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Introduction:

Today’s discussion will explore Christ as our High Priest, drawing from the Epistle to the Hebrews as well as other scriptural passages. We will reflect on how His priestly role is inseparable from His kingship and what that means for us as Orthodox Christians.

Before we begin our discussion, let’s take 120 seconds of silence. Use this time to still your mind, focus on Christ, and say the Jesus Prayer.

Take a few moments to read and meditate on this verse:

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. Hebrews 4:14

Part 1: The High Priest Who Offers Himself

For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. Hebrews 7:26-27

In the Old Testament, the high priest was the mediator between God and His people, offering sacrifices for the atonement of sins. These sacrifices, however, were temporary and had to be repeated year after year, reflecting the brokenness and imperfection of humanity. Christ, however, as the perfect High Priest, does not offer an external sacrifice—He offers Himself. He becomes the perfect Priest and the perfect Sacrifice, reconciling us once and for all to God the Father.

This mystery is most profoundly expressed in the Divine Liturgy, where the sacrifice of Christ is made present. The Eucharist is not merely a symbolic memorial; it is the living reality of Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice, which transcends time. As we participate in this offering, we enter into the very life of Christ. In this way, the call to repentance during Great Lent is a call to unite ourselves more deeply with Christ’s self-offering—acknowledging our need for His perfect sacrifice and responding with our own hearts and lives.

Questions for Discussion:

  1. How does Christ’s priesthood differ from that of the Old Testament high priests?
  2. What does it mean for us that Christ offers Himself instead of an external sacrifice?
  3. In what ways can we reflect Christ’s self-offering during Great Lent?

Part 2: The High Priest Who Intercedes for Us

Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25

Christ, our High Priest, not only offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice, but He also continues His priestly work by interceding for us before the Father. His intercession is not merely a past event—it is a living and eternal reality. Having ascended into the true Holy of Holies, He stands at the right hand of the Father, ever offering Himself on our behalf. Unlike the high priests of the Old Covenant, who entered the earthly sanctuary with the blood of animals, Christ has entered once for all into the heavenly sanctuary, offering His own Blood as the perfect and eternal sacrifice (Hebrews 9:11-12). In His boundless love, He bears our weaknesses, sanctifies our prayers, and unites us to God, drawing us ever deeper into communion with Him.

During this season of Great Lent, we are called to draw near to Christ, who stands before the Father on our behalf. This season of repentance is not merely a time of external discipline but a means of entering into Christ’s own life of self-offering. Through repentance, prayer, almsgiving, and fasting, we participate more fully in the life of the Church, where His saving work is made present to us. As we struggle against the passions and reorient our hearts toward God, we unite ourselves to Christ’s ongoing work. Lent is not just about what we give up but about what we offer—our hearts, our wills, and our very lives—joining in Christ’s eternal offering of love to the Father.

Questions for Discussion:

  1. What does it mean to approach Lent as a time of participating in Christ’s eternal offering to the Father, rather than simply a season of self-discipline?
  2. How can we deepen our reliance on Christ’s mercy and grace as we struggle with our passions during the Lenten season?
  3. How does Christ’s role as our High Priest, constantly interceding for us, deepen your understanding of repentance and prayer during Great Lent? How does this shape your personal approach to these spiritual practices in this season?

Part 3: A Royal Priesthood

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9

In Orthodox Christianity, the concept of a “royal priesthood” is deeply intertwined with our participation in Christ’s own life. As Christians, we are not mere spectators in the divine drama but active participants. By virtue of our baptism, we are called into the priestly work of Christ—not only to offer ourselves in the Eucharist but to offer our lives in every moment.

This royal priesthood is not about power or authority in the worldly sense but about service, sacrifice, and humility. Christ, our King and High Priest, reigns not by force but by self-emptying love. During Great Lent especially, this self-emptying love is most evident in our acts of repentance, fasting, and almsgiving. These acts are not just to “get by” in the Lenten season but to participate in the royal priesthood of Christ, who serves all with humility and grace.

We are called not just to “do good” during Lent, but to offer our whole lives on the altar of our hearts as spiritual sacrifices. Each act, no matter how small, can be an act of royal priesthood when it is done in the name of Christ and for His glory.

Questions for Discussion:

  1. What does it mean to be part of a “royal priesthood” during Great Lent?
  2. How can we offer spiritual sacrifices in our daily lives during the fast?
  3. In what areas of your life is Christ calling you to offer yourself more fully in service and humility?

Closing Prayer

Thou who at every season and every hour, in Heaven and on earth art worshipped and glorified, O Christ God; long-suffering, merciful and compassionate; Who lovest the just and showest mercy upon the sinner; Who callest all to salvation through the promise of blessings to come. O Lord, in this hour receive our supplications, and direct our lives according to Thy commandments.

Sanctify our souls. Purify our bodies. Correct our minds; cleanse our thoughts; and deliver us from all tribulations, evil, and distress. Surround us with Thy holy angels; that, guided and guarded by them, we may attain to the unity of the faith, and unto the knowledge of Thine unapproachable glory. For Thou art blessed unto ages of ages. Amen.

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