A Great High Priest Who Is There For Us

Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16

One of the mysteries of the Christian faith, especially for non-Christians, is our belief that Jesus was at the same time fully God and fully human. The mind boggles when one stops to consider all of the rational possibilities, but the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews is not concerned with the mind, but with the heart. During his lifetime, Jesus experienced the full range of human emotions: he held little children, consoled grieving families, wept for his friends, and suffered unimaginable pain in his passion and death. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, the prophet Isaiah says. And surely he hears our prayers when we lift our concerns, our fears, our anxieties, our suffering to Him and turn them over to him.

What a friend we have in Jesus, the old hymn says. All our griefs and sins to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer. Oh, what peace we often forfeit, oh, what needless pains we bear. All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

What lies heavy on your hear today? Try turning one thing over to Jesus's care.

Have a blessed day. Your brother in Christ, Don+