For sheer overwhelming holiness, it was hard to beat the office of the High Priest. The Jewish High Priests were consecrated, decorated, elevated and celebrated. Separated and revered, the ceremonies and responsibilities of the High Priests required them to be largely isolated from the common people, because they couldn’t risk being polluted by the sin of the masses.
They were a breed apart, descended straight from Aaron: an almost alien race, spiritual giants, often intimidating, frequently aloof.
And so you can imagine the people wondering if men like the High Priests could have possibly understood them and their common, sinful lives.
Were they tempted like us, the people may have wondered? Could they sympathize with the common people?
There was no way to tell.
The Priests were almost unapproachable.
In amazing contrast to the High Priests of the Old Testament comes Jesus the Christ. He was completely accessible. To those who came to Him in humility and with child-like faith, he was infinitely approachable. He was willing to teach.
Eager to share, He gave away everything He had, including His life. He was ready to help, and willing to heal.
He was not afraid to mingle with the masses, because He couldn’t possibly be infected by their sinful lives. The Bible says He “was in every respect tempted as we are, yet He never sinned.”
Not once. Not ever.
But even with that kind of perfect track record, there wasn’t then - and there isn’t now - a sense of disdain or disappointment from Jesus towards common people like you and me. Rather (and incredibly) we’re reassured that in Jesus we have a High Priest who is not only able to understand us, but is actually able to sympathize with our weaknesses. Perfect in holiness, and yet perfectly reachable, Jesus stands alone, unique and mind-boggling in His profound, High Priestly ability to connect - through His death - common, fallen people to the infinite, Flawless God.
For we do not have a High Priest
who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses.
Instead, we have One who in every respect
has been tempted as we are,
yet He never sinned.
Hebrews 4:15
By Gordon Smart
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