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May I turn in your Bibles to 
Hebrews chapter 2? Hebrews chapter 2. Remember the 
book sets forth the supremacy of our Lord Jesus Christ. He 
is greater than the prophets, He is greater than the angels, 
He is greater than Moses, He is greater than the Aaronic priesthood, 
He is the Supreme Lord of heaven and earth, King of kings and 
Savior of His church. And here specifically we're going 
to be looking at Hebrews 2, 16 to 18. And in this context, he is setting 
forth the superiority of Christ over the angels. He's given definitive 
biblical proofs in chapter 1. He gives some application at 
the beginning of chapter 2. And in the midst, he sets forth 
the authority of Christ over the world to come. And in the 
section that we are dealing with, it indicates His incarnation, 
the fact that He took on flesh, He took on humanity, in order 
to save His people from their sins. And verses 17 and 18 are 
key in the book, because they introduce us to that whole idea 
of the high priesthood of Jesus Christ, which will be developed 
in so much detail in chapters 5 to 10. That's sort of the context where 
we hope to look tonight, specifically those few verses that I mentioned. 
So I'll begin reading in chapter 2, verse 1. Therefore we must 
give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest 
we drift away. For if the word spoken through 
angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience 
received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great 
a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, 
and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing 
witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles and gifts 
of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. For He has not 
put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. But one testified in a certain 
place, saying, What is man that you are mindful of him, or the 
son of man that you take care of him? You have made him a little 
lower than the angels and have crowned him with glory and honor 
and set him over the works of your hands. You have put all 
things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all 
in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under 
him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him, but 
we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the 
suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that he by the 
grace of God might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting 
for him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in 
bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their 
salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he who sanctifies and 
those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason 
he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare 
your name to my brethren. In the midst of the assembly, 
I will sing praise to you. And again, I will put my trust 
in him. And again, here am I and the 
children whom God has given me. Inasmuch then, as the children 
have partaken of flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared in 
the same. that through death he might destroy 
him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release 
those who through fear of death were in all their lifetime subject 
to bondage. For indeed he does not give aid 
to angels, but he does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore 
in all things he had to be made like his brethren, that he might 
be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to 
God. to make propitiation for the 
sins of the people. For in that he himself has suffered, 
being tempted, he is able to aid those who are tempted. Amen. Well, let us pray and ask the 
Lord's help. Father, give us grace now as 
we approach Holy Scripture. We pray that we would understand 
the Lord Jesus Christ more accurately and that it would encourage our 
hearts and strengthen us and build us up. Certainly He is 
a glorious Lord and a wondrous Savior. We pray for the ministry 
of Your Holy Spirit now that He would grant us illumination, 
that You would grant us the ability to receive the things that You 
have for us, and we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, as I said, what is introduced 
here in verse 10 and following is the incarnation. Highlights 
the reality that the Lord Jesus Christ became man. And specifically 
here in verse 14, notice, "...inasmuch then as the children have partaken 
of flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared in the same." 
That means flesh and blood. And then again in verse 17, "...therefore 
in all things he had to be made like his brethren." In the book 
of Romans chapter 8 verse 3, it tells us that he came in the 
likeness of sinful flesh. It doesn't mean he had sin, it 
means he took on flesh. We saw this several weeks ago 
in John 1.14. The Word became flesh and tabernacled or dwelt 
among us. Philippians 2 indicates the same 
thing, that though being in the form of God, he did not consider 
it robbery to be equal with God, but he became a man, he became 
obedient to death, even the death of the cross. And so the incarnation 
is highlighted here specifically in verse 14. It is stated as 
fact. Then in verse 14, the destruction 
of the devil is given. He himself likewise shared in 
the same, that through death he might destroy him who had 
the power of death, that is the devil. And then in that, there 
is the benefit of the release of his people. Verse 15, and 
release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime 
subject to bondage. That brings us then to consider 
verses 16 to 18. I want to look at two broad categories. First, in verse 16, his role 
as mediator. This is closely associated to 
the priestly office of Christ. It is as high priest that Jesus 
serves as covenant mediator. And I thought it would be good 
for us to sort of unpack verse 16 and see the significance of 
that. So we have the role of covenant mediator, verse 16, 
and then the office of high priest in verses 17 and 18. Again, there's 
a lot of overlap, but I want to make sure we get verse 16 
before we move on into verses 17 and 18. Notice, in verse 16, 
he does not take the nature of angels. Here the Old King James 
Version is a better or a more accurate translation than what 
we find in the New King James. I'm not sure how the ESV or the 
NIV render it, just because I didn't check that prior to our service 
this evening. But if you look at verse 16, 
the New King James reads, He does not give aid to angels, 
but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. That's not the focus 
or the idea of this particular passage. In verse 18, it speaks 
of Him giving aid. It speaks of Him giving help. 
