The Crucified Messiah

A key point in the opening paragraph of the  Letter to Hebrews  is the accomplishment of the Son on behalf of his people, and his exalted position at the “ right hand ” of God as their High Priest “ forever after the order of Melchizedek .” He alone secured what none of his predecessors did or could do. Through his sacrificial death, he “ achieved the purification of sins ,” and afterward, he “ sat down ” in the “ true and greater Tabernacle ” in God’s very presence where now he intercedes for his church.

The literary unit in chapters 1 and 2 of the Gospel of Mark includes five stories that highlight the authority of Jesus as the “ Son of Man ,” and shows the growing conflicts between him and the religious authorities from Jerusalem, especially over issues of ritual purity and Sabbath regulations. There are parallels between the present story and the preceding one about the cleansing of the leper.