DYNAMIS!
A publication of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral
Wichita, KS
Friday, December 21, 2007 Nativity Fast Peter, Metropolitan of
Kellia: Leviticus
8:1-13
Epistle: Hebrews 11:8, 11-16
Gospel:
Foreshadows ~ V * A
Great High Priest: Leviticus 8:1-13 LXX, especially vs. 12: “And
Moses poured the anointing oil on the head of Aaron; and he anointed him and
sanctified him.” God,
through Moses' action, provided a high priest - a Forerunner of Christ under
the Old Covenant - to preside over the rites and ceremonies of
In two significant ways, Aaron was a type or
foreshadowing of our “great High Priest Who has passed through the
heavens, Jesus, the Son of God” (Heb. 4:14). 1) The Lord Jesus was a flesh-and-blood
human being like Aaron. 2) God
chose Christ from among men to act as High Priest, for He did not take the role
upon Himself, but was designated by God, just as Aaron was. In addition, since no type perfectly
represents the fulfillment, there are also three differences between Christ our
great High Priest and the Aaronic high priests. 1) The Lord Jesus had no earthly
father. 2) He was not in the
lineage of Aaron. And 3) He never
offered sacrifices for sins in an earthly tabernacle or temple. Rather, He ushered in the age of the New
Covenant, fulfilling the sacrifice for sins by uniting history and eternity in
one final act of Divine forgiveness.
From among all the sons of the tribe of Levi,
God chose Aaron to be the first high priest in the long line that continued
until shortly after the Lord’s Passion and Resurrection, for as the text
says: “the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Take Aaron and his sons”
(Lev. 8:1,2). Similarly, as the
Apostle teaches, Christ “was appointed by Him Who said to Him,
‘Thou art My Son, today I have begotten Thee” (Heb. 5 :5). Nevertheless, Jesus was of the same
humanity as the high priests of the Old Covenant, so that we have “a
great High Priest Who has passed through the heavens,” yet is a fellow
human being Who is able “to sympathize with our
weaknesses... Who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without
sin” (Heb. 4:14,15).
The Lord Jesus, as our great High Priest, was
chosen by God to share the same role before God as did the high priests of the
Old Covenant: “to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts
and sacrifices for sins” (Heb. 5:1).
Notice that when Aaron was led before the assembly of Israel to be
consecrated as high priest, “the calf for the sin-offering, and the two
rams, and the basket of unleavened bread” also were brought to the
ceremony (Lev. 8:2). Why? So that Aaron would have gifts to offer
and a sacrifice for the people’s accumulated sins. Christ, on the other hand, knowing full
well that God takes no eternal pleasure in men’s imperfect burnt
offerings for sins, came, instead, truly to accomplish God’s eternal
perfect will - to offer the one, unique and ultimate sin offering of Himself,
once and for all in His Own body (Heb. 10:6,10).
Just as Aaron did not present himself to serve
as high priest but was chosen of God (Lev. 8:1,2), so
also the Lord Jesus was chosen to do God’s will (Heb. 10:7). Here, however, ends the likenesses
between Aaronic high priests and Christ. Christ is an eternal High Priest,
holding “His priesthood permanently, because He continues for ever”
(Heb. 7:24). Furthermore, our great
High Priest’s offering for sin was offered not just on earth (on the
Cross), and “not into a sanctuary made with hands, a copy of the true
one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf”
(Heb. 9:24).
Glory in the highest to God, the One in
Trinity, through Whom goodwill appeared among men to
deliver Adam from the ancient curse; for He is the Lover of mankind!
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