“Wherefore it behooved him in all things to be made like unto his brethren, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17).

Jesus was not a high priest after the order of Aaron. He is a spiritual high priest after the order of Melchizedek. No one followed Melchizedek in His priesthood. No one follows Jesus in His (Hebrews 5:10; 6:20; 7:3). Jesus is the forerunner of His people. He has gone before them in order to intercede (plead on their behalf). This is the reason He was made a High Priest.

It was necessary for Jesus to be made like His brethren in the flesh so that He could understand their trials and temptations (Hebrews 4:15). Therefore, He can have mercy on them when they sin. Jesus is faithful. He can be trusted to keep His promises. He became our High Priest when He took upon Himself the nature of man, but kept His divine nature and likeness to God. He atoned for the sins of the people and reconciled them to God by the shedding of His blood (Romans 5:9-10). After He shed His blood, Jesus was qualified to enter again into Heaven and there serve as the High Priest for the church because of the blood He had shed for their sins (Hebrews 4:14; 8:1; 9:11).

Jesus Is Our Advocate

“My little children, these things write I unto you that ye may not sin. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). God’s children must oppose sin. They must always “strive against sin” (Hebrews 12:4). God has given us His Word to help us in our struggles. His Word teaches us the right way to live. However, we still fall into sin (1 John 1:6-9). When we do, God has provided an Advocate for us. An advocate is one who pleads another’s cause. He is an intercessor. When Christians sin, they must repent and pray to the Father for forgiveness (Acts 8:22; 1 John 1:9). When they do, Jesus goes to the Father in Heaven and pleads with Him to forgive us (Ephesians 4:32).

Jesus Is Our Mediator

“For there is one God, one mediator also between God and men, himself man, Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). A mediator is one who reconciles opposing persons or parties.

Many today think they can go to Heaven by their own way. However, Jesus Christ is the only Mediator between God and man. There is no other way to go to Heaven except through Jesus. He is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Jesus was human so he can fairly represent man on the earth. He is the Christ and can stand before the throne of God on behalf of man. If anyone comes to the Father, it is only through Jesus Christ, our Mediator.

Jesus died for all men and therefore is the Mediator for all men. He died in order to give us a “better covenant which is established upon better promises” than the Old Testament (Hebrews 8:6-7). Under the Old Testament, “the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sin” (Hebrews 10:4). Whenever men were forgiven under the Law of Moses, their sins were charged against the blood of Christ. Jesus had to come into the world in the form of a man and shed His blood to be qualified to make intercession for all men. He shed His precious blood so that all the world could have the opportunity for eternal life (Hebrews 9:15).

Jesus Christ is our High Priest, Advocate, and Mediator.