Christ's Superiority To The Aaronic High Priesthood

Christ’s Superiority To The Aaronic High Priesthood

The Bible says in the John chapter 1:17, “The law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” The Superiority of Christ to the Aaronic Priesthood is simply a part of the difference between law and grace. Hebrews chapter 4:14-5:10 and Hebrews chapter 7:1-28 call Christ a high priest after the order of Melchisedec and not after the order of Aaron. Why not after Aaron? Because, under the Levitical priesthood, the people received the law (Hebrews 7:11). This fact shows the superiority of Christ to the Aaronic High Priesthood. The majority of what is found in the Old Testament religious system is symbolic in nature. And most of the symbolism concerns some truth of salvation not yet reveled in the age of the law. Even amidst the symbolism of the Old Testament system it is evident the Aaronic Priesthood fell far short of Christ. These Old Testament priests made sacrifices for their sins (Leviticus 4:2-3:34-35) as well as for the sins of the people. Although the priests of the Old Testament system did the sacrifices they were not the sacrifice. Jesus Christ, the High Priest after the order of Melchisedec; needed no sacrifice for Himself, because He was without sin (Hebrews 7:26-28). Christ is both the High Priest and the sacrifice. The priests of the Old Testament were merely men and sinners themselves. Only once a year could they enter the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement (Hebrews 9:7). But Christ, the great High Priest only needed to offer Himself once (Hebrews 9:28) to make atonement for the sins of the people (Hebrews (9:11-15). At the Crucifixion of Christ, the veil of the temple was rent symbolizing that each man now was his own priest and could enter the Holy of Holies as often as he likes. The Old Testament order was temporary; the priestly order of Christ is eternal and now all may come boldly to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16).

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