It speaks of Him coming to the rescue of those who have need 
for Him. But as the New King James margin 
renders it, or as the old King James renders it, it should be, 
for verily he took not on him the nature of angels, but he 
took on him the seed of Abraham. In other words, it is another 
reference to the idea of the incarnation. It isn't that he 
does not give aid to the angels, it's that he does not take on 
their nature. He did not come as an angel to 
redeem angels, but rather he came as a man to redeem man. This speaks of the reality of 
the Incarnation and it speaks of the reality of His pre-incarnate 
glory. As Owen said, speaking against 
the Sassanians, which would be similar to Jehovah's Witnesses 
in our day or others that deny the deity of Christ, Owen says, 
if the words express that the Lord Christ assumed human nature, 
which necessarily infers His pre-existence in another nature. And so these things, by implication, 
are taught us. But what he is saying, he does 
not take on the nature of angels, but rather he takes on the nature 
of the seed of Abraham. In other words, he becomes man 
in order to redeem man. I think it was Augustine, and 
I know certainly Calvin said it. I don't know if he was quoting 
Augustine or what. I think it's been ascribed or 
attributed to many different authors. But it's been well said 
that the Son of God became the Son of Man in order that the 
sons of man could become the sons of God. And I think that 
is an accurate depiction of what we find in the Incarnation. And as well, secondly, with reference 
to this role of covenant mediator, the reference to Abraham is important 
here. As I'm sure you'll all remember, 
the Gospel of Matthew starts off by highlighting the reality 
that Jesus is the Son of Abraham and the son of David. That sets 
it in a covenantal context. God made a promise to Abraham 
that through him or in him, in his seed specifically, all the 
families, all the nations of the earth would be blessed. and 
the referent here to Jesus taking on the seed, or taking on the 
nature rather, of Abraham indicates his role as covenant mediator. Philip Hughes says it this way, 
he says, the mention of Abrahamic ancestry here, however, denotes 
something more than that Christ was a Jew by birth. In taking 
to himself the seed of Abraham, he shows not only that he belongs 
to, but also that he is the fulfillment of the line of the Covenant. 
Thus, in saying that Christ took to himself the seed of Abraham, 
our author places the incarnation within the perspective of the 
Covenant. This is very crucial, very important. Get these concepts, biblically 
and theologically, because it really helps you to understand 
the macro view to the Scriptures. It really is exhilarating and 
breathtaking when you see the unity of God in his redemptive 
purposes and that unity is expressed through his covenantal dealings. 
