Jesus Our High Priest

Hebrews 4:14-16

Many challenging jobs exist on the job market today. Anyone can describe, even exaggerate, the difficulties of the work they do. Serving as a representative is one field of work with a unique difficulty. I am not just talking about a politician who represents a city, county, or state, though that is certainly included. I am referring to any job that involves speaking and acting on the behalf of one or more people. Ambassadors, representatives, senators, and other politicians do this kind of work. But other jobs also have this responsibility. A lawyer, for instance, speaks on the behalf of her client in order to represent them in a court of law. The lawyer knows the legal code, the decorum of a court, how to formulate a case, along with other important skills that benefit the client.

Another line of work that involves representing a client is real estate. If you are in the real estate business, you know what it means to speak and act for the benefit of an individual or a family that wants to own, rent, or sell property. I have not had the privilege of working with a real estate agent myself. In 2012, when my parents were looking to buy their first home, I know they appreciated the legwork that their agent did for them. They did not know all the paperwork that goes into buying a home. Our agent had multiple meetings, phone calls, text messages, and emails with our family to ensure that we got the home we wanted. He managed the paperwork side of things so my parents could focus on finding the right fit for our family.

A real estate agent has many responsibilities like this, but his main role is to represent either a buyer or seller to another party. Consider his role in representing a buyer. Typically, the buyer does not have the credentials to manage the real estate process or file the proper documents. He does not have the reputation and experience of dealing with sellers, knowing what to look for in a home, or how to negotiate the price. If you have ever consulted an agent for buying or selling your home, or renting an apartment, then you know what a helpful asset they are. You know the confidence they give you as their client to trust in their skills and expertise.

Whether you have the experience of working with a real estate agent, or you anticipate when that time will come, it is not difficult to imagine the peace and confidence you have in that kind of relationship. In Scripture, we read about the difficult relationship between God and people. Because of our sin, this bond is hopelessly severed; we cannot come to God on our own merits or efforts. In his mercy, God made it possible for that relationship to be restored by sending his Son, Jesus Christ, to die on a cross. By doing this, Jesus acted as our representative; he stood in our place before the Father so that we stand confidently in the righteousness of Christ instead of the guilt of our sin.

The Bible has many ways to describe this role that Christ filled. One of them identifies Jesus as our High Priest. This term seems like religious jargon to most people. The average person who hears this term might think of an important religious figure in a church or monastery. If you asked an Orthodox Jew who is familiar with the OT, they could probably tell you what the high priest did in the Jewish religion under the Law of Moses. Otherwise, this term and its meaning are foreign to us. However, to an audience of Jewish Christians in the first century, a high priest is the best picture you could use to explain what Christ has done for his followers.

In the book of Hebrews, the writer (who is left anonymous) uses OT imagery and language to do just this. Throughout the book, the writer calls Jesus the High Priest for NT believers (Heb 2:17; 3:1; 5:1-5; 7:26; 8:1; 9:25). Like a real estate agent, a high priest was a line of work that involved representing one party to another. Only, a high priest did not represent buyers and sellers. Instead, he represented a group of people to the Lord; he stood as a mediator between sinful people and a holy God. This was especially evident on the Jewish Day of Atonement, one day of the year when Israel's sins as a nation were atoned for. The high priest was the only one allowed into God's presence, and only on the Day of Atonement, in order to obtain God's ritual covering for sin (Lev 16:1-25). Like a real estate agent, a high priest also needed the right qualifications to do his job. He had to descend from Aaron's priestly line (Ex 29:29-30; Lev 16:32) and observe a holy life to a greater degree than other Israelites (Lev 10:6, 9; 21:10-15). 

As our High Priest, Jesus gives us confidence in hard times.

Central Thought

While many descendants of Aaron filled this critical role in Israel's history, none of them could do it perfectly. Aaron himself led the nation in idol worship (Ex 32:1-6). In contrast to the failure in Aaron's line, Jesus is our "great High Priest." He perfectly represents us before God the Father. Like having a good real estate agent, when you are well represented by Jesus Christ, you can have great confidence in your Christian life. This is what we will explore in Hebrews 4:14-16. As our High Priest, Jesus gives us confidence in hard times. As we will see in our study, he is our representative of grace and mercy; he stands in our place with sympathy and compassion for our needs and weaknesses. In times of uncertainty, suffering, and fear, the position that Jesus holds as our High Priest should lift our hearts and inspire confidence in our daily walk.  

Jesus Gives Us Resolve in Our Faith

Little is known of the author, date, and audience of Hebrews. Whomever the writer was speaking to, he believed they were familiar enough with OT Scriptures and practices under the Mosaic Law; this probably indicates that his audience was largely Jewish. Though we do not have other specifics about the book, we can know something of the purpose and circumstances behind it. We see evidence that the writer knew his audience well; he had a deep, personal connection with them (Heb 10:34; 13:18-19). His chief concerns for them were twofold. He noted the outside pressure that they faced with growing persecution (Heb 10:32-33; 12:4). His greater fear, however, was that these believers would turn away from God, whether by passive neglect of their faith (2:1-3; 12:12) or active abandonment and rebellion (3:12; 10:26). 

