Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 162:647 (Jul 2005)
Article: Christ, the Believer’s High Priest: An Exposition of Hebrews 7:26–28
Author: David J. MacLeod

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Bsac 162:647 (July 2005) p. 331

Christ, the Believer’s High Priest:
An Exposition of Hebrews 7:26–28

David J. MacLeod

David J. MacLeod is Dean of the Bible Department, Emmaus Bible College, Dubuque, Iowa, and Associate Editor of

The Emmaus Journal

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The high priesthood of Jesus Christ is discussed often in the Book of Hebrews. In fact it is the author’s central theme.1 Denney suggests that the author of Hebrews could not think of such a thing as a religion without a priesthood.2 Westcott wrote that the concept of priesthood is universal among the religions of the world.3

A priest “is the person through whom and through whose ministry people draw near to God.”4 “Priesthood,” Moorehead wrote, “springs from the deepest needs of the human soul,” namely, the need for forgiveness and the need for access to God.5 As Denney put it, “Men are sinful…and without some kind of mediation they cannot draw near to God at all.”6

The author of Hebrews writes on the assumption that all people are sinners, and they can have no access to God except by a priest.7 It is in this great truth—the fact that Jesus Christ is the

Bsac 162:647 (July 2005) p. 332

High Priest of Christians—that the treasures of forgiveness, access to God, strength, consolation, and care are to be found.

In 7:11–25 the author argued that the priesthood of Christ is superior to that of Aaron in the Old Testament8 —superior, in fact, to all other priesthoods. He argued that it is superior because it is based on the very oath of God (vv. 20–22). And it is superior because it is permanent (vv. 23–25). Then in verses 26–28 he summarized all that he had been saying by adding one final argument. “The new priesthood is better because the new priest is Jesus.”9

Verses 26–28 also serve to introduce the next section (8:1–10:18), in which the au...

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