This morning we are going to continue our study entitled The Code of the Priest. This series is designed to strengthen your knowledge and understanding of God’s Word and how He interacts with His children. Two weeks ago we laid the groundwork for this study by looking at the fact that the Bible tells us that there was more than one priesthood.
Many Christians are familiar with the Levitical priesthood or the priesthood of Aaron, which God introduced to Israel during their trek through the wilderness. The purpose of the priesthood was to have a person or persons to act as go-betweens or intercessors between a Holy God and a sinful people. But we learned that this priesthood was never intended to be permanent. It was temporary because it was an imperfect priesthood based on the law that could not save anyone. From the beginning, God intended for there to be a better, perfect, and permanent priesthood, and He gave us a glimpse of this priesthood way back in the 14th book of Genesis when He introduced the great patriarch Abraham to a mysterious figure named Melchizedek, the King of Salem and a priest of the most high God.
I told you last time how I personally believe Melchizedek was Jesus Christ, and we looked at his name and where he reigned and the fact that he gave Abraham communion and a blessing and received tithes from him. We also read in the book of Hebrews about the fact that Melchizedek was said to have had no father or mother or ancestors of any sort. He basically sprang from nothing and then did not die. So when God introduced a perfect, permanent priesthood we saw that it was named after this mysterious figure Melchizedek.
We also discussed why it was necessary for the priesthood to be changed from the Aaronic priesthood to the Melchizedek priesthood. The corruption and the interference of the Roman government had reached an all time high about the time of Jesus’ birth, and this is where God stepped in and said enough is enough. The priests were offering polluted bread at God’s table. They were offering lame and sick animals for sacrifice. They were complaining about how wearisome serving the Lord had become, and Rome was interfering by placing their own men in the priesthood instead of allowing the continuation of the priesthood to be passed from father to son.
So God said, “I’ve had enough. The old priesthood is useless and corrupted beyond all intentions. Now is the time to introduce the new covenant, the new priesthood, and perfect salvation to my people.” And He began the Melchizedek priesthood by sending to earth the only person able to become a priest after the order of Melchizedek – His Son.
So, we know why the transfer of the priesthood had to take place and we know to whom the priesthood would be transferred – Jesus Christ. Today we are going to see when, where and who else was involved in this transference and why.
Now, keep in mind, if God wanted to create a new order of priesthood, and He wanted His Son to fill the office of priest He could have just done so. He could have just said, “I’m done with the old priesthood,” and immediately cut them off, put His Son as head of the new priesthood and gone from there. But if you’ve done much studying of God’s Word you’ll realize that even though He can, and indeed has every right to, God doesn’t usually work that way.
I’ve found that God often seems to work within the parameters of His children’s understanding. Now, I’m not saying that we always understand the way God works – if we did, we’d understand God, and no one completely understands God. Isaiah reminds us of this fact when he wrote in 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. [9] For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” But what I am saying is that when God is doing something different than He has before, (like changing the priesthood) He often does so in a way that we can understand IF we truly take the time to look.
And that is just what He did with the transfer of the priesthood from the order of Aaron to the order of Melchizedek. He didn’t just one day remove the priesthood from Aaron’s descendants and place it upon Jesus. He transferred it in a way that man, especially the Jews, would understand if they took the time to see what He was doing.
As we mentioned two weeks ago, the Aaronic or Levitical priesthood was passed from father to son through the generations. In Numbers 4:2-3 we see that to be a priest a man must be at least 30 years old and belong to the tribe of Levi. “…of the Levites by their clans and families. [3] Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work in the Tent of Meeting.” (NIV)
When a man reached the proper age and was ready to begin his service, he would be required to wash himself and his clothing, and then present himself to his father or an older priest who would anoint his head with oil and lay his hands on him symbolically transferring the work and duties and honor of the priesthood on to the next generation.
Well, God wanted there to be no doubt that He had started a new priesthood and that His Son would now be the priest for His people. So, in order to transfer the priesthood from the old order to the new in a manner that His people would understand, He followed the same ceremony as was used in the Old Testament. (Which we will see more clearly in a few minutes.)
I. Conditions for Transferring Priesthood
A. Thirty Years of Age
But in order to do so a few conditions had to be met. First, Jesus would have to be at least 30 years old before He could become a priest. And interestingly enough, the Bible tells us in Luke 3:23 that He was indeed 30 years old when He began His ministry on earth. “Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry…”(NIV). So that requirement was met.
B. A True Priest of the Levitical Line
But, secondly, God needed a priest from the old Levitical priesthood who would be able to symbolically transfer the priesthood to Jesus. (And this is where it becomes exciting, because we will begin to see new meaning behind some Biblical events which we are all familiar with.)
Now, we know that Jesus’ earthly genealogy didn’t put Him in the line for the old Levitical priesthood. As we read two weeks ago in Hebrews 7:14, Jesus didn’t come from the tribe of Levi as all previous priests had. He was from the tribe of Judah. “For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.”
This is an important and necessary fact, because Jesus had to be descended from Judah and King David in order for Him to fulfil the prophecy in Psalm 132:11 that promised that the seed of David would be the rightful king to sit upon the throne and rule. Psalm 132:11, “The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it: Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.” Jesus had to come from David’s line in order to be seen as the rightful king and heir to David’s throne.
And indeed Jesus was descended from David. Luke 1:27, 31-32, “To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. [31] And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. [32] He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David.”
It was likewise important for Jesus NOT to be descended from the tribe of Levi, because He was starting a new, unique, and different priesthood – not continuing the old one.
So, God needed a true Levitical priest to symbolically transfer the priesthood to His Son. But as we discussed earlier this was a bit of a problem. The priesthood had become corrupted over the years and Rome was appointing their own priests for political reasons instead of allowing the true priests to serve. So, where was God to find a true priest devoted to serving Him?
Well, here’s the exciting part. God had prepared such a man to be born of the correct lineage, at the right time, and in the right place to perfectly fit this need. And believe it or not, this true priest was even a relative of Jesus Christ. Can you guess who he was?
II. One Man Fits the Requirements
A. Correct Lineage and Age
Well, first, this man had to be of the correct lineage, namely he had to be of the tribe of Levi and descended of Aaron. Let’s look at Luke 1:5 and see what is says there, “In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.” (NIV)
So here we have two people, a man and his wife who are both descendents of Aaron, and the man is a priest. Zechariah and Elizabeth (do you know who their famous son was?)– the parents of John the Baptist. That would mean that John the Baptist, a cousin to Jesus Christ through his mother, would be in direct line to become a true priest after the Levitical priesthood.
Notice also that John was of the correct age to be a priest. When he was baptizing and ministering, John the Baptist was thirty years old. We know this because Luke 1:36 tells us that Elizabeth, his mother, is six months pregnant with John when Mary arrives and John leaps in the womb of his mother at the presence of Christ in the womb of Mary. So John and Jesus are only about 6 months apart in age. If Jesus was thirty when He was baptized and began His ministry on earth, then John also had to be about thirty when he baptized Him.
B. Location of His Ministry
Another interesting thing about John the Baptist is where he was ministering and preaching. You would think that John, being of direct descendant to the Levitical priesthood and of age to be a priest would be found in Jerusalem in the Temple serving the Lord. But in fact that is not where he was. The Bible tells us in Luke 3:2-3, “…the word of God came unto John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. [3] And he came into all the country about the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.”
John is preaching in the wilderness near the Jordan River. He’s not in Jerusalem where you’d think he should be. In fact in John 1:19 it says that the Jews even sent other priests and Levites out to John from Jerusalem in order to ask him who he was and what he was doing.
So, why wasn’t he in the Temple? I believe it is because the priesthood had been so corrupted that John wanted to have no part of it. He wasn’t in Jerusalem with his fellow priests following Rome or ancient customs that had no meaning. He was in the wilderness following God and introducing the beginning of a new priesthood. His being in the wilderness at the Jordan River is very symbolic and necessary, because it is there that the priesthood was transferred in one incredible event – the baptism of Jesus Christ.
III. The Baptism of Jesus Christ
Many Christians have heard countless sermons about the baptism of Jesus Christ in the wilderness. It signaled the beginning of His ministry. But have you ever wondered why? Why did Jesus have to be baptized before He began His ministry? I believe it is because Jesus needed to be a priest in order to minister to the people, and if you remember, he was born of a lineage of kings and not priests. So, before He started his earthly ministry He had to have the priesthood transferred to Him from His cousin, John. And this transference took place at the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan River.
Let me show you why I think this. Let’s look at Matthew 3:13-17, “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. [14] But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you came to me?” [15] Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. [16] As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. [17] And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (NIV)
Jesus didn’t need to be baptized to be cleansed from sin. He was baptized to fulfill righteousness. He was baptized to fulfill the ceremonial requirements to become priest. Remember, in the Old Testament a priest who came of age washed himself and his clothes in water and then was anointed with oil to symbolically show the transferring of the priesthood on to him. At the Jordan River, John laid his hands on Him, Jesus was baptized or washed in water, and then the Holy Spirit, which is symbolized in the Old Testament by oil, descended upon Him in the form of a dove.
Even though John probably didn’t realize the significance of what was occurring, Jesus knew. He knew that the old order of priesthood found in his cousin John was being transferred to the new order in Him. He was taking on His role as priest after the order of Melchizedek. At this time the Levitical order was finished or cut off. It was no longer needed.
IV. Unusual Signs the Transfer Had Taken Place
Now we know or can be reasonably sure that the transfer of the priesthood took place at this time because of some unusual signs that were taking place in and around the Temple. According to Jewish history around the year 30 AD, which is the time that Jesus began his ministry some mysterious signs occurred.
A. Hekhal Doors
One sign was that the H’ekhal doors which are the doors to the Eastern Gate of the Temple in Jerusalem opened and shut all by themselves. What was so significant about this? It was a sign to the priests that a change was taking place. In John 10:9, Jesus says that “I am the door.” He is the way into the presence of God – not the gates to the Temple.
B. Western Light
Another sign was that the western most light or shaft of the Mennorah wouldn’t light, no matter what the priests attempted. This is significant because in John 8:12, Jesus says, “I am the light.”
C. The Lottery
The lottery, which is the box that the priest would reach into and pull out the lot that would determine which goat on the Day of Atonement would be sacrificed to the Lord and which one would be for Azazel, or Satan. The lot that said for the Lord had always come up in the priest’s right hand when they drew the lottery. Around 30 AD it stopped coming up in the right hand and has never done so again. The right hand is the place of blessing. Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven. By the lot for the Lord never again coming up in the right hand of the priest means that the blessing and favor of the Lord had been removed from them.
D. The Red Thread
On the Day of Atonement there was a red thread that was attached to the door of the temple and when the goat was sacrificed it was said to turn white as a sign that God had accepted Israel’s sacrifice and had forgiven them of their sins. Around this time it is said that the thread stopped turning white and has never done so again. Why? Because animal sacrifice was no longer accepted by God as atoning for the sins of the people. Christ’s blood – that of the sacrificial Lamb of God – would now do that work.
So what are these signs to the Jewish people saying? They are telling those who are paying attention that God has removed His glory and His blessing from the old corrupted priesthood. He is telling them that He will no longer work through them or their rituals. He has started a new priesthood through His Son Jesus Christ. That’s what these signs were saying. God has done away with the old and has started something new. And these signs occurred at the time when Jesus began his ministry. The priesthood had been transferred to Him.
V. Jesus Begins His Ministry on Earth
After His baptism and temptation in the wilderness Jesus begins His ministry on earth and right away we see evidence that the priesthood has been bestowed upon Him, because He starts doing things that until then only priests could do.
For example, a high priest was the only one who had the power to remit sin. And he did this through the sacrifice on an animal. After his baptism Jesus had the power to declare people free from sin. Matthew 9:2, “And behold, they brought to him a man sick of palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.”
He was also given the power to heal the sick. He was able to touch a leper, a dead body, a woman with the blood issue, and heal on the Sabbath. These are all things that priests were not allowed to do under Levitical teachings.
And some people believe that Jesus was actually breaking the law when He did these things. But Jesus did not break the law, He was breaking the traditions of men. Jesus was now a priest after the order of Melchizedek and as such was not subject to the Aaronic priesthood’s dictates.
VI. Bethabara, Israel
Also of great spiritual significance is the place where Jesus was baptized. John 1:28 tells us that John was at a specific place along the Jordan River that held great meaning for the Jewish people. It says there, “These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.”
When the Israelites finally reached the Promised Land after wandering in the wilderness for over forty years they had to cross the Jordan River to enter the land. Joshua led the people and when the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant reached the waters of the Jordan River a miracle occurred. The waters of the river stood up in a great heap for over 15 miles in both directions and the Israelites were able to cross the riverbed on dry ground. This story can be found in the book of Joshua chapters 3 and 4.
After the nation had crossed safely Joshua had 12 men pick up stones from the very center of the riverbed and place them on the riverbank to act as a reminder to the people of Israel of how God cut off the waters of the river so that they could safely cross.
Bethabara is believed to be the exact location where the Israelites crossed the river. And this is the location where Jesus was baptized, perhaps He even stepped on the exact same stones that the Israelites had placed there centuries before. So what is the symbolic significance of this?
A. Spiritual Significance
God often uses events and people of the Old Testament to act as foreshadows or patterns of events to be fulfilled by His Son. This is one of those events. (Hold on here we go.)
Under the Old Covenant, in the Old Testament Joshua’s Hebrew name is Yeshua. In the New Testament Jesus’ Hebrew name is Yeshua.
Under the old covenant Joshua brought the Children of Isreal into the Promised Land. Under the new covenant Jesus brings His children into the Kingdom of God, our Promised Land.
When the Children of Israel crossed the Jordan, it says that the waters piled up 15 miles, all the way back to the city of Adam to the north, and to the Dead Sea in the south.
Jesus came to wash away the sins of the world all the way back to the first man Adam, and He takes those sins and casts them into the sea of forgetfulness. (which is another name for the Dead Sea)
God uses the Old Testament event of the Children of Israel entering the Promised Land to show us how He was going to spiritually bring His children home. One was a physical event, the other was a spiritual event.
You see Christ didn’t have to be baptized to be washed from His sin. He had no sin. He was baptized so that all who had the spiritual eyes to see it and understand would realize that the priesthood had changed. It had been transferred to the one true priest – our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are no longer under the Old Testament and the law, but are under the New Testament and grace. Praise God!
Wow! Can you believe all the hidden symbolism that God placed in His Word to His Children so that those who have understanding can experience His greatness in greater and greater increments as they grow in the Spirit? Next week we will finish this series by taking a look at the garments of the priesthood and their amazing significance, as well as the parts they played in the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.
