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We Have A Great Superior High Priest (Exodus 39:1-43; Selected Scriptures)

I. Jesus Ministers In A Superior Place

II. Jesus Ministers With Superior Righteousness

III. Jesus Ministers With Superior Sympathy

IV. Jesus Ministers With Superior Duration

V. Jesus Ministers With A Superior Sacrifice

Context & Hook

Have you ever felt disqualified by your past, certain that your failures have permanently sidelined you from God's purposes? Aaron led a nation into idolatry, yet God not only forgave him—He robed him in glory and called him to serve in the most sacred place on earth. Your past doesn’t have to define your purpose.

Discover how every thread of Aaron’s holy garments points to a superior Priest who carries your burdens, knows your weaknesses, and secures your salvation forever—not with the blood of animals, but with His own.

Context:

In the Old Testament, Aaron—the very first high priest of Israel—stood as the flawed mediator between a holy God and His people. Clothed in spectacular, God-ordained garments, he performed sacred duties that were both awe-inspiring and profoundly limited. Yet, this ancient office was always a shadow, pointing forward to a greater reality.

Hook:

Have you ever felt disqualified by your past, certain that your failures have permanently sidelined you from God's purposes? Aaron led a nation into idolatry, yet God not only forgave him—He robed him in glory and called him to serve in the most sacred place on earth. How? Because Aaron’s story isn’t really about Aaron at all. It’s about the perfect High Priest who was to come—One whose priesthood doesn’t cover our unworthiness temporarily, but transforms it eternally.

Discover how every thread of Aaron’s holy garments points to a superior Priest who carries your burdens, knows your weaknesses, and secures your salvation forever—not with the blood of animals, but with His own. Your past doesn’t have to define your purpose. Read on to see how the garments of grace are tailor-made for you.

Sermon Breakdown

1. Core Details

• Scripture Text: Exodus 39 (Used as a springboard).
• Primary Theological Theme: The High Priesthood of Jesus Christ.
• Title/Message: "Our Great and Superior High Priest" (Implied from the text).
• Purpose: To show that the Aaronic priesthood points to the superior, eternal priesthood of Jesus, offering comfort, assurance, and a call to holy service for believers.

2. Structure & Flow

The sermon follows a classic text-to-application structure:

• Introduction: Poses a relatable question about feeling unworthy, introduces Aaron's failure and restoration.
• Exposition: Explains the symbolic meaning of the high priest's garments (ephod, breastplate, robe, headdress).
• Bridge/Transition: Moves from the earthly (Aaron) to the heavenly (Christ), stating that Jesus is the true fulfillment and is "vastly superior."
• Main Argument: Presents five points of Christ's superior priesthood.
• Application: Explains the believer's consequent identity and duty as part of God's "royal priesthood."
• Conclusion & Prayer: Summarises the message and turns the truths into corporate prayer.

3. The Five Points of Christ's Superior Priesthood

The heart of the sermon is a comparison demonstrating Christ's supremacy. Each point contrasts the limited, earthly ministry of Aaron with the perfect, eternal ministry of Jesus.

4. Key Illustrations & Explanations

• Aaron's Failure: The Golden Calf incident (Exodus 32) establishes that God uses forgiven sinners, emphasising grace.
• The Doctor Analogy: Used to explain how Jesus can understand sin without committing it (under Point 3: Superior Sympathy).
• William Booth Story: A powerful emotional illustration demonstrating Christ's sufficiency in profound grief (under Point 3).
• The Attorney Analogy: Clarifies the permanence and consistency of Christ's intercession (under Point 4).

5. Application to the Believer

The sermon makes a crucial turn: because Christ is our priest, we become priests to God.

• Our Identity: "A holy and royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:9, Revelation 1:6).
• Our Duties:
1. Intercession: Praying for others, the church, and the world.
2. Offering Spiritual Sacrifices: Our lives, praise, service (Romans 12:1).
3. Living in Holiness: In thoughts, speech, and actions, in every sphere of life.
• Assurance for Failure: When we sin, we are cleansed and accepted based on Christ's righteousness, not our own—paralleling Aaron's restoration.

