A Box for Everyone

Hebrews 4: 14-16

I’ve come to the understanding that most people want to put you in a box; it is so much easier that way, he is a lawyer, he is a doctor, he is a salesperson, he is a Catholic or Baptist.  When asked the question, where do you go to church, or where do you work; it is more about the box than anything else.  If you say Catholic, they have a box, if you say Baptist the box gets larger, and if you say lawyer or politician, we all know the box that you fit in.   
When you think of Jesus what box do you put Him into?  Do you see Him as your High Priest?  Growing up Baptist we did not have priest, we did not have Bishops, we had pastors, and in the small Baptist churches I attended as a child, they all had one thing in common, they did what the deacons told them to or they were in for a hard time.  If you are of another group it may come as a surprise that each Baptist church calls its own pastor, and does not answer to any other person or church official.  So when it comes to priest or High Priest, the only understanding we have is from what the Bible tells us of priestly duties.
The high priest was responsible for the Tabernacle, its daily offerings and functions and also its regular Feasts, three times in the year: at Passover, at Pentecost and at Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement (which was followed by a week of joy in the Feast of Tabernacles), as seen from Leviticus chapter 23.
On the Day of Atonement it was uniquely the high priest's responsibility to take the blood of the sacrificed goat into the Holy of Holies on behalf of all God's people for forgiveness of their sins.  Now this was an ongoing responsibility that was required each year.
But Jesus is our high priest, in fact He is referred to in this way; “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

All others who serve in the role of high priest, from Aaron until now have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, but not our great high priest Jesus who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  All the others had to first make sacrifices for their sins, just as they did for the people.

Most of us do not think this man, who is my priest or pastor, is a person who like me chooses to sin, who like me needs someone who understands his weakness, and the sins that entangle his life.  And like you and I, he needs a high priest who is able to sympathize with his weaknesses.  As my first mentor loved to say, “Smile you Rascal, God knows all about you but He loves you anyway.”  Not only is Jesus our Creator, our designer, our Lord and our God, He is our high priest, and he is making intercession before the Father on our account.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice