Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.
Hebrews 4:14
Greatness is never alone. It’s always, always, always in comparison with others. You out a bunch of people side-by-side and you pick out the one who’s obviously so much better than anyone else. They’re head-and-shoulders above everyone else. It’s not even close. There’s absolutely no comparison.
It seems like we just can’t leave well enough alone when it comes to the greatest. Every season, teams and players are compared with the greatest of all time. Even a single game is compared to the greatest game of all time. Heck, individual shots and plays are talked about is they’re the greatest of all time.
I’m sure that memories are now running through your head about people and events that were the greatest. Lots of people make a big deal about who’s the greatest. And then there are those rare individuals that keep telling you that they are the greatest. Over and over they keep repeating and reminding that they are the greatest.
The writer to the Hebrews does this with Jesus. He compares him with ever other high priest that ever lived. He picks out four things to compare Jesus with all the other high priests. The list is really amazing
Ascended. Ever other high priest died and was buried. And that was it. They just laid there in the ground. You could walk into the graveyard and read their tombstone. There was no secret about where their body was. But Jesus was completely different. He not only predicted his death and resurrection, but he actually did it.
Into Heaven. Jesus’ death and resurrection are even greater and more marvelous than just ascending. He went up and through the heavens. But why is that so special? Because while all the other high priests just went to heaven, Jesus blasted right through is now on the throne of heaven[1] where he’s worshiped[2].
Jesus. This isn’t the name of any other high priest; this is the one and only. His name means God’s salvation. Not our salvation that depends on us doing so many things. Not our salvation that puts all the weight and pressure on us. No, this is God’s salvation. It’s up to God to pay the price, and he did that on the cross for you and me. For all who believed[3].
Son of God. No one else in the history of the world called themselves the Son of God. Notice that he didn’t claim to be a son of God. Just another son of God in a long list of them. No, Jesus clearly claims to be the one and only, the eternally unique son of God[4]. And everyone knew exactly what this meant: that he claimed to be equal with God[5].
So, what’s the writer want these Hebrews to do? Now that they clearly see that Jesus is way above and better than any other high priest, how is that to change the way they act? Change the way they think. Change the way they talk? They don’t have to try and figure this out because the writer actually makes it easy for them. He tells them what to do.
All of this is so that they will hold onto their faith. In the face of brutal and painful persecution, they are to remain faithful. On a minute-by-minute basis, they are to be actively holding on with all their might. Because of who Jesus is and all he’s done, they need to remain faithful.
No one said that it was going to be easy. No one said that all you have to do is to pray a certain prayer, or mumble some special words, and everything would be made better. Tiy don’t even have to go anywhere or offer any kind of a sacrifice.
Why? Because Jesus’ death on the cross is all that’s needed. If God took care of what we couldn’t take care of for ourselves, then all is right again with our Heavenly Father. There’s no more debt to be paid. There’s no more guilt to hide from God about. There’s no more shame to hang our head from God.
Because Jesus is our great high priest, we’re made into his beloved sons and daughters. All fear is gone. We can run to him and cru out “Abba, Father.[6]” His Spirit that comes to live inside of us also cries out “Abba, Father.[7]”
And all this is great, but we have a part to play. We have to hold firmly onto Him. Yes, God holds onto us, but we have to hold onto him. We need to reach out and grab ahold of the one who loved us enough to die for us. We have to want him. In the middle of all the pain and confusion, we need to refuse to let go. We must put all our hope on our one and only great high priest. The one who’s made the once-and-for sacrifice so that we can be called the children of God. Now that’s true greatness.
Noodling Questions
Who are the people that you compare yourself with?
How do we come up with that list of comparisons?
Describe a victory and defeat when it comes to comparing ourselves.
[1] Revelations 5:6
[2] Revelations 4:10, 5:14
[3] 2 Corinthians 5:14
[4] Matthew 26:63-65r
[5] John 5:18
[6] Romans 8:15
[7] Galatians 4:65
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