Hebrews 4:14

My Notes

What Does Hebrews 4:14 Mean?

The writer of Hebrews draws a practical conclusion from Christ's priesthood: seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

Seeing then that we have — the argument is based on possession: we have. The high priest is not someone we are waiting for. He is someone we possess — currently, actively, in the present. The having determines the holding.

A great high priest — great (megas) distinguishes Christ from every Levitical priest. Aaron was a high priest. Christ is a great high priest — superior in nature, in sacrifice, in permanence, in everything. The greatness is not merely comparative. It is categorical: Christ's priesthood is of a fundamentally different order.

That is passed into the heavens — passed through (dierchomai — to go through, to pass through). Christ has traversed the heavens — ascending from earth through the atmospheric and cosmic heavens into the very presence of God. The Levitical high priest passed through the veil into the Most Holy Place once a year. Christ passed through the heavens into God's actual presence — permanently.

Jesus the Son of God — the full identification: human name (Jesus — the man from Nazareth) and divine title (Son of God — the eternal second person of the Trinity). The high priest is fully human (he can sympathize, v.15) and fully divine (he has ultimate access to the Father). Both natures are essential for the priesthood to work.

Let us hold fast (krateo — to grip, to seize, to hold with strength) our profession (homologia — confession, the declared faith). The exhortation is to grip tightly what has been confessed. The confession — that Jesus is the great high priest, the Son of God, passed into the heavens — must be held with tenacity. The temptation is to let go — to drift, to weaken, to release the confession under pressure. Hold fast says: grip harder.

Verse 15-16 provides the motivation: the high priest sympathizes with our weaknesses, and therefore we should come boldly to the throne of grace. The holding fast is not white-knuckled survival. It is confident approach — based on a priest who understands and a throne that provides grace.

Reflection Questions

• 1.What makes Christ a 'great' high priest — and how does his priesthood differ categorically from the Levitical system?
• 2.What does 'passed into the heavens' communicate about where Christ is right now and what he is doing?
• 3.How does the combination of 'Jesus' (human) and 'Son of God' (divine) make his priesthood effective for you?
• 4.What does 'hold fast' demand — and how does the throne of grace (v.16) transform the holding from desperate survival into confident approach?

Devotional

Seeing then that we have a great high priest. We have him. Present tense. Right now. Not waiting for a priest. Not hoping one will appear. We have one — and he is great. Greater than Aaron. Greater than any priest who ever served. A high priest whose priesthood is not annual but eternal. Not temporary but permanent. Not limited to an earthly sanctuary but passed into the heavens themselves.

That is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God. Passed through — all the way into God's presence. The Levitical high priest went behind a curtain once a year and came back out. Christ went through the heavens and stayed. He is there now — in the actual presence of God, representing you, interceding for you, standing where no human could stand.

Jesus the Son of God. Two natures in one person. Jesus — fully human, knowing every weakness you know. Son of God — fully divine, with unlimited access to the Father. The high priest who sympathizes with your struggle (v.15) is the same high priest who sits at the right hand of power. The one who understands your weakness has the authority to help.

Let us hold fast our profession. Hold fast — grip. Do not let go. The confession you made — that Jesus is Lord, that he is the great high priest, that he is passed into the heavens — hold it with everything you have. The pressure to release is real. The drift away from the confession is constant. The command is: grip harder. Not because you might lose what was given. Because the grip itself is the expression of the faith.

And the motivation for holding fast is not fear. It is the throne of grace (v.16): let us come boldly. The priest who passed into the heavens opened the way for you to approach. The holding fast is not desperate clinging. It is confident approach — based on a priest who gets you and a throne that gives grace.

You have a great high priest. He is in the heavens. He sympathizes. He intercedes. Hold fast. And come boldly.

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture