Tag: Jesus

Why is Jesus the True and Better Priest?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals1 Comment

There have been and are still today those who function in the capacity of Priest. But for all those who have had and still claim to hold that role, Jesus is better. He is the true and better priest. But why? Why is Jesus the true and better priest?

 Why is Jesus the True and Better Priest?

(1) Jesus is Perfect

In my last post, when we talked about the High Priests and the Day of Atonement, we learned that they not only had to offer a sacrifice for the people but they also had to offer a sacrifice for themselves. In fact, before they even entered the Holy of Holies to offer a sacrifice on the Day of Atonement, they had to go through a time of purification. But this was not true of Jesus. Look at what Hebrews 4:14-15 says about Him,

“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Heb 4:14–15)

So not only is Jesus our High Priest who is able to sympathize with us, but we also learn that He is without sin. In other words, He is perfect, which is exactly what the writer of Hebrews goes on to say in chapter 7 verses 26 and 27.

“For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.” (Heb 7:26–27)

So Jesus is the true and better High Priest because He is perfect and doesn’t need a sacrifice offered on His behalf.

But Jesus’ perfection is not the only thing that makes Him the true and better High priest. In Hebrews 6:20, we learn second that Jesus is the true and better High Priest because:

(2) Jesus is an Eternal High Priest

He doesn’t die. Instead, He lives on as our Mediator forever. No earthly high priest is able to live forever. They eventually died and could no longer mediate for the people, but not Jesus. Jesus lives on forever as our Mediator. He doesn’t ever need to be replaced.He is an eternal High Priest.

(3) Jesus Has Unhindered Access to the Father

In Hebrews 8:1 we read:

“Now the point in 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,” (Heb 8:1)

Whereas the High Priest in the Old Testament could only enter the presence of the Lord once a year for a limited time, Jesus is forever seated at the Father’s side, which gives Him unhindered access to mediate on our behalf.

While those are all convincing reasons for why Jesus is the true and better High Priest, we aren’t done yet. Next, we learn that Jesus is the true and better High Priest because:

(4) He Made a Once and for All Sacrifice for Our Sins

I am sure that your family, like mine, put up a Christmas tree this last year. If you put up a real Christmas tree, the tree you put up wasn’t the same one from last year. Despite our best efforts to keep them alive during the Christmas season, they eventually die and have to be thrown out. So every year, if we want a real Christmas tree, we have to buy and bring home a new one. But that tree, no matter how perfect we think it is, will die and have to be replaced next year as well.

You see, real Christmas trees only last so long. That’s exactly why my family puts up a fake Christmas tree. While it doesn’t look or smell as good as a real tree, and it’s something we have to store, haul out, and untangle every year, it is one less thing we have to spend money on at Christmas. You see, unlike their real counterparts, fake trees don’t die, they don’t have to be replaced every year. If you take good care of them, they’ll last forever. The tree we are using now is a hand-me-down. We got it from Jen’s parents. It has been abused a bit over the years, but it still works, for the most part.

Not to be sacrilegious or anything, but like a fake Christmas tree, the writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus’ sacrifice lasts forever. In Hebrews 9:24-26 he says,

“For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. 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.” (Heb 9:24–26)

You see, Jesus offers a once and for all sacrifice that lasts forever. It doesn’t have to be repeated year in and year out like the sacrifice of the Old Testament High Priests’.

The sacrifice Jesus offered wasn’t some special bull or goat that only He could find. No, Jesus lastly is the true and better High Priest because:

(5) Jesus Offers Himself as a Sacrifice on Our Behalf

Jesus goes to the cross and it’s His blood that’s spilled instead of the blood of a bull or goat. Jesus was able to offer Himself as a sacrifice because He is perfect. He never sinned. He never rebelled against God. He was never God’s enemy who deserved God’s wrath. His relationship with the Father was never compromised or severed. He never needed a sacrifice offered on His behalf like the High Priests of old. So He was able to become the sacrifice for our sins.

It’s for all the above reasons, then, that Jesus is considered the true and better Priest.

Question for Reflection

  1. Do you believe Jesus is the only Priest, the only Mediator, we need?

Resources

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Post adapted from my sermon Jesus as Priest

What is a Priest and Why is Jesus Considered One?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals1 Comment

After God freed Israel from Pharaoh’s oppression in Egypt and brought them out into the wilderness to lead them to the Promised Land, God had Moses appoint Aaron and his sons as Priests (Ex 29; Lev 8). While all were priests, Aaron served in a slightly different and more elevated role. He was appointed as the High Priest. Essentially he was in charge of the other Priests and he was the one who offered the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement.

The Day of Atonement 

If you aren’t familiar, the Day of Atonement occurred once a year (Lev. 16:1-9). On this day, the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies. The Holy of Holies was located in the center of the Temple and was where the presence of God resided. In the Holy of Holies, the High Priest would offer a sacrifice to God for his and the people’s sins. The sacrifice he offered atoned or covered the peoples’ sin, making it possible for them to be reconciled or live at one with God for another year.

Constant Sacrifices 

Constantly offering sacrifices for the people was one of the main duties of the priests. That’s because the Day of Atonement wasn’t the only day sacrifices were offered. The priests offered sacrifices on behalf of the people all throughout the year. We don’t have time to get into all the different sacrifices but suffice it to say that the altar in front of the Temple was constantly covered with blood.

The Priests as Mediators

Because of their continued work, you can think of the Priests as mediators. If you aren’t familiar, a mediator is someone who comes between two parties in an effort to bring about peace and resolve a conflict. If you are a parent and have at least two kids, you act as a mediator all the time. I know I do.

The priests in the Old Testament acted as mediators because they came between man and God, offering sacrifices on their behalf in order to cover their sin and provide reconciliation and peace.

Jesus Acts as Our Mediator, as Our Priest

In the same way that the priests acted as a mediator, Jesus acts as our mediator, as our priest. He stands between us and God offering a sacrifice on our behalf in order to reconcile our relationship with the Father. The author of Hebrews makes it explicitly clear that Jesus serves as our Mediator, our High Priest, when he says in Hebrews 3:1-2,

“Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house.” (Heb 3:1–2)

Also, in Hebrews 6:19 and 20 we read,

“We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” (Heb 6:19–20)

So we see then that Jesus is our Mediator, our High Priest.

Question for Reflection

  1. Do you see your need for a Mediator between you and God?

Resources

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Post adapted from my sermon Jesus as Priest

11 Characteristics of the Self-Righteous

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Practical32 Comments

Self-righteousness is rampant in our churches. Pews are packed every week with Pharisees, who think they are doing everything right. Scripture, however, paints a woefully different picture. Far from thinking, we have arrived or that we are superior to others, we should see a need for and dependence on the righteousness of Christ.

Instead of raising our spiritual noses at those struggling with sin, we should humbly bow before the Savior knowing we too are sinners saved by God’s grace. Instead of thinking of ourselves as self-righteous, we should thank and praise God for sending His Son to die for our sin.

Even though we should humble ourselves before our Savior, we often don’t. We have a tendency to act like we are the ones who make ourselves righteous by our own efforts, instead of relying on Christ’s work. When we rely on our own efforts we acting self-righteous. We can fall into self-righteousness without even knowing it.

In an effort to keep us out of the trap and create self-awareness here are 11 characteristics of the self-righteous adapted from Paul Tripp’s book, Dangerous Calling.

11 Characteristics of The Self-Righteous

1. They do not see their walk with God as a community project.

2. They do not work well with others.

3. They consistently believe they are right and know best.

4. They are resistant to change.

5. They do not respond well when reminded they need to change.

6. They do not desire others exhortation or admonition, even getting angry at times.

7. They are not patient with those who mess up, struggle with sin or have lost their way.

8. They do not deal well with opposition or accusations.

9. They will consistently wonder why God has singled them out for difficulty.

10. They do not see a need to admit or confess their sin.

11. They consistently point out the sin of others with an air of superiority.

Question for Reflection

  1. Do your actions or attitudes reflect any of these characteristics?

Resources

Characteristics in post adapted from Paul Tripp, Dangerous Calling, 73-74.

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How Do We Reject Jesus’ Prophetic Message?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals, DiscipleshipLeave a comment

Before the ball dropped and the New Year started, I posted an article entitled: Jesus the True and Better Prophet, Priest, and King. In my next several posts, I want us to explore those roles in more detail.

Much like the prophets of the Old Testament, Jesus’ message didn’t resonate with everyone, especially the high ranking officials in His day. Since He opposed their way of life and threatened their power and position, they rejected Him and had Him killed.

The Jews, however, weren’t the only ones to reject Jesus. We are still rejecting Him today

How Do We Reject Jesus’ Prophetic Message?

We reject Jesus’ message in a number of ways. Certainly, this is happening through:

Laws that are being enacted. 

Under the Bloomberg administration, New York City sought to keep churches from using public schools to hold worship services.

While this was disguised as an attempt to separate Church and State, it was clearly an attempt to silence the message of the gospel in New York City. Space in New York is limited and expensive. Without the ability to use the school’s facilities many churches would be forced to either move out of the city or quit gathering altogether[1].

Or think of the battle over bathrooms that is currently happening in our country. While the battle over bathrooms is generally taking place in the public sphere, in Massachusetts it’s even affecting churches. On September 1st, 2016 the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination released a Gender Identity Guidance legislation, which says, among other things, that all places of public accommodation have to allow people to use the bathroom of their choice.

Churches aren’t exempt from this ruling[2]. They say,

“Even a church could be seen as a place of public accommodation if it holds a secular event, such as a spaghetti supper, that is open to the general public.”

So if a church denies a person from using the bathroom of their choice, they could be prosecuted. Going even further, they say that the failure to use a person’s preferred pronoun at these events would also trigger anti-discrimination laws and the church could be held liable [3]. Clearly, this is an attempt to silence churches from speaking the truth by forcing them to participate or pay the price.

In the State of Texas, the city of Houston tried to silence pastors’ speech from the pulpit about these same transgender issues.

Those few examples are just the tip of the iceberg. There are people right now pushing for laws, legislation, and ordinances that seek to silence Christians.

Closer to Home

The above, however, aren’t the only ways Jesus’ message is rejected. Bringing it a little closer to home, there are people in Decatur, the town in which I live, who reject Jesus’ message.

We reject Jesus’ message because we don’t recognize we are sinners

Many think they can save themselves because they see themselves as good. For some reason, we have this idea that God keeps a tally of our good and bad actions. When we die and stand before Him, He is going to bring out His heavenly scale and weigh our good against our bad. If our good outweighs the bad, the pearly gates are going to open and we are going to be ushered into heaven.

This thinking, while it leads to moral living, at least moral living that is better than the guy down the street, ultimately leads to a rejection of our need for Jesus, because the core of this type of thinking believes that Jesus came not to save, but to provide the ultimate example of how we should live. In this way, then, we change Jesus’ prophetic message from one of repent and believe to follow My example and everything will be alright.

While some, then, may not be working to enact laws, or blatantly stifle Jesus’ message, we still rejecting Jesus’ prophetic message when we claim and even teach others that we can get to heaven by simply doing more good than bad. But that’s simply not true. We can’t work our way to heaven by doing more good than bad, which is why:

We Shouldn’t Reject Jesus’ Prophetic Message

Instead, we should listen to it.

The Bad News

Paul provides a good summary of Jesus’ message in his letter to the Romans. In Romans 3 starting in verse 10, Paul paints a startling picture of just how despicable we are when he says,

“as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”” (Ro 3:10–18)

This is us! This is the bad news. “no one is righteous”. “No one does good.”

If no one is righteous and no one does good, how then can our good outweigh our bad? The answer is: It can’t! Our good can’t outweigh our bad if all we do is bad. So, even if God kept a tally and weighed our works on a heavenly scale, the “good” side would be empty. Instead of being ushered through the pearly gates, we would be ushered into eternal destruction, if it’s our works that we rely on.

You see, we are that bad, and since we are that bad we can’t save ourselves. In verses 19 and 20, Paul says,

“Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” (Ro 3:19–20)

You see what he is saying? The idea that we can work our way to God is the same idea that condemns us. That’s because we learn what is good or bad through the law. Either the law of God given in the Bible, or in the case of those who don’t have a Bible, the law that is written on their hearts; the one that is apparent in their society (Rom 2:14-15).

Once we have this law, which we all have, we all stand condemned. “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight”, Paul says. And “No one does good, not even one” (Rom 3:12b-c). We are all sinners who are incapable of working our way to God.

I don’t know about you, but that is enough to convince me that I need to listen to Jesus’ prophetic message. But in case you still think that you are a pretty good person, consider what Jesus, in His Sermon on the Mount, revealed about God’s knowledge of us. There we learn that God doesn’t just judge us by our outward actions, He also judges according to our heart. That’s a scary thought for someone who is trying to justify themselves by their works. Outwardly you might appear to be a good person. You might do and say all the right things, fooling yourself and those around you into believing you are a good person. But God looks past the facade. He peers into the very depths of your soul, judging you not just by what you do, but also by what you think, want, and desire. He knows the motivation behind every action. We all know our thoughts, wants, desires, and motivations aren’t always righteous, which means we really are that bad.

The Good News

We, then, need to listen to and believe Jesus’ prophetic message. Realizing that Jesus isn’t just a prophet announcing the coming of the Kingdom, instead, He is the One who brings the kingdom. He is the bread of life. The One in and through whom we find our salvation. He is the true and better Prophet who offers complete forgiveness and reconciliation.

Don’t Reject Jesus’ Prophetic Message

Instead, hear it, believe it, turn to Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and experience the good news of the gospel for yourself.

If you have already experienced salvation in Jesus, praise God for sending His prophet, His Son into the world, to not only announce the good news but to be the good news Himself.

Questions for Reflection

  1. Do you realize that you are that bad?
  2. Do you see your need for Jesus?

Resources

Post adapted from my sermon Jesus as Prophet

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[1] Washington Post

[2&3] Mass.gov AND Washington Post

What exactly is a Prophet and Why is Jesus Considered One?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals, Discipleship1 Comment

Before the ball dropped and the New Year started, I posted an article entitled: Jesus the True and Better Prophet, Priest, and King. In my next several posts, I want us to explore those roles in more detail. Today we start with Jesus as Prophet.

What Exactly is a Prophet and Why is Jesus Considered One?

A prophet is a messenger sent by God, who functions as the mouthpiece of God. In other words, they speak for God. The Bible is full of Prophets – Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, as well as Hosea, Amos, and Malachi are just a few that you will find tucked between the pages of Scripture.

The Prophets Had a Three-Fold Ministry

(1) They witnessed on behalf of God. 

Meaning they told others about God — who He is, what He has done, what He promises, and what He expects. In other words, they speak to the people about God.

(2) They pointed out the sins of the people and called them to repent.

The beginning of the book of Isaiah offers a good example. Starting in verse 16 of chapter 1, Isaiah not only calls Israel out for their sins, but he invites them to repent when he says,

“Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause” (Is 1:16–17)

Isaiah, speaking for God, confronts the people with their sin and calls them to repent so that they could experience the blessings of the Lord instead of His judgment.

(3) They also pronounced God’s forgiveness and pardon.

The message of the prophets wasn’t all gloom and doom. Again the book of Isaiah offers an example. In chapter 40, starting in verse 1 we read,

“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” (Is 40:1–2)

So the prophets not only pointed people to God, preached against sin, and called others to repent, but they also proclaimed a message of pardon and forgiveness.

A Tough Ministry

While the prophets proclaimed the good news from time to time, being a prophet was a tough ministry. If you think about it, and if we are all honest, we don’t like to be confronted with our sin. The prophets weren’t just confronting you or I — good church going people, but large populations of people who were not only made up of the righteous but the unrighteous; the commoner as well as the high-ranking official, who had a lot to lose if they were exposed. So one of the hazards of a prophet was being killed for your message.

