“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure…”Hebrews 6:19 (NLT)
Even though we have this anchor, this High Priest, this hope, JESUS, we still find ourselves feeling hopeless at times. Why are we so quick to lose sight of what Jesus did on the cross for us? Why do we so quickly forget that we are sons and daughters of God…PRINCE AND PRINCESS? Co-heirs to the kingdom! What makes Jesus THE High Priest, THE hope that we need to keep going?
When Jesus Christ came to the earth, He was fully man and fully God. Christ had to be man in order to die as the perfect sacrifice for our atonement. Hebrews 4:14-16 says, “So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all the same testings we do, yet He did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”
Jesus is able to relate and connect with us on a personal level. Look at Matthew 4 in your Bible. Matthew 4:1-11. Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights He fasted and became very hungry. During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’” Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the LORD your God.’” Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the LORD your God and serve him only.’” Then the devil went away, and angels came back and took care of Jesus.
In John 11, Jesus goes through the process of losing a friend. But He knew that His friend’s death would not really end there. In obedience, He waited for God to send Him. Lazarus’s death was used for the glory of God. Verse 35 says, then Jesus wept. He experienced sorrow at losing a loved one.
John 5:19,20 says, So Jesus explained, “ I will tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself. He does only what He sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him everything He is doing. In fact, the Father will show Him even greater things than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished.”
Look at Matthew 26:14-16/47-50. Jesus was betrayed by Judas, a fellow apostle, who was close to Him during His entire ministry on earth.
Matt 21:1-11. As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. “Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.” This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said, “Tell the people of Jerusalem, ‘Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey’s colt.’” The two disciples did as Jesus commanded. They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it. Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD! Praise God in highest heaven!” The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked. And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” The same people who were shouting and praising Jesus would be the same people to turn against him and shout “Crucify Him!”
And if you continue to verses 12-17 in the same chapter, it tells how Jesus dealt with anger.
Finally, the cross. He was scourged, mocked, spat upon, persecuted, judged, and hated by many. And even in death He was obedient and showed compassion. Luke 23:34 says, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”
So where does our hope come from? Jesus Christ, the perfect High Priest who understands all that we go through and died so we would not have to be held captive by these things any longer. John 8:36, so if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.
Hebrews 4:14-16, So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
©Leslie Wittenmyer 2021
All rights reserved