Hear the word of the Lord:
Hebrews 9:11-14
But when Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.
For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God.
Showing posts with label high priest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label high priest. Show all posts
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
To deal gently ...
Hear the word of the Lord:
Hebrews 5:1-10
Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge
of things pertaining to God on their behalf,
to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward,
since he himself is subject to weakness;
and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins
as well as for those of the people.
And one does not presume to take this honor,
but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was.
So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest,
but was appointed by the one who said to him,
"You are my Son, today I have begotten you";
as he says also in another place,
"You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek."
In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications,
with loud cries and tears,
to the one who was able to save him from death,
and he was heard because of his reverent submission.
Although he was a Son,
he learned obedience through what he suffered;
and having been made perfect,
he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him,
having been designated by God a high priest
according to the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 5:1-10
Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge
of things pertaining to God on their behalf,
to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward,
since he himself is subject to weakness;
and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins
as well as for those of the people.
And one does not presume to take this honor,
but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was.
So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest,
but was appointed by the one who said to him,
"You are my Son, today I have begotten you";
as he says also in another place,
"You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek."
In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications,
with loud cries and tears,
to the one who was able to save him from death,
and he was heard because of his reverent submission.
Although he was a Son,
he learned obedience through what he suffered;
and having been made perfect,
he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him,
having been designated by God a high priest
according to the order of Melchizedek.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Receive mercy, find grace ...
Hear the word of the Lord:
Hebrews 4:12-16
Indeed, the word of God is living and active,
sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow;
it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
And before him no creature is hidden,
but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one
to whom we must render an account.
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 4:12-16
Indeed, the word of God is living and active,
sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow;
it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
And before him no creature is hidden,
but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one
to whom we must render an account.
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.
Monday, June 1, 2009
We have hope yet ...
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
(Heb. 4:14-16, NIV)
Our lives and our work here with the boys are filled with reasons to give up, reasons to let go. Physical fatigue, mental exhaustion, spiritual emptiness, and many more distractions crowd into our hearts, especially during times like the beginning of the summer. The recipients of Hebrews have plenty of temptation to give up as well. They have faced persecution, losing home, family, and monetary and stability because of their commitment to Christ.
Perhaps the most draining aspect of our work and Christian life in general is failure. The demoralizing nature of our mistakes (real or perceived) works against our intent to endure. In fact, we sometimes beat ourselves up so ferociously for our mistakes that we incapacitate ourselves, siphoning the very energy which we would be using to help the boys and, instead of dedicating it to them, punishing ourselves for our mistakes. When our sense of failure mounts like this, it is all the more tempting to give up.
But what the author of Hebrews goes to great lengths to demonstrate is that Jesus has proved himself greater than sin, and greater than the Old Testament covenant, which could not put an end to sin. Rather, we have a high priest who offered himself as a sacrifice, once for good and once for all. That priest is Christ. Having such a priest, the author exhorts us to "hold fast to the faith we profess." The presence of sin, exhaustion, and failure are not the period at the end of the sentence - Jesus serves as our priest so that we can hold on.
Moreover, our priest, Jesus, can identify with our weakness. Not only has Jesus made atonement for us, but he can sympathize with us. He can feel our fatigue in his bones, he can feel our pain in his heart, and he can feel the aches in our muscles. And that empathy means that we have a lifeline. We can approach the throne of grace with boldness because we approach it behind Christ. Even though it feels like we are drowning, we have a lighthouse on the shore because Jesus has felt the water rush over his head before as well.
It is also worth noting that the writer exhorts us to "draw near" to God's throne, not because of what we can do or have done, but because we have a high priest who can sympathize with us. Drawing near to God in worship is always possible, even when we are frazzled and worn out, because it is our priest Jesus who leads us toward God. Our approach is dependent, not our merit, but on Jesus' priesthood.
Our great high priest, Jesus, has been through suffering and has passed through the heavens, so that he is now seated with God. Because of his journey, we are not lost - we have hope yet. This hope is specifically for the "drowning times" and the "exhausted times," so that, as the Scripture says, we that might "receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." As we wade through the overwhelming parts of life, don't forget that our high priest stands as a lighthouse at God's side.
Blessings,
Greg and Tiffany
(Heb. 4:14-16, NIV)
Our lives and our work here with the boys are filled with reasons to give up, reasons to let go. Physical fatigue, mental exhaustion, spiritual emptiness, and many more distractions crowd into our hearts, especially during times like the beginning of the summer. The recipients of Hebrews have plenty of temptation to give up as well. They have faced persecution, losing home, family, and monetary and stability because of their commitment to Christ.
Perhaps the most draining aspect of our work and Christian life in general is failure. The demoralizing nature of our mistakes (real or perceived) works against our intent to endure. In fact, we sometimes beat ourselves up so ferociously for our mistakes that we incapacitate ourselves, siphoning the very energy which we would be using to help the boys and, instead of dedicating it to them, punishing ourselves for our mistakes. When our sense of failure mounts like this, it is all the more tempting to give up.
But what the author of Hebrews goes to great lengths to demonstrate is that Jesus has proved himself greater than sin, and greater than the Old Testament covenant, which could not put an end to sin. Rather, we have a high priest who offered himself as a sacrifice, once for good and once for all. That priest is Christ. Having such a priest, the author exhorts us to "hold fast to the faith we profess." The presence of sin, exhaustion, and failure are not the period at the end of the sentence - Jesus serves as our priest so that we can hold on.
Moreover, our priest, Jesus, can identify with our weakness. Not only has Jesus made atonement for us, but he can sympathize with us. He can feel our fatigue in his bones, he can feel our pain in his heart, and he can feel the aches in our muscles. And that empathy means that we have a lifeline. We can approach the throne of grace with boldness because we approach it behind Christ. Even though it feels like we are drowning, we have a lighthouse on the shore because Jesus has felt the water rush over his head before as well.
It is also worth noting that the writer exhorts us to "draw near" to God's throne, not because of what we can do or have done, but because we have a high priest who can sympathize with us. Drawing near to God in worship is always possible, even when we are frazzled and worn out, because it is our priest Jesus who leads us toward God. Our approach is dependent, not our merit, but on Jesus' priesthood.
Our great high priest, Jesus, has been through suffering and has passed through the heavens, so that he is now seated with God. Because of his journey, we are not lost - we have hope yet. This hope is specifically for the "drowning times" and the "exhausted times," so that, as the Scripture says, we that might "receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." As we wade through the overwhelming parts of life, don't forget that our high priest stands as a lighthouse at God's side.
Blessings,
Greg and Tiffany
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)