Hebrews 7:23-28 – Christ is our High
Priest who can sympathize with us.
Why would God appoint Jesus as the eternal high
priest? Jesus did not function as a high priest on earth, but was appointed high
priest for the sanctuary in heaven. Why is there a need of a high priest in
heaven? For one thing, the high priest, because of his identification with
humanity can understand and sympathize with the people’s plight. As a priest,
Christ can understand the needs of people. Moreover, the priest is needed to
intercede with the Father for no one
comes to the Father except by Jesus (see John 16:6). Above all, the high
priest makes the one perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world.[2]
We do not have a God
who was too proud to know His people. Or, a God content to rule from a great
distance. Or, a God whose majesty was too awesome for us to behold. We have
just the opposite. Jesus, who experienced the very same humanity, the very same
problems, and the very same challenges that we do.
No, you do not walk this road alone. Jesus is the God
who came down from heaven. He was that man. “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted
with grief. Surely he has borne our
griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God,
and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for
our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with
his wounds we are healed. –Isaiah 53:3-5
Show your scars to Jesus and He will show you His. He
will take your scarred heart in his scarred hands and love you, and love you,
and love you still more; until all that matters is not the scar upon your
heart, but the scar embedded in His hand. As your eternal high priest Jesus is
able to not only sympathize but to offer clemency for your offenses.
[1] The Christ, copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things
[2] Lectionary Preaching Workbook Series B, John Brokhoff © 1981 CSS Publishing, Lima, OH
[3] Collect for Innocence of life, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
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