you, you could care less that Christ is a priest.

41:06 Christ is a priest, so what? Christ is a priest, big deal. Why get excited? Listen, listen to me, listen.

41:13 you begin to feel the 100th part of what you are as a fallen son or daughter of Adam. And you begin to see the 100th part of how holy God is. And you begin to see the 100th part of how His wrath burns against every impenitent sinner. And you'll run up and down the streets of Caldwell crying, Oh, where, oh, where is someone who can represent me to this great God who is a consuming fire?

41:50 And I solemnly charge you this morning, if you have no painful awareness of the necessity of a priest taken from among us, appointed for us, to deal with the problems of God in His holiness and His anger against sin, I solemnly charge you to give yourself no rest until you see this is your greatest need. You see, Jesus Christ as priest is God's answer to man's great dilemma of sin set in the context of divine holiness and inflexible justice. But until you know something of that holiness

42:37 and you tremble before that justice, Jesus Christ as priest will be nothing to you. They that are whole have no need of this physician who is a great high priest, but they that are sick. Have you felt and owned your moral sickness, your guilt, your undoneness? If so, then the proclamation of Christ as priest should be as water to your thirsty soul.

Application Two: Plead for the Spirit's Illumination

43:09 And my second application is to you who can say, yes, Pastor, by the grace of God, I've come to some discovery of my sin and need, and I know there is no hope for me out of Christ, and I know that in some way Christ functioned as a priest on my behalf. O dear child of God my exhortation to you is this will you plead with God that he would fulfill the promise made by his own son that when the spirit of truth would come he would take the things of Christ and would manifest them I came across a phrase in Thornwell a great southern Presbyterian preacher and theologian of civil war days in an article on the priesthood of Christ and the essence of it was to this effect that the people of God often are impoverished

43:57 because there has not been that illumination of the Spirit of God upon their hearts concerning the significance of Christ functioning as their priest. And again, I can only bear witness to my own instability in many areas of spiritual life because I had little or no appreciation of what it was that Jesus Christ while securing my salvation now as my priest. And every facet of my salvation was or is or shall be secured in his official function as my priest. And oh, what a wonderful thing it is to begin to have the Spirit not give new light,

44:43 simply to shed light upon the truth that is embodied in Scripture. And dear children of God, I can't do that. I study and seek to be simple and clear and try to lay everything out, point one, point two. But having done all of that, ultimately the Holy Spirit must take the truth as it is in Jesus and illuminate our minds.

45:04 Will you plead with it to do that for you? Will you plead with it to pull back, as it were, the veil that you may see with the eye of faith your great high priest who this very hour is ministering in the heavenly sanctuary. He's ministering this morning in the energy and power of an endless life. And if you've had one drop of blessing this morning you've had it because His intercession secured it.

45:33 And if you're to have any blessing in the coming days it will be because His intercession secures it. And every aspect of our salvation in all of its reaches is salvation secured and applied by powerful, perennial priestly activity of our great Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And God has designed the salvation to be thus secured so that we shall never be detached from present communion with the Redeemer. You see, if we only think of the once-for-all sacrifice accomplished in history 2,000 years ago, and for our consolation and comfort, as it were, we look back and say, He cried, it is finished, and that is all my hope, and stay.

46:21 Thank God saving faith may reach that far and go no further. And that would indeed be saving faith. But what a wonderful thing to know that everything He procured for me by His once-for-all sacrifice is presently secured to me and applied to me by His present priestly activity. So that no dimension of His salvation will come to my hands outside of the orbit of living communion with my living High Christ.

46:53 Oh may God grant that the Lord Himself will draw me in and pull back the veil to me as I prepare. And to us as together we contemplate the majesty of our Lord in His office as our great High Christ. Will you pray to that end? and if you feel no need for him may God have mercy upon you in your blindness and give you no rest until you call upon him to show you your true strength let us pray our father how grateful we are that we have a great high priest

Closing Prayer

47:41 Jesus the Son of God who is passed into the heavens and oh what joy it brings to us to know that this very hour as we bow in your presence he by his all prevailing intercession is before you pleading the merits of his own precious blood securing every gift and grace of the spirit needful for our salvation Oh how we thank you that we have an advocate We have one who ever lives To intercede and is therefore able to save to the uttermost All who come unto you by him

48:26 We would ask you, O blessed Holy Spirit To come powerfully in your office As the revealer of the things of Christ and open our eyes to behold Him in His glory and majesty as the great priest of His people. O God, be pleased to show mercy to those among us who have no concern relative to Christ as priests because they have no felt awareness of their own desperate plan. O God, do not allow them to go on blindly in their present state of delusion, but awaken them and disturb them until conscious of their guilt they flee to Him who alone can cleanse.

49:16 O Lord, we pray that You'd fulfill Your Word of promise. You've said that Your Word would not return to You void, but would accomplish that whereunto You would send it. Be pleased to fulfill that promise. O God, be pleased to fulfill it.

49:32 To the end that your name may be praised. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

49:40 Amen.