Our Great High Priest

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin.  Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” – Hebrews 4: 14-16

 

I don’t know how many times I’ve heard the second part of this verse quoted.  “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”  However when I was reading in Hebrews this week the context of that verse grabbed my attention.  We can approach the throne of grace with confidence, but in this verse the context is in our time of need.  That time of need is not when I ‘need’ a parking spot or when I ‘need’ a traffic light to change.  It’s not when I ‘need’ a certain object or ‘need’ a certain situation to change.  The need that this passage is referring to is when we are tempted and weak.  The author of Hebrews is telling us that when we are tempted we can approach the throne of grace with confidence.  We can do this because our great high priest, Jesus Christ, the person we are approaching, can sympathize with us because he’s been there.  Not only has he been there, but he has victoriously come through the situation.  How cool is that?!?! 

 

If I was taking a class and needed help I wouldn’t go to someone who hadn’t taken that class.  I wouldn’t go to someone who had taken it and flunked, I’d go to someone who had taken it and aced it.  In the same way, if I was suffering the loss of a loved one I wouldn’t go to a friend (no matter how great) who hadn’t been through the same situation.  They just wouldn’t understand or know how to comfort and help me.  I’d find a friend who had been through it because they’d be able to relate to what I was feeling and know how to comfort me. 

 

When I’m tempted and weak, I can have confidence in going to Christ because he’s been there and he can help me through.  He is the only one that’s been there and found victory every time.  He won’t judge me or say “Sorry, can’t help you with that one.”  He knows the path and will lead us through with mercy and grace.  That is so Awesome!!!  If that thought doesn’t get you excited and get your heart pumping you might need to go to the doctor, because something is wrong.  Praise God that we have a great high priest who can sympathize with us, who knows the path to victory, and who will give us mercy and lead us in grace.