He goes on to say, he is the covenantal seed of Abraham and 
his people are one with him by spiritual incorporation into 
that same seed. without respect to race or culture. In Him they are the many sons 
who are being brought to glory, whom He is not ashamed to call 
brethren, the children God has given Him, delivered by Him from 
bondage and death. Those namely, who having received 
Him and believed in His name, He has given the power to become 
children of God." So we need to appreciate the role of Christ 
as covenant mediator, taking on, giving aid, giving help, 
giving redemption to the seed of Abraham. Now notice, secondly, 
the office as high priest, verses 17 and 18. And here I'll quote 
another commentator, a man named Ellingworth. I think this just 
gives the gist of how it functions here in context. He says, this 
verse is the nerve center of the epistle, speaking specifically 
about verse 17. 17 is packed. We'll hopefully 
unpack it tonight. But this verse is a nerve center 
of the epistle, summing up in its first clause the discussion 
since verse 10, the whole idea of incarnation, and announcing 
in the following subordinate clauses the author's two major 
doctrinal concerns. namely the high priestly status 
of Christ and his work in dealing with sins. Verse 18, linked with 
the present verse, indicates the author's complementary pastoral 
concern. So verse 17 introduces what is 
primary for the author in most of the rest of the epistle. It 
is an opening up or an amplification of what he says here concerning 
the Lord Jesus as being a merciful and faithful High Priest. When 
you get to chapters 5 all the way to chapter 10, what is the 
argument, what is the development, what is the Apostle trying to 
highlight but this reality that Christ is our High Priest. So we'll look at this section 
under a few considerations. First, his role as priest. What does a priest do? I hope 
that everyone could say what a priest does. Remember, the 
prophet functions on behalf of God and speaks to the people. He tells the people what God 
the Lord says. The priest functions toward God. He comes on behalf of the people. In the language of the Westminster 
Shorter Catechism, it asks the question, how does Christ execute 
the office of a priest? Christ executes the office of 
a priest in his once offering up of himself a sacrifice to 
satisfy divine justice, and to reconcile us to God, and in making 
continual intercession for us. That's what a priest does. He 
does two things. He offers sacrifice, and he intercedes. That's his purpose. That's his 
function, that's his role, and this is precisely what Christ 
does for us. He offers up sacrifice, not like 
the Levitical priesthood. He doesn't use bulls, he doesn't 
use goats, he doesn't bring sheep, he doesn't bring birds, but rather 
he brings himself. He is the Lamb of God who takes 
away the sin of the world. He says in John's Gospel, no 
one takes my life from me, I lay it down willingly. So the Lord 
Christ as priest offers the best by giving up himself to die on 
the cross. But as well the priest intercedes. In Hebrews 7 and in Romans 8 
it tells us this, for our benefit that Christ always lives to make 
intercession for his people. Does that encourage you? To make 
you happy to realize that someone at the right hand of God Most 
High is interceding for you? I love the way we see Christ 
in His current session according to the New Testament epistles. What do we find in 1 John 2? 
The Apostle says, My little children, I write these things so that 
you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate 
with the Father, even Jesus Christ our righteousness. or even Jesus 
Christ the righteous. Isn't that a glorious thought? 
That when I sin, there's an advocate with the Father at the right 
hand. Now this doesn't make me emboldened to sin. This does 
not promote sin. This does not give me the attitude, 
why don't I just sin, so that grace may abound. But as one 
who has remaining sin, as one who does not fully execute always 
the law of God, it is a blessing and a privilege that we have 
one pleading at the right hand of the Father on our behalf. And this is what the Apostle 
takes pains to demonstrate for us in this wonderful epistle. So his role as priest in sacrifice 
and intercession. Secondly, it indicates his identification 
with us. Therefore, it's an implication 
in verse 17, based on everything that he's written, based on everything 
that he said, in all things he had to be made like his brethren. He identifies with us. He understands us. He knows us. He has traversed this earth. He knows what it is to be a man 
of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He identifies himself 
completely with mankind by a true incarnation. He is flesh. He is blood. He is fully man. He does sorrow. He does eat. He does grieve. All those things 
that are true of man are true of our Lord Jesus, and this is 
