The Aaronic Covenant

The sermon by Jeffrey Johnson delves into the concept of priesthood, particularly contrasting the Old Testament Aaronic priesthood with the priesthood of Jesus Christ. Johnson begins by discussing the Aaronic priesthood, emphasizing its limitations and failures. He points out that the Aaronic priesthood was a covenant of works that only brought more judgment upon Israel. The priests had to bear the sins of the people and offer sacrifices, but these sacrifices were insufficient for true atonement.Johnson then transitions to the New Testament, focusing on Jesus Christ as the ultimate High Priest. Unlike the Aaronic priests, Jesus is a priest in the order of Melchizedek, not bound by lineage or the law. Jesus is both fully God and fully man, allowing Him to serve as the perfect mediator between God and humanity. His sacrifice on the cross was once and for all, unlike the repeated sacrifices required by the Aaronic priesthood.The sermon also explores the concept of the "veil," which Johnson interprets as the human body that separates us from the direct presence of God. Jesus had to die to go "behind the veil," entering heaven itself to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.Johnson concludes by emphasizing the transformative power of Jesus' priesthood for believers today. Through Christ, we are now a "kingdom of priests," able to approach God with confidence and offer "spiritual sacrifices" that are pleasing to Him because they are sanctified by Christ.Overall, the sermon underscores the insufficiency of human efforts to attain righteousness and the all-sufficiency of Christ as our High Priest, who not only makes atonement possible but also transforms us into a people who can serve God acceptably.