If you’ve ever felt too broken, too ashamed, or too far gone to approach God, this is for you. The book of Hebrews makes a bold claim that changes everything: Jesus is not just a good teacher or a moral example. He is our great High Priest, and because of what He has done, the door to God is open every single day.
What Is the Central Message of Hebrews?
The letter to the Hebrews was written to Jewish believers in Jesus who were suffering greatly for their faith. Persecution, loss of property, and social pressure were pushing them toward a dangerous temptation: walking away from Jesus and returning to the old religious system.
The writer’s response to that temptation is simple and repeated throughout every chapter: Jesus is better.
That same temptation shows up in our lives too. When life gets hard, when following Jesus feels costly or inconvenient, we are tempted to reach for control instead of surrendering to God. We try to find life in something less than Jesus. And the reminder we need is the same one those first-century believers needed: Jesus is still better.
What Did the High Priest Do in the Old Testament?
To understand why Jesus being called our High Priest is such good news, we need to understand what the priesthood meant to God’s people in the Old Testament.
The high priest had one central job: to represent the people before God through sacrifice and atonement. Atonement simply means making up for something that went wrong. Biblically, it is God’s way of dealing with sin so that sinful people could remain in relationship with a holy God.
Sin separates us from God. And because “the wages of sin is death,” something pure had to give its life to cover what sin brings. That is why blood mattered so much in the sacrificial system. As Leviticus 17 explains:
“For the life of the body is in its blood. And I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the Lord.” – Leviticus 17
Through the blood of an animal, sin was covered, forgiveness was provided, and the relationship with God was restored. The priest was the one who made that happen on behalf of the people.
Why Was the Old Priesthood Limited?
Here is the problem with the old system: the high priest was a sinner too.
Aaron, the very first high priest, led the entire nation of Israel to worship a golden calf while Moses was on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments from God. The man appointed to represent the people before God needed the same grace and atonement as the people He represented.
Because the high priest was imperfect, his sacrifices could never be final. They had to be repeated over and over again. And because of that, access to God was severely limited. Only one person, the high priest, could enter the presence of God, and only once a year on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).
One person. One day a year. That was it.
This limitation pointed forward to something better. Something permanent. Someone who could do what no human priest ever could.
How Is Jesus a Better High Priest?
Hebrews 4:14-16 brings it all together:
“So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” – Hebrews 4:14-16
There are three reasons Jesus is the better High Priest.
1. Jesus Has Entered Heaven Itself
The Old Testament high priest entered an earthly sanctuary built by human hands. Jesus entered heaven itself, into the very presence of God. As Hebrews 9 tells us, He appeared there once for all to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself. His sacrifice does not need to be repeated. The door to God is not open one day a year. It is open every single day.
2. Jesus Is the Son of God
Jesus is not just another priest in the line of Aaron. He is not from a human family line. He is the Son of God. That means His sacrifice is not temporary. It is final, complete, and once for all.
3. Jesus’s Priesthood Is Permanent
Every human priest eventually died, and with death came the end of their service. But as Hebrews 7 says:
“Because Jesus lives forever, His priesthood lasts forever. Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through Him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.” – Hebrews 7
Right now, at this very moment, Jesus is in the presence of God interceding for you. You do not need a human mediator. You already have one, and He is better than any priest who ever lived.
Does Jesus Really Understand What We Go Through?
One of the most comforting truths in this passage is that Jesus understands our weaknesses. He was hungry, exhausted, grieved, rejected, and betrayed. He faced the full weight of human temptation.
At the heart of every temptation is the same invitation: turn away from trusting God and turn away from living according to His will. Jesus faced that invitation completely and did not give in. He did not sin.
And because He was victorious, we can be victorious too. Not because we are great, but because He is. As 1 Corinthians reminds us, God will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear, and He will always provide a way out.
Jesus is not standing at a distance, disappointed in us when we struggle. He is Emmanuel, God with us. He is beside us in the temptation, not just waiting for us on the other side of it.
What Does It Mean to Approach God Boldly?
Because Jesus is our great High Priest, we are invited to approach God with boldness and confidence. The Greek word used here, parresia, means freedom of speech, the freedom to speak without fear.
Under the old covenant, people were afraid to enter God’s presence. The high priest himself sometimes hesitated, knowing that approaching a holy God with sin could mean death. But now, because of Jesus, the way is open. We are invited in.
There is an important distinction here though. Approaching God boldly does not mean approaching Him with arrogance. Arrogance demands from God. Confidence trusts in God. We walk in knowing who He is, who we are, and what Jesus has already done to make us right with Him.
As 2 Corinthians 5 puts it:
“God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” – 2 Corinthians 5
What Should We Do When We Sin or Feel Ashamed?
Too often, we respond to sin by pulling away from God. We feel ashamed, so we avoid prayer, skip Scripture, distance ourselves from community, and go quiet. Or we swing the other direction and try to work hard enough to earn our way back into God’s good graces.
Hebrews calls us to do the opposite. When you are weak, approach God. When you are struggling with temptation, go to Him before you give in, not just after. When you have sinned, run to Him, not away from Him.
His throne is described as a throne of grace. When we come to Him, we do not find anger or judgment. We find mercy, grace, and help that is perfectly suited to our individual situation and our exact moment of need.
Do not let the very thing that should drive you toward God become the thing that takes you away from Him.
What Does It Mean That We Are Also Priests?
Here is something worth sitting with. Because we belong to Jesus, we share in a priestly calling. 1 Peter 2 says:
“You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He has called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.” – 1 Peter 2
We do not offer animal sacrifices. Our priestly calling looks like what Romans 12:1 describes:
“I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is your true and proper worship.” – Romans 12:1
In view of everything Jesus has done, the right response is to lay our lives on the altar and say, “God, do with me what You will.” That is worship. That is the life of a priest in God’s kingdom.
Life Application
This week, instead of running from God when life gets hard or when you fall short, practice running to Him. Before you give in to a temptation, pause and go to God first. When shame tells you to pull away, let it remind you instead that you have a High Priest who has already made a way for you to come boldly before God’s throne.
God can do more with your surrender than He could ever do with your control. So this week, surrender something you have been holding onto and bring it to the throne of grace.
Ask yourself these questions as you reflect:
- Is there an area of my life where I have been reaching for control instead of trusting God?
- When I sin or feel ashamed, do I tend to run toward God or pull away from Him?
- Am I going to Jesus before temptation takes hold, or only after I have already given in?
- What would it look like this week to offer my life as a living sacrifice in view of the grace I have received?
Jesus is the better High Priest. He has entered heaven on your behalf. He understands your weakness. He has made a way. His throne is a throne of grace, and you are invited to come.
