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.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin.  Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.                                                                                                           Hebrews 4:14-16 (NIV)

The discussion the past few weeks was good as we learned to open up, challenge, and encourage each other as Christ followers.  As we wrestled with the “rest” of God (not a reference to heaven, but to the promise of reward for faithfulness in mission and the experience of His blessing in the present), we realized that the promise of reward for obedience is balanced by a promise of loss for disobedience.  In addition, we realized that a key to entering God’s rest was becoming a “slave of God” as difficult and contrary to our nature as that would be.

The conclusion of Hebrews 4 does not leave us with a sense of frustration or unfounded hope.  Instead, he points us to Jesus, our great high priest.  An Old Testament understanding of the high priesthood serves us well here and for the rest of this letter.  In summary, the high priest went into the Holy of Holies, which contained the mercy seat, only once a year on the Day of Atonement.  Preparation for this event included a sacrifice for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people.  So precarious was the high priest’s approach of the mercy seat on the Day of Atonement that bells on the hem of his robe and a rope around his waist indicated whether or not he remained alive behind the veil and provided for the safe retrieval of his body if necessary!

Yet, Jesus is a greater high priest!  He not only entered the Holy of Holies, but heaven itself, the reality portrayed by this part of the Tabernacle/Temple.  His ministry is discharged before the throne of mercy continually as His sinless life serves as the perfect sacrifice for ours.  He is also well aware of our problems and needs as He fully shared in our humanity as the God/Man (we’ll be talking more about the doctrines of incarnation and impeccability in coming weeks).

Here is the point I want to discuss.  This text appears to connect perseverance in the faith to the prayer of the faithful.  However, both are inextricably tied to the high priesthood of Jesus so that nothing results from our own power or wisdom.  So, what do you hear the Lord saying to you in this area?  How are you DOING in the faith (active, passive, tentative, courageous)?  Are you more dependent on yourself or on Jesus in what you are doing?  How could  the Lord use this teaching to transform us individually?  As a community of faith here at Northside?