Why is Jesus called “the Heavenly High Priest”?

In his epistle to the Hebrews, St. Paul paints for us a vivid image of the Lord Christ as High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, who brings us into the Holy of Holies, advocates for us by His blood, and offers His life as a sacrifice for us. In the fifth chapter, he begins his discussion of the core subject of his epistle, the priesthood of Christ, which is not according to the order of Aaron but according to the eternal order of Melchizedek. He begins his discourse about Aaron as the first high priest, called directly by God to this office, and superior to all the high priests who came after him. But because of his weakness, he still needed to offer sacrifices for himself before offering them on behalf of the people. Paul then shows us the High Priest who is immeasurably superior to Aaron, our Lord Jesus, with whom we enter into the heavenly holy places, and who advocates for us on a new and incomparable level.

St. Paul goes over the characteristics and role of the high priest in order to show the exceeding superiority of the Lord Christ in comparison to Aaron, and to elucidate the priestly role of Christ towards us within the context of the New Testament. We enjoy communion with Him, having been granted universal priesthood, raising our hands in prayer that is an acceptable sacrifice of thanksgiving and a praise to the Father through His Son the High Priest. We offer worship as priests praying for the whole world and pray the Lord’s Prayer in the name of the whole Church, saying: “Our Father who art in Heaven.”

The first requirement of the high priest is that he be “taken from among men” (Heb. 5:1), for the high priest intercedes for his kin, which is all humanity , feels their weaknesses, and acts in their name. All this was fulfilled in Christ who became one of us and not a stranger, to fulfil His priestly role for the people.

The second requirement is that he be “appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sin” (Heb. 5:1). The only begotten Son, the Son of Man, offers His life as an offering and sacrifice of love that purifies us from sins, sanctifying our consciences and renewing our inner souls, that we may belong to God His Father. He brings us into being the children of the Father by sanctifying us, unifying us with Him, and making us steadfast in Him; something that no creation, whether in heaven or earth, could achieve.

The third requirement is that he is called by God. Thus, Christ also did not glorify Himself to become a high priest, but He was called with these words: “‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You.’ As He also says in another place: ‘You are a priest forever

745 St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on John 51.2 (NPNF I/14:182).

according to the order of Melchizedek’” (Heb. 5:4–6). St. John Chrysostom says, “Great is the distance. He is Himself then both victim and Priest and sacrifice. For if it had not been so, and it had been necessary to offer many sacrifices, He must have been many times crucified.”⁷⁴⁶