On Israel’s long journey to the land of promise, God gave the people his law, which included instructions on the tabernacle, which represented the presence of God with the people. Why were such detailed instructions given? For starters, the tabernacle was a copy of what’s in heaven (Hebrews 8:5). If you want to know what heaven looks like, look at the tabernacle.
Second, everything about the tabernacle represents Jesus and the way of salvation. For example, the Golden Lampstand reminds us that Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12). The Table of the Bread of the Presence pictures Jesus as the bread of life (John 6:35). We won’t list every item here, but the point is that the law, tabernacle, and sacrificial system all looked forward to Jesus the Messiah.
God’s instructions also included details about the office of high priest. The high priest was a mediator, or intercessor, between God and man. He represented God to the people and the people to God. The priests, in general, taught people the law, guarded the tabernacle, and offered sacrifices for the people. The high priest, though, was the only person who could enter the Most Holy Place to intercede for the people, and he could only enter the Most Holy Place one day each year on the Day of Atonement.
As intercessor, the high priest was the perfect picture of the coming Messiah. As the “great” high priest, Jesus offered the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of his people. He actually, not just symbolically, removed the sins of the people. Here’s what the author of Hebrews says:
Therefore he [Jesus] had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2:17)
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. (Hebrews 4:14-15)
Jesus, while he was here on earth, was tempted just like we are, yet he never sinned. He faced temptation greater than we’ve ever faced. At some point, we’ve all given in to temptation. Jesus never gave in. No one else has ever faced the full impact of temptation and stood firm.
Jesus knows the power of the temptation you face, and he stands ready to help. Because he’s the great high priest, he’s there for you when you need him, as the next verse says:
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)
You can go to Jesus with any need. He knows the pain of loss. He knows rejection from enemies, friends, and even his heavenly Father. He knows death. He knows the power of temptation. There is no emotion you can feel that he doesn’t understand. Go to him. His arms are open wide and ready to give you all the mercy and grace you need.
Jesus, like the Old Testament high priest, is also an intercessor between his people and God. The Old Testament high priest had to make intercession by offering sacrifices for the people again and again. Jesus made one sacrifice for all time, and because he died for us and rose from the dead, he now sits in authority in heaven at the right hand of God.
In Romans 8, Paul asks, “Who could claim that a believer is guilty of sin and worthy of death?” And then he provides the answer to that question:
Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. (Romans 8:34)
Paul says no one can condemn us for our sins, because our sins have been forgiven through faith in Jesus. And Jesus right now is sitting at the right hand of God, interceding for us. Jesus is there, resurrected from a death that brought us life, eternally making the case through his sacrifice that we are and always will be forgiven. We are forgiven of all our sins committed before and after our salvation. That failure you had last week? Jesus is standing there declaring your innocence. He’ll do the same for you tomorrow.
That’s why we can “draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Jesus has not only experienced temptation and pain just like us, but he also gave his life for us so that we are declared “not guilty.” He defeated temptation in his life, he died for our sins, he rose from the dead, he ascended to heaven, and he lives forever making intercession for us. So always turn to him when you’re in need.
If you’re a believer, when you feel beaten down by your shortcomings and your guilt, when your spiritual enemy, Satan, comes along and reminds you of all the wrong you’ve done, when he tells you how worthless you are and how undeserving of forgiveness you are, when you begin to feel condemned, remember that you have a resurrected great high priest. He’s sitting now at the right hand of the Father. His very presence there proves that you are no longer condemned. You are no longer guilty. You have been made right with God, and you are his child. Forever!