Our High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-5:10)

The old covenant appointed a priest to be above all other priests, who was to offer sacrifices for the nation. His sacrifices were never enduring because the high priest was a failed and sinful human, offering a non-human sacrifice. Jesus is a wholly other sort of high priest. The gospel is convincing, motivating, and freeing because of Jesus Christ. We have not placed our trust in an idea or a concept, but in a real person. The truth of the message is something we can count on. The person we trust is unique. Jesus is the Son of God, but He is also a human and knows our struggles. Yet, He has overcome them in a way that frees us from the burdens of sin, death, struggles, etc.

Just as we follow Jesus in His example of being baptized, we should follow His example of obeying God even if it means we will suffer and face difficulties. This is a stunning rejection of what many believers believe today. We interpret suffering and hardship as signs that we are on the wrong trajectory. We think danger and harm are signs that we have made bad decisions or have lost sight of where God wants us to be. In contrast, the writer of Hebrews points to Jesus’ example and says that Jesus was “made perfect,” that He was doing God’s will by walking through suffering, pain, and death.