Hebrews 4 - The High Priest

Hebrews 4:14-15 (HCSB), "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens -- Jesus the Son of God -- let us hold fast to the confession. For we do no have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin."

The same verses in The Message say, "Now that we know what we have -- Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God -- let's not let it slip through our finders. We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all -- all but sin."

Jesus came to earth as the sacrifice to pay the price of death required for our sins. He came knowing what he had to do and he did it without seeing immediate results for his actions. He was fully human and experienced the same temptations and weaknesses as are common to man. Yet he did not sin!!!!

In the Jewish culture, the role of high priest (among others) was to offer sacrifice for himself, the priesthood and all of the nation of Israel. He had both daily offerings to make as well as the annual offering on The Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur when he entered the Holy of Holies.

Hebrews 7:26-27 says of Jesus, "For this is the kind of high priest we need: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He doesn't need to offer sacrifices every day, as high priests do - first for their own sins, then for those of the people. He did this once for all when he offered Himself."

Take Refuge the Jesus is your High Priest. Blameless and able to stand before God on your behalf.