The Great High Priest of Christianity
What does the blood of a goat, water, scarlet wool and a branch of hyssop (wild oregano) have to do with each other? (Hebrews 9)
These items were used by the priest in ancient Israel in a religious ceremony that cleansed the people. This ceremony took place in the tabernacle divided by a veil. The veil divided the tabernacle in half with the front portion being used daily by the priest to serve God. The back portion, called the Holiest or Holy of Holies, was entered by the priest only once a year on the Day of Atonement when he ritually cleansed the people.
All these rituals and practices focused the people on the importance of being cleansed by the priest. The living goat provided a vicarious sacrifice, the hyssop reminded the people of when the destroying angel passed over their homes because they had followed Moses’ counsel and painted the blood of their sacrificial animal on the doorposts.
“The Hebrew words for scarlet (shani) and crimson (tola) signify where the colors were derived from—a worm (most likely Kermes echinatus).
The scarlet or crimson worm is of a family of insects that live on oak trees. Its lifespan is about 4–14 weeks. For about the last four weeks of its life, the female is ready to be fertilized and lay eggs. She then attaches firmly to the oak tree and produces a red dye, which stains her body as well as her eggs. Just before the eggs were to hatch, these female insects were gathered, dried, and boiled. Alum was added as a mordant (a chemical that helps the dye stick to the cloth by combining to form an insoluble compound), and the resulting dye was used to make red-colored cloth.
On the cross, the Savior quoted Psalm 22:1: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34). A later verse of this messianic psalm states, “I am a worm, and no man” (Psalm 22:6). The Hebrew word used here for “worm” (tola’at) refers specifically to the crimson worm.” (Source: “Scarlet, Crimson, Snow and Wool”)
Then in 34 AD Jesus Christ, the Great High Priest, lived on Earth and passed through the veil of death into Heaven. He didn’t just die like a mere mortal. He was a divine being who lived a sinless life and offered his own blood as a symbol of his willingness to bear the just consequences of all the sins and infirmities of the people. In this way he paid the price justice demands and he offers mercy to us on his own terms. (He is a mediator) He shows us how to approach God and makes it possible for us to actually cross the veil and enter the Holiest places of Heaven.
If you want the cleansing offered by the blood of Jesus Christ, you must repent and show a broken heart and a contrite spirit. His blood cleanses the conscience.
So why was the shedding of blood necessary for the cleansing of sin? Well, of all the sins, the greatest that needs to be justified is murder. Can justice be offered in exchange for the life of a person prematurely taken from them through violence or accident? Whose blood should be exchanged to right that wrong? Even today, the worst crimes are punished by death. What Jesus offered was his own life in exchange for that of a murderer and every lesser criminal or sinner.
He didn’t have to offer his life. He was not guilty of even one single crime. He chose to offer his blood in exchange for all of us just as the priest ritualized when he offered the blood of a firstling of the flock in exchange for all the people.
The rituals of ancient Israel ended with Jesus Christ’s death because they were just symbolic of his great sacrifice. With his death, no other thing was necessary to point to the truth but himself. The veil he crossed was death. He offers redemption and resurrection, both in response to losses that occur in this mortal life. He is the only one who can answer these great questions. What happens after this life and how can I live again after I die? A belief in Jesus Christ offers immense comfort to those who struggle with their mortality and the loss of something so valuable as a human life.
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18) A cloth dyed red stays red. But regardless of the stain of our sins, the Atonement of Jesus Christ can make us pure again if we repent. 'All are within the reach of pardoning mercy, who have not committed the unpardonable sin'” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 76 quoted in Scarlet, Crimson, Snow and Wool).
Jesus Christ didn’t just show up on the scene one day and bluntly claim to be God. He, the son of God, came in response to a long lyrical narrative God had with his people that spanned centuries. Many prophets witnessed that relationship and wrote about it. The priests reminded the people of this relationship and the great sacrifice to come. When he arrived, he received no fanfare. In fact, he was rejected by the establishment. And yet, he went through with the gift that he came to offer. He became legendary but not for being the Great High Priest. This post is an attempt to bring back the memory of who he was and what he did for all mankind, good or evil.
Image of wild oregano from the Negev Mountains in Israel also known as Origanum ramonense: Gideon Pisanty - Wikimedia
Sources:
Leviticus 16:5, 7-10, 15