The answer to these outward and inward pressures lay in upholding Christ as supreme. He far surpasses anything else we can trust in or hold on to.  The writer makes this point in verse 14. Jesus is our "great high priest." Adding the word "great" to this title is not accidental. The writer wants to communicate that Jesus is superior to any high priests who came before him. 

This includes Aaron, the first high priest of Israel. This also includes Melchizedek, the high priest of Salem we read about in Genesis 14:18-24. This mysterious figure from Genesis does not have a priestly lineage that follows him, from what we see in Scripture. But the writer of Hebrews, taking his cue from Psalm 110:4, presents Melchizedek as the head of an eternal priesthood. Jesus Christ, our great high priest, is superior to Melchizedek, Aaron, or anyone else who can rightfully claim the title of high priest. He is the best representative we have before the Father.

As far as Paul is concerned, he is the only mediator (1 Tim 2:5). Without Jesus, you and I would stand before God on our own reputation. God sees sin in the heart of every man, woman, and child. Even our good works are like filthy rags to him (Isa 64:6). But when we receive salvation, we get God's Son as our representative. In what ways does Jesus represent us before the Father? The writer of Hebrews tells us throughout the book.

• Heb 2:17 - Jesus is our merciful and faithful high priest who makes propitiation (appeasement) for the sins of the people before God
• Heb 3:1 - Jesus is the high priest of our confession of faith
• Heb 5:1-5 - Like Aaron, Jesus received his high priesthood from God. Unlike Aaron, Jesus did not offer a sacrifice for his own sins
• Heb 6:20 - Jesus' high priesthood is eternal because it is in the same vein as Melchizedek
• Heb 7:26 - Jesus maintains his position as a holy, undefiled high priest
• Heb 8:1 - Jesus is the high priest who sits at God's right hand (not stands)
• Heb 9:11 - Jesus is the high priest of a better tabernacle
• Heb 9:25 - Jesus only had to offer himself once, not annually as the high priest offered a sacrifice on the Day of Atonement.

It is important that we understand all the roles and responsibilities that Christ fills as our high priest. Without the book of Hebrews, we would not know that we need a high priest. The writer makes the case that we do. He shows us that without Christ, we have no representative or mediator before God. We could not approach him on our own. But he has made himself available and accessible to us through the person of Christ. Like a real estate agent who gives you access to the right information and documentation you need for buying or selling a home, Jesus Christ gives us access to the all the privileges and blessings of being God's children. 

By dying on the cross and rising from the dead, Jesus provided the access to God we would not otherwise have. But one more thing was required in order to secure this access: he had to obtain the proper spiritual authority to be our representative. He did this by passing "through the heavens." This references the ascension of Christ. We do not give this event the credit that it is due. Christ's return to the Father was more than just a goodbye. It sealed his position at the Father's right hand, the seat of all spiritual authority.

Jesus indicated this to his disciples before he left (Matt 28:18). His authority over heaven and earth should inspire the disciples to go out into the world and make disciples of all nations. The writer of Hebrews picks up on this same truth. He mentions repeatedly that Jesus sits in heaven as our high priest; he does not stand (1:3; 8:1; 12:2). The high priests of Israel never ceased to stand as they administered sacrifices and other priestly duties in God's presence. But Jesus only had to offer one sacrifice, his own life, before he ascended to the Father's presence. Now he is seated at God's right hand (Heb 10:11-12).

The writer of Hebrews goes on to identify this great high priest who has passed through the heavens, the one who is seated right now before God's throne. He is Jesus the Son of God. The same man who walked on earth for 33 years, who shared in our human experience and weakness, sits in the highest position of spiritual authority. He can sit there because he is the Son of God, a title that identifies him with God. It does not mean Jesus is connected to God by birth or genetics. It means he is like God in every possible way. Just as a child is every bit as human as his dad, so Jesus is every bit as God as his Father. The one who acts as our only representative to God, who is seated on his right hand, is the God-man, Jesus Christ. As both God and man, he can stand in for us like no one else can.  

Knowing all of this about Jesus, our great high priest, the writer of Hebrews gives us one simple command - "let us hold fast our confession." Similar exhortations come up multiple times throughout the book (Heb 3:6, 14; 10:23). The idea of "hold fast" is to "hold on to firmly." Picture riding in a subway car (many of us do this to go to work). Like usual, the car is full and all the seats are taken, so you have no choice but to stand up. The train is going along and you are waiting for the next station, when all of a sudden the train comes to a halting stop. Like everyone else, you feel a sudden jerking motion in your body. What is your first response if you are standing up? You hold on tightly to the nearest pole. That is what it means to "hold fast." 

