Advent - Peace - Jesus as Priest

Advent means ______________  or ___________________

Each year, we enter Advent season and ask the Lord to prepare our hearts to celebrate the Christmas season by looking back at Jesus’ first coming. As we prepare our hearts to celebrate Jesus’ first coming, we look at different themes each week. These themes of hope, love, joy, and peace help us rightly focus during the busyness of the holiday season on the true reason for the Christmas season. 

During the last 3 weeks, we looked at Jesus role as:

The prophet was anointed to speak to the people on behalf of God. This brings us hope. 

The savior (or deliverer) was to save God’s people. This shows us God’s love. 

The king was to lead God’s people to follow God. This brings us joy.

Today, we will look at Jesus as the priest. The High Priest was to speak to God on behalf of the people, and through the priest the people could have peace with God. 

Where did priests come from and what was their role? 

Summary of the Old Testament and the priesthood.

The Old Testament promises the coming _________________.

The New Testament explains that _____________ is the long awaited Messiah.

Summary of the Book of Hebrews

The law, the temple, the sacrificial system, and the priests were earthly  _____________ of heavenly truths. 

Jesus is the _______________ of the law, sacrificial system, temple, and the priesthood.

Jesus is the true and better  __________    _____________

Hebrews 7:23–8:7 (ESV): The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. 28 For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever. 8 Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. 5 They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” 6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. 

There only is forgiveness of sin with the shedding of ______________________.

Hebrews 9:19–22 (ESV): 19 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” 21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. 22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. 

The blood of ____________ cannot take away sins.

Hebrews 10:1–4 (ESV): 10 For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? 3 But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 

Jesus is the high priest and is our perfect _________________

Hebrews 10:5–18 (ESV): 5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; 6  in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. 7  Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’ ” 8 When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), 9 then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. 10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. 15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, 16  “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: 

I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” 17 then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” 18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. 

Colossians 1:15–20 (ESV): 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. 

3 Takeaways

1. Peace between God and us is only found in Jesus because He is the perfect High Priest and the perfect sacrifice. 

2. Once we have peace with God, peace can be found with others. 

3. We must let the peace of Christ dwell in us. Colossians 3:15 (ESV): 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Topics for the Prayer Time

*Those who have yet to believe in Jesus

*The unreached peoples of the earth

*Missionaries around the world and for more to go

*The spiritual growth of other believers and churches

*That you would have more spiritual gifts

*That Christians would remain faithful under persecution

*Those who are sick

*Those who have lost loved ones

*Those traveling

*Our nation, leaders, military, and civil servants