6. Theological Emphases

• Sufficiency of Christ's Work: Emphasis on "once for all" sacrifice and eternal redemption.
• Assurance of Salvation: "Once saved, always saved" and "to the uttermost" are explicitly stated.
• Human Inability & Divine Grace: Aaron's unworthiness and God's forgiveness highlight that ministry is based on God's call and cleansing.
• The Believer's Privilege: Direct, bold access to God's throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16).

7. Style & Tone

• Pastoral & Encouraging: Begins by addressing common feelings of guilt and unworthiness.
• Instructional: Clearly explains Old Testament symbols and New Testament theology.
• Expository: Draws meaning directly from quoted scripture texts (primarily Hebrews).
• Australian English: Uses spellings like "symbolising," "sympathises."

Summary: This is a doctrinally rich, pastoral sermon that uses the imagery of Exodus 39 to systematically present the superior high priesthood of Christ. It effectively moves from explanation (what the garments meant) to exaltation (how Christ is better) to application (how this truth changes our identity, duties, and daily living), offering both deep comfort and a challenging call to holiness.

Transcript:

[13:40]

In our study through the Book of Exodus, we have come to Exodus chapter 39, which is about the holy garments of Aaron the high priest. We will not be focusing on this chapter per se, but instead we will draw selected scripture verses to consider this passage.

Have you ever felt unworthy to serve the Lord? Perhaps you had committed a sin, an act of immorality, something that sends chills down your spine every time you think about it. It could be something you had done recently or long ago, and it seemed like a horrendous sin that would permanently disqualify you from serving God.

Well, Aaron did something like that. Although he was chosen to be the high priest to represent the children of Israel before God, he had committed a terrible sin. It was during the time when his brother Moses went up the mountain to receive God's law. Aaron led the Israelites into sin. Against his better judgment, he had set up the golden calf as an alternative worship to God. Whether he was pressured into doing it or not, it didn't matter because, as the leader, he had to take full responsibility for it. How could such a man ever serve God again?

However, Aaron did serve God. He was ordained to be the high priest, the father of all the priests in Israel. He repented of his sins and returned to his calling. As the mediator, he entered into the Most Holy Place where God was.

Why could a sinner like Aaron be allowed to serve the holy God? He was able to serve because, although he had fallen, he was also forgiven through the blood of the sacrificial lamb. In preparation for the priesthood, Aaron's body was washed with holy water, symbolising his consecration to God. So through the sacrificial blood and the cleansing water, he was set apart to serve God.

In order for him to serve as the high priest in the tabernacle, Aaron had to be suitably dressed. He needed a new sacred garment. This garment was made of fine linen of blue, purple, and scarlet. Since both the priest and Tabernacle pointed to God, therefore the same colours and materials were used.

There were four items on his garments: the ephod, the breastplate, the robe, and the headdress.

The ephod was a long, sleeveless vest, something like an apron, and it was suspended by shoulder straps. There were two precious stones attached to the shoulder straps. Now, the most important thing was what was written on them. Inscribed on those stones were twelve names, six on each stone. They were the names of the sons of Jacob.

The breastplate was decorated with precious stones, and there was a pouch inside it for the Urim and Thummim, the dice that the high priest would use to consult the will of God. Sometimes it was known as the breastplate of judgment or the breastplate for making decisions.

Essentially, the ephod symbolised the high priest carrying the people's burdens on his shoulders. And the breastplate symbolised him carrying the people's needs close to his heart.

Next was the robe, which was a single piece of clothing, signifying what kind of wholeness and integrity God demanded of His priest.

Finally, there was the headdress with the sign "Holiness to the Lord," which was on Aaron's forehead.

