Mr. Binod Magar
RPS Alumni

The Priesthood of Jesus Christ and its Significance in our Worship

While thinking and talking about worship, what comes to our mind? What takes the central place in our thinking? For many, it is all about music (singing, playing musical instruments) and a worship leader/team encouraging us to worship God in a church service. For the most part, people have missed the primary object of worship, which is Jesus Christ, and have been focusing on secondary things, such as music and the worship team. The priesthood of Jesus Christ should greatly impact our understanding and practice of worship. Therefore, it is very important for all believers to learn about the priesthood of Jesus Christ. The theme of the priesthood can be seen throughout the Old and New Testaments.

Jesus Christ, Our High Priest
Hebrews 7:23-9:12 portrays Jesus Christ as High Priest. In the OT, there were many Levitical high priests, and their office was temporary. They themselves were sinners who had to offer sacrifices for their own sins. Thus, their sacrifices had to be made on a regular basis. They entered the holy places through a man-made tent and by means of the blood of goats and calves. In contrast, Jesus, as a high priest whose office is permanent and eternal, was holy and innocent. Because of this, he only had to offer sacrifices for others. He offered himself as the “once for all” sacrifice. He entered the holy place of the presence of God by means of his own blood. The mosaic law was unable to make men perfect since a succession of sinful, mortal priests administered it. Jesus, however, is by God’s oath established forever as the holy priest/Son, thus permitting his followers to draw near to God on the basis of his person and work (Hebrews 7:11-28). Also, the new, better covenant based on Jesus’ eternal high priesthood comes with God’s oath and with Jesus as the guarantor, and thus it is superior to the Mosaic covenant. Jesus, as a high priest, establishes a new covenant for us and sets us free from the bondage of the laws that a mortal could never fulfill. This is why we are no longer under the law and its worship practice, but we are under Christ, and we worship God through Christ.


Our Permanent access to God through Christ
In the Old Testament, God’s people took part in real worship. It was the real God they were worshipping, but this had to be done at a distance. Access was denied. Only priests were allowed to enter the Tabernacle, which was known as the “earthly place of holiness” (Hebrews 9:1-5). They went inside while other worshipers remained outside in the courtyard. However, once inside, the priests could enter the Holy Place, but not the Most Holy Place. The high priest could enter only once a year to offer sacrifices for the people and himself- he had to do so very carefully. But Jesus Christ has permanently solved this issue. Now, because of Jesus, we can confidently enter God’s presence. This access is not temporary, as in the Old Testament, but is permanent.


We should always remember and be humbled that it is only through Christ that this access has been made possible and that our worship is accepted. Neither our arts, musical arrangements, gifts or talents take us into God’s presence nor make us acceptable before Him. It is only through Jesus Christ. This truth challenges us to correct one of our misunderstandings regarding the role of worship leaders in our church services in Nepal. We tend to think and say that worship leaders are the ones who take us to God’s presence. This is a completely unbiblical notion. Leaders’ musical roles and responsibilities should not be understood as a means for us to enter God’s presence. Bob Kauflin reminds us that the most important worship leader is Jesus. He reveals God to us and, through his perfect sacrifice, provided the only way into the Father’s presence (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 10:19–22). We can’t do what only Jesus does.

Christ, the Perfect Mediator
The apostle Paul writes in 1 Timothy 2:5-6 that “there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” We have a perfect mediator who has enabled us to be rightly related to God. It is through the mediation of Christ that our sins are forgiven, and we receive His righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21). The Holy Spirit who regenerates us is also the “Spirit of Christ” (Rom. 8:9). Thus, we find salvation in and through the mediatorial work of Christ. Christ is also our everlasting intercessor. Through Christ’s pleading, we obtain favor. Hence, confidence in prayer arises and peace for the godly conscience to rest securely upon God’s fatherly mercy. They are persuaded that whatever has been consecrated through the Mediator is pleasing to God. It is only through Christ that our worship is acceptable.


An Eternal Inheritance
Hebrews 9:15 says, “Jesus is the mediator of a new covenant so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.” This inheritance, won by Jesus, involves the forgiveness of sins. We were born under sin’s dominion and were naturally children of death. We were unable to redeem ourselves on our own. Only Jesus Christ, who is holy, can deliver and cleanse us. This inheritance implies other benefits that flow naturally from our forgiveness. These benefits include our future resurrection, the new heaven and the new earth, and Jesus himself. What we are most looking forward to is being with Jesus eternally. We are eternally secured in Christ. So, this truth gives us hope and confidence regarding our future and prompts us to worship God through the new identity which Christ has won for us.

Vocation of Priesthood
In the Old Testament, the priesthood was restricted to the sons of Aaron (a kind of priestly aristocracy). But in Christ, the requirements and privileges of birth and lineage for the priesthood have been abolished. Just as humans were originally called to function as God’s priestly image bearers, so now the vocation of the priesthood (engaging in worship and mediating God’s presence to the world) is open to all. It is only because of Christ’s purity and holiness that our reconciliation with God was made possible. Christ plays the priestly role, not only to render the Father propitious toward us by an eternal law of reconciliation but also to receive us as his companions in this great office (Rev. 1:6). Deviation from this biblical truth has led churches in the past to return to Old Testament practices. During the medieval time of church history, the priest celebrated the mass at the high altar, and the lay people were spectators; the Reformers deliberately brought the action down from the chancel to the nave and ensured that the lay people were not merely spectators but participants. A wrong understanding concerning the vocation of the priesthood could lead today’s churches back to the medieval era, where congregations were spectators who depended solely upon worship leaders for praise & worship. We should be careful to avoid such errors.

Conclusion
After learning about the priesthood of Jesus Christ from the Bible, one must be humble and accept the truth that nothing except Christ gives us access to the presence of God. Also, we must remember that only through Christ is our worship of God acceptable. Our confidence in worship must come only from Jesus Christ and his finished works as a high priest. Though we are given the role of priesthood through Jesus Christ, we should always be careful not to deviate from Jesus Christ in our worship. Those who are responsible for leading music in churches must know this truth and view their ministry accordingly.

The Priesthood of Jesus Christ and its Significance in our Worship