what the author wants us to understand. That the role of the Incarnation, 
or the purpose of the Incarnation, wasn't simply so we'd have a 
nice, warm, fuzzy time in December, but rather He has done this in 
order to execute this particular function as a High Priest, which 
we'll look at in just a moment. But He identifies with us. Again, 
Philip Hughes. It says, the son could not have 
represented men before God, offering as their high priest the sacrifice 
of himself on their behalf and in their place, had he not first 
become their fellow man. Representation requires identification. You see, he had to do this in 
order to fully execute the demands of God's covenant. Representation 
requires identification. Accordingly, our author adds 
this further explanation, that the son assumed human nature 
so that he might become what otherwise he could not be, a 
high priest. By the incarnation he becomes 
man, but his becoming man is also the prerequisite for his 
becoming a high priest. No incarnation, no high priestly 
office. No identification with our nature, 
no representation before the God of heaven and earth. Thirdly, 
note his character as high priest. Verse 17, therefore in all things 
he had to be made like his brethren, that he might be a merciful and 
faithful high priest in things pertaining to God." Isn't that 
beautiful? He is merciful toward sinners, 
and he is faithful toward God. That's what characterizes the 
Son of God in His high priestly office toward us. We need mercy, 
don't we? Sinners stand in need of mercy. We stand in need of grace. And 
this is the descriptor of our, or the description of our High 
Priest. He is merciful. He is kind. He is good. He is gentle. He 
is most blessed. for His people. So He is merciful 
toward man, He is faithful in things pertaining to God. He 
always carries out the Father's will. He executed perfectly the 
demands of the covenant. He fulfilled every obligation 
placed upon Him. He carried out the law of God. 
He never sinned, He never transgressed. He always conducted Himself faithfully 
before the Lord God Most High, so that when He goes to that 
cross, when He offers Himself up as a sacrifice, it is a perfect 
sacrifice. And as He comes off the cross, 
as He goes into the tomb, as He rises on the third day, He's 
always faithful in everything He does, every step of the way, 
to His Father. Hughes again, and I'm leaning 
on Hughes because his commentary is rich in dealing with this 
office of Christ in terms of priest. He makes this observation, 
while it has frequently and rightly been pointed out that he was 
merciful with reference to human need and faithful with reference 
to divine requirement, it may also be said that mercy defines 
the motivation of his high priestly office and faithfulness its execution. I quite like that. Mercy defines 
the motivation of his office and faithfulness defines its 
execution. Christ answers to the need of 
the seed of Abraham. And then fourthly, notice his 
function as high priest. Now certainly Christ satisfies 
or Christ does a lot of things when he serves as high priest. 
But there is one particular that is pointed out here in verse 
17. Again, note the argument. Therefore, 
in all things he had to be made like his brethren. Incarnation. Identification is necessary for 
representation. If he's not incarnate, if he 
doesn't come in the likeness of men, he cannot serve as high 
priest. But he does. He is made like 
his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high 
priest in things pertaining to God. Now notice the function 
that is spelled out here in verse 17. To make propitiation for 
the sins of the people. Now, here is a beautiful word. 
If you've been with us any time, I would hope that you'd be able 
to define this word, to be able to explain this word. If your 
translation doesn't have this word here, get a different translation. There, I said it. It's a rich, powerful, most excellent 
word. Propitiation presupposes wrath. Propitiation presupposes wrath, 
specifically divine wrath. Propitiation is the concept, 
propitiation is the reality, propitiation is that aspect of 
Christ's work wherein he takes in himself the wrath of God due 
to his people. That's what propitiation means. 
You see, when we look at the Gospel, when we look at the New 
Testament records, when we look at the Old Testament documents, 
there is a rich vocabulary associated with our redemption. Some people 
say, well, that rich vocabulary is just too hard to understand, 
so we'll try and dumb it down and make it easy for everybody. 
I suggest that we take out our dictionaries and learn a little 
bit so that we can appreciate something about the rich vocabulary 
that is employed. The word redemption, for instance, 
has the idea that presupposes bondage. Sinners are in bondage 
because of their sin. They're in bondage to the devil. 
