Hebrews 8:1-7 New Living Translation (NLT)
As believers, we are blessed beyond our ability to comprehend, because God, in Christ, cut a new covenant to fulfill the old covenant made with Israel—the people of God. It was God’s intention for earthly things to be an expression of heavenly realities, but the old covenant was only a shadow of the promise God was actually making to those who would turn to worship Him.
The sacrificial system performed by the high priest under the old covenant required a blood sacrifice to be offered for the sins of the people—the Day of Atonement. Under the new covenant, Christ offered himself for our sins once and for all. Think about it; Christ died to make atonement for our sins. He is our Anointed High Priest. Now, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we practice self-sacrifice revealing Christ as the Lord of our lives. This is the reality of heavenly worship. As we bow in this place of self-sacrifice, the riches of heaven are made available to us—we may apprehend limitless promises in Christ. As we soon approach our spiritual season of Lenten reflection, let us remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us and be willing to engage in self-sacrifice in order to enjoy a whole new level of his holiness. This is our call to worship.
Hebrews 8:1-7 Christ Is Our High Priest
1 Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. 2 There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle,[tent] the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands.
3 And since every high priest is required to offer gifts and sacrifices, our High Priest must make an offering, too. 4 If he were here on earth, he would not even be a priest, since there already are priests who offer the gifts required by the law. 5 They serve in a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave him this warning: “Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.”
6 But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises.
7 If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for interceding for me and covering my sin each day. Please continue to provide me the power to practice self-sacrifice, so you may be lifted and exalted in my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.