Daily Thoughts from Hebrews: Bless Me Jesus, for I Have Sinned (4:14-16)

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. (Hebrews 4:14-16, ESV)

What would it mean to you to have your own priest?  The author of Hebrews explains what a priest does in 5:1 as acting on behalf of men in relation to God and offering gifts and sacrifices for our sins.  But that is no longer necessary because of what Christ has done for us.  After making the supreme sacrifice that cleanses the sins of those who believe once and for all, Jesus passed through the heavens to the heavenly sanctuary to complete, so to speak, this offering to God.  Why would we go back to a system that is so inferior to this?  We should hold fast our confession.

But Jesus’ ministry as priest doesn’t end there.  He is still serving us as one who can sympathize with our weaknesses.  You have weaknesses don’t you?  I once had a couple in a Sunday school class who said they were leaving because everyone in the class had too many problems and they couldn’t identify with that.  But can you?  Jesus experienced temptation and testing of all kinds but did not sin.  So he experienced temptation to a degree we have never done since we gave in to temptation and never felt its full power.

We now have an open invitation to come to God’s throne for help.  And we don’t come hesitantly, or in a cowed posture feeling guilty for sin, or even in a reluctant way.  No, we come with confidence that mercy awaits us, and grace to help us deal with the sin in our lives awaits us.  Our time of need is God’s time of provision.  But we should come to Him.  Confessing sin or weakness in the face of temptation is the doorway to genuine growth and healing.  The more I open my life to God the more He comes in and rearranges the house.  Don’t you want God staging your home?

Too many people are missing the opportunity to spend time with their Creator and Savior and so to be transformed into His likeness.