Matins Devotion: November 29, 2022
Is every Christian a priest? Yes. That’s the clear teaching of Scripture. Peter says that every believer belongs to a “holy” and “royal priesthood” and the apostle John also echoes this idea multiple times in the book of Revelation. Now under the Mosaic regulations given to Israel, not just anyone could become a priest. You had to be born into this job. You had to be a descendant of Aaron—Israel’s first high priest. Only then could you be set apart for this special honor. But that was just a shadow of the true priesthood that would come later. Not through Aaron—but through Christ Jesus—our great high priest. And now, all who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been born into this priesthood of all believers. Through baptism into Christ’s name, we’ve been consecrated—set apart for this holy service.
One of the ways in which this vocation of priesthood becomes a daily reality is through our ministry of intercession. As priests, we are called to be intercessors. To pray fervently on behalf of others. For rulers and authorities. For the Church and our fellow Christians. For our homes and our families. And even for unbelievers and enemies. Whenever and wherever we offer these prayers, we can be sure that they are effective. We have the assurance and the promise that God always hears and answers us according to his gracious will. Not because of the strength of our prayers or because of the holiness of our lives, but because our intercessions are lifted up in the name of Jesus. Our high priest who always lives to stand before the Father and make intercessions on behalf of us. (Heb. 7:25) So don’t grow weary in lifting up your hands to heaven on behalf of others. Don’t give up on your priestly calling. Keep praying. Keep reminding God of his promises. Keep trusting that the one who called you out of darkness and into his marvelous light is still the God who is able to preserve and to defend, to comfort and to guide, to rescue and to save…even to the uttermost.