Face to Face with God:
A Biblical Theology of
Christ as Priest
and Mediator
DETAILS: Series: Essential Studies in Biblical Theology Publisher: IVP Academic Publication Date: March 22, 2022 Format: Paperback Length: 138 pg. Read Date: April 17-24
A study of Jesus Christ’s high priestly ministry takes us on a journey through paths that have largely become overgrown through lack of travelers. At times our journey will require perseverance as we familiarize ourselves with new terrain. Ultimately, we shall be rewarded as new vistas will come into view as we orientate ourselves toward the throne of grace in the heavenly sanctuary. Most important of all, as we follow the ascended Christ to the right hand of the Father in heaven, we shall hopefully discover afresh the magnitude of God’s forgiveness and the generosity of his love as he invites us to share in a kingdom that can never be shaken.
What’s Face to Face with God About?
A/The* central theme of the Epistle to the Hebrews is the Priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Face to Face with God looks at the themes of priesthood—in general, and Christ’s specifically—in Hebrews and by examining the passages and teachings from the Old Testament that the Epistle is building on.
Amongst the themes Alexander explores are The Tabernacle (and Temple), Moses and Aaron’s relationship with God (prefiguring Christ’s), the role of the High Priest as Intercessor as well as in presenting the sacrifice, and the Priesthood of Melchizedek. He looks at the texts we get these ideas from as well as how the author of Hebrews deals with them as he develops his arguments, ending with a consideration of how believers are to live as a result of his priestly work—something that ought not to be ignored.
* Depending on who you ask.
So, what did I think about Face to Face with God?
This is an introductory survey, as are all the books in this series, so Alexander doesn’t dig too deeply into any of these ideas. But he does explore them with enough depth that the reader gets the complete picture.
This reads differently than the others in the series due to the way Alexander uses the book of Hebrews as his focal point and examines the texts and themes that the author of Hebrews cites in order to understand them. It’s not better or worse than the organization of the others, it’s simply a feeling of freshness that benefits the series.
I learned a lot, Alexander’s framing of the question of when Christ’s work as priest began was incredibly helpful. Not because of the answer (although that was great), but because of the thought process that went into the answer—reframing the way I thought of priesthood in general and Christ’s in particular. I had a similar reaction to his material involving Melchizedek. The other chapters had similarly helpful material, and I don’t want to take anything away from them, but those are the two that clicked the most with me.
This is a very helpful book, an interesting read, and a great example of what Biblical Theology can bring to the table.
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