World English Bible translation
Today's Scripture
Having then a great high priest, who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold tightly to our confession. 4:15 For we don't have a high priest who can't be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. 4:16 Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need.Today's Lesson
God knows everything about us. The word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword and is capable of examining every part of our lives and our hearts. Jesus, the Son of God, is greater than all created beings - greater than angels, greater than prophets, and even greater than Moses. Jesus passed through the heavens and came to this earth as one of us. He became just like you and I so that He might serve as our great high priest and bring many sons to the Father. When He had made sacrifice for our sins, He passed through the heavens once more and ascended to a position of honor and authority. Now, He lives forever to intercede between the Holy God and the people of flesh and blood.
Because we have such a high priest, we must hold tight to our confession. Christ understands all about us. He was flesh and blood just as we are flesh and blood. He endured every temptation that we endure. That is why Jesus can be touched by our infirmities and why Jesus can serve as our great high priest.
It is widely believed that even though Jesus felt the same temptations that you and I might feel it would have been easier for Him to withstand temptation because of His divine nature. But, such reasoning denies the essence of the incarnation and shows a lack of understanding about the nature of temptation. In the incarnation, Jesus was fully human. The temptations that He endured were real; they were not tempered in any way. In fact, the temptations that Jesus endured were greater than any we have felt. When you or I face great temptation, we usually yield. Yet, Jesus endured fully each temptation. Each temptation was completely experienced because He never yielded.
It is because Jesus experienced our infirmities and temptations that we can draw near to the presence of God with boldness. We can receive mercy and find grace because Christ is there to intercede on our behalf. His sacrifice paid the debt for our sin and His enduring life continues to sustain us in our trials and weaknesses.
God's rest is available to us when we are willing to bring our sins and infirmities to our great high priest. When we come to Him and believe that He will intercede for us, we will enter into God's rest. To refuse to come to Him is to refuse God's rest. It is just like those Israelites who refused to enter the land that was promised to them by Moses.
Do you trust your high priest? Are you willing to enter God's rest by bringing everything to Him?
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