of the Jews; what He besought was not indeed
fulfilled, because His reason which formed the petition did not
desire its fulfilment, but for our instruction, it was His will to
make known to us His natural will, and the movement of His
sensuality, which was His as man.

Reply Obj. 2: Our Lord did not pray for all those who crucified Him,
as neither did He for all those who would believe in Him; but for
those only who were predestinated to obtain eternal life through Him.

Wherefore the reply to the third objection is also manifest.

Reply Obj. 4: When He says: "I shall cry and Thou wilt not hear," we
must take this as referring to the desire of sensuality, which
shunned death. But He is heard as to the desire of His reason, as
stated above.
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QUESTION 22

OF THE PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST
(In Six Articles)

We have now to consider the Priesthood of Christ; and under this head
there are six points of inquiry:

(1) Whether it is fitting that Christ should be a priest?

(2) Of the victim offered by this priest;

(3) Of the effect of this priesthood;

(4) Whether the effect of His priesthood pertains to Himself, or only
to others?

(5) Of the eternal duration of His priesthood;

(6) Whether He should be called "a priest according to the order of
Melchisedech"?
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FIRST ARTICLE [III, Q. 22, Art. 1]

Whether It Is Fitting That Christ Should Be a Priest?

Objection 1: It would seem unfitting that Christ should be a priest.
For a priest is less than an angel; whence it is written (Zech. 3:1):
"The Lord showed me the high-priest standing before the angel of the
Lord." But Christ is greater than the angels, according to Heb. 1:4:
"Being made so much better than the angels, as He hath inherited a
more excellent name than they." Therefore it is unfitting that Christ
should be a priest.

Obj. 2: Further, things which were in the Old Testament were figures
of Christ, according to Col. 2:17: "Which are a shadow of things to
come, but the body is Christ's." But Christ was not descended from
the priests of the Old Law, for the Apostle says (Heb. 7:14): "It is
evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah, in which tribe Moses spoke
nothing concerning priests." Therefore it is not fitting that Christ
should be a priest.

Obj. 3: Further, in the Old Law, which is a figure of Christ, the
lawgivers and the priests were distinct: wherefore the Lord said
to Moses the lawgiver (Ex. 28