"That He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest..."
Text: Hebrews 2:17
JESUS AS OUR HIGH PRIEST IN THE NEW COVENANT
In the Sinaitic covenant, the high priesthood was given to Aaron. His sons would become the priests and the Levites would be their assistants.
In the new covenant, Jesus would be the High Priest. The following text is an important introductory statement about His ministry as High Priest.
“Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren,
that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things
pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted,
He is able to aid those who are tempted.”
Hebrews 2:17-18
1. “He had to be made like His brethren”
a) This is a reference to the humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
b) He must experience the things commonly experienced by mankind.
2. “That He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest”
a) Through His personal experience as Man Jesus would then be wonderfully suited to fulfil His role.
b) He would become:
i) Merciful for He had learned what it means to be dependent upon God’s mercy.
ii) Faithful for He had learned how to be faithful to God consistently.
3. “In things pertaining to God”
a) We tend to oversimplify what the concept of “the things pertaining to God”.
b) The Lord Jesus took nothing for granted.
c) He wanted to learn all that He needed to learn concerning the things pertaining to God.
4. “To make propitiation for the sins of the people”
a) This is one of the things “pertaining to God”.
b) Sins we commit require propitiation.
c) Jesus must satisfy God’s righteous requirement and He must also appease Him.
d) Only Jesus could do that as the perfect Son of Man.
5. “For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted”
a) This text tells us that Jesus suffered while He was tempted!
b) Thus He is able to aid those who experience suffering because of testing in life.
c) He understands all our sufferings; He is able to empathize with us. He can aid us!