Today's Passage:  Hebrews 5

In the Old Testament, the role of High Priest was a very holy and important position.  Here is a short description of his duties from the Encyclopedia of Judaism:

The High Priest's service in the Temple was distinguished by the privilege he had of making sin-offerings at the inner altar and entering the Holy of Holies. The offerings were made to atone for his personal sins, for sins in judgment made by the Sanhedrin, and for communal sins. The High Priest's most solemn (Avodah) service was performed on the Day of Atonement. To prepare for this day, he separated himself from his family a week beforehand and lived in the Temple in order to purify himself and review the laws of his service. After staying up all night on the Day of Atonement itself, the High Priest offered up personal and communal sacrifices, changed his clothes, and immersed himself in a ritual bath (Mikveh) five different times, then entered the Holy of Holies and offered special incense before the Ark of the Covenant. This incense offering required both spiritual purity and physical dexterity, and if any part of this ritual was flawed, the High Priest, it was believed, would not return from the Holy of Holies alive. When carried out properly, the service atoned for the sins of the entire Jewish nation.

That sounds like a tremendous responsibility!  Can you imagine the weight he carried as he prepared for this role...not just for getting the ritual correct, but for the sins of the people depending on him?  The preparation it took was enormous...the purity he had to carry was overwhelming.  It seems like a job too big for one man to bear.

That's exactly why this job was set up this way.  Now we can understand how Jesus is the great High Priest...perfect and holy, prepared in advance to sacrifice for the forgiveness of all sin.  Only He can enter the Holy of Holies...for He is God.  Only He knew exactly how the sacrifice of the cross must go.  And while the Old Testament High Priest would offer a sacrifice, He offered the sacrifice of himself.

Praise Jesus, the great High Priest!