Hebrews 2:17

PASSAGE: Hebrews 2:17 - Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

PAUSE: Have you ever run out of the ingredients you need while baking your favorite cookies? What did you do? Did you just go without? They probably wouldn't taste right without some of the key flavors. Or they might not bake properly without some of the physical or chemical reactions that happen with certain ingredients. If you're lucky, you search your pantry and find a suitable substitute. Maybe you settle for a different brand of chocolate chips. Maybe it's almond extract instead of vanilla extract. What makes the best substitute is one of the SAME KIND. Please don't stretch my analogy too far, but what I want to point out is the importance of what kind of sacrifice would satisfy our sin against God. Jesus' humanity is a really big deal. Christ’s work on the cross paid the full price for our sin and fully satisfied that wrath! It was fully satisfied because he was a PERFECT substitute of the same kind. Fully God, though he became man to become like us in order to be our substitution. The Old Testament's high-priestly sacrificial system pointed forward to this moment--showing that a substitute of a different kind was insufficient and incomplete. It all pointed forward to Him. Our all-just and all-loving Lord and Savior who stepped into humanity for us!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You stepped between sinful humanity and Holy God and paid the price we could never pay. And You paid it in full at the cost of Your own life! We praise Your Name! Amen.