They're subject to death. And Jesus redeems us. He purges 
us out of that particular situation. Reconciliation. That presupposes 
that there is a breach between heaven and earth. God is angry 
with sinners. and sinners are angry with God, 
and in reconciliation the Lord Jesus Christ brings the two together 
peaceably. Well, propitiation, as I've already 
mentioned, presupposes the wrath of God. The wrath of God justly 
hangs over the head of every sinner. The Apostle John writes 
it this way, in John 3.36, he says, He that believes the Son 
has everlasting life. He that does not believe the 
Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. That's your lot if you are outside 
of Christ. The wrath of God abides on you. Douglas Moos says God's wrath 
is the inevitable and necessary reaction of absolute holiness 
to sin. In other words, when the Holy, 
Holy, Holy God Most High looks down upon man in sin, it is inevitable 
and it is necessary that there is absolute wrath over or targeting 
those who are engaged in that manner of sinful activity and 
rebellion. Robert Raymond says it this way, 
it is important to recognize that Christ's cross work had 
a Godward reference. You see, we oftentimes look at 
the cross, we focus at the cross, and we only think of its benefit 
for us. And now, that's not a bad thing, 
necessarily. When we come to the supper, what 
are we thinking about? We're thinking about the Lord's 
purchase of us. We're thinking about salvation, 
free. We're thinking about propitiation. We need to remember at the cross, 
though, there is a God-word reference. Romans 3 tells us that at the 
cross, God demonstrated His own righteousness. So back to Raymond. He says it is important to recognize 
that Christ's cross work had a God-word reference. Indeed, 
if one reflects even for a moment on the sinful condition of the 
race vis-a-vis the holy character of God, it will become clear 
that it's God-word reference was the cross's primary reference. The Bible plainly teaches the 
doctrine of the wrath of God. You cannot escape that. I don't 
believe anybody here would have trouble with that. Paul starts 
his gospel presentation He starts his opening up of the good news 
by highlighting the bad news. Paul starts Romans not with the 
love of God, not with the grace of God, not with the kindness 
of God, not with the mercy of God. He starts with the wrath 
of God. It is revealed from heaven against 
all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth 
and unrighteousness. It is that groundwork, it is 
that framework, it is that plight of man that bad news that sets 
the stage for 321 when he says, but now the righteousness of 
God is revealed from faith to faith. He goes on to say, the 
Bible plainly teaches the doctrine of the wrath of God. It teaches 
that God is angry with the sinner and that His holy outrage against 
the sinner must be assuaged if the sinner is to escape His due 
punishment. It is for this reason that a 
death occurred at Calvary. When we look at Calvary and behold 
the Savior dying for us, we should see in His death, not first our 
salvation, but our damnation being born and carried away by 
Him. And what's beautiful about this 
idea of propitiation is that on the cross, Jesus doesn't just 
deflect the wrath of God. He doesn't just stand up like 
Superman and the bullets bounce off of him. But rather, he takes 
the wrath of God. He exhausts the cup of God's 
wrath. He drinks it down to the very 
dregs and satisfies divine justice in so doing. So you see the logical 
progression. In all things he had to be made 
like his brethren. Incarnation is necessary. In 
order that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things 
pertaining to God, in order to carry out that task of the high 
priestly office to make propitiation for the sins of the people. It truly is the most blessed 
word. It is found in Romans 3.25 1 
John 2-2 and 1 John 4-10. I give you those texts for your 
further reflection in your closet or in your family altar, certainly 
things to consider with reference to our Lord. But before we move 
on from His function as High Priest, notice the particularity 
involved, the specificity Verse 17, to make propitiation for 
the sins of the people. He's highlighting particular 
sins and he's highlighting particular people. It's not just this general 
atonement view. It's not just thrown out there 
and Christ died. If you happen to want to activate 
it, well then you by your faith make it good. That's not the 
case at all. When Jesus came to do his work, 
to die for his people and to rise again, they were indeed 
his people. He can speak of all those whom 
the Father has given me. Matthew 1.21, another text that 
highlights the particularity of the work of Jesus Christ. 
You shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His 
people from their sins. It's not a nebulous kind of salvation 
from some kind of sin. Every breach of God's law, every 
commandment you trampled, every lack of conformity unto His will, 
Jesus Hate it all! It is particular, it is specific, 
it is definite atonement. We are not dealing with a universal 
or an indefinite or a hypothetical atonement. This is an affront 
to the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ. If you understand 
a word like propitiation, you must side with a definite atonement. He doesn't take the wrath of 
God for undefined nebulous people that may never flip the light 
switch on. but rather he takes the wrath of God for all those 
whom the Father has given him." It's truly blessed. It's truly 
wonderful. It is unfortunate that in that 
schematic of Tulip, so many people struggle with the El. Apart from 
the El, we're all damned to hell forever and ever. If Christ does 
not definitively atone, if Christ does not render up a propitiation, 
if He does not exercise redemption for a specific group of people, 
no man will ever be saved. It is the linchpin of the entire 
scheme that Christ comes to save His people from their sins, and 
2.17 in the book of Hebrews makes that abundantly clear. He makes 
propitiation for the sins of the people. Matthew 20.28, the 
Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to do 
what? To give His life a ransom for 
many. He does it specifically, He does 
it particularly, He does it definitively to exercise that ransoming of 
the people whom the Father had given Him. In His high priestly 
prayer in John 17, it is abundantly clear that this Christ goes to 
the cross not for some undefined nebulous group of people that 
may or may not decide for Him, but He goes to the cross for 
those whom the Father has given Him. The priestly prayer opens 
up in verse 1. Jesus spoke these words, lifted 
up His eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify 
Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You. As You have 
given Him authority over all flesh, Christ has comprehensive 
sovereignty. Christ has comprehensive authority. Christ exercises that over all 
flesh. But notice this subset that continues 
on. You have given Him authority 
over all flesh that He should give eternal life to as many 
as you have given Him. So out of this all flesh, there 
is this group that the Father has given to Him. It is these 
that Jesus intercedes for. Notice in verse 9. I pray for 
them. I do not pray for the world, 
but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours." Do you 
see that? Do you see the particularity? 
Do you see the definitiveness? Do you see the exclusivity? He 
says, I don't pray for the world. I do not pray for them, but rather 
I pray for those whom you've given me out of the world. Why 
do people not have a problem with particular intercession? 
But when it comes to particular atonement, they get all kinds 
of nuts. Well, it could never be the case 
that Jesus only died for the elect. That is absolutely positively 
the case. Jesus died for the elect, to 
secure their salvation, to bring many sons to glory, and to do 
this for the honor of His Father and for the good of His people. 
Truly is a most amazing thing. And then the last statement that 
we need to consider is verse 18. So we've seen his role as 
priest, his identification with us, his character as high priest, 
his function as high priest. And then verse 18, as Ellingworth 
says, it is some pastoral reflection, it is some pastoral sensitivity 
and application to the people. It is his ability to aid his 
people. Verse 17 highlights Christ's 
work in its relation to God. Verse 18 highlights or shows 
the effect of his work in relation to believers. Verse 18, for in 
that he himself has suffered, being tempted, he is able to 
aid those who are tempted. There's a doctrine called the 
impeccability of Christ. The impeccability of Christ means 
that Christ could not sin. So some people see the temptation 
of Christ as spurious. Well, if he's God, and he's man, 
and he's got the power of the Holy Spirit, and he's a sinless 
being, his temptation wasn't really legit. It wasn't really 
the real deal. Now, remember, he is true man. 
He is true humanity. When the Spirit drives him out 
to the wilderness, and he fasts for 40 days and 40 nights, and 
the devil comes along and says, change these rocks into bread, 
he's hungry, just like you and I would be. And this is the way 
I think I understand this whole idea of Christ's temptation. 
It's not that he doesn't really enter in. It's that He exceeds 
anything that you and I even know. Let's just say for a moment, 
this represents, and if you're listening out there, I've got 
my hand in the air, this represents the threshold of temptation. 
