Question 25: Christ our Priest

Question 25: How doth Christ execute the office of a priest?

Answer: Christ executeth the office of a priest, in his once offering up of himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice, and reconcile us to God, and in making continual intercession for us.

A priest is someone who is able to stand as a mediator between God and people, appealing to God on behalf of the people. The catechism emphasizes two aspects of Jesus' priesthood: offering a sacrifice and making intercession.

Hebrews 8:3 tells us that "every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices." In other words, offering sacrifices is an essential part of the work of priest. As Hebrews goes on, it makes it clear that Jesus is different from and better than the Levite priests of the Old Testament. Their offerings were types and shadows of things to come. While they offered many animals, Jesus only made one sacrifice, his own body (Hebrews 9:12). While they made offerings on earth, Jesus entered into heaven (Hebrews 9:24). While they had to constantly repeat their work, Jesus made his offering once for all, never to be repeated (Hebrews 9:25-26). While they die and pass into judgment, Jesus has died and risen from the dead and will return again to save his people (Hebrews 9:27-28).

There are two important consequences of Jesus' sacrificing of himself on the cross. First, he has satisfied divine justice. Sin brings the wrath of God and deserves the penalty of death (Genesis 2:17). Therefore, the only way that people can be forgiven is if God is propitiated - that is, if his divine anger is turned away because his justice has been satisfied. Jesus' death is described as fulfilling this purpose, making him the propitiation for our sins (Romans 3:25, 1 John 2:2, 1 John 4:10). But Jesus has done more than turn away God's wrath; he has restored a right relationship between God and people. This reconciliation is a necessary consequence of Jesus' death. 2 Corinthians 5:14-18 says it well: "For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised...Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Chrsit reconciled us to himself."

Although Jesus' sacrifice was once for all, that does not mean that he has stopped his priestly work. His priestly work now continues chiefly in his continual intercession for his people. In other words, Jesus not only paid for our sins but now also defends us as being forgiven against every accusation to the contrary. Romans 8:34 says, "Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died - more than that, who was raised - who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us."

Hebrews 8:1 captures well the wonder of the priesthood of Jesus. "The point of what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man." Thank God that Jesus serves as the priest of his people!