Easter ReflectionsSample

All of Israel's priests came from the tribe of Levi (Deuteronomy 18:1), and they had to undergo some form of consecration before they could serve God and his people.

Jesus did not descend from the tribe of Levi, so his priesthood was not in the Aaronic order. He was, instead, an eternal priest in the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 5:6; Psalms 110:4), the oft-mysterious biblical figure who received a tithe from Abraham in Genesis 14:17-20. "He [Melchizedek] is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God, he continues to be a priest forever" (Hebrews 7:2-3).

While priests would offer sacrifices to atone for the people's sins, the Son of God would do more. Christ would offer himself as a sacrifice for sin once and for all (Hebrews 10:12-14). At Bethany, a woman came with a flask of costly ointment, which she poured on Jesus's head. Unbeknownst to her, she was preparing the Son of God for burial (Matthew 26:12).

The disciples were stunned, marvelling at the 'wastefulness'. They thought the ointment could have been better spent if it had been sold and the money given to the poor. But, sadly, their fixation on legitimate material needs blinded them to the spiritual significance of what the woman was doing. Wherever the gospel would spread, there would her fame spread (Matthew 26:13).

Might you be similarly blinded by this world's concerns that you fail to see and rejoice over precious realities? That Christ's priesthood lasts forever is worthy of your joy, for in this fact lies the security of your salvation, if you have believed. There need not be another sacrifice! What Christ did on the cross is enough.

It is of such realities that Easter reminds us. Indeed, it is a joy that this Easter season beckons a genuine kind of happiness, which I pray the Lord forbids you from being blinded to pursuing because of life's many concerns.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, thank you for giving us an eternal high priest in your Son, who died as a sacrifice for our sins. I pray that you may help me rejoice while I cling to this truth and live for your praise. In Jesus' name, Amen.