• Firstly, it was a constant reminder to Aaron that he was approaching a holy, perfect, and pure God.
• Secondly, it was a reminder that he himself must be holy—his personal holiness.
• Thirdly, it was a reminder to the people; when they saw this sign, "Holiness to the Lord," on Aaron's forehead, they understood the seriousness of what it meant to approach a holy and just God.

So from head to toe, the high priest looked perfect. But was he really perfect? Most certainly not. Holy clothes do not make a person holy. That was why the high priest had to make an atonement for his own sins before he could offer any sacrifices on behalf of the people. This helps us to understand what a perfect salvation God has provided for us in Christ Jesus, who is our great, superior high priest. This is the title of our message.

Dear friend, everyone needs a priest, in the sense:

• We need someone to make an atonement for our sins, which otherwise we would perish.
• We need someone to bring us into the holy presence of God.
• We need someone to help us to pray in times of trials and temptations.

We all need a priest.

When we look at this passage about the holy garments of Aaron the high priest, we see a picture of the earthly—not just the earthly high priest—but the priestly ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. There are many similarities in that Jesus does for us what the high priest did for Israel.

• Jesus offers the sacrifice for our sins, brings us into God's presence, and prays for all our needs.
• He carries our burdens on His shoulders, like the precious stones on the ephod.
• He carries our needs close to His heart, like the gemstones on the breastplate.
• He is perfectly righteous, and His life bears the inscription "Holiness to the Lord" perfectly.

What is most important is that Jesus is superior in all the similarities, and in every way He is vastly superior. Let us consider how great and superior Jesus is as our high priest.

[23:28] I. Jesus Ministers In A Superior Place

Firstly, Jesus ministers in a superior place. The high priest served in the Tabernacle, but Jesus served in Heaven itself. Hebrews 8:1–2 says, "We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man." Jesus did not enter a man-made Tabernacle to serve. The earthly Tabernacle was only a copy of the heavenly Tabernacle. And when Christ ascended, He entered Heaven itself, where He ministered and continues to minister even at this moment.

The faithful high priest of the old covenant might have interceded for the believers, but when they grew old, they knew they could no longer perform the duties of a priest anymore. The believers might be afraid: ‘Who is going to take over this faithful priest? Will the next generation of priests be as faithful?’

Perhaps you are a parent who is always praying for your children, but now you are getting old. The faculties of your mind are no longer as sharp as they were before. You are worried: ‘Who is going to pray for my children?’ The church may lose the pastor, and there may not be another generation of pastors to take over the present ones. Who is going to intercede for the people?

Well, Jesus Christ, the one who is seated on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in Heaven, He will minister and intercede for them.

[26:13] II. Jesus Ministers With Superior Righteousness

Secondly, Christ ministers with superior righteousness. Christ's righteousness is not external, like a set of holy garments, but it is intrinsic to His own person. He is clothed with the righteousness of His own perfection—His perfect, divine and human nature, unstained with sin.

Hebrews 7:26–27 says, "For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself." Jesus did not need to offer any sacrifices to remove His sins, for He was perfect, without sin, from beginning to end.

[27:41] III. Jesus Ministers With Superior Sympathy

Thirdly, Jesus ministers with superior sympathy. Remember, the high priest carried the people's burdens on his shoulders and the people's needs close to his heart, symbolised by the ephod and the breastplate. Yet for all the compassion and sympathy he had, he could not understand exactly what the people were going through. Only someone who is all-knowing and who has endured the same temptations and has suffered the most extreme hardships could really understand.

Jesus had suffered death and endured temptations to the point of victory over Satan, and therefore He is able to show us sympathy. Whatever you and I are going through, Jesus understands. As Hebrews 4:15 says, "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."

For our Lord Jesus Christ, because of His divinity, He was 100% God and 100% man. His endurance to temptation was without limit. He had to take the full extent of all that Satan could throw at Him. He had to experience temptation to the maximum. He was in all points tempted like as we are, and even more, much more than us. The only difference was that He never sinned.

