“30 Pictures of Jesus” 30 Day PlanНамуна

Today we see Jesus as the Priest.

From the beginning, humanity has longed for a way back into God’s home. In Eden, Adam and Eve lived in God’s presence, but their sin exiled them. Ever since, God’s people have needed a priest—someone who could mediate between a holy God and a sinful people, and lead them back into fellowship with him.

In Israel, the Levites were chosen to fill this role. They offered sacrifices, maintained the temple, and stood as mediators so that God could dwell with his people. But Israel’s priests were limited. They were sinners themselves. Their work never fully removed sin. And because they died, their priesthood was always interrupted.

The book of Hebrews announces a better priest. It recalls Abraham’s encounter with a mysterious priest-king named Melchizedek (Genesis 14). Unlike the Levites, Melchizedek had no beginning or end recorded. His priesthood was not based on succession but on permanence. Hebrews argues that Jesus belongs to this order. By rising from the dead, Jesus lives forever, and his priesthood never ends (Hebrews 7:15–17).

This is why Hebrews calls Jesus our “great high priest who has passed through the heavens” (Hebrews 4:14). He is the priest who never sins, never dies, and never stops interceding for us. He has offered himself as the final sacrifice, and now he continually represents us before God. No matter our weakness or failure, Jesus lives forever to plead our case.

Unlike Israel’s priests who could only enter God’s presence with trembling, Jesus has entered once for all and opened the way for us. Because he has gone before us, we can now approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, knowing we will always find mercy and help (Hebrews 4:16).

Jesus is the Priest we have always needed: eternal, perfect, compassionate, and able to bring us home to God.