by the late Rev. James MacLeod, Greenock –
Christ was a Priest of the people. He was not of the Aaronic priesthood. He was of the tribe of Judah. He was therefore of the people in general and not of any tribe in particular. The Lord Jesus in our human nature is bone of our bone, human blood, human body with the same functions as ours, human senses, soul united to that body, “a true body and a reasonable soul.” This soul and body was united to the eternal and divine Person of the Son of God. The divine nature was eternally distinct and forever separate from the human nature — the two natures distinct in the One eternal Person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He is God and man. His human life was absolutely normal, born a babe by the Virgin Mother, but divinely conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin, and born of her yet without sin. It is a great mystery, but a mystery explained by the Holy Spirit in the Word of God for our instruction in righteousness. He is therefore a Priest of the people.
He is also a Priest for the people. The priest’s function was to officiate for the people before God. They (the Old Testament Priests) were types of His Priesthood, and from the types we must search as to the office, and work of Jesus as our Priest. This will lead us to search the Scriptures of the Old Testament to find out and understand the exact nature of His Priesthood and His offering Himself up to God as a holy and complete sacrifice on our behalf who believe in Him as our own Priest. Through His office as Priest we have access unto God. The priest had the right to declare the leper clean, no one else could or even dare do it. The Lord Jesus as our Priest can declare us clean from sin, guilt, and misery. He is our Surety as well as our Priest before God. God, the Father appointed Him our Priest. Christ did not appoint Himself as our Priest.
The offering of Christ once for all abolished the Jewish priesthood. He declared it finished on the cross. The popish, or any other order of priests are agents of Satan and are serving their own lusts. They are in fact blasphemers and enemies to the cross of Christ. They are opposed to His Priesthood. The people of God need no Priest but Jesus Christ, whom God, the Father appointed as their eternal Priest. He is Priest of their consciences, of their souls, and for their souls. He pleads His own merits on their behalf, and the Holy Spirit applies the efficacy of it to their souls through the Word of God. We must make much of His Priestly office on our behalf at all times. Satan is so crafty and will do all in his evil nature to separate us from our Priest, Jesus. His cross is the true symbol of His blood and sacrifice for us. This we must take up daily and follow our Lord Jesus to the end of our time in the world.