According to Paul, we need a High Priest “who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26). But, what exactly does this mean? First of all, Jesus was holy (G3741). The Greek word means, according to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, “undefiled by sin, free from wickedness, religiously observing every moral obligation, pure holy, pious.” Therefore, it simply wasn’t possible for death to hold Jesus, once he was crucified (Acts 2:24), because the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:29), but, since Jesus was holy (G3741), God raised him from the dead (Acts 2:27).
Secondly, Jesus was harmless (G172), which means he not only was without guilt, but he feared no evil from anyone else.[1] On the contrary, he expected other folks to be as he was and permitted them to take advantage of him. He was unguarded. Paul goes on to say that our High Priest needed to be undefiled (G283), that is, he was free of the blemishes so evident in the Levitical Priesthood. He was unstained in his behavior, without sin (Hebrews 4:15; cf. John 8:45; 1John 3:5), and without spot (Hebrews 9:14; 1Peter 1:19).
The next thing Paul mentions that we need in our High Priest is that he must be separate from sinners. I think we are able to get a picture of what Paul means, when we consider the high priest’s actions on the Day of Atonement. At that time the high priest not only entered the Temple building, but was to go beyond the veil, a place where no one but he was permitted to enter, and even then he could do so only once a year. The Tabernacle / Temple, remember was a picture of Eden in Genesis 2 & 3. Eden in general was where men worshiped God, the Holy Place or the larger room within the Tent or Temple building. The Garden of Eden represented Heaven, or the place where God dwelt. It was where heaven and earth met. It is represented in the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle / Temple. The veil in the Temple points to the fact that man was driven out of the presence of God, and angels were set to guard the way back and to keep men out. On the Day of Atonement the high priest was permitted to enter into the presence of God, beyond the veil. This act represented what Jesus did as our High Priest in Acts 1:9. He ascended into heaven (went beyond the veil and into the Most Holy Place) where he remains today, separate from sinners.
Finally, Paul tells us that our High Priest must be higher than the heavens. What this means is that God had exalted Jesus above every name named (Philippians 2:9), and that everyone, whether in heaven or on earth would bow their knee in submission to him and claim him as their Lord (Philippians 2:10-11). Hebrews 7:26 uses the word heavens as a figure of speech that is known as metonymy. What metonymy does is uses one noun or name for another. For example: Abraham is used for Christ (Genesis 12:3; 18:18), Moses is used for the Law (Luke 16:29), and Levi is mentioned in the place of the Levitical priesthood (Hebrews 7:9), to name a few. So, heavens in Hebrews 7:26 is put for the angels etc. who populate the heavens. Jesus, or the office of our High Priest, must be higher than them, and he is (Philippians 2:9-11).
Aaron and his successors were given authority over the whole priesthood and the Tabernacle (Numbers 3:32). The high priest, daily (Hebrews 7:27), in the morning and in the evening, offered up sacrifices for the sins of the priesthood (Exodus 29:38-42; Numbers 4:16). The fact that the high priest had to offer sacrifices for his own sins is substantiated in history, showing he had become ceremonially unclean. During the second Temple period many high priests obtained his office through bribes, showing without doubt that the Levitical priesthood was not holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, or made higher than the heavens (Hebrews 7:26-27).
Jesus, on the other hand, was able to offer up his own life (Hebrews 7:27; 9:28; 10:10), spotless and blameless (Hebrews 9:14), and once this was done, he rested (Hebrews 1:3; cp. Genesis 2:2). Never having to do it again, he sat down at the right hand of God (Hebrews 10:12), wherein we, who believe, enter into his rest and are seated with him on high (Hebrews 4:3, 11; cf. John 14:3; Ephesians 2:6).
The Law made men high priests who were, without question, incapable of fulfilling the office, as it was meant to be fulfilled (Hebrews 7:28), because they, themselves, were sinners. The Law, which was the modus operandi of the priesthood, could make nothing perfect (G5048 – Hebrews 7:19). Jesus, on the other hand, was made perfect (G5048) through his sufferings (Hebrews 2:10), and being made perfect (G5048 – Hebrews 5:9), he became the Author of eternal salvation, because he was made High Priest by an oath of God (Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 7:28) forever. Therefore, he that has begun the good work of salvation in mankind is more than able to complete the task and make men perfect (Philippians 1:6; Hebrews 12:2).
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[1] See Thayer’s Lexicon of New Covenant Words.
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