Jesus, Our High Priest

The God Who Gets Us

Most of us know what it’s like to feel misunderstood or alone in what we’re facing. It’s easy to imagine God as distant or detached, standing at a distance while we struggle to measure up. But the heart of the gospel tells a much better story. In Hebrews 4 and 5, we meet Jesus as our High Priest—the God who steps into our reality, walks through our struggles, and never turns away.

He Understands Us From the Inside Out

These verses make it clear: Nothing separates Jesus from our struggles. He understands our humanity because He fully entered into it. Jesus has been through every weakness, every temptation, every ounce of testing, yet without sin. He knows what it feels like to be tired, to feel pain, to wrestle with sorrow and fear. He’s not a distant observer—He’s a companion in our humanity, “moved to the core” by what touches us. If you ever wondered if God truly gets your pain, here’s the answer: He does. He’s walked our road, carried our burdens, and felt what it is to be one of us.

Come Boldly—Mercy Awaits

Religion might tell you to clean yourself up before you come to God, to hide your mess until you’ve got it together. But the invitation here is the opposite. We are called to come boldly, without fear or hesitation, right into God’s presence to receive mercy and help in our time of need. This is not just a throne of judgment; it’s a throne of grace. God delights in welcoming us, not just when we succeed but especially when we are needy and broken.

A Priest Who Knows Our Story

The passage teaches that every priest represents people to God because he knows what it is to be human, to be weak. He can be gentle with those who wander because he understands what it means to struggle. But Jesus, our High Priest, is even more. Ambition did not choose him, but God Himself set him apart. He didn’t grasp for honor. Instead, the Father declared, “You are my Son,” and appointed Him as an eternal priest-a never-ending bridge between us and God.

Suffering and Trust. The Path of the Son

These verses show that Jesus, though He is the Son of God, truly learned what it meant to trust the Father through suffering. He cried out in pain, He wept, and He prayed with passion and humility. He did not float through life untouched by hardship—He faced it head-on. Through all this, He learned obedience, not as a distant ruler, but as one of us. He became the perfect High Priest—someone who knows how it feels to be in the fire, someone who brings us before God not with judgment but with compassion.

The Source of Salvation

The passage makes it plain: After Jesus had lived, suffered, died, and risen again, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who put their trust in Him. It’s not about religious achievement. It’s about trusting the One who knows us, loves us, and gave Himself for us. He didn’t set Himself up as Savior. The Father chose him, and He embraced our humanity so He could bring us home.

The Better Word—Grace Over Performance

The message here is clear. God is not standing back, waiting for you to impress Him. He’s not measuring you by your performance. Your mess does not repel him; instead, it moves Him. There is no need to hide. There’s no shame in being needy. You’re invited to run to the throne, to bring your need, your failure, your ache—because Jesus is already there, ready to give mercy and help.

Whatever you’re facing temptation, weakness, regret, pain—run to the One who understands. The One waiting for you is not disappointed or distant. He’s been where you are. He knows. Jesus cares. And He is more ready to give mercy than you are to ask for it.

This is the gospel: God with us, for us, as us—opening the way to live in bold, honest, healing fellowship at the throne of grace. He knows your story. He’s walked your road. And His heart is always open to you.