You cross that temptation, up here you're in sin. You and I 
cave in about here, don't we? We're probably done here. We 
get a millimeter off the grid, and we're, I'm sorry, we just 
cave. You ask me after 40 minutes, if I have power to change rocks 
into bread, I might just do it. 40 minutes, I'm really hungry. We don't know anything about 
this type of temptation. The idea that he's impeccable, 
or the idea that he is sinless, the idea that he doesn't cross 
the threshold, does not diminish the reality of the temptation. 
If anything, it heightens it, it makes it more severe, and 
it makes it more difficult. We've never gotten into this 
70 or 80% range. We don't know what it's like. 
He withstood. He resisted every step of the 
way, so he felt the full weight and the burden of the temptation. One commentator puts it this 
way, he says, sympathy with the sinner in his trial does not 
depend on the experience of sin, but on the experience of the 
strength of the temptation to sin, which only the sinless can 
know in its full intensity. Someone says, well, he just didn't 
really understand. He understood it a whole lot more than you 
and I do, because we cave down here. We don't know what it's 
like to withstand sin or to withstand temptation at that level. We 
just haven't been there. He has. He has fully borne. He has fully entered in. And 
when He says, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are 
tempted, there is really no excuse for us to fall down here. We cry out to the Lord. We ask 
Jesus for help. We beg Him for His assistance. 
We pray for His Spirit. John Owen says the great duty 
of tempted souls is to cry out unto the Lord Christ for help 
and relief. We don't do that! We cave! Well, the idea here, at least 
pastorally, in verse 18, based on the reality of the Incarnation, 
based on the office of His high priestly function, based on the 
fact that He's merciful and faithful in carrying it out, based on 
the fact that He made propitiation for the sins of the people, with 
reference to Monday morning, Tuesday morning, Wednesday afternoon, 
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or whatever difficulty you have, 
He is able to aid those who are tempted. When you have a temptation, 
when you have a difficulty, when you have a trial, when you have 
a challenge, an assault on your faith, what are you supposed 
to do? You're supposed to cry to Christ. You're supposed to 
go to the Redeemer. You're supposed to go to the 
Savior. That's what you would do when you have a high priest. You would go to him and you would 
say, pray for me. We do that horizontally, don't 
we? We have a close friend or we have a brother or sister. 
We say, you know, I'm going through some struggles. I'm going through 
some trials. Would you please pray for me? This is the point 
of verse 18. Owen hits the nail right on the 
head. The great duty of tempted souls is to cry out unto the 
Lord Christ for help and relief. Christ aids. His people, not 
only as man to men, but He aids people as Redeemer to the redeemed. And we need to go to Him in that 
capacity of His high priestly role, and we need to plead with 
Him for help, aid, assistance, and the grace to resist those 
temptations that daily come our way. He aids us through forgiveness, 
He aids us through the power of His Spirit, He aids us through 
His sanctifying grace, He aids us through His Word, by His presence 
in our midst, all those things. Christ is a good, He is a merciful 
and a faithful high priest in things pertaining to God. In 
that, He Himself has suffered being tempted, He is able to 
aid those who are tempted. So let us, by the grace of God, 
appreciate this role of Christ as our High Priest. Let us cry 
to Him, as Owen says, for help and for relief. And let us realize 
1 John 2.2, and if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with 
the Father, even Jesus Christ the righteous. Go to Him, confess 
your sins, and He is faithful and just to forgive us. That's 
blessed. That's our Christ. That is the 
One who came and lived and died and rose again on our behalf. 
Well, let us pray. Our Father, we thank You for 
this, Your Word, and we thank You for the high priestly office 
of our Lord Jesus. God, certainly He is most excellent, 
most glorious and wondrous. We thank You for the Incarnation. 
We thank You for His executing the role as high priest with 
mercy, with faithfulness, We thank You for that work of propitiation, 
for taking in Himself the wrath of God that was due to us. Father, 
help us to rejoice in this reality. Help us to cry out to Him for 
relief and help and aid in our times of temptation and distress, 
and cause us to know that He is for us, that He is always 
living to make intercession for His people. We thank You for 
this, Lord Jesus Christ, and it's in His name that we pray. 
Amen.