How does Leviticus 16:3 connect to Jesus as our High Priest in Hebrews? Setting the Scene: Leviticus 16:3 “In this way Aaron is to enter the Holy Place: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.” • The verse establishes the entrance requirements for Israel’s high priest on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). • Access to God’s presence demanded: – A designated mediator—Aaron, the high priest. – Specific sacrificial blood—the bull (sin offering) and the ram (burnt offering). • The ritual underscored God’s holiness and humanity’s need for atonement through substitutionary sacrifice. Foreshadowing the Ultimate High Priest • Aaron’s limited, annual approach pointed beyond itself. • Every stated element—mediator, blood, sanctuary access—prefigured a greater reality fulfilled in Christ. Hebrews Unpacks the Fulfillment • “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold firmly to what we profess.” (v. 14) • Aaron entered an earthly tent; Jesus passed through the heavens into the true Holy Place (9:24). • “Such a high priest truly befits us—One who is holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.” • Unlike Aaron, Jesus needed no sacrifice for His own sins; He offered Himself once for all. • “Christ appeared as high priest of the good things that have come… not by the blood of goats and calves but by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption.” • Levitical blood brought yearly, provisional cleansing; Christ’s blood brings eternal, decisive cleansing. • “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus… let us draw near.” • Believers now enjoy what only the high priest tasted—and far more—because the veil is torn (Matthew 27:51). Key Connections at a Glance • Mediator – Leviticus 16: Aaron, temporary, sinful – Hebrews: Jesus, eternal, sinless (7:24–27) • Sacrifice – Leviticus 16: Bull and ram, repeated yearly – Hebrews: Christ’s own blood, once for all (9:26) • Sanctuary – Leviticus 16: Earthly Holy Place, symbolic (9:9) – Hebrews: Heavenly Holy Place, reality (9:24) • Result – Leviticus 16: National covering, temporary – Hebrews: Eternal redemption, conscience purified (9:14) Why This Matters for Us Today • Confidence: We approach God without fear, trusting Christ’s finished work. • Assurance: Our standing rests on an unrepeatable, perfect sacrifice, not on annual rituals or personal merit. • Holiness: The same Savior who cleanses also intercedes (7:25), empowering us to “draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith” (10:22). |
    |