Come to Jesus: Hebrews 4:14-16
Come to Jesus (Hebrews 4:14-16)
Ricky had a sleepover at Mimi and Granddad’s house over the holidays. I have always been an early riser for quiet time with the Father, relishing the predawn hours of prayer, study and meditation.
This morning however, only a few sips into my first cup of coffee, I heard little steps coming down the stairs, and it was decision time. I could either order him back to bed to preserve those precious moments - the best in my day - or welcome him into my study.
Well, you know what I did.
When he boldly walked into my inner sanctum, I opened my arms with a hug and a kiss as he snuggled up next to me on the sofa. We sat there together in silence for a while, and then, looking around at all of my books, he said, “Granddad, why do you have so many Bibles?” I explained that only some of them were Bible and others were books I had read and studied. And then came the jackpot - that moment of the moment we parents and grandparents live for…
He said, “Granddad, will you get a Bible and read to me?” Well, you can imagine my joy. Absolutely! Grabbing my Bible from the end table, it was decision time. How do I make the most of this moment? He is asking! What should I read to my precious five-year-old grandson who owns my heart? The sweeping choices were vast. The historical richness of the Exodus? The exquisite theology of Romans? The glorious mysteries of Revelation?
No, of course not. I long to share all of these things with him, but his ears are not yet ready. I turned to Luke 2 for the Christmas story. I confess, I read a little but also translated the story into the AGV - the Authorized Granddad Version. He stopped me a lot and asked many questions, all of which I tried to answer in ways he could understand, but mostly we just snuggled.
His knowledge grew a little. His heart grew a lot.
And in this precious quiet time, my heart heard God say, “Pay attention, son: I’m teaching you here.”
HEBREWS 4:14-16
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Next Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent, which is also the beginning of the church year. That journey of Christ’s birth concluded on earth with His death and resurrection, but His present reality can only be understand by our text.
We know from John 1 that Jesus is eternal God, but also from Philippians 2:6–7, that “…who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, seven but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”
With the incarnation and His life, death and resurrection, Jesus became fully human just as He has always been fully God.
The focus in Hebrews brings clarity to the essence of Jesus and His ongoing relationship with us. Verses 14 and 16 each contain an exhortation: “Let us.” We are told to “hold fast our confession” and “with confidence draw near.” Matthew 27:51 says with Jesus’ death, the veil that separated man from God has been ripped apart, and Jesus Himself is our High Priest, and God is accessible to each of us.
Verse 15 is the anchor of the passage, and describes the surrounding verses drawing out its implications. Jesus’ solidarity with his people. That’s where many of us go wrong. All our natural intuitions tell us that Jesus is with us, on our side, present and helping when life is going well. This text says the opposite. It is in “our weaknesses” that Jesus sympathizes with us.
The word for “sympathize” is a compound word formed from the prefix meaning “with” with the verb “to suffer.”
In our pain, Jesus is pained. This is the essence of Jesus. This is who He is.
And who are we? We are His children, struggling in a world of sin, filled with pain and unanswered questions. It is also precisely where we go wrong.
The worst way to read the Bible is to begin with an assumption that it has an answer to your question. Don’t get me wrong – that frequently happens, but it’s a distant second to the main point. We read the Bible to get to know God better. When we read it, we learn more about Him, but that’s all in our heads. Getting to know Him happens in our hearts, and it’s an everlasting process. We can only know what God reveals to us, and revelation only works if we can and will receive it.
Humility is the best place to begin. Most of God’s thoughts will not be known by you. There is an entire world of thoughts of God to which you and I are not privileged. Like my little grandson, our capacity is limited. That’s called mystery. Why He loves us is the biggest mystery of all, but He has proclaimed it and proved it, so we accept it and move on. It’s foolish to get stuck on points that are already settled.
The biggest question is whether we love Him back. He hasn’t commanded us to understand Him. We have eternity for that. For now, come boldly into His throne room and take His extended hand. You are His child.
In Matthew 11:28–30, He says
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
In Dane Ortlund’s “Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers,” he writes
“Consider your own life.
When the relationship goes sour, when the feelings of futility come flooding in, when it feels like life is passing us by, when it seems that our one shot at significance has slipped through our fingers, when we can’t sort out our emotions, when the longtime friend lets us down, when a family member betrays us, when we feel deeply misunderstood, when we are laughed at by the impressive—in short, when the fallenness of the world closes in on us and makes us want to throw in the towel—there, right there, we have a Friend who knows exactly what such testing feels like and sits close to us, embraces us. With us. Solidarity.”
I have learned a lot of facts about my earthly father, but none of it comes close to the single fact that we actually know each other and have an everlasting relationship. When I see him in heaven, we will resume the relationship that began so long ago. Likewise, when I see my Jesus finally face to face, we will not have to be introduced.
Do you know Jesus today? Well, my friend, He knows you.
Where are you today? Are you struggling to overcome a habit that has wreaked havoc on your life? He is struggling with you. Are you in the intensive care unit of a hospital fighting for your next breath? He is in every gasp for air. Are you weeping and grieving the loss of a precious loved one in the dark early morning hours of the night when everyone else is fast asleep? He is next to you, His eyes filled with tears as he holds you close.
Do you have a sense of confidence or boldness as you approach God in prayer? The clearer your picture of Jesus, the greater the confidence you will have. His sacrifice has opened the way completely for our access to God. What, then, are your needs for grace today? Bring those boldly to him now.
Study Questions
Ricky had a sleepover at Mimi and Granddad’s house over the holidays. I have always been an early riser for quiet time with the Father, relishing the predawn hours of prayer, study and meditation.
This morning however, only a few sips into my first cup of coffee, I heard little steps coming down the stairs, and it was decision time. I could either order him back to bed to preserve those precious moments - the best in my day - or welcome him into my study.
Well, you know what I did.
When he boldly walked into my inner sanctum, I opened my arms with a hug and a kiss as he snuggled up next to me on the sofa. We sat there together in silence for a while, and then, looking around at all of my books, he said, “Granddad, why do you have so many Bibles?” I explained that only some of them were Bible and others were books I had read and studied. And then came the jackpot - that moment of the moment we parents and grandparents live for…
He said, “Granddad, will you get a Bible and read to me?” Well, you can imagine my joy. Absolutely! Grabbing my Bible from the end table, it was decision time. How do I make the most of this moment? He is asking! What should I read to my precious five-year-old grandson who owns my heart? The sweeping choices were vast. The historical richness of the Exodus? The exquisite theology of Romans? The glorious mysteries of Revelation?
No, of course not. I long to share all of these things with him, but his ears are not yet ready. I turned to Luke 2 for the Christmas story. I confess, I read a little but also translated the story into the AGV - the Authorized Granddad Version. He stopped me a lot and asked many questions, all of which I tried to answer in ways he could understand, but mostly we just snuggled.
His knowledge grew a little. His heart grew a lot.
And in this precious quiet time, my heart heard God say, “Pay attention, son: I’m teaching you here.”
HEBREWS 4:14-16
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Next Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent, which is also the beginning of the church year. That journey of Christ’s birth concluded on earth with His death and resurrection, but His present reality can only be understand by our text.
We know from John 1 that Jesus is eternal God, but also from Philippians 2:6–7, that “…who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, seven but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”
With the incarnation and His life, death and resurrection, Jesus became fully human just as He has always been fully God.
The focus in Hebrews brings clarity to the essence of Jesus and His ongoing relationship with us. Verses 14 and 16 each contain an exhortation: “Let us.” We are told to “hold fast our confession” and “with confidence draw near.” Matthew 27:51 says with Jesus’ death, the veil that separated man from God has been ripped apart, and Jesus Himself is our High Priest, and God is accessible to each of us.
Verse 15 is the anchor of the passage, and describes the surrounding verses drawing out its implications. Jesus’ solidarity with his people. That’s where many of us go wrong. All our natural intuitions tell us that Jesus is with us, on our side, present and helping when life is going well. This text says the opposite. It is in “our weaknesses” that Jesus sympathizes with us.
The word for “sympathize” is a compound word formed from the prefix meaning “with” with the verb “to suffer.”
In our pain, Jesus is pained. This is the essence of Jesus. This is who He is.
And who are we? We are His children, struggling in a world of sin, filled with pain and unanswered questions. It is also precisely where we go wrong.
The worst way to read the Bible is to begin with an assumption that it has an answer to your question. Don’t get me wrong – that frequently happens, but it’s a distant second to the main point. We read the Bible to get to know God better. When we read it, we learn more about Him, but that’s all in our heads. Getting to know Him happens in our hearts, and it’s an everlasting process. We can only know what God reveals to us, and revelation only works if we can and will receive it.
Humility is the best place to begin. Most of God’s thoughts will not be known by you. There is an entire world of thoughts of God to which you and I are not privileged. Like my little grandson, our capacity is limited. That’s called mystery. Why He loves us is the biggest mystery of all, but He has proclaimed it and proved it, so we accept it and move on. It’s foolish to get stuck on points that are already settled.
The biggest question is whether we love Him back. He hasn’t commanded us to understand Him. We have eternity for that. For now, come boldly into His throne room and take His extended hand. You are His child.
In Matthew 11:28–30, He says
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
In Dane Ortlund’s “Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers,” he writes
“Consider your own life.
When the relationship goes sour, when the feelings of futility come flooding in, when it feels like life is passing us by, when it seems that our one shot at significance has slipped through our fingers, when we can’t sort out our emotions, when the longtime friend lets us down, when a family member betrays us, when we feel deeply misunderstood, when we are laughed at by the impressive—in short, when the fallenness of the world closes in on us and makes us want to throw in the towel—there, right there, we have a Friend who knows exactly what such testing feels like and sits close to us, embraces us. With us. Solidarity.”
I have learned a lot of facts about my earthly father, but none of it comes close to the single fact that we actually know each other and have an everlasting relationship. When I see him in heaven, we will resume the relationship that began so long ago. Likewise, when I see my Jesus finally face to face, we will not have to be introduced.
Do you know Jesus today? Well, my friend, He knows you.
Where are you today? Are you struggling to overcome a habit that has wreaked havoc on your life? He is struggling with you. Are you in the intensive care unit of a hospital fighting for your next breath? He is in every gasp for air. Are you weeping and grieving the loss of a precious loved one in the dark early morning hours of the night when everyone else is fast asleep? He is next to you, His eyes filled with tears as he holds you close.
Do you have a sense of confidence or boldness as you approach God in prayer? The clearer your picture of Jesus, the greater the confidence you will have. His sacrifice has opened the way completely for our access to God. What, then, are your needs for grace today? Bring those boldly to him now.
Study Questions
- Why does sin cause us to hide from God?
- Hebrews 12:2 says “…looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” What was the joy set before Him?
- Have you deeply considered Jesus’ solidarity with you in your Christian discipleship? What does this mean for your everyday life?
- Why do we tend to downplay Jesus’ humanity?
- It is natural for us to think that anguish and pain are an isolating reality in our life. How does our text clarify this for us?
- What is the difference between knowing God and knowing about God?
Posted in Sermon Notes