All believers are called holy priests to offer spiritual and acceptable sacrifices to God through our Savior Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5-10, Isaiah 61:6, Revelation 1:7, 5:10). Our Lord was the High Priest chosen before the world was created and also the sacrificial Lamb of God to carry all the sins of the mankind. On Calvary that long awaited sacrifice was accomplished in crucifixion carried out by Jewish priests and Roman gentile leaders. This sacrifice is the only one that could take the sins of the world. This cannot be repeated, imitated, duplicated but can be remembered with or without Holy Communion. Let us be thankful to our Lord God whose great plan of salvation is eternal (Hebrews 10:14-18, 9:28)

All the sacrifices done through Jewish religion and other religions were simple shadows of Christ’s eternal final one and the only sacrifice truly acceptable to God. Anybody who accepts Christ’s sacrifice is justified and forgiven from his/her sins. At the right side of God the Father, our Lord is pleading and mediating for all of us until He comes again for the final judgment. We are saved by God’s grace through Christ’s suffering and death on cross. We receive and experience this wonderful salvation through the path of faith.

Let us remember always that we are the branches of the Divine Vine (our only High Priest) and thus we are His priests who are called to do daily sacrifices in our lives on earth. They are as follows:

1. Praising the Lord God always with our tongues and mouths

2. Always dedicated to do good work and help one another (Hebrews 13:15-16.)

3. Giving thanks to God is another sacrifice acceptable to God (Psalms 50:14,23)

4. Presenting ourselves as a sweet smelling sacrifice to our Creator and Savior (Romans 12:1-2)

5. A humble, contrite and repenting heart (Psalms 51:17)

6. Supporting the gospel work through our prayers and financial help. Good News need to be proclaimed to all mankind before the Lord comes.

Let us all do our priestly duties to praise and glorify the true living God. Amen