Day 9

Take a moment to pause, be still, and prepare your heart and mind to receive God’s word. 

Today’s Scripture:

Christ Is Our High Priest

¹⁴ So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. ¹⁵ This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.

Hebrews 4:14-15 NLT

In Israel, priests existed to serve the covenant relationship between God and his chosen people. The high priest was essentially the chief servant. This position held a lot of honor and weight. Once a year on the Day of Atonement, the high priest was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies, where God’s presence dwelled. This room was separated from the rest of the temple by a curtain, or veil. In this space, standing before the mercy seat (slab where offerings were placed), the priest would seek forgiveness and mercy on behalf of all of Israel. In the letter to the Hebrews, our author is saying that Jesus is our high priest. 

Although instead of walking into the Holy of Holies, Jesus walked to the cross. Instead of standing before the mercy seat, he became the mercy seat. Interestingly, Matthew records this after Jesus died: “At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” (Matt. 27:51)

Reflect

Reread the passage again. Sit and be still, reflecting on the truth of Jesus recorded in these verses.

Pray

Thank God for his mercy and forgiveness. If anything comes to mind that you need to confess to the Lord, do so now.

Family Moment

Write today’s passage on a flashcard and work to memorize it together as a family.