The word ‘infirmities’ means weakness. Jesus understands our weaknesses. Some people may argue, ‘How can Jesus completely identify with us if He did not actually sin as we do? How can He understand us?’ Being omniscient, all-knowing, Christ need not succumb to sin to understand it. In fact, simply experiencing something does not give us the understanding of it.

One theologian explained it this way: Have you ever visited a doctor and you tell him all the pain that you are going through, and you expect him to understand you, right? He's expected to understand you even though he may not personally experience the same sickness. A person may undergo many successful operations without understanding anything about the technicalities of the surgery.

On the other hand, a doctor may perform thousands of complicated and successful operations without once having the surgery performed on himself. It is not about him having the sickness, but his knowledge of the sickness and his surgical skills that qualify him. The doctor has great experience with the sickness, much greater than any one of his patients. Our Lord Jesus never sinned, but He understands sin more than any man because He is omniscient. How true?!

The word ‘touched’ is—to share the experience of another person. Whatever you are going through, Jesus is able to be touched. He's able to share your experiences that no man on the face of the earth is able to share. He's able to comfort you, able to give you peace and strength that you need to go through the difficulties.

Many years ago, William Booth of the Salvation Army was preaching on the sympathetic Christ, the compassion of Christ. A man came forward and asked Booth how he could talk about a loving, understanding, and sympathetic God. The man said, ‘If your wife has just died like mine has, and your babies are crying for their mother who will never return, you would not be saying what you have just said.’

A few days later, Mr. Booth's wife was killed in an accident. Her body was brought to the funeral service in a casket. After the service, the bereaved preacher looked down into the casket and then turned to those who were standing beside him. He said, ‘The other day when I was here, a man told me that if my wife had just died and the children were crying for their mother, who would never return, I would not be able to say that Christ was understanding and sympathetic and that He was sufficient for my every need.’

‘If that man is here, I want to tell him that my Lord Jesus Christ is sufficient. My heart is broken. It is crushed. But it has a song, and Christ put it there. I want to tell the man that Jesus Christ speaks comfort to me today.’ That man was there. He came forward with tears streaming down his face, and there the preacher Booth shared the gospel with him and introduced him to Jesus Christ.

Dear friend, knowing that Jesus cares for us and sympathises with us is able to help us and should encourage us to take all our troubles to Him. That was why the writer of Hebrews went on to say in Hebrew 4:16, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."

[36:48] IV. Jesus Ministers With Superior Duration

Fourthly, Jesus ministers with superior duration. Hebrews 7:23–24: "And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:”—which means they were not allowed to continue in their priestly duties because of death—“but this man,”—referring to Christ—”because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood." The word ‘unchangeable’ speaks of the permanence of Christ's priesthood.

Take a moment and consider those people living in the Old Testament times. They needed the high priest to intercede for them. Then the high priest died and was replaced by another high priest, and that high priest also died and was replaced by another, and it went on and on and on.

Some high priests were very good, and they could relate with the people better than the rest. Some high priests could pray eloquently, while others could only read out their prayers. Their abilities varied from one to another. But in Christ Jesus, we have the perfect, superior high priest. He has heard all our prayers. He remembers all of them. And He has answered our prayers.

Can you imagine engaging an attorney to defend you? And he studied your case, did a lot of work to compile evidence, eyewitness accounts, and testimonies that translate into a lot of time, money, and expenses. But then all of a sudden the attorney died, and you have to engage a new attorney who has to gather information about you all over again. That will never happen to our advocate and intercessor, Jesus Christ. He will be on the job for all eternity.

Hebrews 7:25 went on to say, "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." The only way to be saved is to come to God through Jesus Christ. And when you do that, He is able to save you to the uttermost.

The word ‘uttermost’ is an amazing word to describe our salvation. Whoever we are, whatever we have done, no matter how wicked our sins may be—whether it be murder, perversion, betrayal, lying, jealousy, and so forth—Christ can save us completely, to the uttermost.

