Pioneer Christian Monthly - September, 1994

Our Atoning High Priest
John H. Muller

It is common in our circles to speak of the threefold office of Christ (note HEIDELBERG CATECHISM, Question 3 1), referring to Him being prophet, priest and king. Our BELGIC CONFESSION in ARTICLE XXI lays stress on the priestly office of Christ. This is in line with the full treatment of the same in the Scriptures.

The work of the priest in the Old Testament was to offer sacrifices, make intercession, and offer blessings in God's name. Sacrificing is listed as their most frequent function. The meaning behind it is that sin is offensive to God, and hence makes atonement necessary. If God's commands are followed in sacrifice, then sin is forgiven. This is clearly taught in Leviticus 4 (see vs. 26, 3 1, 3 5) and is reiterated in the New Testament in passages like Ephesians 1:7 and Hebrews 9:22. The Old Testament priesthood and sacrifices all led up to Jesus Christ. John the Baptist pointed Him out as "the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world." (John 1:29) He came to give His life a ransom for many.

The CONFESSION points out that Jesus' priesthood was not just an ordinary priesthood but "that Jesus Christ is a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizidek." That was a priesthood superior to that of the Aaronic priests. "He presented Himself in our name before His Father, to appease His wrath with full satisfaction by offering Himself on the tree of the cross and pouring out His precious blood for the cleansing of our sins." This statement hits right at the center of the doctrine of substitutionary atonement. Christ suffered, and in suffering He satisfied the claims of divine justice.

Modem liberal thought does not include the righteous anger of a God who hates sin and is determined to punish it. Only one attribute (quality) of God is taught, namely love.

Orthodox (and even neo -orthodox) theologians strongly object to this liberal view of god. "They observe that the Bible allows for no such sentimental or cheap grace in God. Instead, at the heart of the Biblical account is the insistence that God's love comes to us with blood on it...... Brunner once said that when we lose this idea of God's wrath, when we forget that sin is a personal affront to God's holiness, then we help the decay of the Christian faith and the decline of the church." (Plantinga)

There is another false view of God, which comes from the opposite extreme. In teaching God's justice and wrath some lose sight of His love and mercy. They present a vengeful God, Who is quick to anger. This is more pagan in origin than liberal. It is pagan deities who are wild and merciless. Our God is "slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy." (Psalm 103:8)

Our Reformed view of the atonement is neither liberal nor pagan. It is against all sentimental ideas of God and His love, since it takes God's wrath against sin seriously. It also rejects all pagan ideas of a tyrant-god. The same God who hates sm strongly loves His sinful but repentant children. He has mercifully provided the means for cleansing. He does it by Christ's atonement.

The CONFESSION goes into detail to give Biblical background for this truth. DeBres quotes several passages from Isaiah 53 which speak of the Christ bearing our sins. "He was condemned as a criminal by Pontius Pilate." "He suffered -the just for the unjust, in both His body and His soul." "His sweat became like big drops of blood falling on the ground." "He cried, My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me?" He concludes: "And He endured all this for the forgiveness of our sins."

The cross where our Saviour died brings reconciliation between a holy God and a sinful people. This was the crowning act of our great High Priest. This is why our desire is to know nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. This message is the answer to the world's need. He has indeed saved His people from their sins.

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