Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.—Hebrews 4:14–16

Introduction
Our Greatest Need: The Presence and Power of God

I think that whether we know it or not, our hearts are longing for the Garden. Here’s what I mean. If we look back at the only time we know of when humans were in perfect fellowship with each other and God, it was the Garden of Eden. And what defined that place? What defined that happiness? What defined that sense of peace and rest? The presence and power of God. 

The God of the universe in his infinite power had created a place for people to dwell in his presence in perfect joy. He had provided for their every need. He had given them a command to obey. And humans were gladly dependent and obedient as worshipers of God. In fact, that’s what we were made for. It is the reason we exist.

Sin had not yet come to ruin relationships with each other. Sin had not yet separated Adam & Eve from fellowship with God. Sin had not yet brought sickness, death, and curse. And when it entered the world, it distorted our dependence, our obedience, and our worship. In so many ways we’re prone toward self-sufficiency, choosing our own way, and showing with our lives that we worship lots of other things. But deep down, our hearts long to do what they were made to do in dependent obedience to God, and so we are restless in our distancing from him.

Now, I bring this up because the main call of our passage this morning is to “draw near” and yet we have such a hard time with this don’t we? When it comes to drawing near regularly to God don’t we just struggle with inconsistency at best and apathy at worst? Anyone?

Why? Well, what we see in that Garden is that when sin entered the world, the natural reaction of man and woman was not to draw near. It was to hide. They tried to cover up their naked shame with fig leaves and hide among the trees as if the God who created it all would not find them. Why? Because they knew they were guilty and were full of shame.

You see, that’s what sin does. It distances us from God as we realize our guilt before him. It separates us as we try hide from him because of shame. It makes us try to take his place as the ones who know better and can fix ourselves. It creates suffering that causes a weariness that makes us wonder if prayer even matters.

So, prayer is hard, because prayer is a “drawing near” to God that seems unnatural, unimportant, ineffective, and wasted time—we’d never say that, but practically in the patterns of our lives we see the priority of other things and the lack of fellowship with our God. 

My prayer is that Hebrews 4 will help us realize that our greatest need is the presence and power of God, and that we will be motivated to draw near to him over and over again with confidence.

A Conquering High Priest (v.14)

Now, as this author writes this letter, he is writes to a people tempted to walk away from salvation in Christ because of suffering and sin.

The author in verse 14 calls them to “hold fast to the confession.” This is a repeated theme in Hebrews: “Don’t neglect your salvation” (2:1–3), “Hold fast your confidence” (3:6), “Take care lest you have an unbelieving heart that causes you to fall away from the living God” (3:12), “Hold your original confidence until the end” (3:14). The idea here is to hold fast to the promises of God that have been purchased in Christ. To cling to salvation now and forever found in Christ. To keep trusting that God sent Christ as the Son of God who made purification for sins through his death and then sat down at the right hand of God (1:3).

The author of Hebrews shows over and over how much better Jesus is in order to show them that he is indeed worthy and able to bring about the promises of God and, therefore, they should stick close to him. In verse 14 he gives them another reason to hold fast:

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.—Hebrews 4:14

In the Old Testament, God dwelt among his people in the tabernacle/temple (which had lots of symbolism pointing back to the Garden), and his presence was mediated by priests whose job was to be a go-between for the people and God. They would offer all sorts of sacrifices so that God’s presence and power would be among his people.

And if you were to turn to Leviticus 16, you would find the place where extensive instructions are given for the high priest to enter into the most holy place once per year and put blood of unblemished animals on the mercy seat for the sins of himself and the people. He “passed through” the outer parts of the tabernacle and into the most holy place to present a sacrifice so that God’s presence and power could be among his people. 

Here, the author is saying that Jesus is a superior high priest who has passed through not just the outer courts of the tabernacle, but through the heavens into the presence of God forever. Here are two other passages in Hebrews to show why Jesus is superior: 

For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.—Hebrews 9:24–26 

The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.—Hebrews 7:23–25

And if we peaked down to verse 15, we would see that Jesus never sinned, which meant that not only was he the superior high priest, but he was also the perfect sacrifice for our sins who lived the life we could never live and died the death for sin we deserved to die.

So, for people who were weary from persecution and sin and perhaps tempted to go back to their old way of life and the old system of sacrifice, the author says, “Hold fast! Don’t run away from God! Stay close to Jesus. He has brought a sacrifice of himself for your sins once for all, don’t leave him! He dwells in the presence of God and is praying on your behalf right now! And he lives forever, so that you can be confident that he is always able to save you! He is so much better than those old priests you trusted in who had to bring sacrifices over and over, who died and had to be replaced, and who brought sacrifices that could never fully pay for sin.”

The author of Hebrews knew that to separate from Christ in any way was looking for disaster. He knew that when life got hard, guilt was felt, and shame was great, it would be easy to run to other places and old ways of life for rest.

The sacrificial system was a gift from God to dwell with his people, but ultimately it couldn’t pay for sins. It brought no ultimate rest. And to run back to that system would have been like Adam & Eve making fig leaves for themselves.

In other words, we don’t have to sew our own leaf coverings or try to earn our way to God’s favor and fellowship. We don’t have to try to make our own way—Jesus has made a way. We don’t have to hide in shame because a perfect offering has been made by our great High Priest that covers our shame!

What do you cling to when sin and suffering strike? Jesus? Or do you numb the pain with entertainment? Or do you try to find rest by doing better and pulling yourself up by your bootstraps? Or do you try to find rest by hoping it will all work out? Or do you try to find rest by getting your slice of heaven here on earth in vacations and the comfort of family? What are the fig leaves you put on in your moments of suffering, sin, and shame? 