What should we hold on tightly to? The writer says, "our confession." This word appears on two other occasions in the book (Heb 3:1; 10:23). It refers to a believer's profession of faith, the whole body of truth that we embrace when we trust in Christ. It is more than just the gospel. It is everything we learn from the person and work of Christ. According to the writer, we must hold on firmly to these truths. This is the only logical conclusion to the work of Christ as our mediator before God. If we believe everything Scripture tells us about him - especially his role as our high priest - then we hold on to the faith we have him. 

Why is it so important that we have a firm grasp on what we believe? Remember to whom the writer of Hebrews is speaking: Jewish converts to Christianity. The Jews under the Roman Empire received special treatment. They were allowed to maintain their homeland (under Roman control) and their religion. What Rome did not tolerate was the wave of Jews turning from their religion to follow Jesus. Many Jewish Christians lost their homes, jobs, livelihoods, families, and even their lives. The writer implores these Christians that because they have Jesus as their high priest, they have no reason to abandon their faith in him. 

The same is true for us. Jesus the Son of God is our only representative in heaven. Why would we abandon him for anything else? Let us hang on to him for we have no other hope, no other way to stand before God with any confidence. Jesus as high priest gives us confidence that we have someone speaking on our behalf. He gives us the confidence to hang on to our faith, no matter how much it is tested in this life. The current pandemic has tested us and changed our lives in countless ways. Let's not allow the fallout from COVID to diminish our faith. Instead, let it increase our resolve to hold on tightly to Jesus.

Jesus Gives Us Sympathy in Our Temptations

Since Jesus sits in such a high seat of authority, we may be tempted to think that he could not fully understand what we face here on earth. It is not hard to imagine some Christians thinking he could not fully sympathize or have compassion for us. After all, he enjoys an exalted position at the Father's right hand. Why should he be concerned about me? How could he understand all the temptations I face in this life? Would he not sympathize if I loosened my grip on my faith?

These questions and doubts fail to accept a basic truth from this passage: Jesus is a sympathetic high priest who fully understands our temptations. The writer starts out verse 15 by telling us what we do not have - "a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses." In other words, Jesus can sympathize with our weaknesses. We know what it means to sympathize. It means you show compassion or console someone because you understand something difficult they experienced. The Greek word literally means "to be touched with the same feeling." You feel the same feelings of a friend or loved one because you have gone through the same challenge or difficulty. 

This is how Jesus responds to our human weaknesses. Leading up to this passage, the writer of Hebrews detailed the unbelief of the children of Israel in the wilderness. Their weakness was failing to obtain the Promised Land at first because they did not believe God could defeat their enemies. Like the Israelites, we too fail to trust God. Daily, we fight our human tendency to trust ourselves, to rebel against God through sinful choices. As we face that ongoing internal struggle, we might think that God could not possibly understand. How would he know what it feels like to battle sin day in and day out?

The writer of Hebrews answers that doubt by reminding us that our high priest sympathizes. Even though he has ascended into heaven and holds all spiritual authority, he still understands our earthly struggles to indulge temptation. He can because he experienced temptation himself. He was "in all points tempted like as we are." This phrase means he has been tempted in every respect like we are. While on earth, Jesus experienced the full range of enticements to sin. This does not imply that he was tempted to commit every possible kind of sin. It means he faced every "kind" of temptation, yet he maintained his sinlessness.

Many Christians struggle with the idea of Jesus being tempted by sin. Since he is God, how could he legitimately be tempted? Many of us know the account in the Gospels of Satan tempting Jesus. Was that real? Was Jesus genuinely tempted, or did he just pretend to be? Is he still tempted today? Scripture states clearly that God cannot be tempted with evil (James 1:13). The NT also testifies to the sinless reputation of Christ (John 8:29; 2 Cor 5:21; 1 Pet 2:22). Jesus, as the incarnation of God, never sinned, neither could he be tempted with sin. At the same time, both the Gospels and Hebrews affirm that he was genuinely tempted (Matt 4:1-11; Heb 4:15).

How do we reconcile these facts? It is helpful to view this in light of the two natures of Christ: human and divine. He is fully man and fully God. Those two natures, however, have different responses to sin. As a man, Jesus fully faced each temptation. This means every enticement to sin was genuinely a test of his obedience and submission to the Father. However, in each test, his divine nature made it impossible for him to give into temptation. What we can say then is that his temptations proved he was not able to sin, not that he could sin but chose not to. Those were real experiences of temptation, even though as God he could neither do wrong nor be tempted by evil.

What does this mean for us? It means we have a high priest who knows by experience what it is like to be tempted. At the same time, our high priest never gave into sin. All human high priests had to offer sacrifices for their own sins. Jesus never had to do that (Heb 5:1-5). As a high priest, he does not have to sin in order to understand us. Jesus did not have to make bad choices so he could sympathize with you. Rather, he can sympathize because he knows what it is to be tested. 

He not only can sympathize with our human weakness, but he also stands ready to aid us in the moment of testing to make the right choice. In these times, God wants us to know he is not distant or set apart from our experience. His Son came to this world so he could be a sympathetic high priest for us. Jesus can understand us because he was tempted. He also can help us because he was perfect. Whenever you face temptation this week - whether by the world, your flesh, or Satan himself - remember your high priest endured it too, but he was always victorious. He stands ready to give you confidence and victory over temptation as well. 

Jesus Gives Us Boldness in Our Prayers

The finished work of Jesus our high priest also gives us boldness in our prayer life. The writer of Hebrews often makes theological points, then ties them to the worship life of the believer (cf. Heb 10:11-22). His emphasis on Jesus as superior to the OT system should inform how we approach God. We find the same pattern in this passage as well. After focusing on Jesus as our mediator before God who inspires confidence in our faith, the writer points to prayer as a place where we can put our confidence into practice. He even says, "Let us therefore." After all we have learned about Jesus, here's how we should approach God in prayer.

Interestingly, no word for prayer is used in this verse. But the image of coming to God's throne and obtaining grace and mercy for our needs could only indicate prayer. The Greek word "come" means more than moving from one place to another. It is only used to talk about drawing near to God, to approach him in a worshipful setting. Normally you would expect approaching God sitting next to words like "humble, contrite, solemn, serious." Instead, the writer urges us to come boldly to the throne of grace. 

This attitude of worship reflects our new position in Christ. As our high priest, he sits at the Father's right hand. He is seated there at the throne of grace, the heavenly repository of all God's richest blessings and favor. When you come to him in prayer, you have open-door privileges. You approach him as someone he already represents. You are not a stranger to him, but one of his children. 

This reminds me of opportunities my siblings and I had growing up to spend time with our dad at work. He managed a small Christian bookstore many years ago. As the manager, he would sometimes bring us to work while he did inventory, payroll, or other important tasks. We got to run around in the basement, his office, or all over the store if we wanted. My dad bought new Bibles for us from that bookstore, and I remember watching him engrave our names on them in his office (I still have that Bible). As his own kids, he gave us full open-door privileges. We had access to the store like no one else. That is how we may approach the throne of grace, with the confidence that we belong there because our high priest wants us there. 

Not only do we belong at his throne, but we can find exactly what we need from him when we need it. At his throne, we can "obtain mercy and find grace." These blessings God makes available to us through Christ. Most importantly, he makes them available at the "time of need." The writer is probably referencing moments of weakness in our lives, the same weaknesses Christ is aware of and sympathizes with. But these are not our only times of need. We require the Lord's help in many other ways - healing a sickness, meeting a material need, orchestrating the right circumstances together, or navigating a difficult situation. In all these opportunities and more, Christ stands ready to lavish you with mercy and grace at the moment you need them.

All of us have different challenges coming up this week. They could be as minor as going back to work Monday morning, or as major as dealing with the fallout from COVID. In these scenarios, have you sought out the Lord's mercy and grace in prayer? You might think some challenges are so insignificant to God they do not merit the five minutes required to pray about them. But this passage reminds you of your high priest, Jesus Christ. 

He sits at the highest place of spiritual authority for your benefit. In that position, he feels the weight and pressure that you feel of dealing with your sinful tendencies every day. But he is prepared to give you victory and extend to you the bounty of his undeserved favor whenever you need it. Jesus, your high priest, offers you his grace and mercy this week. Will you take advantage of the open-door privileges you have at the throne of grace?  

A good ad campaign knows how to market a company so that you know their stated goal and purpose immediately. We are all familiar with company slogans that are catchy and memorable. One that I have seen a lot of recently is State Farm. They are an insurance company that specializes in auto and home insurance, though they cover other things as well. Their motto that comes up in every commercial I have seen goes like this: "Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there." (State Farm did not pay me to put a plug in for them). 

I would like to slightly adjust that motto for the believer: "Like a good High Priest, Jesus is there." It's a little silly, I know, but it gets the point across. As our high priest, Jesus represents us before the Father. Like a good real estate agent, he has the credentials, knowledge, and expertise to speak and act on our behalf. When you feel the pressure of a world that wants to suck the life out of your faith, he is there to give you resolve to hold on to him. When you are assaulted by a constant barrage of temptation, he is there to sympathize with your pain because he has been there too. When you lack an important need in your life, he is there to offer his mercy and grace. Like a good high priest, Jesus is there to give you confidence to face the challenges of your Christian life. May our great high priest inspire us to go boldly to his throne this week so we may obtain the mercy and grace we need in our daily lives.