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Hebrews 3:1
This passage begins with the word “Therefore” and directs us to see why. Because Jesus has taken human form in this world and suffered the effects of sin and paid the price for sin for all humanity, and because for doing so He is able to help those who are tempted (Hebrews 2:10-18); “Therefore”, as we pick up in Hebrews 3:1, the author directs those who believe and are “partakers of the heavenly calling” (an introduction very similar to that of the Apostle Peter in his introduction of 2 Peter 1:1b (NKJV) as he states, “To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God an Savior Jesus Christ:”) to “consider” Jesus, the “High Priest of our confession”.
The author of Hebrews now puts Jesus above Aaron, the High Priest of the old Testament as appointed by God through Moses. Up until Jesus came and fulfilled the Law, Aaron was the High Priest. Moses, along with Aaron were the two highest ranking authorities of the Jewish Law, and the Pentateuch (Genesis – Deuteronomy) was the only Holy Scripture. To put Jesus above The High Priest Aaron would most assuredly capture the attention of the author’s listeners/or those who would read this letter.
This is a promise of Jesus being higher in authority than that of Aaron as High Priest.
The author of Hebrews is asking us to “consider” Jesus. He is asking us to think of Jesus and the good news/gospel in that we would “consider” opening our hearts to Him in salvation. In the Old Testament the people took their sacrifices for their sins to the High Priest (Aaron) to offer them to God. When Aaron died, his son took over as High Priest, and throughout the years, others succeeded them as High Priest. But when God sent Jesus (and noted in this passage as Apostle, being sent from God as The First Apostle as being sent is the requirement of an apostle), He gave the sacrifice that would atone for the sins of all man; past, present, and future. No more sacrifices are needed to be made as the all-redeeming sacrifice was made by Jesus Himself on the cross. He is High Priest above all High Priest’s and to include that of Aaron, the first High Priest. It is through the High Priest Jesus that our sins may be forgiven and our hearts made pure and right with God. The only requirement for us to receive forgiveness for our sins is to humble ourselves before Jesus and ask with a sincere heart.
Dear LORD,
We can read of the High Priest Aaron in the Old Testament books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, but he himself was not without sin, and the many sacrifices of animals without blemish that he and the other high priests offered were only an example of the purity in sacrifice that was the requirement for all of sin – they were temporary and limited. But You sent Your one and only Son Jesus in human form, in purity, to be the sacrifice that would atone for all the sins of humanity past, present, and future. We can now come to the foot of the cross and ask His forgiveness in confidence that the sacrifice has already been made for us – in Christ. Thank You LORD. In Jesus name I pray, amen.