Mercy & Grace

A Faithful High Priest

One of the main themes in Hebrews is that Jesus Christ is the high priest )although not developed until Chapter 5.

Hebrews 4:16 NLT

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.

The throne stands for his royalty and God’s presence. It is the place where God gives out his free favor.

*How can the immortal die? By becoming flesh and blood.

It was because of Jesus’ manhood that He was able to forgive our sins, that He understands our trials and that His mercy (mercy prescribes pardon for our many failures) reigns so strong.

If we think of the Holy of Holies in the OT we shouldn’t be able to set a foot into it. But because of what Jesus did, becoming our high priest we can boldly approach and enter with freedom and without fear. But knowing how sinful we are, how can we not be fearful?

Hebrews 2:17 NLT

Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.

Hebrews 2:14 NLT

Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.

Hebrews & James C. Because Jesus Can Offer Help to the Tempted (vv. 10–18)

2:17. This verse restates the truth of verse 14 that Jesus had a complete, perfect humanity. We read two reasons for the incarnation of Christ. First, the incarnation allowed Christ to become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God. Jesus’ own suffering allowed him to be sympathetic to others and thus to show mercy. He demonstrated his faithfulness by remaining steadfast to the end without flinching. Jesus was completely trustworthy in everything God called him to do.

A second reason for the incarnation was that Jesus might make atonement for the sins of the people. Jesus’ death handled the personal sins of all human beings. Jesus did in reality what the Old Testament sacrificial ritual could only do in symbols. It was not that Jesus’ death satisfied the angry demands of a peevish God. The truth is that God himself provided the payment for our sins because of his ever-abiding love (Rom. 5:8).

When my son was a child, I often took him swimming. He delighted in playing the game of holding his breath under water. We competed with one another to see who could outlast the other. His youth led to his defeat. At the first sign of pain and discomfort under water, he would surface for air. I stayed under until my lungs were heaving with pain. When I surfaced for air, I truly needed it. Jesus remained in the pool of temptation longer than any of us. He knew the pain more fully. He resisted to the end. He never sinned. His experience allows him to encourage us and lead us to victory as we face temptation.

Hebrews & James IV. Life Application: Jesus Is a Wonderful Savior

To people grieved by their own failure and disobedience, he has offered mercy and acceptance. Since Jesus is himself a human being, we can come to him with the confidence that he will understand us and provide realistic support.

Removing the Veil

2 Corinthians 3:12–18 (NLT)

12 Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. 14 But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ.

16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.