Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus… ~ Hebrews 3:1

The word apostle means sent one, and as the apostle of our faith, Jesus is the sent one from God. He is the very face of God to us. In Jesus we have all that our faith needs to comprehend the character and nature of God. When we consider the actual ministry of the apostles whom Jesus discipled and ordained, along with the ministry of Paul, we find that the apostles were entrusted with laying the foundation for New Testament doctrine, worship, and practice.

Thus the apostleship of Jesus speaks to the truth that Christ is the founder of the faith, the One who laid the very foundation of our faith. This is echoed in Hebrews 12:2, where the writer of Hebrews encourages us to run our spiritual race with patience, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.

In the following verse (12:3), the writer says, For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. This is the same language he uses when speaking of Jesus as the apostle and High Priest: consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.

As apostle, Jesus is the author of our faith. As High Priest he is the finisher. As our Great High Priest Jesus abides in the presence of God to aid us, keep us, and daily cleanse us by his blood. He is our intercessor and representative, who lives forever to make intercession for us (7:25). Jesus’s is God’s guarantee to us that what he has began in us, he will bring to its completion.

Because of Jesus abiding in the presence of God as our representative, we have unrestricted access to the grace and mercy we need as we journey through life in the walk of faith. Jesus is the apostle (the founder), and High Priest (the finisher) of our faith!

May God grant us all a deeper understanding of what it means that Christ is indeed our Apostle and High Priest.