Your Great High Priest

Hebrews 4:14-15 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. 15 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.
 
WHAT does it mean to you that Jesus is your great high priest who has gone through the heavens? Do you express a constant gratitude that he has come from heaven to live as you do? Are you in awe he has returned to heaven to be your High Priest to care for you now? Your High Priest is not someone separated from your daily life. He is One intimately involved in each thing you say and do. He understands your troubles, your sufferings, your mourning and your fears. Jesus know about your response to temptation. He understands how difficult it is to resist the devil when you may be weak physically or spiritually.
   Jesus also knows how to say, “No.” to Satan. He knows the power of the Word to strengthen, comfort and keep you. Your great High Priest is not like the Jewish high priest who could access the holy of holies only once a year to atone for Israel’s sins. Jesus is the Priest, who is in heaven’s holy presence. He and the Holy Spirit continually intercede for you. Your High Priest opens the way for you to 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 4:16) What an extraordinary blessing this is!
   How effective will our prayers be when we understand this Priestly passion Jesus has for us. In response, we can hold firmly to our faith. By God’s grace, each Christian has the privilege to be in touch with God.
   The Hebrews writer than continues to praise the benefits of Jesus as your High Priest: Hebrews 5:1-5 Every high priest is a man chosen to represent other people in their dealings with God. He presents their gifts to God and offers sacrifices for their sins. 2 And he is able to deal gently with ignorant and wayward people because he himself is subject to the same weaknesses. 3 That is why he must offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as theirs. 4 And no one can become a high priest simply because he wants such an honor. He must be called by God for this work, just as Aaron was. 5 That is why Christ did not honor himself by assuming he could become High Priest. No, he was chosen by God, who said to him, “You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.” (from Psalm 2:7)
   The Father appointed the Son to be above the human priests into the heavenly priestly office. The Son obeyed with humility and sacrifice.
   In every aspect, Hebrews’ great proof of Jesus’ deity and his saving power is firmly written in Scripture. The writer tightly wraps God’s Word into a unified package to identify Jesus as Son, Savior, King and Priest. As one reader recently said, “When one asks, ‘Who is Jesus?’ we merely need to open the Book.”
   Hebrews is opening the Book of Life to his Jewish audience. He implores them to understand the power and wonder of their faith. Given from heaven, faith is a gift we must use each day to know the gospel’s glorious benefit: the Son of God has opened your pathway to heaven.