Bulletin Articles
A High Priest who can sympathize with us
The Hebrew writer tries to impress upon his audience the concept that Jesus, as our high priest, has a true understanding of the weaknesses that we, as human beings, experience Heb 4:14-15. ..."for we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses"
Jesus while on the earth felt hunger, Matt 4:2, He felt weary, John 4:6, He felt anger, Matt 21: 12-13, and He also felt sorrow.
One of the most poignant passages in the Gospels is told in John chapter 11 about the death of Lazarus. Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha were close friends of Jesus and lived in the village of Bethany just a couple of miles from Jerusalem..
Jesus was told that Lazarus was sick, but by the time He reached the village of Bethany, Lazarus had been dead for four days. Jesus knew what He was going to do (John 11:11) but still felt the sorrow of his friends and John records that Jesus "groaned in the spirit and was troubled" (John 11:33).
Here we have the Son of God, who has power over life and death, who could summons angels on His behalf, and who knew that He would raise Lazarus up from the dead, weeping with Mary and Martha (John 11:35).
Surely, this passage should convince us that we truly have an advocate, a savior, who can feel the same sense of loss, that sense of helplessness that we feel when we lose our loved ones.
Therefore, "let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need." Heb 4:16.
In our times of trouble, we need to lift up our prayers to our heavenly father. While our prayers may not be answered in the way we want, we know we have a Savior who listens and who understands.
