Tenth Day of Christmas: Our Faithful High Priest

For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Hebrews 2:17-18

The baby who was born in Bethlehem was an ordinary baby.  He had ten fingers and toes, a round little belly, and he cried when he was wet or hungry.  The line from the Christmas carol that says “no crying he makes” is optimistic, to say the least.

Jesus had to be an ordinary baby, like us in every respect, in order to fulfill his extraordinary purpose.  He was born to make atonement for our sin, to make peace between our souls and God, and to do that, he needed to be fully human.  That includes the temptation to sin.

Jesus experienced the same temptations we do.  He knows what we go through. Our perfect and faithful high priest is not a glowering, judgmental, finger-pointing figure in heaven, waiting to smite us when we screw up.  He has been here, too.  He remembers how hard it is.  Mercy fills his eyes.

The baby born in Bethlehem grew up to feel all the ordinary temptations and disappointments in life, and some not-so-ordinary (personally, no one has ever promised me I can rule the world if I just grant one small favor). He knows how difficult some things can be.  Instead of rushing to condemn us, our faithful and merciful high priest reaches out to help us.  It is why he came.

I am embarrasses how often even now, after following Jesus in some fashion my whole life, I forget how eager he is to forgive and to help.  I still try to do everything myself, as if I can achieve something with God by working really hard.  I can’t.  Peace with God has been achieved by what Jesus did, not through what I do.   I still try to sweep my flaws and failures under the rug, as if I can avoid trouble by hiding them from God’s notice.  I can’t.  He sees and knows.  The foolishness of it all is that Jesus sees and knows and reaches out to forgive, but my pride and fear bat his hands away.

Sometimes the hardest thing to believe is that Jesus loves me.

But he does, and he will.  That is why the baby in Bethlehem was born.  He is our merciful and faithful high priest, eager to help and comfort because he knows what life is like for us.  The baby in Bethlehem, at risk in a dangerous world, knows our own vulnerability.

He remembers our condition, even when we forget his.