Hebrews 7:23-25 “Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.”

All things come to an end, or so we’ve been told. This can be a good thing when times are hard, but other times this truth is difficult to swallow. Special days we’ve waited for come and go so quickly leaving us with sweet memories and nostalgic feelings. Sadly, relationships also end.

Recently our family said goodbye to a faithful friend. Our German Shepherd, Cherokee, struggling with weak back legs, finally got to the point where she couldn’t function. The joy of life was over for her as there was nothing anybody could do to make her well again.

Her spot by the back door is now empty. There is no one to greet us when we arrive home, chase away the wildlife, or guard the newspaper every morning. We are sad, but all things come to an end.

In the Old Testament priests were an important part of the nation’s religious life. They functioned as mediators between God and men. They performed certain duties so the people could be in right standing with God. But there were a few problems with this system of worship.

The human priests had their own sin for which they needed to sacrifice first. Second, the sacrifices they offered weren’t sufficient to make the people completely righteous. Third, the position these men held as priests terminated when they died. As each priest passed away, a new priest needed to take his place.

This Old Testament sacrificial system of reconciliation with God has now also come to an end. God knew that it was weak and useless so He established a new and better way to become right with Him. This new system will never dissolve because it is based on the permanent priesthood of Jesus Christ.

God’s own Son who is holy, blameless, pure, and set apart from sinners, has no sin of His own and is fully capable of meeting all our needs. He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him because He always lives to intercede for us.

I suppose we should say that almost all things come to an end. We had to say goodbye to Cherokee, and someday we will find another pet to fill her spot. But thankfully for those who come to God through Jesus our relationship is forever secure. We can count on this because our Savior and perfect High Priest, Jesus Christ, lives forever to intercede on our behalf. His priesthood will never end.

Sandra Sheridan is a Midwest wife and mother of five. She shares her messages to her children with Farm World. Visit her at www.VersesFromMama.com