By Tope Akinnola
When Mary Magdalene met Jesus after his resurrection from the dead, she wanted to touch Jesus, but Jesus said to her, ”Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended unto the Father…” (John 20:17). Here, he was on his way to the Father first and foremost with his own blood of the New Covenant, which is the token of the penalty or ransom or redemption that he paid for us — thereby fulfilling necessary divine protocols. This was in the same manner that the earthly high priest in the Old Covenant would take the blood of bulls and goats into the Holy Place, or Holy of Holies, before God in the earthly tabernacle or sanctuary constructed by human hands. Jesus too took his own blood into the Most Holy Place in the heavenly sanctuary not made by hands.
Now, note how Hebrews 9:11-12 makes some pretty heavy claims: ”But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but WITH HIS OWN BLOOD HE ENTERED THE MOST HOLY PLACE ONCE FOR ALL, HAVING OBTAINED ETERNAL REDEMPTION,” (NKJV). Christ, the Bible says, entered in ONCE FOR ALL INTO THE MOST HOLY PLACE in the heavenly tabernacle.
Secondly, he OBTAINED ETERNAL REDEMPTION for us! Christ entered into the Most Holy Place in the heavenly tabernacle ONLY ONCE, not repeatedly. Now, he remains at the right side of Majesty on high, having already secured or obtained eternal redemption for us. Glory to God!
Through the offering of his blood ONCE AND FOR ALL in the Holy of Holies in the heavenly tabernacle that is not of earthly material creation, Jesus has already ”SECURED A COMPLETE REDEMPTION (AN EVERLASTING RELEASE FOR US),” as the Amplified Bible puts it. How glorious!
Moreover, the kind of High Priest that Jesus is to us right now is SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT from that of the high priest of the old order or Old Covenant. Already, we know that Christ’s high priesthood does not make or offer repeated blood sacrifices or annual shedding of blood in any earthly tabernacle. But also, Jesus is a particularly MERCIFUL and FAITHFUL High Priest that understands and is touched with the feelings of our infirmities or the vagaries of our human weaknesses — unlike the high priests of the old order or Old Covenant who were more concerned about the formalities and mechanics of their priestly ministries or offices without feelings or emotions or empathy for the people.
But today, thank God, we have a compassionate High Priest in person of Jesus in heaven right now — who is MERCIFUL! Hebrews 2:17 says, ”Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a MERCIFUL and FAITHFUL High Priest in things pertaining to God…” (NKJV).
And in Hebrews 4:14-15, the Bible says, ”Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. FOR WE DO NOT HAVE A HIGH PRIEST WHO CANNOT SYMPATHIZE WITH OUR WEAKNESSES, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin,” (NKJV).
In addition, Hebrews 4:16 says, ”Let us therefore COME BOLDLY TO THE THRONE OF GRACE, THAT WE MAY OBTAIN MERCY AND FIND GRACE TO HELP IN TIME OF NEED.” Jesus, our High Priest, is a grace and mercy merchant! Glory to God! Also, under the old order or Old Covenant, God’s people couldn’t ”come boldly to the throne of grace” for they needed to go through the high priest and the other priests. But under the new order established by Christ, our merciful and faithful High Priest, we are ENTITLED to ”come boldly to the throne of grace” by ourselves individually — ”that we might obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need!” Oh, how w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l!!!
And as our compassionate, empathic, merciful heavenly High Priest, what is Jesus actively doing in heaven right now on our behalf? Firstly, he serves as the MEDIATOR of the New Covenant right now. Hebrews 9:15 states: ”And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death… that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance,” (NKJV). Jesus, our High Priest, serves as the mediator of the New Covenant to us all who by faith, have been called into receiving the promise of eternal redemption, or the eternal inheritance, which he himself OBTAINED FOR US through his blood!
Hebrews 8:6 says, ”But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the MEDIATOR of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.” Right now as we speak, Jesus is the mediator of a better covenant! A mediator is a go-between, the one who serves as an intermediary between two parties, the one that fixes things between two parties. In the New Living Translation, the above verse says, ”But our High Priest has been given a ministry that is far superior to the ministry of those who serve under the old laws, for he is the one who guarantees for us a better covenant with God, based on better promises.” Thank you Lord Jesus!
And please, never forget 2 Corinthians 5:18 which states categorically, ”All this is done by God, who through Christ changed us from enemies into his friends and gave us the task of making others his friends also,” (GNT). Just as Jesus has reconciled us to God, making us friends of God through the shedding of his blood, he wants us to bring others into that reconciliation or friendship with God too by preaching the word of reconciliation to them; or by preaching the gospel of righteousness and not of condemnation to them!
Furthermore, Christ Jesus is serving as our great INTERCESSOR in heaven right now. What does it mean to intercede? To intercede means to plead the case of another; to help lift the burden of another. Hebrews 7:25 says, ”Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing HE EVER LIVETH TO MAKE INTERCESSION for them.” In the New Living Translation, it says: ”Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save everyone who comes to God through him. He lives forever TO PLEAD WITH GOD ON THEIR BEHALF.” Do you know that right now, Christ is interceding for you — pleading with God on your behalf for God’s mercy to ever sustain you? You are not alone! Because Jesus is interceding on your behalf right now!
Romans 8:33-34 says, ”Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? Will God? No! He is the one who has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? Will Christ Jesus? No, for he is the one who died for us and was raised to life for us and is sitting at the place of highest honor next to God, PLEADING FOR US,” (NLT). The last clause of Romans 8:34 in the King James Version says of Christ Jesus that he ”… also MAKETH INTERCESSION FOR US!” That is marvelous! Right now, Christ is interceding or pleading for each and every believer in heaven! Christ is interceding or pleading for you and I right now in the presence of God! Oh, glory to God! 
To be continued
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