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Our LORD Jesus Christ is the believer's rest. He is the great High Priest; greater than Aaron and all the high priests, Christ is He who has passed through the heavens.
"For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: " - Hebrews 9:24.
"Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;" - Hebrews 9:25.
"For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. " - Hebrews 9:26.
"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" - Hebrews 9:27.
"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." - Hebrews 9:28.
The earthly high priests like Aaron had to pass through a veil of fabric to enter the Holy of Holies, Christ went directly into the presence of heaven. Paul's vision spoke of a third heaven:
"I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. " - 2 Corinthians 12:2.
"And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)" - 2 Corinthians 12:3.
"How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter." - 2 Corinthians 12:4.
"Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities." - 2 Corinthians 12:5.
While full of glory, Christ still humbled Himself and came to earth not full of glee and pomp, but rather as Isaiah 53 said He would, a man of sorrows:
"Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?" - Isaiah 53:1.
"For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him." - Isaiah 53:2.
"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not." - Isaiah 53:3.
This is directly relating to what we read in Hebrews 4:15 that "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities". In other words, this is saying that Christ can sympathize with our afflictions and weaknesses. The word translated "feeling" in the KJV is from the Greek verb "Sumpatheo"; from which we get the English word sympathy. Strong defines the word as: "to be affected with the same feeling as another, to sympathise with; to feel for, have compassion on". The verb comes from the word whose origin is the adjective form: "Sumpathes"; which is found only once in the Bible, in 1 Peter, and it means: " suffering or feeling the like with another, sympathetic":
"Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous" - 1 Peter 3:8.
Jesus is able to sympatize with us even in the areas we are most frail. How great is the fact that our Saviour is compassionate? In contast, there are few in the human race with true, deep, buring compassion for others. Jesus sympatizes with our weaknesses, He was too tempted but did not give in, how often can we honestly say the same of ourselves?:
"And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him." - Matthew 4:3-11.
Although Jesus did not give in, He knows the intensity of temptation; He of course knows all things. The sinless nature of Christ provides the perfect example for us:
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." - 2 Corinthians 5:17-21.
"For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls." - 1 Peter 2:21-25.
"And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. - 1 John 3:5.
"Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him." - 1 John 3:6.
"Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous." - 1 John 3:7.
"He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. " - 1 John 3:8.
"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." - 1 John 3:9.
"In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother." - 1 John 3:10.
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