First Sunday in Lent (2024)

Hebrews 4:14-16

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we are in the season of Lent, and Christ our Lord goes forth into the wilderness to face Satan as He tempts him towards sin. In our lesson from Hebrews, one of the blessings from Christ descending from the heavenly realms and taking upon himself our flesh, that Jesus is able to sympathize with us in our weaknesses.

The Holiness of God

God’s Holiness is who He is.

So this isn’t just some abstract idea or lofty concept about something that God has, or something that is imagined, this is a key part of who God is, and His Holiness cannot be separated from him. This is important to understand the next couple of parts.

God’s Holiness is dangerous to sinners.

If a sinner were to come into contact with it they would die. That is part of the reason that the Old Testament, clean/unclean distinction exists. It was so people would know whether or not it was safe to come into the presence of the Lord or to partake of those things that had come in contact with his holiness.

His Holiness is also needed.

For His Holiness is also gives to mankind blessings. That we might receive forgiveness and the gift of eternal life. So we want that holiness to purify us from sins, but in order for that to happen there had been someone who could intercede for mankind lest they perish.

The High Priest

The High Priest would be cleansed.

This involved quite a complex process that took about a week and many sacrifices to set them apart for this purpose for the people of Israel. The only ones that were permitted were from the household of Aaron and they were to continue doing this for the people.

He was the mediator between God and man.

The High Priest was expected to intercede for the people of Israel and approach God on their behalf. The moment where the Israelites saw this most clearly, is after they grumbled against Moses and Aaron and were at the point of rebellion, and so God sent a plague amongst them, that killed them where they were, and it spread from the tent of meeting, and Aaron took the Incense and ran to edge of the plague and stood there between the Israelite’s and God’s wrath, and the plague stopped.

Only the High Priest could approach God.

No one else, people objected to that, but this role was appointed and established by God, that the people might not perish, but receive his blessings, and Israelites learned the seriousness of this position.

The Eternal High Priest

Jesus came to intercede for us.

The High Priest served Israel here on earth, but he only entered into a reflection of what was happening in heaven. We needed someone who could go into the true Temple of God in heaven, and stand before the Holiness of God without fear. That He might plead our cause, but

In order to do this, Jesus had to be man.

To intercede on our behalf, He was made like us in every way, except he was without sin. For in the days of Jeremiah, God said that even for one righteous person he would forgive the people, and so Jesus came as our perfect, sinless high priest to stand before the Father’s holiness for you.

Jesus took upon our weakness.

So that he might not only bear our sins, but that we might be able to approach him with our burdens. For who would approach God in His holiness knowing that you might die? Yet how many sinners drew near to Christ looking for hope and comfort and mercy, because through Him we

Access to the Father

By our sins, we are unclean.

The way was close to us, ever since the fall into sin. The sin that we inherited from them is the reason that the sacrifices had to be made again and again. The sins that we committed since kept us separate from God lest we perish.

Jesus opens the way to the Father.

Jesus does so by His own blood. He offers up a sacrifice once for all, that we might know approach our heavenly father and receive the holiness that bestows life. That is what Christ’s sacrifice did for you, and that is also

This is why Jesus ascended.

When up to the right hand of the throne of God to serve as your high priest. For Aaron ran ahead to stand between God’s wrath and God’s people, and that is what Jesus is doing for you, that you might be acceptable in God’s sight and welcomed.

Jesus Became Like Us

How could we approach God in his holiness?

We couldn’t there was nothing we could do that would ever be sufficient no matter how many goats, bulls, birds or sheep were sacrificed, they could not cover our sins, the price was too high, and they would not make complete atonement for all the things that we had done wrong. Since we could not come to him,

Jesus came to us in the flesh.

The Son of God descended from his throne and joined us in our humanity laying aside His power, and majesty. Jesus humbled himself for our sake so that we might know the truth, and that we might not look to our own desires, but rather seek His good.

He sympathizes with us.

That is He joins us in our sufferings. He knows our pains, and our sorrows, for He has taken upon himself as He goes to the Cross. The world often asks where is God in the midst of suffering, what is he doing? Does he care, and we can answer them, yes. He cares so much, that He took our pains upon himself that He might restore us to our Father in heaven.

Draw Near in Confidence

Jesus is the Savior of sinners.

If you are a sinner, than Jesus is on that Cross for you. We were not able to approach the father lest we die, but you can draw near to Jesus and find in him the hope and salvation that you need.

Offer up your sins, and rely on His grace.

This is what Christ has come to take from you this day. So do not let the chance or the oppportunity go to waste, for He has come to take them away. Let them remain with him, that He might take them to the cross for you, and secure for you peace with God.

Jesus restores the creation to creator.

He takes down the division that existed between God and man, that man might once again enjoy and rejoice in the presence of God. We had lost this in the fall into sin, but Jesus has set it right for the entire and world, and especially for you.

This is why we can call God our Father, and that we are brothers and sisters, in Christ. For He became our brother, by taking on our humanity and dwelling among us. He did this to open the way to heaven for you, that is what it means that He is your high priest. That is why we gather here today, and sing Jesus’ praises, Jesus has done for us what no one else could, and has opened the way to heaven for us by his blood, by his suffering, and by his innocent death. In Jesus name. Amen.