Take a moment to read Hebrews 5:1-10 before reading the devotional below.
Yesterday we began to talk about the Old Testament concept of a high priest. The readers of this letter (broadly titled “Hebrews” as it was clearly written specifically for a Jewish audience) would have needed no explanations about these ideas. They routinely memorized the entirety of the Torah (our first five books of the Bible). They regularly went to the Temple and offered sacrifices in accordance with Old Testament law.
Throughout Hebrews we have seen how Jesus is compared to others, including humans, angels, and God himself. In today’s passage the author compares Jesus to the other Jewish high priests. What makes Jesus the highest of all high priests? First, we know that God appointed him. But God appointed the other high priests, too. He offered prayers to God on behalf of the people, but so did the other high priests. The key difference lies in the fact that Jesus was perfect. If you were as familiar with the Old Testament as the Jewish readers of this letter, you would immediately know that the Jewish priests were anything but perfect. Some, like Melchizedek, stood out above the rest. But some, like Aaron and the sons of Samuel, led the people away from God. Malachi 2 offers a look at what God thought of bad priests.
It is an unfortunate reality that a lot of people have been led astray by bad leaders in the church. Priests and pastors have harmed people. Of course, many good leaders have also helped a lot of people. Jesus is a good leader. In fact, he is the perfect leader. What’s interesting about God is that he alone is good. We throw around the word “good,” but in describing Jesus as a “good leader” I am saying that he is the most perfect leader in the deepest sense. He is not a good leader among other good leaders. He is THE good leader. He will never abuse you, harm you, or lead you astray. At the very core of his character, he is perfectly good.