Hebrews 4:14-16-- Yet He Did Not Sin

Scripture: Hebrews 4:14-16

The imagery of the last section--the Bible as terrifying, double-edged sword--concludes the letter's tangent(s) about Jesus' message being more pressing than Moses' and the angels' because of His superiority to them. The author now returns to the point (s)he was making a few chapters earlier about Jesus' office as our high priest being one of the reasons for His humanity.

And while the tail end of chapter 4 could easily be grouped with what follows in chapter 5 about the superiority of Jesus' priesthood to Aaron's, this part is so good that I wanted to dwell on it separately today.


How wonderful is it when someone can empathize with us? 

This seems to be particularly true of those in positions of authority over us. When a person has power over me, whether by being a boss, elected official, church leader, or anything else, that leaves me to some extent vulnerable and at shis mercy. Will that person keep my interests in mind, or take advantage of the power and use me to work toward selfish ends?

In these cases, it is the authority figure's ability to empathize that reassures us. If my bosses once worked the job I have and know what it's like, they're more likely to treat me with dignity and respect. If my landlords have lived under other landlords, I can trust they will deal with me fairly.

The person who has the most power and authority over me is Jesus. He intercedes for me and represents me before God the Father. He is my High Priest. How can I trust someone to have this much authority over me and my eternal future?

He can empathize. With my suffering. My temptations. My grief. 

This, coupled with the fact that He can't empathize with my sin, allows me to "approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that [I] may receive mercy and find grace to help [me] in [my] time of need."

How amazing it is that our Savior is fully God and fully man: able to resist the temptation to sin, but also able to empathize with it.