And it is not just about our justification, but also our sanctification. Christ saves us not only at the moment of our conversion, but day by day, moment by moment, throughout all time. His eternal saving work helps us to grow in sanctification and become more and more like Him.

That is what it means ‘to the uttermost’. No high priest is able to do that. No pastor, no matter how brilliant, diligent, or knowledgeable, is able to do that. Only Christ is able to do that.

[41:58] V. Jesus Ministers With Superior Sacrifice

Finally, Jesus ministers with a superior sacrifice. Turn with me to Hebrews 9:11–12. Allow me to read for you: "But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us."

Unlike the high priest, Jesus did not enter the holy place with the blood of the sacrificial animals, then come out and wait for the next year's Day of Atonement. As our eternal high priest, Jesus did three things:

• Firstly, He gave His own blood. The blood of goats and calves cannot wash away our sins. Only the blood of Jesus Christ can wash away all our sins.
• Secondly, He gave it once and for all, never to be repeated again. Therefore, we do not need to be afraid of our past sins, nor future sins. In Christ, all our sins—past, present, and future—have been forgiven.
• Thirdly, He obtained a permanent, eternal redemption for us. Eternal redemption means redeemed forever. If you and I have been redeemed forever, that means we will never lose our salvation. Remember the blessed doctrine of ‘once saved, always saved.’ The believer will not lose his salvation.

By His own will, Christ became the sacrificial victim as well as the sacrificing priest. In other words, He ministered His own sacrifice by offering Himself. After He had completed His sacrifice, He went into a far greater and perfect Tabernacle, which was not made with hands—like the Tabernacle in the wilderness or the Temple that King Solomon built.

Though the old earthly Tabernacle was designed by God—all the measurements were given by Him—nonetheless, it was built by men, and the materials were mainly animal skins. The far greater and perfect tabernacle is of a different kind. It is in Heaven. The entire universe belongs to God, but Heaven is His dwelling place. Heaven is His throne, and Heaven is His sanctuary. So Christ had ascended and went into this far greater and perfect tabernacle in Heaven, where He was seated on His throne, interceding for us as our eternal high priest.

The former high priest had to go into the holy place by themselves, representing the people, on behalf of the people, for the people, but never with the people. They could not bring the people along with them. But our heavenly high priest, Jesus Christ, He did not just represent us. He took us with Him all the way into the presence of God. When we were saved, Christ took us into the Father's presence, where, spiritually speaking, we already live with Him, and one day we will live with Him forever and ever in our glorified bodies.

Isn't it amazing to know who Jesus is, what He has done for us, and what He continues to do for us? But what is the purpose in Him saving us? Is it just for the sake of delivering us from eternal punishment? Saving us from eternal punishment is only part of the equation. Ultimately, the purpose is that we may serve the glory of God.

As Revelation 1:6 says, "And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." To put it in another way, Christ became our priest so that we can become God's priest. That is why the New Testament describes the church, the body of believers, as a holy and royal priesthood.

Take a moment and consider this aspect of the believer serving as priest. Serving God as priest is an amazing privilege. Remember, only the high priest was allowed to enter the Most Holy Place, and that was once a year. But now God has made us priests, and we are invited to come in on the basis of the blood of His Son. We can approach His throne of grace through prayers at any time.

A priest is someone who intercedes for others. We are to pray for the people around us for their practical needs and especially for their salvation. We are to pray for the church, that the gospel will be preached, sinners to be saved, believers to grow in their love for Christ. We are to pray for the churches around the world, overseas missions, Christians who are suffering persecutions, and for the advancement of the gospel work. This is our duty as priests.

Another duty of priests is to offer sacrifices. If we are God's priests, then what sacrifice do we need to bring? In one sense, we do not need to bring any sacrifices at all, because Christ's ultimate sacrifice was once and for all, never to be repeated. So as far as the sacrifice for our salvation is concerned, we do not need to bring anything, nor can we contribute anything. But on the other hand, once we are saved, there are many sacrifices we ought to offer to God. Remember, we are to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God. We are to offer the sacrifice of praise through our worship, our giving, our services, and so forth.