The author of Hebrews would call us to hold fast to Christ, our great High Priest who has paid for our sin once for all, and who lives forever in the presence of God to pray on our behalf in the midst of our suffering and shame.

A Compassionate High Priest (v.15) 

In verse 15, the author gives us more help to hold fast to God and all his promises. Perhaps deep down we know these things about Jesus, but it’s hard to believe he’s not just ultimately disappointed in us and a little frustrated that he has to keep praying these same old prayers for our same old struggles:

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.—Hebrews 4:15

We think, “How could someone so perfect and pure and powerful ever relate to someone as imperfect, polluted, and weak as me?” And here we see a sympathetic high priest. Why? Because he has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. Jesus knows the temptations that come with being human. He became man. He dwelt among us. He knows we are dust, and he can relate. 

And yet, we can hope in him and his sacrifice as our perfect high priest because he never sinned. He never gave in. He never lost the fight. This means that not only does he know every temptation, but he knows what it takes to conquer that temptation by the Spirit, and he’s praying on our behalf in the heavens as we face it. Jesus paid the price to free us from the penalty our sins, and Jesus is praying in heaven to free us from the power of sin now.

Jesus is not in heaven rolling his eyes at your repeated failures. He is not in heaven annoyed with your temptations. He is not in heaven wishing you stop complaining about your suffering. He knows the temptations, and he knows the pain of suffering more deeply than we ever will in every way. In fact, Jesus came and took on flesh so that he would forever be a faithful and merciful high priest:

Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest pin the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.—Hebrews 2:17–18

Jesus paid for your sin and Jesus prays for your fight against sin now. Jesus is intimately aware of your suffering. He is compassionate. He knows. And he is able to help!

Sometimes we can think that God may be wishing that we were a bit more put together. Or that God will be happier with some future better-versions of ourselves. Or that God is wishing he wouldn’t have chosen us. Yet, here we see that not only did God send his Son to pay for our past, present, and future, sins but that he sent his Son in the flesh so that he’d be merciful and able to help us.

Application

Our Greatest Privilege:
The Presence and Power of God 

I love when a text has the application written out for you like this one does.

So, knowing that Jesus lives forever as the great high priest that brought the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice, and knowing that Jesus is compassionate toward us in our sin and suffering, and knowing that he is in the presence of God and is able to help, what should we do? Keep covering ourselves up with fig leaves trying to hide our shame and fix it ourselves? No.

And let me just say this isn’t just some preacher up here calling you to prayer again. This is a guy who has walked through the waters of suffering before, and in some ways currently, a guy who still struggles with sin way more than I care to think about, and a guy who is tempted all the time to self-sufficient solutions—tempted all the time to hide in my shame—a guy regularly trying to cover up my failures with my own manufactured fig leaves. And I just want so desperately for us to take advantage of the greatest privilege we have. 

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need—Hebrews 4:16 

Now, because of our great High Priest, this throne of God is no longer a throne of wrath against our sin, but is a throne of “grace, mercy, and well-timed help.” I love this line in the song “All I Have Is Christ”:

And I beheld God’s love displayed
You suffered in my place
You bore the wrath reserved for me
Now all I know is grace

The only thing for Christians at the throne of God is grace, mercy, and well-timed help because of Jesus. The God of the universe calls us to draw near and receive, from the infinite storehouses of his power, grace, mercy, and help. He doesn’t shake his head at our failures or shake his fist in our face. Instead, he invites us to come get help! Now, of course, our sin grieves him. But, it grieves him as a loving Father who wants what is best for his children. And in those moments, the Spirit inside of us cries, “Abba, Father” and draws us back to him for help. That is what has been purchased in Jesus.

So, what should we do in the deepest sufferings and when we are caught up in the darkest sins? 

We boldly approach the throne of grace. We know that we need help to hold fast. We know Jesus has made a way for us into the presence of God to get that help by his perfect sacrifice. We know Jesus is praying on our behalf. And so we go boldly.

We are boldly running to the throne of the almighty God for help when we should receive wrath. But, this boldness is not presumption. This boldness is a boast in Jesus Christ. This boast is in our Great High Priest. Jesus has made a way by his perfect offering as our high priest, and we are following him to the throne room. Jesus has compassion as our praying High Priest, and so we are running to the throne to pray ourselves. Jesus sits at the right hand of the throne, praying, while the Father waits with open arms to pour out grace and mercy purchased by the Son at his right hand. And so, we are simply responding to the sustaining prayers of Jesus for us by drawing near to the Father in prayer for help.

This is how intimacy works. This is when you know that you’re truly at rest with another person. When they know your worst stuff, and you know that you’re still completely loved. When they know your worst stuff, and they don’t run away or disown you, but they are eager to lean in to help you.

This is the longing of every soul. To be completely known by the God of the universe and somehow, because of the conquering and compassionate work of Jesus, to be completely loved by the God of the universe.

And, how can we respond to all of that but to continually draw near to God for more mercy and grace at the exact moment we need it? And that is prayer. Going to God for help as his children and praying he works for your good and his glory.

We have been made for joyful dependence and obedience as worshipers of God and nothing expresses our joyful dependence and our desire to be joyfully obedient more than to simply go to God and plead with him for his mercy. There is mercy for you today at that throne. There is grace for you today at that throne. There is well-timed help today at that throne. We get the help and he gets the glory. And we want to grow in doing this together.

So, put down your fig-leaf sewing kit, and lay your guilt, shame, fears, and sufferings at the foot of the Throne day after day. Bring whatever is burdening your heart to your Father and cast it on him, because he cares for you and because Jesus has made a way.