The writer of Hebrews, in describing a human high priest, continues a line of thought from the previous chapters in which he noted that Jesus is able to sympathize with us because he himself became a man and, thus, knows what we deal with in the world. The writer furthers the discussion. Like Jesus, the human priest “can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness” (5:3). But we now have something/someone much better, a compassionate High Priest, who is without weakness. Not only does Jesus understand us and have compassion toward us, “he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him” (5:9). To put it another way, we have a Savior who, in every aspect, is all we need!
Where high the heavenly temple stands,
the house of God not made with hands,
a great High-Priest our nature wears,
the guardian of mankind appears.
He who for men their surety stood,
and poured on earth his precious blood,
pursues in heaven his mighty plan,
the Saviour and the friend of man. -- Michael Bruce (1796)
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