Jesus, the Liturgist

Hebrews 8:1–6 and the direction of Christian worship

Hebrews 8 turns on a single, decisive word.

When the author says that we have a high priest who is “a minister in the holy places,” the word translated minister is leitourgos. This is not generic language for a service or activity; it is worship language drawn from the world of priesthood and public service.

In Scripture, leitourgos refers to one who officiates worship on behalf of others, a priestly servant who acts publicly in the presence of God for the sake of the people. It is important to understand that the author of Hebrews is not speaking metaphorically; he is making a theological claim about what Jesus Christ is doing right now. He is the officiant of New Covenant worship.

He is not waiting for the church to initiate worship, nor is He responding to our energy or creativity. He is actively ministering as our High Priest in the true sanctuary.

Worship Anchored in Christ’s Ministry

This means that worship is held by Christ rather than generated by the church. Hebrews does not frame worship as something we perform or construct, nor does it say that we minister to God, conduct worship, or bring something upward through our effort. Instead, it grounds worship in the present and ongoing ministry of Christ.

“We have such a high priest” is a present-tense confession, anchoring worship in what Christ is doing rather than in what the congregation feels or expresses. Worship exists because Christ lives, reigns, and serves as our priest.

Once this is grasped, the idea that worship is primarily expressive or experiential collapses. Worship is not measured by emotional intensity but by whether Christ is speaking and acting through His appointed means.

If Christ is the leitourgos, then worship is necessarily governed by His command rather than by our preference. You cannot confess Jesus as the officiant of worship and then treat worship as something the church is free to arrange however it likes.

A liturgist determines the time, the means, and the order of the service, which is why the church gathers on the Lord’s Day. It is not merely a matter of convenience or tradition, but a confession of lordship. The risen Christ summons His people on His day, and the very act of gathering declares that worship belongs to Him. Before a word is spoken, the gathering itself bears witness that Jesus reigns and calls His church to assemble.

From Heaven to Earth

If Christ is the Liturgist, then He also speaks first.

He calls the assembly to order and addresses them, and scripture consistently portrays Christ doing exactly this in worship. He summons His people, speaks His Word, declares peace, absolves sinners, feeds His flock, and pronounces blessing.

This pattern is not a theory imposed on worship from history or tradition; it is the natural shape of worship when Christ leads it. God speaks and acts first, and His people respond, and to reverse this order is to effectively worship as the pagans do.

Hebrews is equally clear that the direction of worship is from heaven to earth before it is ever from earth to heaven.

Christ is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high, and from that position He ministers to His people. We do not ascend to Him in order to make worship effective, rather He ministers to us by grace. Christ speaks before we respond, gives before we offer, and acts before we confess.

Thanks be to God, that grace is never reactive; it is always initiative, and so it is with worship as well.

Worship Received

This is why worship is fundamentally received rather than produced. If Christ is the Liturgist, then the congregation is not the performer, but is simply the responding participant.

We are hearers, receivers, responders, and beneficiaries of His priestly work. This is why Christian worship is shaped by Word, promise, sacrament, and blessing.

This can be said plainly from the pulpit without apology. The book of Hebrews teaches that Jesus Himself is the leitourgos, the minister of worship.

Worship therefore does not begin with us, depend on us, or succeed because of us. It begins with Christ, is governed by His Word, and is carried out by His ministry. We gather on His day, at His command, to receive from Him what He alone can give. Our worship then is not our work for God but primarily Christ’s work for us.