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

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

I continue my study of Hebrews, assisted by the commentary Christ Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Hebrews. I maintain my focus Hebrews 4:14-16, as I move on to what the commentary describes as the second division "Remembering Our Sinless High Priest," which looks at Hebrews 4:15. The commentary first explores the nature of temptation, and ultimately shares that scripture is calling us to fight and resist temptation that turns into sin - lustful thoughts, impatience, frustration, selfishness, greed, etc. We need to avoid "crossing that line" that "give[s] permission to [our] temptation to manifest itself into full blown sin."  Jesus is described as never crossing that line: "He was tempted in every respect that we have been tempted, but never once did he permit that temptation to become sin in his heart, in his thoughts, or in his actions. Thus, temptation that resists or rejects sin falls short of sin, while temptation that gives over to sin is sin."  The commentary wraps for this text by comparing Old Testament priests to Jesus and the role He plays as the Great High Priest: "Old Testament priests could only offer sacrifices that would delay God’s judgment against sin. Their sacrifices could only buy time. Jesus’s sacrifice, however, accomplished complete atonement for sin once and for all. This was only possible because he was without sin, totally unlike every other high priest and totally unlike every other human being." A Great High Priest indeed!

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My Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You are SO, SO good!  Your mercies are new every morning, and Your provide for all of my needs!  Thank You Jesus!  You also are a Great High Priest and My Lord and Savior - thank You Jesus - amazing grace!  Of course I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

...[B]ecause he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Isaiah 51-53

...[B]ecause he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:12

I continued my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series - and on Day 5c of Lesson 19, I complete my review of Isaiah 53 with a reference to a number of  a number of verses that describe the manner of Jesus death - that He died in humility, with two criminals - one on either side of Him. He was willing to be beaten, mocked, "numbered with transgressors," and ultimately crucified - although He did nothing wrong.  He became the perfect sacrifice for our sins - that we could have life...in abundance now and for eternity with Him.  Amazing grace!  We must model such humility, and we are to reflect on how Jesus died and THAT He did...even though He did nothing wrong and lived a spotless life. 

Scripture references include: Daniel 9:26, 1 Peter 2:2, Luke 22:37. 

Comment and discuss this post. 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who is full of grace for me - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such grace.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Leviticus 16

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:10

This morning, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - continuing chapter fourteen - God Forgives and Removes Sin - covering Leviticus 16:1-34, looking specifically at the fifth theme for the chapter - Jesus is God's Offer of Atonement and Removal of Sin.  Here, although one might believe the commentary is stating the obvious, it is nonetheless important to see how the commentary uses New Testament scripture to demonstrate how Jesus's death on the cross represents the perfect sacrifice that has no equal relative to the sacrificial system laid out in Leviticus.  The commentary first points us to Hebrews 7-10, where we see how, "in detail how Jesus' death on the cross supersedes the Day of Atonement and all the old covenant sacrifices":

• Hebrews 9:12: because Jesus is eternal, His death on the cross represents an eternal redemption, not something that must be done repeatedly as described in Leviticus
  
• Hebrews 9:24: versus the Old Testament priests who entered an earthly tent to meet with God, Jesus offered Himself in the presence of God Himself
• Hebrews 9:7, 7:26-27: the Old Testament priests offered sacrifices for their own sins, but Jesus had no sin, so no sacrifice was necessary for sins that were not committed
• Hebrews 9:25-26, 10:11-12: Jesus died once and for all, eliminating the need for repeated sacrifices
• Hebrews 10:1, 8:13, 10:9: Jesus fulfilled the law and abolished the Old Testament sacrifices that were only a "shadow of the good things to come"

The commentary also refers us to 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 3:18, and 1 John 4:10 as additional scriptural examples of how Jesus serves as God's perfect offer of atonement and removal of sin. 

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who died for my sins - even though You led a perfect sinless life.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a sacrifice - the greatest gift of grace.  My sin of harshness towards others continues as do other sins.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sins towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.

John 11

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. v33

This morning's reading in v17-37 struck me on the topic of the Incarnation. In three places (V33, 35, 38), we see Jesus' emotions, underscoring the humanity of His nature of both God and man.  We should take great comfort and encouragement in knowing that "Jesus is fully and perfectly man and has also experienced the full range of human experience. We have a Savior who can truly identify with us because he is man and who can also truly help us in temptation because he has never sinned" (see DesiringGod.com for more on this topic). 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God who knows everything about me and knows everything about being human because You came to earth to live a sinless life and to give me the power to gain freedom over the sting of sin and death myself - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a gift and such love.  I worry and I gossip.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly firends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.