Hebrews 5:14 lays out four requirements for a person to serve as high priest. First, a high priest must be human. Second, a high priest must make offerings and sacrifices. Third, a high priest must be sympathetic. Fourth, a high priest must be appointed by God. Jesus fulfills all four prerequisites to be the believers’ high priest.
First, like Aaron, Jesus was appointed by God to be a High Priest.
Second, like Aaron, Jesus was human. The phrase in the days of His flesh covers Jesus’ life from Incarnation until Ascension. Jesus’ humanity was fully displayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, as stated in the phrase, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears. His prayers and supplications were offered with loud crying (ischurós kraugḗ) and tears. Loud crying (ischurós kraugḗ) is an outcry from someone who is under severe emotional strain. Such severe emotional strain demonstrates Christ’s humanity.
Third, like Aaron, Jesus was sympathetic. Jesus learned obedience from the things which He suffered means that He learned what obedience to God costs — suffering.
- So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, You are My Son, Today I have begotten You; just as He says also in another passage, You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek. In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. - Hebrews 5:5-10
First, like Aaron, Jesus was appointed by God to be a High Priest.
Second, like Aaron, Jesus was human. The phrase in the days of His flesh covers Jesus’ life from Incarnation until Ascension. Jesus’ humanity was fully displayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, as stated in the phrase, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears. His prayers and supplications were offered with loud crying (ischurós kraugḗ) and tears. Loud crying (ischurós kraugḗ) is an outcry from someone who is under severe emotional strain. Such severe emotional strain demonstrates Christ’s humanity.
Third, like Aaron, Jesus was sympathetic. Jesus learned obedience from the things which He suffered means that He learned what obedience to God costs — suffering.
- Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. - Philippians 2:8
- For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin - Hebrews 4:15
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