By the New Testament period, the position of priests in the nation of Israel had changed considerably. The Temple functions were taken over by the 'chief priests'. Rank and file priests were also overshadowed by the Scribes and Pharisees, two groups that arose to present the Law and interpret its meaning for the people. But in spite of the diminished role of priests, Jesus respected the office and called upon the priests to witness His healing of lepers in keeping with the Law of Moses. - Mark 1:44; Luke 17:12-14 - But the priests themselves were the most zealous opponents of Jesus. As leaders of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish high court, they bore much of the responsibility for His crucifixion. They also led the opposition to the apostles and the early Church.

The Son of God became a man - Heb. 2:9 - so that He might offer Himself as sacrifice "once to bear the sins of many".

He brings a new covenant as the mediator only so that the people who were called to an eternal inheritance may actually receive what was promised: his death took place to cancel the sins that infringed the earlier covenant. Now wherever a will is in question, the death of the testator must be established; indeed, it only becomes valid with that death since it is not meant to have any effect while the testator is still alive. That explains why even the earlier covenant needed something to be killed in order to take effect, and why, after Moses had announced all the commandments of the Law to the people, he took the calves blood, the goats' blood and some water and with these he sprinkled the book itself and all the people, using scarlet wool and hyssop; saying as he did so: This is the blood of the covenant that God has laid for you.

After that, he sprinkled the tent and all the liturgical vessels with blood in the same way. In fact, according to the Law almost everything has to be purified with blood: and if there is no shedding of blood, there is no remission. Obviously, only the copies of heavenly things can be purified in this way and the heavenly things themselves have to be purified by a higher sort of sacrifice than this. It is not as though Christ had entered a man-made sanctuary which was only modeled on the real one; but it was heaven itself so that he could appear in the actual presence of God on our behalf.

And he does not have to offer himself again and again like the high priest going into the sanctuary year after year with the blood that is not his own, or else he would have had to suffer over and over again since the world began. Instead of that, he has made his appearance once and for all, now at the end of the last age, to do away with sin by sacrificing himself. Since men only die once and after that comes judgment, so Christ too, offers himself only once to take the faults of many on himself and when he appears a second time, it will not be to deal with sin but to reward with salvation those who are waiting for him. - Heb. 9:15-28 -

Priesthood and holiness were meant to be inseparable. But the sinful nature of the priests allowed corruption and undesirable behaviour and unpleasing actions to enter the God-ordained office. However, the priesthood to which the nation of Israel was called at Mount Sinai continues today in the Church. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a people set apart to sing the praises of God who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. - 1Pet. 2:9 -

The office of priest was fulfilled in Jesus Christ who is the High Priest and the Head of the Church. Hence, there is no longer a need for priests to offer a sacrifice to atone for man's sin. A permanent sacrifice has been made by Jesus Christ through His passion, death on the Cross and on the third day He resurrected in fulfillment of the scripture.

* Pope John Paul II wrote: A priest by virtue of the consecration.......is called to love selflessly, to put the needs of his 'flocks' before those of his own. *

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Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -