This Is the Day the Lord Has MadeSample

JESUS: OUR HIGH PRIEST

The love God has for us is everlasting and shows us how we should love each other, how much mercy He has for all of our sins, and the willingness He shows to give Himself for us. The Lord deserves everything and more from us; all we have to do is follow His commands. God gave us the free will to choose how we lead our lives, and I want my life to reflect God.

In the Old Testament, Psalm 110 says that the Lord makes a promise and will not revoke it, that there is one who will be called "...an eternal priest after the pattern of Melchizedek." In the Old Testament, Melchizedek is a priest-king. He would go into the temple and give the sacrifice, which would atone for the people's sins.

The New Testament makes it clear that Jesus is our new High Priest in the order of Melchizedek: "And by being perfected in this way, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, and he was designated by God as high priest in the order of Melchizedek" (Hebrews 5:9-10). Jesus being the high priest means that on the cross, He gave a once for all sacrifice to save us from all sins.

Jesus' actions show us how much He loves us and wants us to have eternal salvation. If we didn't have Jesus, we wouldn't know right from wrong. When I sin and know that I did something wrong, I feel the guilt, and I need someone to bring that guilt to for repentance. Hebrews 5:5-10 gives us confidence that He will save us from our sins, and I know He cares for me. Repentance and the mercy God pursues us with is a real gift from God.

Blake Thornton, 10th grade