Hebrews 4:14 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.

Why do you need a high priest? In the Old Testament the role of the high priest was to make sacrifices by shedding the blood of animals to make atonement for the sins of the people. We today have a great high priest, Jesus the Son of God.  He is able to sympathize with our weaknesses, because he was tempted in every way just as we are, but he did not sin. He made atonement for our sins so that we may approach the throne of grace with confidence to receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (See verses 15-16).

One of the most sobering realities of Jesus’ life is how much he suffered. Just think about that – the Son of God suffered while he lived. There was always someone wanting to kill him and he knew it. He was ridiculed and taunted, at one point in his teaching and healing ministry his brothers even came to take him away because they said he was out of his mind. (Mark 3: 1-23). What would it do to you if people started calling you the crazy one? In one blistering encounter with the Jews he made them so angry by the claims he made about himself and God the Father, they picked up stones to stone him. (John 8:59).

Jesus is qualified to be your high priest. “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” (Hebrews 12: 3-4).

So, let us encourage ourselves, because the majority of us believers are not currently under the type of persecution which require the daily defense of our faith. Most of the things we allow to challenge and discourage us have to do with our natural appetites or unreached goals which we have taken upon ourselves because of our conformity to the world’s standards.