Priest and Sacrifice

The New Testament pictures Christ as both priest and sacrifice. As priest “he ever lives to intercede from us” (Hebrews 8:25). As sacrifice “his blood continues to cleanse us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). As we have ongoing need for removing the effects of failures in our friendship with God, Christ enables us to have ongoing access to God for maintaining that friendship.

Christ’s work is more than a one-time past event in history even as our salvation through him is more than a one-time event earlier in life. Initial change combines with continuing maintenance of that change. Such is the case because salvation is ongoing; it is restoring and restored friendship; it is reconciliation. Since “nobody’s perfect” before or after salvation, initial reconciliation calls for ongoing maintenance—just as in any other friendship.

Appropriately, then, we participate in two formal representations: baptism, which relates to Christ’s initial sacrifice, and communion which relates to his ongoing priestly role, the one-time and the recurrent. These emblems combine in representing that ongoing salvation process in worship and devotion.