A bit of Bible trivia . . .
Can you fill in the blank?
And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy __________. (1 Peter 2:5)
Do you know the answer?
Same word goes in this blank . . .
And you will be my kingdom of ___________, my holy nation. (Exodus 19:6)
Answer = priests
Who is God talking to?
His people, Israel - and now, the Church.
That's you - if you are a Christian, a follower of Jesus - You are a priest.
Priest. That's a loaded word, and I think we often lose its depth. And, in our contemporary context, we are likely not inspired by that word or position.
A priest is a minister, a connector. A priest represents the people to God, and God to the people. As Christians we are priests as we fulfill God's commission to share testimony of Jesus, leading others to and through their own testimonies of new life in Jesus. We know we are called to spread the Gospel and bring Jesus to all people everywhere, but there's more, more than just talking and showing. When you are named priest, there's an extended understanding of that role in scripture. Let's keep piecing it together.
Old Testament priests were a necessary intercession for the people to have ongoing relationship with God. The sacrificial system was led, taught, and obeyed through the priests' service in the temple. The priests were an actual mediator and representative for the people. It was all part of the temporary system of rituals God established to deal with sin. It all pointed forward to the hope of His ultimate plan of salvation.
Now - enter Jesus - who comes to fulfill and complete the need for mediation in the most perfect way. Jesus paid for all the sin as the perfect sacrifice, a "lamb" without any blemish. Now, He also plays the role of High Priest to eternally mediate for us to the Father. He doesn't sit in an earthly temple, and no more sacrifices are needed. No, He sits right beside the Father and speaks on our behalf. Our pleas and fears and struggles go straight to the heart of the Father, because Jesus truly feels it all. Jesus has walked through this same mess and pain and knows, and therefore His Father knows.
It means a lot when someone understands. Your pain can dig deep and overcome your thoughts, strip away your joy, and make you feel lost and completely alone. But, when that friend gets it; when that friend notices because they've been there or knows to see past your grin - a light breaks through. A hope enters.
Jesus knows. He actually understands.
He went through the worst of the worst. He left His perfect Kingdom and glory to understand you. He feels it.
And oddly enough, that's His number one qualification for being our High Priest.
A priest has to be a person who understands the suffering of the people.
An enthroned, glorious Jesus does not qualify. He could never mediate this way for us without leaving His heavenly home and becoming like us.
That's a beautiful thought. It's a wonderful mystery that Jesus would sacrifice so much for us. We can't even comprehend it.
But, now to consider that the use of the word priest did not end in the Old Testament, and is not solely on Jesus now. Jesus is our High Priest, and that can only be Jesus. But scriptures like 1 Peter 2:5 name His Church as priests. We can say that's just referring to our calling to tell the world about Jesus, but priest means much more than a "spokesperson". Hebrews 5* explains that the earthly priest needed to be a regular guy that suffered like all the other guys. Priests weren't protected or sinless or elevated from life in any way. They understood all the struggles of the people so that they could "deal gently"* with them. They suffered in the same ways, but could bring a real purpose from that suffering.
Look at Jesus. He not only became a person, but he was also not shielded from some of life's worst experiences. God could have sent Jesus into wealth and status, and even protected Him from the expanse of struggles we know He endured. But, Jesus experienced temptation. He knew hunger and thirst. He was poor and an outcast. He was ridiculed, despised, slandered, betrayed. He was alone - a lot. That doesn't even include the torture of his last days. It seems like some of that could have been skipped or modified ??
But - could it?
Would He understand?
Could He intercede in the same way?
Could He truly be a High Priest if He didn't know? If He didn't experience the lows of life?
It seems it was important and necessary.
So, what should we expect?
Should Christians expect a special bubble of protection? A guard on all of life's hurts?
Should we not be the first to understand and weep with a friend?
How would we know Jesus as healer; Jesus as our hope; Jesus as our provider . . .
if we never needed Him to be?
How could we point others to all that we've found in Him through the trials, if there were no trials? No one wants you calling down from your mountain top to help him through the valley you've never seen.
You see, the 23rd Psalm is about life with The Shepherd, and that life has valleys. The valleys are not random things that happen to you. It's not you wandering away. It's not just the end of your life and dying moments. You're following, and the path has valleys. Life has valleys. And Jesus is The Shepherd. We walk through the valleys AND Jesus is leading. The valleys don't magically disappear for Christians, but The Shepherd never leaves. And that is a testimony for a priest. That is where you find others in the same struggle. That is how you know how to sit quietly and cry with a grieving friend. That is when your prayer of intercession floods your eyes and your soul, because you know.
The number one thing is that Jesus knows.
Then, we need to realize that if Jesus was not spared; if Jesus endured the depths of struggle and pain; we should not assume to escape. In fact, we find that it's woven into our purpose.
Yes, there will be miracles. There are miracles! Healing comes as God wills, and we should ask for it!
But, we are priests. We walk through the valley of the shadow of death, and we fear no evil.
Jesus prayed for God's will, and sometimes there was complete restoration.
But other times - and during the most important time in history - there was a cross to bear.
We are a kingdom of priests. We are called to the same purpose God intended from the very beginning. We are to spread His glory and make Him known in a place that has not found Him.
I don't know every struggle, but I have mine. You have yours. As a kingdom of priests, a body, God uses us in unique ways. We each help others in different ways. So, together we can reveal Jesus to the entire world.
That's God's plan. A person-to-person plan. Pointing people to God. Connecting people to Jesus.
I choose to be a living sacrifice that will walk wherever My Shepherd leads, knowing that my High Priest understands every step and uses all things for good.
Let's find purpose in the mud and muck.
One day there will be streets of gold and white-washed robes, but for today - I am a priest .
Revelation 1:6
He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.
Hebrews 4:14-16
So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
2 Corinthians 1:3-7
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.
Recommended video - The Bible Project: Royal Priesthood
Thank you, Miss J ! Love and prayers ...