Hebrews 4:15-16 Our High Priest

This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

Observation:

Jesus, Son of God, is our high priest. Before we can embrace this role, we have to first understand the position of high priest. A high priest is someone who according to Hebrew order was in charge of tabernacle worship. They had to be direct descendent from the line of Aaron. A high priest usually served in that position for life and there was a special degree of holiness required for this position. This holiness meant that the high priest had to avoid defilement, like contact with the dead, which includes showing no sign of mourning, he also could not leave sanctuary precincts.  If the high priest sinned, he bought sin upon all of the Hebrew people. And only the high priest was able to enter the holy of holies on the day of atonement (Holman bible dictionary).

This high priest  position gradually became corrupted over the years and we desperately needed someone to intervene on our behalf. Jesus not only fulfills the role of high priest according to Hebrew custom, He makes a way for us to enter the Holy of Holies ourselves. It is through His atonement for our sin that we can come boldly before the throne of God. 

Application:

I've heard Jesus called high priest for years, but never really understood the meaning behind this label. There are so many facets to who Christ is, but this is one we just can't skip over. We have a Priest who is sinless, but became defiled so that I could be made clean. He was safe in heaven, in communion with the Father and Holy Spirit, but He became an outcast for me. 

I'm also in awe that the high priest is in charge of tabernacle worship. That means Jesus is in charge of our worship. I always surrender worship leading to Him, but it has an even deeper meaning knowing that it is His charge to begin with.

Prayer:

Thank You Lord for being my High Priest. Thank You for the atonement You made for me. Thank You for the mercy and grace that You give so freely. I love You.