Messiah: Our High Priest

Psalm 110

So far in our Easter series, we learned five characteristics of the Messiah. He is to be born of a woman (Genesis 3:15), He is to be a king from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:8-10), He is to atone for sins (Exodus 33-34), He will establish an everlasting kingdom (Daniel 7:9-14), and He is the resurrection and the life (John 11:1-44). Now we will take a look at the sixth characteristic of the Messiah.

David under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit tells us that
this coming redeemer will sit at God’s right hand until His
enemies are trampled underfoot (Psalm 110:1). But what does the
phrase “Sit at My right hand” means when we know that God does
not have a right hand? Francis Turretin in his book Elenctic
Theology states:

The sitting at God’s right hand can be understood not
properly and literally (since God has neither a right nor a left
hand), but figuratively and metaphorically to denote the supreme
dignity and sway of Christ. The metaphor is taken from the custom
of kings and chiefs, who are accustomed to place on their right
hand those to whom they concede the nearest degree to them, both
of honor and of power in governing (369). "mso-footnote-id:ftn1" href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=
""> "MsoFootnoteReference">¹

Also, the second question to ask is when did this sitting take
place? The Messiah takes His place when He ascended and the
apostle Paul bears witness to this fact: “He demonstrated this
power in the Messiah by raising Him from the dead and seating Him
at His right hand in the heavens” (Ephesians 1:20).

Another aspect of this messianic prophecy is that He will
forever be a “priest like Melchizedek” (Psalm 110:4). But how can
a person from the tribe of Judah serve as a priest since no
priest from Judah has ever served at the altar (Hebrews 7:13).
What brings about this change? “For when there is a change of the
priesthood, there must be a change of law as well” (Hebrews
7:12). Though the law is perfect, it can only condemn and not
save.

The Messiah, our high priest accomplished what the Levitical
priesthood could not (Hebrews 7:11-19). By the establishment of
Christ’s priesthood, the Levitical priesthood is now obsolete.
For this is why the Messiah poured out His wrath in A.D 70 and
put an end to the Jewish cultus and of the Jewish age (Matthew
24:15-28). The Levitical priesthood and the Messianic priesthood
cannot coexist. If the Levitical priesthood is the type and the
Messianic priesthood is the antitype to which the type points,
then the type has been fulfilled and has run its course. A. W.
Pink concurs:

First, the Levitical priesthood was inadequate,
incapable of producing “perfection”. Second, therefore it was but
a temporary institution, and the whole economy connected with it
must be set aside. In other words, Judaism as such, was now
defunct (385). href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title=""> "mso-special-character:footnote" class=
"MsoFootnoteReference">²

The blood of lambs and goats cannot cleanse the conscience of the
worshiper. “Otherwise, wouldn’t they have stopped being offered,
since the worshipers, once purified, would no longer have any
consciousness of sins” (Hebrews 10:2)? Furthermore, the Messiah’s
priesthood stands forever and He has “obtained a superior
ministry” (Hebrews 8:6).

The book of Hebrews elaborates on David’s prophecy of a coming
Priest whose ministry as priest will last forever. There is much
more that can be said about the Messiah’s priesthood and how it
relates to the new covenant. I will end with a quote from A. W.
Pink’s commentary on Hebrews, which sums up the Messiah’s
priestly work.

“Seeing that He ever liveth to make intercession for
them.” These words express the reason why Christ is able to
effectually save His people: that which secures them is His
perpetual life-”He ever liveth”; His perpetual work-”to make
intercession”. This is what gives efficacy to the priesthood of
Christ. The Lord Jesus lives a mediatorial life in Heaven for His
people: as He died for them, so He lives for them, and therefore
does He assure them “because I live, ye shall live also” (John
14:19). Comparatively few today either understand or appreciate
this blessed fact. That Christ died for them, all who assent to
the Gospel profess to believe; but that there is an equally vital
necessity for Him to now live for and make intercession for them,
is something which they perceive not. Nevertheless, Scripture is
clear on this point: “If Christ be not raised, your faith is
vain; ye are yet in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17) (417). "mso-footnote-id:ftn3" href="#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" title=
""> "MsoFootnoteReference">³