We once lived under the tyranny of the fear of death. Every motive, every ambition, every anxious striving was rooted in that dread. This fear was not a minor inconvenience—it was the master of humanity, shaping our thoughts, our relationships, and our very sense of self. But Christ has intervened, not as a distant observer, but as the One who became flesh and blood, uniting Himself to us in our weakness, in order to deliver us from this bondage and bring us into glory.
The High Priest Who Knows Us
Jesus is not aloof from our struggles. He was tempted in every way we are, yet without sin. This is not a mere theological detail; it is the foundation of His ability to sympathize with our weaknesses. He is not a judge who stands apart, but a High Priest who has felt the full weight of our infirmities. Because He has endured every form of temptation, He is able to help those who are tempted. This is not a sentimental comfort—it is the very power of our salvation. If Christ had not entered into our experience, He could not have become our Helper. But because He did, He is able to intercede for us with real understanding and authority.
"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15)
The Divine and Human Captain of Our Salvation
Do not miss the magnitude of who He is. In His divinity, Jesus is the Creator and eternal Sustainer, the One who outlasts all things. In His humanity, as the resurrected Seed of David, He has been given the scepter—the rod of iron promised to the Son—and has sat down at the right hand of God as a Man, possessing all authority in heaven and on earth. This is not a mere honorary title. As both God and Man, He is uniquely qualified to be the Author and Captain of our salvation. He alone can unite us to Himself and lead us into the inheritance prepared for the sons of God.
The Content of Our Profession: Many Sons Brought to Glory
Jesus became flesh and blood for one purpose: to unite Himself with us so that He could bring many sons to glory. This is not a vague hope or an abstract doctrine. It is the very content of our profession. The entirety of His work—His incarnation, His sinless life, His death, His resurrection, His exaltation—has one result: to produce the many sons of God who are His Body. This is not merely about individual salvation; it is about being made partakers of His glory, sharers in His very life, and members of His own Body. This is our calling. Anything less is a denial of the finished work and a retreat back into the bondage of fear.
What Is Lost If We Deny This
If we set aside Christ’s unique divinity and humanity, or reduce His priesthood to mere sympathy without power, we lose everything. We forfeit the only foundation for our deliverance from the fear of death. We undermine the very basis of our sonship, our inheritance, and our confidence before God. If Jesus is not the High Priest who has united Himself to us and brought us into glory, then we are left with nothing but the old slavery—motivated by fear, striving for acceptance, and never entering rest. This is not a secondary issue. To compromise here is to collapse the gospel itself.
The Finished Work and Our Rest
Jesus has finished the work. He is not merely an example or a distant King; He is the High Priest who has entered into our experience, overcome every temptation, and now intercedes for us with all authority. He has delivered us from the fear of death, brought us into glory, and made us the very content of His own profession before the Father. Our assurance, our inheritance, and our calling are anchored in Him alone—not in our performance, not in our resolve, but in His finished work as both God and Man.
Let no one rob you of this confidence. The gospel is not about managing your fears or improving your behavior; it is about being delivered from the reign of death by the One who became one with you, triumphed over every enemy, and now brings you into the very glory of God as a son. This is the heart of our faith, the content of our confession, and the ground of our rest.
