Q: Why is Jesus called the high priest if there are no priests in new testament?
A: Priests offer sacrifice to God for the people. Ministers … just minister. Only some protestants (erroneously) believe that there are no priests in the new testament.
Jesus, our heavenly high priest IS the definitive sacrifice of the new covenant … and he is also the only sacrifice that is acceptable to God the Father.
When he gave us the basic liturgy for the Mass at the Last Supper, and he told us to remember him in that way, Jesus gave us the means for practical worship and acceptable sacrifice, as atonement for the sins of the world.
Jesus personally instituted the new testament priesthood at the Last Supper, when he instructed the apostles.
Those who later separated themselves from the Catholic Church also separated themselves from the power of the priesthood … and that’s the main reason why protestant communion is merely symbolic, and will never be anything more than crackers and grape juice.
Contrary to what some people claim, Catholics do not crucify Christ again at each Mass. We simply offer up Jesus, the one time, once for all, eternal sacrifice for sin, to our Father in heaven, with Jesus the High Priest at the very head of the congregation, every single time.
That’s why it’s necessary for the real presence of Jesus to be there on the altar for us at Mass … body, blood, soul, and divinity … just as Jesus assured us it would be … and that’s why we can always be absolutely sure that God the Father will find our sacrifice to be acceptable to him, every single time … no matter how unworthy or sinful we might be.
The old testament Levitical priesthood was the ancient biblical ante-type of the new covenant priesthood, which is truly empowered by God, to do all these wonderful things (and more) for us.
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