Friday, March 23: Hebrews 5:5-10
With Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection, God created Him to become human: to live on earth, and to feel all that it is to be human. However, he was without sin.
In Hebrews 5:5-10, it speaks of Jesus being designated by God as a high priest. The Book of Hebrews emphasizes Jesus’ identity as the Great High Priest. There is deeper meaning to the words “high priest”: it indicates that Jesus is to be a “priest” forever, thus saying he is higher than any other priest on earth. Priests were appointed to perform religious rites, and especially to make sacrificial offerings. This also means that God exalted Jesus, as priest above all others, to be perfect and to reign over us, as our Lord and Savior.
By becoming human, Jesus suffered, and felt pain. He cried out to God with tears and prayed for Himself to be relieved of His suffering. God heard Jesus’ fervent prayers, and listened for God’s guidance; in obedience, Jesus sacrificed His life for us on the cross. Prayer is such an important part of our Lenten journey: forty days, submitting to God’s purpose and renouncing time from our lives; thus, giving reverence in prayer and meditation, to our Lord and Savior, who saves us from all sin. Submission and sacrifice are key to fulfilling the true meaning of Lent. In doing these things, we can recognize the depth of Jesus’ being designated by God as high priest above all.
In Jesus’ feeling human pain and suffering, He remained obedient to God. He submitted His life, and Himself in His last days on earth, as a human. Through prayer and meditation, we too can surrender our lives to God and submit to His love. In relinquishing ourselves to God’s will, by His suffering, death and resurrection, Jesus is the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him.