DRAWING NEAR
December 31
Our Sympathetic High Priest
"Assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to
the descendant of Abraham. Therefore, He had to be made like His
brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and
faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make
propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself
was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to
the aid of those who are tempted" (Heb. 2:16-18).
Jesus came to sympathize with us, so He could be our merciful and
faithful High Priest.
In his letters to Timothy, Paul counseled and encouraged his young
associate about many things--his health, his critics, his moral and
spiritual warfare. His counsel is well summed up in these words:
"Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David" (2
Tim. 2:8).
Like Timothy, we need to be reminded of Christ's humanity, especially
when life becomes particularly tough. Then we can pray, "Lord, You
know what You endured while You were here. I'm going through it now."
We can be sure He knows and will encourage us.
Jesus came not only to save us but also to sympathize with us. He
experienced what we experience so He could be a "merciful and
faithful high priest." After all, "we do not have a high priest who
cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted
in all things as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15).
Jesus felt everything we will ever feel--and more. Most of us will
never know the full degree of any given temptation because we usually
succumb long before we reach it. But since Jesus never sinned, He
took the full measure of every temptation.
Ours is not a cosmic God, powerful and holy, but indifferent. He
knows when we hurt, where we are weak, and how we are tempted. Jesus
is not just our Savior, but our loving Lord who sympathizes with us.
Rejoice in the greatness of His love for us.
Suggestion for Prayer:
Ask God to remind you of your need of Him at all times, not just when
times are tough.
For Future Study:
Memorize 1 Corinthians 10:13 for quick recall whenever you are faced
with any trial.
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but
God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you
are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape,
that you may be able to bear it.
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www2.oneplace.com/Ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
letters@gty.org
NOTE for those of you reading via newsgroups: If you wish to reach
me, please contact me via e-mail for quickest results.
In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
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To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
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