JESUS OUR COMPASSIONATE HIGH PRIEST: LESSONS FROM HEBREWS 4:14-16
By Ezekiel Kimosop
THE PASSAGE
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
[Hebrews 4:14-16, NKJV]
PASSAGE ANALYSIS
The letter of Hebrews was primarily addressed to Jewish believers who were undergoing persecution for their Christian faith. Bible scholars say that some of these believers had considered returning to Judaism. Evidence from Scripture confirms that these Jewish believers had been steadfast in their faith and had served God with diligence (Hebrews 6:10-12). The writer of Hebrews observes that they had grown in their knowledge of Christ and at the time of their persecution, they were far beyond the elementary teachings of the Christian faith (Hebrews 6:1-8).
The Letter of Hebrews was therefore intended to encourage the Jewish believers to stand firm in their Christian faith and to maintain Christian communion (Hebrews 10:25).
Turning to our passage of context, we can observe that the writer sought to demonstrate that Jesus' High Priesthood was higher than the Levitical priesthood with which these believers were familiar.
This short passage concludes the writer's thoughts that he had earlier developed under his long exhortation on Christian perseverance right from Hebrews 1 and more specifically in Hebrews 4:1-13.
In this context, the writer focuses on the priesthood of Jesus Christ who is here proclaimed as the High Priest. The nature of Jesus' Priesthood is more specifically outlined in Hebrews 5, 7-10.
The writer implores his recipients to hold fast to the confession of their faith. Steven J Coleman identifies perseverance and prayer as the key features of Christian faithfulness outlined by the writer [1]. The writer then proceeds to offer a theological defense for his exhortation by proclaiming the deity of Christ and the uniqueness of His priesthood. Three adjectives are employed by the writer in projecting the supremacy and uniqueness of Jesus' Priesthood even as His divinity is affirmed.
First, Jesus is described as "a great High Priest" who passed through the heavens (4:14). His priesthood ranks higher and is superior to the Levitical priesthood order because He is a Divine High Priest, a heavenly priest that came from God.
Secondly, Jesus is identified as the Son of God (4:14). This is a statement that affirms His divinity as the second person of the Holy Trinity. It will later emerge in the writer's theological arguments that Jesus' eternal sonship is significant to the essence of His high priesthood.
Thirdly, Jesus is described as a compassionate High Priest (4:15). He identifies with our human frailty because during His incarnation, He was fully God and fully Man at the same time and was "in all points tempted as we are" yet was without sin" (4:15, cf. Matthew 4:1-11).
Jesus' compassion over our human weaknesses and His special high priesthood should inspire us [believers] to approach His throne of grace so that "we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (4:16). This is the throne where God's sovereignty is tampered with His mercy. It is distinct from thrones of earthly sovereigns where judgment and condemnation is served to the erring subjects.
The second distinction underlying Jesus' priesthood is associated with the nature of the sovereign in Jesus' case. Unlike us, Jesus was and is eternally without sin. He alone was born sinless and was worthy as the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
This is the reason that the four living creatures and the twenty four elders proclaimed in worship, saying of Christ:
"You are worthy to take the scroll,
And to open its seals;
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
10 And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:9-10).
Jesus alone could qualify as the sinless Lamb of God that could atone for sin. He was both the sacrifice and the High Priest under the New Covenant (Hebrews 7:27). Following His atoning death at Calvary, His resurrection from the dead, His ascension to the Father, we learn from this passage that Jesus' Priesthood over His church continues in Heaven.
Elsewhere in the New Testament Scripture, Paul testifies concerning Christ, saying: "For He [God the Father] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Christ alone holds the cure for our sinfulness through His shed blood. He is our refuge and the exclusive source of divine resolution in our quest for reconciliation with God. His blood was available to us at first instance during our conversion and restoration from sinful condemnation and alienation from God and subsequently as a means of sanctification and obedience in our daily Christian walk with Christ.
MORAL LESSONS
1. Jesus is our compassionate High Priest to whom we should turn for our cleansing from sin. He feels and empathizes with us in our struggles and is forbearing and long-suffering concerning us.
2. Jesus' victory over sin should inspire us to be courageous in our struggle with sinful temptations and afflictions. He will make a way for us so that by His enabling grace we too can overcome (1 Corinthians 10:13).
3. Jesus' Priesthood is eternal. No other high priest will come after Him.
4. We should not fear or shy away from regularly approaching God's throne of grace in time of need. We should do so with boldness and by faith knowing that Jesus, our High Priest is not only seated on that throne but is available to dispense His Priesthood to us at all times.
ACTION POINT
Are you struggling with sin? Turn to Jesus for your cleansing and full restoration. His sinless blood can completely remove the stain of sin and restore the sinner to God. Are you undergoing painful afflictions and trials in your life? Seek the throne of grace wherein God's mercy and divine grace can be found at the hour of need.
Do not be deceived by people who purport to exercise the high priesthood of Jesus. This type of priesthood is not delegated to any authority. No apostle, preacher, prophet or church minister has the authority to forgive or cleanse sin or to deliver anyone from their struggles of life. Jesus Christ alone can.
Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power?Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
What a Friend we Have in Jesus...All our sins and griefs to Bear? What a privilege to carry.. everything to God in prayer...
REFERENCES
[1] Stephen J Coleman, Lesson 14: The Throne of Grace, [Hebrews 4:14-16] in Bible.org - bible.org/seriespage/lesson -14-throne-grace-hebrews-414-16 accessed 20 March 2023.
© Ezekiel Kimosop 2023
