DEVOTIONAL: READ HEBREWS 2:17-18

When Jesus came to earth, He became a man just like us. While still being fully God as part of the Trinity, He also became fully man. He didn’t just appear human but experienced human life fully. Because of this, we can trust that Jesus is able to understand and fully empathize with us.

In Hebrews, it says that He became our merciful High Priest. A priest was someone who stood between God and humans. The priest represented God’s purposes to the people and the needs of the people to God. However, like so many human leaders, the priests of Israel failed. Human priests were themselves in need of saving. There was no one who could adequately speak for fallen people. No one understood the pain of their brokenness.

Then came Jesus. Because He is perfect and without our fallen nature, He can serve God without corruption. He deserves to be our priest and can perfectly represent God to us.

Yet, because He was human, He understands. He knows what it’s like to be you. Have you been betrayed? He understands. Have you felt shame? He understands. Have you been condemned? Have you been abused? Have you been disappointed? Have you been scared, lonely, tired, angry, or overwhelmed? He understands.

He experienced all the pain and consequences of our fallen world without ever giving into any of its temptations. We could never reach God on our own. So God came to us. He sat with us. He walked among us. And to this day, we can come close to a God who understands. Nothing we share will ever shock or embarrass Him. He knows. He knows what it’s like to be you. He understands.