Christ Giving Himself As Our High Priest
Orientation
Many believers struggle under the burden of spiritual performance, fearing they must earn God's favor or maintain their own sanctification.
- Christ's priesthood is not a distant doctrine but an active, personal ministry to you.
- He has taken full responsibility for every detail of the Christian life.
- His work releases you from the spirit of slavery and the dread of judgment.
Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. (Hebrews 4:14)
— Hebrews 4:14
Clarification
Christ's high priesthood is not about helping you obey rules, but about ministering His own life, liberty, and rest to you as a son.
- His sympathy comes from real experience of temptation and suffering, not from distance.
- His victory over death and the devil is a finished foundation, not a theoretical hope.
- The 'rest' He brings is the cessation of your striving, not a reward for it.
For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. (Hebrews 2:18)
— Hebrews 2:18
Structure
Christ's comprehensive priesthood flows from His threefold giving: in death for victory, in resurrection for life, and in ongoing intercession for intimate care.
- His incarnation and suffering qualified Him as a sympathetic High Priest.
- His death and resurrection destroyed the devil's power and freed you from bondage.
- His present ministry at the throne of grace supplies everything needed for your life as a son.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
— Hebrews 4:16
Weight-Bearing Prose
Christ’s high priesthood, revealed in Hebrews, is the Pauline category for the believer’s entire sustenance. It is not an auxiliary help but the means of sanctification, rest, and liberty. His identification with humanity in incarnation—experiencing temptation yet without sin—was God’s move to qualify Him as a sympathetic mediator. This sympathy softens the heart and speaks in sonship, countering the accuser’s voice. His death and resurrection were God’s decisive acts to spoil principalities, destroy the devil’s power over death, and release believers from bondage and fear. The result is the ‘rest’ and ‘liberty of the sons of God,’ which is your present portion, not a future reward. His ongoing intercessory life is God’s provision for detailed, continuous ministry. This means Christ Himself ministers everything to you; your Christian life is His responsibility. To reintroduce law, performance, or fear as the rule of life is to reject this priesthood and forfeit the ground of your sonship. The obedience of faith is not your work to generate but the pattern He lived and now imparts. Your bold access to the throne of grace is commanded, based on His finished work and present intercession.
Integration
Your standing is secure because your High Priest is constant. His ministry to you does not fluctuate with your performance. He is speaking sonship over you right now, softening your heart with His sympathy. The victory that broke your chains is finished. The rest He gives is yours to enter, not yours to earn. Come to the throne of grace boldly, not because you feel worthy, but because He is there for you. This is your assurance: Christ Himself is your sanctification, your rest, your liberty. He is taking care of it all. Let that truth anchor you. There is no pressure to advance, only an invitation to rest in the detailed, sustaining care of your sympathetic High Priest.