14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let’s hold firmly to our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need. (Hebrews 4:14-16).

Last Tuesday, 29 October, I was assigned to preach in our Homiletics 2 class. The passage assigned to me was Hebrews 4:14-16. After completing my exegetical and homiletical outlines, I started to write a transcript and the final result is almost a 4,000-word message. For easy digestibility and comprehensibility, I divided the entire manuscript into eight separate articles. Expect then a series of short messages focusing on Jesus as the Christian's source of perpetual help.

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Good morning! I am grateful for this privilege to share the word of God from Hebrews 4:14–16. As I study this passage, I am reminded of the people around me in this institution, for this text tells us about finding help in times of need. As I observed, there are a lot of people here in need of help. Some struggle financially: low salaries, paying for tuition, and everyday expenses. Some struggle emotionally: being heartbroken, being overwhelmed, being depressed, and having issues with friends. Some struggle with illnesses. Some struggle spiritually: feeling distant from God, battling with sin, or doubting their faith. Amidst all these issues, I must say that we truly need help. I thank God then, for making me realize the timeliness of this passage. This passage is a wonderful reminder of how we ought to find help—a perpetual kind of help, in times of need.

A Relevant Question

Let me ask you a question:

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “perpetual help”?

For me, I am reminded of Mary, because the term is associated with her in the Philippine setting. She is called Our Lady of Perpetual Help. But we know very well that Mary cannot help us, and even more so—a perpetual kind of help. For she is also human, like us, who lived 2000 years ago, and is long dead.

How about you? Does the phrase remind you of someone who is always by your side supporting you, hence the word “perpetual?” Is he or she, your lover, your parent, or your friend? Or perhaps your “help” isn’t a person. Do you find help or solitude by playing games, reading manga or novels, partying, or going to malls? My brothers and sisters, we can never find the perpetual help that gives us lasting peace if we look only in this world. No one can provide us with perpetual help in all aspects of our lives—except Jesus!

This morning, I want to tell you who Jesus as our great high priest is and how he is able to provide us with a perpetual kind of help. But before that, let us pray.

Immediate Literary Context

The immediate literary context of this passage is about Christ’s priesthood and the author’s exhortation for his intended audiences. Historically, they were Jewish Christians being torn from the left by the Judaizers—gospel falsifiers or distorters who were pressuring them to return to the Mosaic Law, moving from a covenant of grace completed in Christ to one rooted in legalism; and from the right, by Roman officials who grew continuously hostile to their faith.

Looking at the past, we can see the kind of socio-political structure that warrants an exhortation for the early Christians to stand firm in their confession. The “help” in the last verse here pertains primarily to the current dire situation they have faced. However, it can also be a broad application for finding help in all human issues and problems. How so? Well, the continuity of human suffering is described in verse 15, and Jesus’ triumph over temptation is highlighted. This connection tells us that regardless of whether our problems are emotional, financial, physical, or spiritual—these are all reminders of our deep need for help—just as they did for the early Christians.

Although our context differs, the universality of sin necessitates perpetual help. Sadly enough, we often turn to various sources, whether people, hobbies, or achievements, only to find that these are only temporary solutions, unable to provide the lasting peace we long for. For the early Christians, who faced both external pressures and internal temptations, this quest for enduring help was equally crucial.

The good news is, that Jesus is available to provide us perpetual help with all human problems and weaknesses for he is our Great High Priest, as described in the text.

Central Question

Knowing then, that Jesus is our Great High Priest, this is the question I would love to answer in this series of short messages:

How can Jesus as the Great High Priest be our perpetual help?

I will answer this question in the succeeding articles.

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