Hebrews 4:14- 5:9
"Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need… For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people…During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.”We must “hold fast our confession” since Jesus is our “great high priest.” We can do this more easily than we think because our high priest is able to “sympathize with our weaknesses” and was “tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Our high priest is unique from others- he has “passed through the heavens” and is “the Son of God.” So knowing this, we have an amazing privilege of being able to “draw near to the throne of grace” for “mercy and grace in time of need” (and the sovereign God knows exactly when that time is).
The purpose of earthly high priests is to “act on behalf of men in relation to God” and “offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.” The high priest is beneficial to God’s people because “he can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward”, because he himself is ignorant and wayward (he can relate to them). This position is an “honor” only given “by God”. In the same way, “Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed [by God].”
This was Jesus’ great high priestly duty: On the cross he “offered up prayers and supplications” and interceded for us by screaming to God in pain, and like a high priest was “heard because of his reverence.” And as we are, through his suffering was brought to perfection/ completion/ his full purpose, which was being “the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.”
This was his high priestly duty and purpose.
~It cannot be overstated; Jesus is our bridge to God. We come to God only in Jesus’ name and on the basis of his works. In doing so, we are able to have intimate companionship, as he is able to perfectly relate to our circumstances, yet at the same time he controls and has planned them. All thoughts of God, and prayers to God, must travel along the bridge. Thoughts of God will not be accurate unless they take this specific route. Prayers to God will be lost in empty black space unless they travel this exclusive passageway. Any thought of the Father must include the Son. Without the Son, we cannot relate to the Father. Simply ignoring or forgetting about the Son when thinking of or praying to the Father is utterly futile. The Father, in all his glory, cannot in the slightest bit be seen or understood by man apart from the Son, who is “the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature” -1:3). The “Great High Priest Bridge”, built on the support and trusses of the Father’s grace and love, accommodates both north and southbound traffic. For it is just as unlikely for the Father’s kind thoughts to successfully complete the journey to us, as it is for our thoughts to land in his presence, apart from the Great High Priest. Without the lamps of mercy that light the path’s edges, reflecting off the bridge and illuminating our faces perfectly in the Father’s view, we are but vile and grotesque to him. Let us pray that our Father would grant us grace to restore his Son, our Great High Priest, to his proper place in our thoughts.
