Jesus: Better than Esther

"14For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 2: 14)

Mordecai exhorted (pressured!) Queen Esther to go before the Persian King Ahasuerus and plead on behalf of her people. If she chose not to, then someone else would step up and do it, but her household would be destroyed.

Esther is a type of Christ, yet we must remember -- only a type.

First of all, Jesus was the only one who could go in for us, for our sins:

"And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt." (Mark 14: 36)

There was no else, and the writer of Hebrews explains why:

"For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins." (Hebrews 10: 4)

and then

"12But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 14For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. " (Hebrews 10: 12-14)

John magnifies the perfection of Jesus' blood on our behalf:

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1: 7)

Now, Jesus had a choice. He did not have to die for us, but He did!:

"5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. " (Philippians 2: 5-8)

Because Jesus died for us, then rose again from the dead for us, He now ministers on our behalf:

"Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." (Romans 8: 34)

While Esther fasted for three days, and asked her Jewish people to do the same, and she even feared that she would perish when she stood before King Ahasuerus, we have the Perfect Man as our representative at the right hand of God the Father:

"15For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:15-16)

We have a better standing before God our Father than Esther did before her king on the earth. We have this standing because Jesus, our only sacrifice, was willing to become sin, that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5: 21)