Better Promises : WK 3 - MON
(Hebrews 5:1-14)
Every high priest is a man chosen to represent other people in their dealings with God. He presents their gifts to God and offers sacrifices for their sins. And he is able to deal gently with ignorant and wayward people because he himself is subject to the same weaknesses. That is why he must offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as theirs.
And no one can become a high priest simply because he wants such an honor. He must be called by God for this work, just as Aaron was. That is why Christ did not honor himself by assuming he could become High Priest. No, he was chosen by God, who said to him,
“You are my Son.
Today I have become your Father.”
And in another passage God said to him,
“You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. And God designated him to be a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.
There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen. You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.
Sometimes you can find the perfect job. I have been in the ministry for over 25 years. I have pastored all kinds of churches. I've been involved in so many different kinds of ministries. I've had the honor of traveling around the world and seeing God work in so many different ways.
When I started thinking about a career, I never thought I was going to be a pastor. I had my heart set on being a computer scientist, on making a lot of money and becoming very successful. But God had other ideas.
I now serve as a pastor in the Crosswalk family of churches. Forgive me but this may sound a little braggadocious but I feel like I'm the perfect person for this position. And it's not because I have some special skill or I'm exceedingly talented in any one area of pastoral ministry. In fact, before I became a Crosswalk pastor, other than attending once in a while, I'd never been involved with Crosswalk. So what makes me think that I am the perfect person for this position?
Honestly, it's because of all the experiences I've had prior to becoming a Crosswalk pastor. The successes, the failures, the ups, the downs, the celebration and the tears; all of those put together over years and years of relying on myself and failing and leaning on God and succeeding have given me all that I need to be in the position I am today.
The author of Hebrews has made a declaration that Jesus is the perfect High Priest. He stands before God representing you and I. And the reason that Jesus can stand in that position is because of His experience while he was on Earth. Jesus became human so that he could experience everything we have experienced. And that reality allows Him to stand before God and say “I understand.”
Jesus understands your pain. Jesus understands your disappointment. Jesus understands your anxiety. Jesus understands your depression. Jesus understands your fear. Jesus understands your weakness. There isn't anything that you are experiencing that Jesus hasn't experienced himself. So whatever you're going through, know this: Jesus Christ, you're perfect High Priest, understands you.
Every high priest is a man chosen to represent other people in their dealings with God. He presents their gifts to God and offers sacrifices for their sins. And he is able to deal gently with ignorant and wayward people because he himself is subject to the same weaknesses. That is why he must offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as theirs.
And no one can become a high priest simply because he wants such an honor. He must be called by God for this work, just as Aaron was. That is why Christ did not honor himself by assuming he could become High Priest. No, he was chosen by God, who said to him,
“You are my Son.
Today I have become your Father.”
And in another passage God said to him,
“You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. And God designated him to be a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.
There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen. You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.
Sometimes you can find the perfect job. I have been in the ministry for over 25 years. I have pastored all kinds of churches. I've been involved in so many different kinds of ministries. I've had the honor of traveling around the world and seeing God work in so many different ways.
When I started thinking about a career, I never thought I was going to be a pastor. I had my heart set on being a computer scientist, on making a lot of money and becoming very successful. But God had other ideas.
I now serve as a pastor in the Crosswalk family of churches. Forgive me but this may sound a little braggadocious but I feel like I'm the perfect person for this position. And it's not because I have some special skill or I'm exceedingly talented in any one area of pastoral ministry. In fact, before I became a Crosswalk pastor, other than attending once in a while, I'd never been involved with Crosswalk. So what makes me think that I am the perfect person for this position?
Honestly, it's because of all the experiences I've had prior to becoming a Crosswalk pastor. The successes, the failures, the ups, the downs, the celebration and the tears; all of those put together over years and years of relying on myself and failing and leaning on God and succeeding have given me all that I need to be in the position I am today.
The author of Hebrews has made a declaration that Jesus is the perfect High Priest. He stands before God representing you and I. And the reason that Jesus can stand in that position is because of His experience while he was on Earth. Jesus became human so that he could experience everything we have experienced. And that reality allows Him to stand before God and say “I understand.”
Jesus understands your pain. Jesus understands your disappointment. Jesus understands your anxiety. Jesus understands your depression. Jesus understands your fear. Jesus understands your weakness. There isn't anything that you are experiencing that Jesus hasn't experienced himself. So whatever you're going through, know this: Jesus Christ, you're perfect High Priest, understands you.
- When you are going through challenges in your life do you tend to share it with others or keep it to yourself?
- What is something about your life that you wish more people understood?
- How does it make you feel to know that Jesus understands you?
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