Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are… I. THE FOUNDATION OF THE SYMPATHY OF CHRIST JESUS — WHAT IS IT? 1. The similarity of His circumstances. "In all points tempted like as we are." As we, Jesus Christ was tried in the body, tried by toil, exhaustion, hunger, thirst, pain, and death. As we, Jesus Christ was tried in His estate or condition, tried by poverty, persecution, contempt, misrepresentation, desertion, tried by friendlessness, and tried by solitude. As we, Jesus Christ was tried in mind, by fear, perplexity, and sorrow. And as we. Jesus Christ was tried by the presentation of seducements to evil. Now in all this we see a similarity of condition. 2. But now, mark, the dissimilarity of character. "He was tried in all points as we, but without sin." He never transgressed any law. He left nothing undone that he ought to have done. No defilement of sin ever entered His spirit. We would here remark that " without sin," Jesus Christ would be more sensitive towards all kinds of suffering. It is true that He never could experience remorse. But all such feelings as sadness and fear would be stronger in Him than in us, because He was without sin. Sin hardens the soul. Holiness keeps every pore of the spirit open. "Without sin," Christ Jesus would, in a world of sin, suffer that which no sinner in such a world could endure. "Without sin," Jesus Christ would see forms of moral temptation more quickly and completely. II. THE SPHERE IN WHICH THE SYMPATHY OF CHRIST IS HERE SAID TO BE DISPLAYED. He appears in the presence of God for us as our great High Priest, and in the presence of God for us, appearing as our great High Priest, He is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities." As He represents us with all our infirmities, He is" touched with the feeling of those infirmities." He offers, as our great High Priest, in the sense of application, the sacrifice for sin. So far as the provision of the atonement was concerned, that was finished when He gave up the ghost. He does not, in that sense, offer Himself often, but so far as the application of His sacrifice is concerned, this is perpetual. And thus offering, in the sense of the application, His own sacrifice for sin, as He does this, He is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities." Then, as our Priest, He cleanses us and purifies us. This is one of the functions of the priesthood, to sprinkle clean water upon us that we may be clean; and as He purifies us, He is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities." It is also part of His work, in the name of Jehovah to bless us, to say to us, as the priest of old, "Jehovah bless thee, and keep thee." And as He pronounces upon us this Divine benediction "He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities." It is also His to make intercession for us. And as He mentions our name, and records our circumstances, He is " touched with the feeling of our infirmities," "touched with the feeling of our infirmities" as we exhibit them. Some of our infirmities may be down in the dark depths of our spiritual nature, but when we present ourselves, we present even these infirmities to His eye, and as we exhibit them He is "touched" by them. As we become conscious of them He is "touched" with His fellow-feeling — hence He does not deal with them with rough, but gentle hand. He is " touched with the feeling of our infirmities," as in various ways He recognises them; " touched " because of His goodness, because as God He is love, and " touched" because of His past experience. But what shall we do with this fact? "Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Some are inclined to stay away from the throne of grace because of their sorrows. This sacred writer forbids our keeping at a distance from the throne of grace, because of these infirmities and troubles, and in the name of God he bids us come just as we are. The greater your sorrows, the greater need is there for your coming. The more fierce your temptations, the greater necessity is there for your coming. And, I may say, the more you need to have done for you, the more welcome you will be. (S. Martin, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. |
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