Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9
Chapter 4
14
Jesus, High Priest
Since, then, we have a great high priest, Jesus, the Son of God, who has ascended into heaven, let us then hold firmly to the faith we profess.15
Our high priest is not indifferent to our weaknesses, for he was tempted in every way, just as we are, yet without sinning.
16
Let us then, with confidence, approach the throne of grace o obtain mercy and, through his favor, help in due time.
Chapter 5
7
Christ, in the days of his mortal life, offered his sacrifice with tears and cries. He prayed to him who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his humble submission.
8
Although he was Son, he learned through suffering what obedience was,
9
and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for those who obey him.
Commentaries
Jesus, High Priest.
If earlier he presented this High Priest, Jesus, as “faithful” (3:1-4), now he offers him one of his most compelling titles: “compassionate.” In Jesus, God’s compassion reaches its highest expression. He is divine compassion made man. He has experienced our human condition because, like us, “he has been tested in every way, except sin” (15). Now that he sits, glorious, in the court of grace, we could not have a more excellent and compassionate mediator. The preacher invites us to come to him with confidence to always find his mercy and help.
Jesus, the Suffering Priest.
The preacher explains what Christ’s priestly mediation involves by comparing his priesthood to the role of high priest in Israel. Against the background of the Jewish priesthood, he illustrates that Christ’s priesthood is not merely a continuation but a complete break—something fundamentally different that redefines and gives new meaning to both the word “priest” and the priestly role. He suggests that, ultimately, the Temple priesthood failed because it lacked the essential qualities: solidarity and compassion toward the “ignorant and lost.” The first key difference of Jesus as a priest was that he was without sin; the second was that he was chosen as high priest without coming from a priestly family, since Jesus was from the tribe of Judah, not Levi.