JESUS OUR HIGH PRIEST AND OUR LIVES AS HIS TEMPLE
Back in the Old Testament days, only the high priest could step into the Holy of Holies. He carried the blood of sacrifice and went in trembling, because he was standing in the very presence of God. Everything he did—every sprinkle of blood, every prayer, every bit of incense—had meaning. It all pointed ahead to something greater.
That “something greater” is Jesus.
He’s not just another priest. He’s the High Priest—the One every priest was only a shadow of. When He gave His life on the cross, the veil in the temple tore from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51). That was God’s way of saying, “You can come close now.” Jesus didn’t walk into an earthly temple made by men. He entered into heaven itself, bringing His own blood—not the blood of animals—as the final and perfect offering (Hebrews 9:11–12).
Now, the temple isn’t a building anymore. It’s us. “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that His Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16).
That means church isn’t just a Sunday event. It is a living reality, carried inside every believer. Wherever you go, the presence of God goes too.
We Are Priests Now, Too
Because Jesus is our High Priest, we’ve been made priests under Him. Peter said we’re “a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). So what does that look like?
It means our whole life becomes an offering. Paul wrote in Romans 12:1, “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.” That’s not about dying on an altar, it’s about living each day for Him. It’s about giving our time, our love, our service, our obedience, not out of guilt, but out of gratitude.
Our prayers rise like incense before Him (Revelation 5:8). Our words of praise are called “the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name” (Hebrews 13:15). Even our giving is seen by God as “a fragrant offering, acceptable and pleasing to Him” (Philippians 4:18).
Every act of kindness, every bit of faithfulness, every choice to love instead of complain—all of it is worship.
Everyday Altars
You don’t have to wear a robe or light candles to serve God. The kitchen sink, the office desk, the steering wheel, the classroom—all of these can become altars when you do what you do for the Lord.
When you forgive someone who hurt you, you’re offering a sacrifice of mercy. When you help someone in need, you’re presenting an offering of love. When you stay faithful in the small things, you’re burning incense before His throne. And when you praise Him in the middle of pain, that’s one of the sweetest sacrifices of all.
Paul said, “Whatever you do, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17). Every moment, every task, every word can carry His fragrance. That’s how the world catches the scent of heaven, through lives quietly burning with His love.
The Temple Still Stands
We don’t have to bring lambs or doves anymore. The perfect Lamb has already been offered. Now, the Lord wants something far more personal: us. Our hearts, our days, our decisions.
Jesus didn’t just die to save us from something. He died to make us into something—a living, breathing temple where His presence can dwell. Our High Priest lives forever, praying for us, leading us, and teaching us how to serve in the holy place of everyday life (Hebrews 7:25).
So let’s keep the fire burning. Let’s live like priests who know the presence of God is near. Let’s treat our words, our work, and our worship as sacred things. Because we’re not just in the temple anymore. By His mercy, we are the temple.
Bryan Dewayne Dunaway