Finally, like the high priests of Israel who have been set apart for the holy service of God, as believers we have been set apart, separated unto God, that we may serve Him for His glory. Therefore, we have to be holy as God is holy. Our calling as priests demands complete holiness.

• We are called to be holy in our daily affairs—not idling our time away or indulging in unrighteous games.
• We are called to be holy not only in the church, but in our homes, in our workplaces, in our schools, wherever we are.
• We are called to be holy in our thoughts—not consumed in lust, jealousy, bitterness, or self-pity.
• We are called to be holy in our speech. Our words are to be seasoned with love and grace.
• We are called to be holy in our actions. We seek to help others as best as we can, at the same time preserving our purity. This is also our duty as God's priest.

Does it mean that we are holy all the time? Most certainly not. Like Aaron the high priest, there will be times when we stumble and fall into sin. Every day we sin against God in our speech, in our thoughts, and in our deeds. We are stained with sin. How then can our services be accepted by God? How then can we approach His holy presence?

When you and I are saved, we are clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Whenever we stumble and fall, we confess our sins, repent, and ask God to forgive us. And our God is faithful. He will forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all our unrighteousness. So when we do that, and we continue to pick ourselves up and serve Him like what Aaron had done, God sees our services.

God sees us. He does not look at the stains of our sins, but He looks at the perfect righteousness of His Son. And He will accept our services as pleasing and acceptable in His sight. What a blessing to have Jesus Christ as our great and superior high priest. Let us pray.

Our Father in heaven, we give Thee thanks for enabling us to study through the Book of Exodus, whereby we have come to Exodus chapter 39, which is about the holy garments of Aaron.

In the past, we have considered what it meant in those items in his garments: the ephod, the breastplate, the robe itself, and also the headdress. Today we have considered this passage by considering the various scripture verses. And it all pertains to the similarities in that what Jesus does for us is similar to what the high priest did for Israel—like the way He carried our burdens on His shoulders and our needs close to His heart.

But Jesus is superior in all the similarities, and in every way He is vastly superior. He is our great and superior high priest, of which we have learned today because our Lord Jesus, He ministers in a superior place, and He ministers with superior righteousness. He ministers with superior sympathy. He ministers with superior duration, and ultimately He ministers with a superior sacrifice, in that He offered up Himself, and it was never to be repeated again.

Oh Lord, as we consider Jesus Christ, our great, superior high priest, we pray that we will respond, knowing that He who has become our Priest, it is for the purpose that we can become God's priests. Therefore, in the New Testament, we are called a holy and royal priesthood.

By that, we ought to be mindful of what it means: mindful of our actions, our speech, and our thoughts; mindful that we ought to intercede for others like the way a priest does, praying for them at all times; and also we ought to offer sacrifices on today—the sacrifices of our praises, of our bodies, as acceptable and holy in Thy sight.

And we pray that we will always be holy as Thou art holy. Help us to live such a life, for it is a spiritual, supernatural work that only the Spirit of God is able to wrought in our lives. And we pray that as believers we will truly live our lives as Thy priest, all to the glory of Thee. We pray all this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

[13:40] [14:07] Are you worthy to serve God? [16:55] The Scared Garment for Priest and Its Significance [21:04] Everyone needs a priest [23:28] I. Jesus Ministers In A Superior Place [26:13] II. Jesus Ministers With Superior Righteousness [27:41] III. Jesus Ministers With Superior Sympathy [30:58] Jesus knows and He cares for our infirmities [36:48] IV. Jesus Ministers With Superior Duration [39:50] Christ is able to save us to the uttermost [41:58] V. Jesus Ministers With Superior Sacrifice [47:42] We’re saved to be priest unto God [49:56] Our duty as God’s priests [53:59] Clothed with Christ’s righteousness [56:10] Closing prayer