Click on this slide and then press the spacebar to advance slides: ➜ (or swipe on a touch screen)
Hebrews 2:17–3:1
Therefore he had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every respect,
so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in things relating to God,
to make atonement for the sins of the people.
For since he himself suffered when he was tempted,
he is able to help those who are tempted.
Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, partners in a heavenly calling,
fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.
Goal
To gain a deeper appreciation of what Jesus does for us from the picture of O.T. priests.
Jesus our Sympathetic Priest, giving confidence and support to our prayers (Hebrews pt.3: 4:12–5:10)
Problem of Sin and Failure
How Jesus helps us to pray
His sympathy with our struggles
Leviticus 16:3–6, 13–15
Hebrews 10:1–4
For the law possesses a shadow of the good things to come but not the reality itself, and is therefore completely unable, by the same sacrifices offered continually, year after year, to perfect those who come to worship.
For otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers would have been purified once for all and so have no further consciousness of sin?
But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year after year.
For the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins.
Two Roles of O.T. Priests:
Animal sacrifices for sin
Incense offered as a symbol of prayer
Hebrews 4:14–5:10
Not confident because:
Our sin and failure
Feel God does not really care
Feel God is angry
Our prayers sound foolish
Not important enough to bother God with
Jesus our Sympathetic Priest, giving confidence and support to our prayers (Hebrews pt.3: 4:12–5:10)
Problem of Sin and Failure
How Jesus helps us to pray
His sympathy with our struggles
1. Problem of Sin and Failure
We sin again...
But this is the 100’th time with this sin
and 100 times we have asked forgiveness
Feel too guilty to ask again
How does this teaching help us?
Leviticus 5:5–9
when an individual becomes guilty with regard to one of these things they must confess how they have sinned,
and they must bring their penalty for guilt to the LORD for the sin that they have committed, …from the flock, a sheep or goat, for a sin offering. So the priest will make atonement on their behalf for their sin.
…
Then he must sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the wall of the altar, and the remainder of the blood must be squeezed out at the base of the altar—it is a sin offering.
1 John 2
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.
But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One,
So: Never let your sin keep you from coming to God in prayer
because that is the very place you should go when you sin.
Part 2. How Jesus helps us to pray
Romans 8:34–35, 26
Who is the one who will condemn? Christ is the one who died (and more than that, he was raised), who is at the right hand of God, and who also is interceding for us.
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
The Spirit helps as well:
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how we should pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings.
Luke 22:31–32
Jesus prays for Peter:
“Simon, Simon, pay attention! Satan has demanded to have you all, to sift you like wheat,
but I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. When you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
Jesus is praying for us!
Jesus our Sympathetic Priest, giving confidence and support to our prayers (Hebrews pt.3: 4:12–5:10)
Problem of Sin and Failure
How Jesus helps us to pray
His sympathy with our struggles
Pictures of God:
Speaking to the woman at the well
Compassion on the hungry crowds
Weeping over Jerusalem who rejected him
Stopping for blind beggars
Defending/not condemning the woman in adultery
Weeping a Lazarus’ death as he saw people’s grief
Angry with the hypocrites
Tempted like us
Hebrews 4:14–16
Therefore since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession.
For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin.
Therefore let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need help.
Summary:
He provides a place to go when we sin—a place of forgiveness
He makes our prayers perfect and prays them on our behalf
He is the most sympathetic person we could ever know
“Let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need”