JESUS, OUR GREAT HIGH PRIEST

Hebrews 4:14-5:10 / Keywords 4:14

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.

 

4:14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,[a] 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 empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

5:1 Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. 3 This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. 4 And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.

5 In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,

“You are my Son;

    today I have become your Father.”[b]

6 And he says in another place,

“You are a priest forever,

    in the order of Melchizedek.”[c]

7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Footnotes

a. Hebrews 4:14 Greek has gone through the heavens

b. Hebrews 5:5 Psalm 2:7

c. Hebrews 5:6 Psalm 110:4

1. Jesus is the Son of God. He is also our great high priest. Our high priest knows how weak we are. He knows how we suffer because of our struggle with sin because he, too, was tempted in every way just as we are. The difference is that he defeated the power of sin. He gives us the confidence to approach God's throne. Because of his death for us, we have confidence in God’s mercy and grace given to us. This is the faith we profess: Jesus is our great high priest who meets all our needs.

 

2. Beginning with Aaron, the Israelites had a history of priests. They were mediators between sinful man and the holy God. Those priests had to offer sacrifices for themselves as well as for the people. On the other hand, Jesus is the sinless Son of God. He was appointed by God to be a priest, not in the line of Aaron, but as a spiritual descendant of Melchizedek (Ge 14:18). He appeared as a man, suffered, and submitted to death on a cross. Such obedience was his priestly service to God. So, God designated him to be our great high priest. He became our source of eternal salvation.

 

Prayer Lord, thank you for giving your Son to be our great high priest. Bless me to hold firmly to him as my source of salvation.

One Word We have a great high priest