阅读经文 

大祭司的标准有哪些呢？他必须是从神的百姓中拣选的，而且是单单来自亚伦的宗族；他要能与那些不认识神或者完全迷失的人，温柔地说话。 

耶稣并不是来自封自己做大祭司，但祂满足了这个职任的要求。我们强调，祂是完全的人，并完全能体恤我们的软弱。祂也曾凡事受过试探，与我们一样，只是祂没有犯罪。（参来 4:15） 

上帝任命祂为大祭司，又因为祂是上帝的儿子，在亚伦出生之前，上帝宣告祂“按着麦基洗德的等次永远为祭司”。（参创 14:18-20）麦基洗德是在亚伦族谱之外至高神的祭司。 

在神子民历史的某些时刻，大祭司的职分是有人抢夺或者收买来的。耶稣并没有去抢这个职分，而是被神授予的。祂完全合格，并且祂也满足了神子民的需要。 

大祭司的职分并不能被收买，这职分在耶稣的身上得到成全，祂是完全的人，并且完全由神所授予。

What were the qualifications for becoming the high priest? The high priest was chosen from God’s people, from the descendants of Aaron (Exodus 40:12-15), and was able to “deal gently” with those who did not know God and were going astray. This person was also called by God rather than taking the honor on himself. 

Jesus did not come to appoint himself as the great high priest. But he met the qualifications of this role. As we have noted, he is fully human and can empathize with all our weaknesses. He understands all that we go through, even all our temptations, and yet he did not sin (Hebrews 4:15). 

So God appointed him as the great High Priest. And because Jesus is the Son of God, from before the time of Aaron, God declared him “a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek,” who served as a priest of God Most High (Genesis 14:18-20; Hebrews 7:1-3) outside the time Aaron. 

At some points in the history of God’s people, the high priest office was in the hands of families who took it on themselves or bought control of it. Jesus does not take this on himself but is appointed by God. He meets the qualifications, and he meets the needs of all of God’s people. 

The office of the great High Priest is not to be bought. It is filled by Jesus, God’s Son, who is fully human and appointed by God himself.