Good morning, fellow priests and priestesses! That is not a typical greeting one hears when a church of Christ gathers, but it certainly is appropriate!
The New Testament teaches that all believers who have followed the gospel plan of salvation are to be priests in the service of their King. 4. Come to Him, to that Living Stone, rejected by men but in God's sight chosen and precious; 5. and like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 9. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:4-5; 9 [RSV]) There is no longer any special class as there was under the Law of Moses with the Levitical priesthood, for no longer will God accept any mere man to act as mediator between Him and man. Why should He? He already has the perfect Mediator in His Son, Jesus Christ: “For there is one God, and there is one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5 [RSV]).
With the advent of the New Covenant of liberty of Jesus Christ, which is far superior to the Old Covenant under the Law of Moses, we see fulfilled in this priesthood what God intended originally for the nation of Israel: 5. Now therefore, if you will obey My voice and keep My covenant, you shall be My own possession among all peoples; for all the Earth is Mine, 6. and you shall be to Me a Kingdom of priests and a holy nation. (Exodus 19:5-6 [RSV]) Because of their disobedience, the priesthood fell to the tribe of Levi only, and Isaiah prophesied of a time to come when a new nation of priests would come to the Gentiles: “but you shall be called the priests of the Lord, men shall speak of you as the ministers of our God; you shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their riches you shall glory” (Isaiah 61:6 [RSV]).
To become a priest under the Law of Moses one needed to undergo a consecration process involving a cleansing and an anointing ceremony. This ceremony involved a washing, an oil anointing and the sprinkling of sacrificial blood (Exodus 29:1; 4; 7 and 20). In the New Covenant of Christ we, too, are consecrated to be priests when we are cleansed and anointed. We are cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:26) our sacrificial Lamb (Revelation 7:14) when we are immersed into Him and clothed with His holy garments (Galatians 3:27), washing away our sins (Acts 22:15). We are simultaneously anointed with His Holy Spirit when we undergo baptism. The Apostle Peter said on the Day of Pentecost, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38 [RSV]). This gift of the Holy Spirit is bestowed upon all obedient believers in Christ, and it is also our down payment and promise of eternal life: 13. In Him you also, Who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14. Which is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14 [RSV])
The New Testament teaches that all believers who have followed the gospel plan of salvation are to be priests in the service of their King. 4. Come to Him, to that Living Stone, rejected by men but in God's sight chosen and precious; 5. and like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 9. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:4-5; 9 [RSV]) There is no longer any special class as there was under the Law of Moses with the Levitical priesthood, for no longer will God accept any mere man to act as mediator between Him and man. Why should He? He already has the perfect Mediator in His Son, Jesus Christ: “For there is one God, and there is one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5 [RSV]).
With the advent of the New Covenant of liberty of Jesus Christ, which is far superior to the Old Covenant under the Law of Moses, we see fulfilled in this priesthood what God intended originally for the nation of Israel: 5. Now therefore, if you will obey My voice and keep My covenant, you shall be My own possession among all peoples; for all the Earth is Mine, 6. and you shall be to Me a Kingdom of priests and a holy nation. (Exodus 19:5-6 [RSV]) Because of their disobedience, the priesthood fell to the tribe of Levi only, and Isaiah prophesied of a time to come when a new nation of priests would come to the Gentiles: “but you shall be called the priests of the Lord, men shall speak of you as the ministers of our God; you shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their riches you shall glory” (Isaiah 61:6 [RSV]).
To become a priest under the Law of Moses one needed to undergo a consecration process involving a cleansing and an anointing ceremony. This ceremony involved a washing, an oil anointing and the sprinkling of sacrificial blood (Exodus 29:1; 4; 7 and 20). In the New Covenant of Christ we, too, are consecrated to be priests when we are cleansed and anointed. We are cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:26) our sacrificial Lamb (Revelation 7:14) when we are immersed into Him and clothed with His holy garments (Galatians 3:27), washing away our sins (Acts 22:15). We are simultaneously anointed with His Holy Spirit when we undergo baptism. The Apostle Peter said on the Day of Pentecost, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38 [RSV]). This gift of the Holy Spirit is bestowed upon all obedient believers in Christ, and it is also our down payment and promise of eternal life: 13. In Him you also, Who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14. Which is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14 [RSV])
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