‘Holy, Harmless, Undefiled….’

‘Holy, Harmless, Undefiled….’

For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.’

Hebrews 7:26

How can we describe the Character of Christ, Our High Priest?  Words fail to successfully summarize all that He is.  Writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the author of Hebrews piles descriptor upon descriptor to enable us to understand why Christ is the High Priest Who is ‘fitting for us.’  Our text describes Him as ‘holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners.’  This is the High Priest of whom we stand in need.  This is the High Priest Who was in the world, yet not of the world.  As the ‘One Mediator between God and Man,’ Christ was the only one who could fulfill all of the demands of the Law of God in precept and in penalty.  His success in accomplishing that satisfaction was absolutely dependent upon Him being, ‘holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners.’  Although He was ‘the friend of publicans and sinners,’ yet He did not defile Himself by sinning.  This elevates our understanding of the virtue and value of Christ.  It enables us to see the reason for us to make much of Christ.  It has ever been the message of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation.  In a different way and with a different spirit than Pilate of old, we say of Christ, ‘I find no fault in Him.’

Our Holy and Harmless Savior,
we rejoice at Your purity.
We praise You that You are Who we need most,
to bring us into a right relationship with our Holy God.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning