Jesus Our Great High Priest

SERMON OUTLINE:

Question one: Who is this Great High Priest?

Question Two: What does this Great High Priest have to offer?

Question Three: Why does he qualify as our Great High Priest?

SERMON BODY:

Ill:

• John H. Starkey was a violent British criminal.

• He murdered his own wife, then was convicted for the crime and executed.

• The officials asked General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army,

• To conduct Starkey's funeral.

• As Booth stood before the gathered congregation;

• He faced as ugly and mean a crowd as he had ever seen in his life,

• But his first words stopped them and held them:

• "John H. Starkey never had a praying mother!"

• TRANSITION: The book of Hebrews reassures us that we have one who prays for us.

• Not a mother (sorry Roman Catholics but Mary cannot help us!),

• But verse 14 tells us clearly that it is Jesus, the Son of God who prays for us!

• So let’s look at the passage;

• And we will ask the passage some questions and it will provide us with some answers!

Question one: Who is this Great high priest?

“…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”.

• Our high priest is identified for us as: “Jesus the Son of God”,

• While the name ‘Jesus’ and the title ‘Son of God’;

• Are used in the New Testament on many occasions;

• You might be surprised to know;

• That this is the only time they are used together in this way.

Now they are used together in this way to remind us of the unique character of our priest:

• “Jesus” is the earthly, the human name given to the baby born at Bethlehem,

• “Son of God” is the title given to the second member of the Godhead.

• The name “Jesus” reminds us that he is fully human.

• The title “Son of God” reminds us he is fully divine!

• Together those two descriptions remind us;

• Quote: “He is man as though he were not God, and God as though he were not man!”

Ill:

• When the new parents went with their baby to get him examined by the doctor;

• The doctor told them, "You have a cute baby."

• The father replied, "I bet you say that to all new parents."

• The doctor responded “No, just to those whose babies really are good-looking."

• The father then asked: "So what do you say to the others?"

• The doctor said, "He looks just like you."

• TRANSITION: We have a priest who ‘looks just like you’

• He is fully human;

• Yet he also ‘looks just like God’ – because this priest is fully divine.

• Quote: “He is man as though he were not God, and God as though he were not man!”

Question Two: What does this high priest have to offer?

• Answer: Two qualities are mentioned (vs 15):

• ‘Sympathy and grace’.

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are— yet was without sin.

16 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”.

• Question: What does this high priest have to offer?

• Answer: ‘Sympathy and grace’.

(A). SYMPATHY.

• Our high priest sympathizes with our weakness.

• The Greek word for ‘sympathize’ means “to suffer with.”

• There’s identification in that word.

Ill:

• Our high priest has been tested as we are tested.

• We know he was tempted by the devil in the wilderness.

• ill: When I first purchased a computer,

• I remember it used to have a big sticker on it that said; "Hardware tested".

• That is not put on my computer for negative reasons, but positive.

• The product has been examined and proven to be the genuine article in working order!

• TRANSITION: Our high priest has been tested as we are tested.

• We know he was tempted by the devil in the wilderness.

• As a man he has been weak, just as at times we are weak.

• As a man he has suffered, just as at times we suffer.

• And don’t forget he has known what it’s like to stand before the court;

• And to face its merciless judgment.

• And he faced the court as an innocent man with a corrupt judge!

• Our high priest really does sympathize with us;