Is the Old Testament priesthood
the same as the New Testament priesthood?
You've probably not even
thought about that.
Why would you?
It's not exactly something that
crops up in our usual experience
of going to church.
We go to Church
and worship with our priest
and we assume that
he is part of the New Testament
just like us.
There is a very clear priesthood
in the Old Testament,
indeed the Book of Leviticus
is a book about priesthood.
The tribe of Levi
in the Old Testament
is set apart from the other tribes.
Levites aren’t given
any land when they
cross the Jordan.
The Levites are told
that they are to
live in and amongst
the other tribes of Israel.
Wherever the tribes go,
there is always a presence
of the Levites,
these priests of the Old Testament.
Why was it that
the Levites were not
given any land?
Well you can see the answer.
Practically,
the Levite priests were present
in every community
so that they could offer
the sacrifices on behalf of the people
with whom they were living.
It's no different from
your parish priest
living in a Vicarage
in the local community.
So they could not be given
any land of their own
because they needed to be
in the community of others.
Already we begin to see
that there are some parallels
between Old Testament priesthood
and New Testament priesthood.
Old Testament
and New Testament are united
in Christ,
and He is the reason
why the priesthoods are
essentially the same
but different in practice.
[PAUSE]
Our Lord Jesus Christ
is the High Priest
of the new covenant.
This doesn't mean
that the old covenant is worthless,
but rather it is fulfilled in Christ.
All covenants are sealed in blood.
While we cannot
pour out our blood
to seal our covenant with God
and live,
we need another to do it for us.
In the Old Testament,
this is why
the Israelites sacrifice animals.
The Old Testament priests
sacrifice and pour
the blood of the victim
upon the altar.
This blood cleanses
the flesh of Israel
but, as our Lord shows us,
this is not enough
to cleanse our souls.
We need better blood.
That blood is supplied
by Christ Himself
up on the cross.
Jesus takes away our sins
upon the cross
not by becoming a sinner
in our place,
not by being punished
instead of us,
but by offering up Himself
as a sacrifice
which takes away our sin.
The blood of bulls and goats
cannot free us from our sin
but the blood of Christ can
because it seals
the covenant perfectly
So our Lord offers Himself
in that one perfect sacrifice
for all the sins of every human being
who has ever existed.
The blood of the animals
sacrificed upon the altar
in the Old Testament priesthood
is soon identified
with the blood of Christ
so that it can be a sacrifice
for the Israelites
completed upon the Cross.
For us of the New Testament,
we have no need
to slaughter animals any longer
because our Lord Jesus Christ
has given His life for us
and His blood is shed for us,
and is poured out
across time and space
to be available for us all.
This blood is now found
under the appearance of wine
in the Mass.
It is the same blood of eternity
which gives us life,
cleanses us from our sins
and begins to course
through our veins.
This is why
we offer the sacrifice
of the Mass.
It isn't that
we are sacrificing
our Lord Jesus Christ anew
– that would be heresy.
When we offer up
the sacrifice of the Mass,
it is Christ Himself
through the Church
who unites us to
His one perfect sacrifice.
His sacrifice has a root in time,
namely at his crucifixion,
but it stretches throughout all ages
so that all may have opportunity
to receive the salvation promised.
We are united in Christ
at the Mass from its beginning
to its end.
This is why it is
the great sacrament
because what we see in time
is part of what is in Eternity.
The actions of
the priest in our sight
are fundamentally connected with
the actions of Christ
in His priesthood.
This is the character
of ordination
in which each priest
is given the grace
to be a reflection of Christ
in His priesthood.
[PAUSE]
This should give us
some great comfort.
The New Testament priesthood
is united with the Old Testament priesthood
through Christ,
and we can be assured that
we have communion
with all who receive
the body and blood of Christ
regardless of the century,
regardless of location.
The church is
a continuation
of the chosen people Israel.
We are united
through the blood of Christ.
This is why the priesthood
in the Old Testament
and the priesthood
in the New Testament
marry up
and why priesthood is vital
for the lifeblood of the Church
to flow throughout all times and all places.
Our Lord Jesus Christ
as both priest and victim
gives us all His blood,
and in His blood,
His life.
We can be assured of this
and that
when we come up to the altar
to receive the Body and Blood of Christ
that is indeed
what we receive.
We are united with him
whether we feel that or not.
[PAUSE]
When we see
the priest of the Old Testament
we should think about
how their ministry continues
into the New
and how Our Lord Jesus Christ
fufills the old and continues it
into the new.
Let us therefore drink deeply
as we enter the last two weeks
of the earthly ministry of our Lord
and see His Eternal priesthood
complete one and begin another.
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