Jody asked me to pinch hit for him today. Hoping he has a wonderful vacation.
"[Jesus became a] faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people" (Hebrews 2:17).
Israel's high priest was the one man appointed by God to bear the sins of the nation of Israel and place them on innocent livestock. The high priest was the primary (yet imperfect) sin-bearer. Because of his imperfection, the high priest himself couldn't atone atone for Israel's sins, and in fact the animals on which he placed the sin, though they were innocent, couldn't atone for sins either. They could serve only to convey forgiveness and to paint a picture of the coming Savior. Something like the shadow of the reality to come.
Jesus was born as the supreme High Priest. He, unlike any previous high priest, is a "faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation [atonement] for the sins of the people"
Jesus isn't an imperfect sin-bearer. He is THE perfect sin-bearer, for the entire world. As the sinless High Priest, Jesus doesn't need to pass mankind's sin on to innocent livestock. As the innocent One, Jesus is the perfect Priest who gave Himself as a sin offering...for you dear friend. Trust in this with all your might.
A hymn captures this truth: "Offered was He for greatest and for least, Himself the victim and Himself the priest" (v.1 of Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord).
-Dale
