Q. How does Christ fulfill the office of a priest?
A. Christ fulfills the office of a priest in His once offering up of Himself, a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice and reconcile us to God, and in making continual intercession for us.
Commentary
Where the prophet answers our ignorance, the priest answers our guilt. A priest stands between God and sinners, offering sacrifice for sin and pleading on the sinner’s behalf. The catechism names both parts of Christ’s priestly work, and the first is His once offering up of Himself. Unlike the priests of the old covenant, who offered the blood of bulls and goats again and again, Christ offered a single sacrifice that need never be repeated. He was both the priest who offered and the victim offered, giving Himself “a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2). “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24), and having been “offered once to bear the sins of many” (Hebrews 9:28), He finished the work forever.
The catechism states the purpose of this sacrifice precisely: to satisfy divine justice and reconcile us to God. Our sin had incurred a real debt to God’s justice, a penalty that had to be paid, and Christ paid it in full by bearing in our place the punishment we deserved. This is propitiation, the turning away of God’s righteous wrath by the offering of His Son, “that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17). Because justice has been satisfied, the enmity is removed and we are reconciled, brought near to the God from whom our sin had separated us. God did not set His justice aside to forgive us; He satisfied it in the cross.
But Christ’s priestly work did not end at Calvary, for the catechism adds that He continues making continual intercession for us. Having offered the sacrifice, the risen Christ now appears before the Father on behalf of His people, pleading the merit of His finished work. “He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). This is the ground of the believer’s security: the same Christ who died for us now lives to pray for us, so that no charge can finally stand against those for whom He intercedes. “Christ Jesus is the one who died... who indeed is interceding for us” (Romans 8:34).
Scripture Proofs
“Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us” (Romans 8:34).
“And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2).
“Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17).
“Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).
“So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:28).
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24).
2nd London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689
8.10: This number and order of offices is necessary; for in respect of our ignorance, we stand in need of His prophetical office; and in respect of our alienation from God, and imperfection of the best of our services, we need His priestly office to reconcile us and present us acceptable unto God; and in respect to our averseness and utter inability to return to God, and for our rescue and security from our spiritual adversaries, we need His kingly office to convince, subdue, draw, uphold, deliver, and preserve us to His heavenly kingdom.