Jesus As Prophet 

When we think about Jesus’ ministry, His message and actions fit the description of a prophet well.

(1) Jesus came not only witnessing to God, but He is the Word of God. 

John 1:1 says,

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (Jn 1:1)

(2) Jesus also proclaimed our need to repent and believe in Him.

In Mark 1:15 He says,

“…“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”” (Mk 1:15)

(3) Jesus also proclaimed a message of pardon and forgiveness.

In that all familiar passage — John 3:16 — Jesus talking to Nicodemus says,

““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16)

As well all know, Jesus’ ministry was tough. He was ridiculed, challenged, and ultimately killed just like the prophets of old.

Jesus’ ministry, then, fits that of a prophet.

The True and Better Prophet

Jesus, however, wasn’t just another prophet in the long list of prophets that had come before. Jesus is the true and better Prophet because He offers a message of complete forgiveness and reconciliation. He not only proclaims the good news; He Himself is the good news. He’s the One who has died in our place, offering Himself on our behalf so that we don’t have to suffer the wrath of God.

All those who believe Jesus’ message — that He is our Savior — will be forgiven. Their relationship with the Father will be reconciled and eternal life instead of eternal hell will be their’s. For that reason, Jesus is the true and better prophet for which Israel had been awaiting. The true and better prophet which we all have been awaiting.

There are many messages out there that offer us hope and salvation. None, however, deliver like Jesus. He is the only One who delivers on His promises. He is the only One who truly satisfies and saves, which is why Jesus is the true and better prophet.

Question for Reflection

  1. Do you believe Jesus is the true and better prophet?

Resources

Post adapted from my sermon Jesus as Prophet

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Jesus the True and Better Prophet, Priest, and King

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals5 Comments

One of my hobbies is photography. While my iPhone does a good job, the Digital SLR I have takes much better pictures. If you aren’t familiar with the lingo, it is one of those cameras that allows you to can change the lens. Being able to change the lens is important because each lens offers a different perspective.

Think about photographing a flower. You could use a macro lens to take a close up of a flower capturing it’s smallest details. Alternatively, you could use a wide-angle lens to capture the flower and the flower bed it’s in all at once, or you could use a telephoto lens to zoom in from far away, and even provide some depth of field to your photographs. It’s these different perspectives that make the picture unique and something we want to look at, and maybe even purchase.

In the same way that different lenses offer different pictures of the same flower, the Bible offers different pictures of Jesus. Three of those pictures are Jesus as Prophet, Priest, and King.

Jesus as Prophet, Priest, and King

When we think about Jesus as Prophet, Priest, and King, we have to understand that He’s not pictured as just any ordinary Prophet, Priest, or King. Instead, He is pictured as the true and better Prophet, Priest, and King, who serves as the culmination of all these roles.

True and Better Prophet

All throughout the Old Testament, the people were looking for a true and better Moses, who would not only proclaim the word of God but also, and more importantly, offer a message of complete forgiveness and reconciliation. But no prophet like Moses ever arose until Jesus came on the scene.

True and Better Priest

Take the Old Testament priests. They served as a mediator between God and man, offering daily sacrifices for the sins of the people so they could exist in relationship with God. But no matter how many priests came, none were able to offer a sacrifice that could reconcile man’s relationship with God forever. That is until Jesus came.

True and Better King

Finally take David. He was the great king of the nation of Israel. God even made a covenant with him. and called him a man after His own heart. But David nor any of the kings after him were able to lead the people to truly follow God, that is until Jesus came.

What this Means for Us

You see, Jesus isn’t just any old Prophet, Priest, or King, He is the true and better Prophet, Priest, and King, who is able to do what those who came before could not. Which tells us that Jesus is:

  • The true and better Prophet, whose message is worth listening to.
  • The true and better Priest, whose salvation is worth believing and hoping in.
  • Finally, the true and better King, whose leadership is worth submitting to and following.

Question for Reflection

  1. Do you believe Jesus is the true and better Prophet, Priest, and King?

Resources

Post adapted from my sermon Jesus as Prophet

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