Introduction:
The ministry of Jesus presupposes
the royal priesthood to which all Christians are called as the redeemed of
Jesus. In other religions the priest is
a person appointed to stand between God and men, to maintain satisfactory relations
between them. In the Hindu priesthood,
for example, this intermediary action consists in keeping the traditions of the
right way of approaching the deity, giving advice when he is offended, and
doing what is needed to reconcile the offender.
In Christ, the one true High Priest, the fragments of truth here, as in
the Jewish priestly and sacrificial system, are gathered together and
fulfilled. He offered, once and for all,
the sacrifice, not of animals but of himself.
Jesus is the true representative of mankind before God. His earthly ministry did not end on the cross
but continued in his Body the Church to which he gives himself through the Holy
Spirit. . We will explore here the
priesthood of all believers of Christ.
