“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to EMPATHIZE with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”– Heb 4:15-16
Just to have someone who understands, can be of great comfort, someone who cares, can be soothing for the soul and times when the mind seems to be battered, in the winds of change, conflict and troubles. As your Great High Priest, The Lord Jesus, you have One who does EMPATHIZE. The word, “Empathizes” speaks of feeling the very feelings you feel! He can sit with you in your pain, sorrow, temptation and truly say, “I know how you feel.” He was known as, “A Man of sorrows acquainted with grief.”- Isaiah 53:3. He is no stranger but intimately and knowing perfectly the pain of sorrows and the deep pain of the sorest grief,and in the full onslaught of temptation He yielded not. You do not sit alone in the crucible of your troubles, for He is with you to comfort, encourage, strengthen and offer you His hope for you. He empathizes with you!
Remember Jesus wept, feeling deeply the pain of others. He hung on the cross in place of sinners interceding for us from a place of…empathy. He “feels the very feelings,” you feel in times of weakness and temptations. He is not indifferent, but empathetic towards you! He calls you in time of need to come to His Throne, a Throne of Grace, favor, kindness, power, where sits the Resurrected LORD “our Great,” the word means Superior. He is Superior than all other High priests who only once a year had the privilege to go into the Holy of Holies before God to offer sacrifice for the sins of the people, having first offered for himself. There was no place for him to sit in there for the work was not done. There was a time limit, it was the “DAY of atonement.” He had to leave for their was a set time and back to offering sacrifices for people, for sin is costly. “BUT GOD,” raised Jesus from the Dead and He is SUPERIOR for He completed the work and paid for sin and death with the sin issue and has been raised and sits down for ever and there is no time limit when He has to leave for He finished the work.
He it is who empathizes with us and bids us come to His Throne to receive and we find empathy from the Eternal King! Note the word “our,” you are not alone, for others too know weakness and temptations and for us all He bids us know He is our great High Priest who empathizes. Now, that is good news!