How does Leviticus 23:20 connect to Jesus as our ultimate High Priest? Leviticus 23:20 in Focus “And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs; they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest.” Setting the Scene • Verse 20 sits within the instructions for the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost). • Two lambs and two leavened loaves of first-fruit wheat bread are “waved” before God. • The priest both presents and receives; the text says the items “shall be holy … for the priest.” How the Old Points to the New 1. The priest is the mediator. 2. The lambs secure acceptance. 3. The first-fruit loaves signify the beginning of a greater harvest. 4. Everything becomes “holy … for the priest,” underscoring his right to partake. Spotlighting Jesus, Our Ultimate High Priest • Hebrews 4:14 — Jesus is the “great high priest who has passed through the heavens.” • Hebrews 7:26-27 — He is “holy, innocent, undefiled,” offering Himself “once for all.” • Hebrews 9:11-12 — He “entered the greater and more perfect tabernacle … by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.” Jesus as the True Firstfruits • 1 Corinthians 15:20 — “Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” • Like the waved loaves that announce the wheat harvest, Christ’s resurrection guarantees a coming harvest of resurrected believers. Jesus as the Better Lambs • John 1:29 — “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” • In Leviticus two lambs symbolize sufficient atonement; in Jesus one perfect Lamb finishes the work (Hebrews 10:10). The Wave Before the Father • After His resurrection Jesus “presented” Himself alive (Acts 1:3) and then ascended, a living wave offering declaring our acceptance (Hebrews 9:24). • Because the offering was accepted, the whole harvest—Jew and Gentile alike—stands accepted in Him (Ephesians 2:13-16). Made Holy for the Priest—Made Holy in Christ • In Leviticus the offering becomes holy property of the priest; in the gospel believers become Christ’s treasured possession (1 Peter 2:9). • Our holiness is not self-generated; it is the direct result of being joined to the Priest who offered Himself (Hebrews 10:14). Practical Encouragements • Confidence: Approach God “with full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:19-22). • Identity: Rest in the truth that you belong to the Priest who claims what He has made holy (John 17:9-10). • Hope: His first-fruits resurrection secures your future resurrection and full harvest joy (1 Thessalonians 4:14). |
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