The role of the priest was to connect mankind to God, but no matter how faithful or diligent, the chasm between a holy God and sinful humanity could never be fully bridged. With the birth of Jesus, however, the long-awaited Messiah had come—not merely as a teacher or prophet, but as the divine High Priest who perfectly mediates between God and us. He is fully God, our intercessor, and the one who restores our relationship with the Father.