“For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer” (Hebrews 8:3).
One aspect of a priest’s role involved offering gifts and sacrifices to God. With this in mind, Hebrews 8:3 presents us with an intriguing question: “What gifts would Jesus have to offer as our priestly representative?” One commentator provides us with an informative answer to that question…
“According to Hebrews 8:2, Jesus serves the Father in the heavenly tabernacle; 8:3 teaches us that he offers to the Father ‘gifts and sacrifices.’ This language requires some understanding of the sacrifices in Leviticus. We can divide the sacrifices of Leviticus into three groups.
First, gifts include the whole burnt offering and the cereal offering. Second, sacrifices refer to the communion offering. These sacrifices were basically gifts offered to God, though they were based on the atoning death of the animal slaughtered. The sacrifices that focused specifically on atonement, however, were the sin and trespass offerings, which are grouped as the third kind of sacrifice. Hebrews 9–10 will show that Jesus opened the gate of heaven for his people by being our sin and trespass offering.
Here in Hebrews 8:3, however, the focus seems to be slightly different. Jesus, as a Priest in heaven, needs gifts and sacrifices to offer to the Father. We are those offerings. We are the living sacrifices. We are the whole burnt offerings, the cereal offerings, and the communion offerings that Jesus presents to the Father who accepts us.” (1)
We can associate this reference to a “living sacrifice” with the heartfelt exhortation of Romans 12:1: “…I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (NIV). As the Holy Spirit works internally within us to conform us to the image of Christ, we subsequently become better and more pleasing offerings to God through Christ
The author of Hebrews will expand upon this idea later in Hebrews chapter nine. However, this reference also previews the prophetic message that our author will present to us later in this chapter…
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (Hebrews 8:10).
(1) Sproul, R. C. (1994). Before the face of God: Book 4: A daily guide for living from Ephesians, Hebrews, and James (electronic ed.). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House; Ligonier Ministries.