" We have such an High Priest." (Heb. 8: 1.) For the Lord Jesus Christ ministers unto God in the priest's office; ministering for us in it.
The ministry of Aaron before God was in one of its parts representative,—he bore the names of the children of Israel on his shoulders and on his heart " when he went into the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually." This blessed ministry the Lord Jesus sustains for us. But not occasionally as Aaron when he went in, but constantly; He appears in the presence of God for us. He ever presents the saints before God as associated with all His own fullness of excellency and glory. And this in the presence of God within the veil, as it is said," whither the forerunner is for us entered." And again, " for Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us." How blessed is this; our names written in heaven, not in precious stones, but as " a seal upon his heart, and as a seal upon his arm." In manifesting His own perfectness and glory in the presence of God, Jesus appears for us! The real identification of the Church with Christ was but faintly shadowed by the garments of glory and beauty worn by Aaron.
Then there was also the ministry of incense. This was a most precious ministry, because it was the medium of the worship of the people. But the offering of incense —all variously compounded as it was-was only occasional, and it might be interrupted. The fragrance of it was not perpetually before God. The plague had begun among the people, destructive judgment had come forth, when Moses bid Aaron " Take a censer and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense; " all this had to be done before Aaron could run into the congregation and stand between the dead and the living. " Behold, the plague was begun among the people; and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people... and the plague was stayed." (Num. 16.) But now the ministry of incense is perpetual; " He ever liveth to make intercession for us." Hence He is able to save right through, from the beginning to the end. No plague of destructive judgment can come forth against the Church because of this. It is constantly upheld in perfectness by the power of the intercession of Jesus. It is this which ever keeps it in its right place before God, however infirm or erring here.
The blessedness of the ministry of Him who ministers for us in the true tabernacle, is, that it is entirely independent of us. It is by Him for us. Our conscious enjoyment of it will depend indeed on our walk, on our humbleness, on our self-judgment, on many things; but the ministry itself depends alone on our unfailing High Priest. He is a faithful minister, ever performing His functions in a manner well-pleasing to God; whether our souls are realizing the value of what He is doing or not. Every saint is upheld by the intercession of Jesus even in his most thoughtless mood. Priesthood is part of the work of grace-grace that provides for the putting away our every sin, and aiding our every infirmity, and bearing our every waywardness, in order that we may never be out of the presence of God. Hence the moment the conscience of a careless saint is re-awakened, he may find full and instant access to God, because, though he has f ailed, the minister of the sanctuary has not. Long before he is alive to his failure, he is debtor to the ministry of Jesus for having been kept from falling. Little did Simon think of the sifting power of Satan, but the Lord who had prayed that his faith might not fail, could point out to him his danger. And so with us oftentimes. We see our failures, or the might and craft of our enemies, and then how precious is the thought that the intercession of Jesus for us has been over all. We are led to value the intercession of Jesus after failure or danger is discovered-as surely Peter was; but its real value is that it is perpetually offered and perpetually prevalent. However we may fail, therefore, the resources of faith can never fail; for faith reaches out to God, and God's provisions of grace in Jesus, over every failure. If there be one deeper anguish of soul than another, it surely must be for a saint to become conscious of sin, but to be without faith to look to God's gracious provision to meet it; but Jesus prays that our faith may not fail.
We are apt to regard the intercession of Christ only as occasionally exercised on our behalf, and exercised because we have applied to it; yea, we know that men have gone so far as to make it appear that the intercession of Jesus was only to be called out by a secondary intercession of others, such as the Virgin, or departed saints, or the Church. But how false is all this! No; His ministry is marked by the same grace now as when on earth. " I have prayed for thee " was His word to Simon Peter. And so when He saw the multitudes fainting, He well knew what He would do, and do without being asked. And so now-His intercession is of the same grace; it is according to His own divine and gracious estimate of our many needs. He knows how, in our practical danger, weakness, and foolishness, we look in the eye of God, and He ever makes intercession for us accordingly; maintaining us thus in His own fragrant perfectness. In the challenge of the apostle as to where a charge can be brought against God's elect, he winds up all with this, as though he could go no higher, " Who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."
In another aspect the present ministry of Jesus is one of offering; as it is said, " wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer." Or, as it is subsequently said, " in which were offered gifts that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience."
Under the law the worshipper might bring his offering to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, but then the priestly ministration began. The priest must lay it on the altar, where alone it could be accepted of the Lord. The worshipper himself could not offer immediately to the Lord. It was only through the priestly ministration that it was an offering made by fire, a sweet savor unto the Lord. But now it is by the offering of Jesus Himself, once for all, that we are sanctified as worshippers. Jesus gave Himself an offering and a sacrifice unto God of a sweet smelling savor; and now whatever comes up to God through Him, has the value of His own offering attached to it, and is of a sweet-smelling savor also. Thus God perpetually attests His own value of the offering of Jesus; even by accepting as precious, through Him, all done or offered in His name. To ask in the name of Jesus is therefore of unfailing efficacy, because God is always well-pleased in Him. We know, as priests, the divine estimate of Him through whom we draw near to offer. What a comfort then is it to be assured that our persons, our prayers, our thanksgivings, and our services, have, all of them, before God, the sweet savor of the name of Jesus set upon them. Everything we desire or do as having the Spirit of Christ Jesus, however mingled, or however feeble, is thus accepted for Jesus' sake.
And remember He is a perpetual offerer, as well as a perpetual interceder. He Himself says of those who know not God in Him and through Him, Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink-offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips." But to us, because of this His ministry for us, the word is, " By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks (making confession) to his name."
It was the priest alone who knew how to appropriate the sacrifice; he only knew what was for God, what for himself, what for the worshipper, and what was refuse. It is indeed most blessed for us, that there is a minister for us which separates the precious from the vile; and which orders all according to God. Our Great High Priest thus ministers for us. He takes up that which to us seems so clogged with infirmity and so mingled with impurity, that we can discern no preciousness in it, and separating the precious from the vile, He offers what is really of the Spirit in the full value of His own offering. If any soul is awakened to the desire of serving the Lord, what sorrow have they found in having to learn the wretched imperfectness of all that which they attempt. But if thus we are oftentimes dispirited and ready to grow weary in well-doing, let us remember this present ministration of Jesus for us; such should know its value, for their labor is not in vain in the Lord. How will " Well done, good and faithful servant," gladden the heart of many by and by, who here have only deplored their constant failures. Think you, dear brethren, that the Philippians thought their trifling remembrance of the apostle Paul, would have found its way before God as an offering made by fire, of a sweet-smelling savor unto God? But it did. The apostle, in communion with the Great High Priest, could see Him take it up and present it in His own name. (Phil. 4: 18.) Thus they were producing fruit, through Jesus, precious unto God; even as just before the apostle had said to them, " being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God." (Chapter 1: 2.)
Yes, let the saints as priests judge themselves and their works, and if they find, as they assuredly will find, but little of the precious, let them know the One who judges above, and who delights to take out the precious and present it to God in His own perfectness. Oh I if it were not for this ministry on high, how could we read the word, " To do good and to communicate forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased."