1 Peter 2:9 (NIV) But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood...

During the time of the temple and the animal sacrifices that were made for the sins of the people, there were priests who were designated by birth to handle all of that as well as all the requirements of the law of God. The only way into the priesthood was to be a descendant of Aaron, the first to be chosen as high priest by God. While there were other Levites who worked around the temple doing other duties such as being assistants, musicians, and gatekeepers, only Aaron’s descendants could offer the sacrifices and enter the temple. They had to consecrate themselves each time for service. In addition to this, only the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place where the presence of God resided above the Ark of the Covenant. He had to make sure that he was ceremonially clean and that his linen robe and vestments were clean and totally spotless, and he could only go into the Most Holy Place one time each year to offer the sacrifice for the sins of all the people. But then Jesus came, and everything changed.

Now, because of the blood of Jesus that washed away all of our sins, God has declared us holy and consecrated to Him. We have been washed in the blood of the Lamb and can now approach the very presence of God without cowering or being afraid. We are now considered royal priests before God. But before we get a swelled head about that, let’s consider what that means. A priest had two main duties. The first was to serve God and take care of the duties of the temple, making sure to carry out all of God’s requirements. The second duty was to serve the people by representing them before the Lord. So what that means is that now that we have been included in the priesthood, we have the same two duties that the Aaronic priests had, which was to serve God and to serve people. When asked a question about what the most important commandment was, Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’^’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:37-39, NIV). What Jesus was telling the people was that now that He has come to consecrate and sanctify us through His death and resurrection, our duties are to love and serve God and others.

When you think about it, the only real way to serve God is to serve others. That’s what Jesus emphasized so much while He was here on earth. In the story He told about the end times when the sheep would be separated from the goats (those who were truly saved and those who thought they were saved but were not), the difference was what the sheep did for others, Whatever a person did in love, service and showing kindness to others, Jesus took it as if it were done to Him. He is so serious about that. And just as the priests of old dedicated their lives to doing just that, so we must do that as the royal priesthood that we are. It was a great privilege to be a priest in the days of old as their inheritance was God Himself. Today, God is our inheritance as well and we have been given the great privilege of being chosen to represent Him here on earth to love, serve and to show kindness to everyone we come across. Let’s live up to the calling that is on each one of our lives as priests of our most high God!

Pastor Joey Vazquez