Our Great High Priest

“Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.” Hebrews 2:17-18

Today, we are thinking of the Glory of Christmas. Far more than just a birth of a baby - it is the truth that God became a man. God sent His Son into the world. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Jesus Christ is God’s gift (1 Cor. 9:15), and He is a gift worth understanding! In Hebrews 2, the writer gives us the reason why Jesus became a man. Now this is a theological passage, but it’s important for us to understand:
- Why God came to earth
- Why He lived among us and gave His life

When we look at Hebrews, the writer probably does as good a job as any to help us understand why Jesus became a man. In Hebrews 2, he shows us that fallen man needs a bridge to Holy God. Over and over again, Jesus is referred to as the High Priest (Hebrews 2:17; 3:1; 4:14; 5:1; 6:20; 8:1).

There were four qualifications of a High Priest:
1. Must be one of the people
2. Must be faithful in ministry
3. Must be appointed by God
4. Must be cleansed from all sin

What the Hebrew writer is saying is that Jesus Christ became a man to be the High Priest for all of us. And that He fits all four of those qualifications (Heb. 2-7).
1. He became one of us - He was flesh (John 1:14; Heb 2:9, 11, 14).
2. He was faithful to the Father (Heb. 3:2; 3:6).
3. He was appointed (Heb. 5:6, 10; Heb. 7).
4. He was without sin (Heb. 4:15).

Hebrews is to the New Testament what Leviticus is to the Old Testament. So with that understanding - The writer gives us four reason why Jesus came into this world, and I want you to see them over the next few days.