Because Jesus is our sinless and sympathetic High Priest, we can hold fast our confession and approach God’s throne of grace for mercy and help in time of need.

Watch the full sermon: Jesus, Our Intercessor

4:14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast 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 as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (NASB)

What is the main exhortation in this paragraph (4:14-16)? Clearly, it is “let us hold fast our confession” (4:14).

(1) Our Confession: “since” (14)

(2) The Exhortation: “Let us” (14b)

(3) The Explanation: “For we…” (15)

(4) The Exhortation: “Let us” (16) strengthens the exhortation

(1) Our Confession: “since” (4:14)

The word “since” establishes a fact about Jesus. “Jesus, the Son of God, has passed through the heavens” into God’s own presence. This point will be developed throughout the book of Hebrews. Let me briefly highlight its meaning.

Jesus is the faithful Son of God. He fully carried out God’s purposes. Unlike Moses, who didn’t enter the Promised Land, or others earlier in our chapter (4:7-8), Jesus passed through the heavens into God’s presence. “For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that.” Joshua was a type who led them into the Promised Land, but their sins kept them from the rest God intended. So He sent His Son to complete the work that needed to be done. As our high priest, He will complete that salvation for all who believe.

(2) The Exhortation: “Let us” (4:14)

The exhortation is simple and straightforward. His instruction is clear: “Let us hold fast our confession.” Confession (the noun form used 6 times in the NT: 2 Cor 9:13; 1 Tim 6:12,13; Heb 3:1; 4:14; 10:23) refers to our public profession of faith, especially as it concerns Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and the completion of His redemptive work for sinners like us. He expands on this confession in verse 16.

(3) The Explanation: “For we…” (4:15)

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

In simple language, Jesus passed the test: He was “without sin.” However, the author carefully highlights the struggle to accomplish this to heighten our appreciation of His kindness. The word “tempted” can be used in a positive sense, as in testing, yet the difficulty remains. Jesus endured much suffering while living and dying. God does not tempt, but Satan does (Mat 4:1-7). Temptation pinpoints the malicious use of difficult circumstances to hurt or defeat others. The Pharisees tempted Jesus and tried to put Him in a bad light with their diabolical words. Satan set out to do Jesus in. He probably thought Jesus would succumb if His situation worsened. He didn’t. Satan really thought he was greater and that Jesus should naturally bow down, but he was deluded.

Before the cross, Jesus could have listened to Satan’s offer to gain the kingdom by obeying him. The offer remained open as sweat beaded on His forehead the night before the cross. He could have given in at any moment. All the time, He would hear, “What a fool you are to go through with this when you could bow down to me and get the whole kingdom.” Or, “What kind of God do you worship who would ask you to endure the cross?” Jesus obeyed.

(4) The Exhortation: “Let us” strengthens the exhortation (4:16)

Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

After laying out the great trials Jesus endured on our behalf to bolster his exhortation, he calls us again, “Let us…” In the first exhortation, he called them to hold fast to the confession—don’t turn from Jesus. In this second exhortation (“let us”), he tells them to draw near with confidence to the throne of grace. Instead of giving up our confession, we are to strengthen it. He gives us three ways to do this.

Action: “draw near”

Attitude: “with confidence”; set doubts aside; deal with sin

Direction: “the throne of grace”; filled with acceptance and favor

Action: Draw near gives us something to do. We don’t just stand as targets, getting bashed. Instead, we draw closer to Jesus. We strengthen our confession by remembering His suffering for us. God not only shows His love by sending His Son but also by providing constant, moment-by-moment care for us. This is why the Gospels go into such detail about Jesus’ death: not only to show He was truly human but also to reveal His devotion and deepen our affection for Him. The more we draw near, the more we will be overwhelmed with His mercy.

Attitude: “With confidence” highlights the act of setting aside our doubts and replacing them with greater confidence. When you are tempted to think less of Christ, be aware of the doubts Satan brings to your mind. Confidence chases doubts away. Consider the things Jesus suffered: the brutal beatings, the humiliating remarks, the stripping of His clothes, the crown of thorns pressed on His head, and so on. Each of these helps us realize the depths of His love. Where will you find such love and devotion for you? Nowhere. We are thankful for our parents, but the love of God shown in Christ goes incomparably further.

Direction: “the throne of grace” clarifies our goal. We put our thoughts upon the throne of grace. Oh, what a wonderful description. Here is God’s holy throne, where normally a mere flash of our sins would provoke His just wrath upon us. But for us, who believe in Christ, we find this very throne a place where God’s grace is bountifully manifested. Why? Because as much as our sin is exposed, we find adequate mercy and grace—all we need to live in His holy presence. The author earlier described what he means by high priest.

How do the two phrases, receive mercy and find grace, connect? Both speak of what we don’t deserve and always heighten our sensitivity to God’s goodness toward us. However, mercy speaks of forgiveness, covering our sins, while grace is the gracious way He undeservedly treats us. God is not merely tolerating us by showing us mercy but is lifting us up in His amazing favor. He seeks our best. Let us all draw near in confidence to that wonderful throne of grace. In fact, let us bring others closer. Let us tell others about Jesus and this grace!

Confession in the New Testament - ὁμολογία (homologia)

Used 6 times as a noun in the NT: TDNT - 5:199,687

2 Corinthians 9:13 — Praising God for the “obedience of your confession (homologias) to the gospel of Christ”.

1 Timothy 6:12 — Paul reminding Timothy of the “good confession (homologian) you confessed in the presence of many witnesses”.

1 Timothy 6:13 — Referring to Christ Jesus, who testified the “good confession (homologian) before Pontius Pilate”.

Hebrews 3:1 — Looking to Jesus, the high priest of our confession (homologias).

Hebrews 4:14 — An exhortation to “hold fast our confession (homologias)” given our great high priest.

Hebrews 10:23 — An encouragement to “hold fast the confession (homologian) of our hope without wavering”.

From Bill Mounce — Greek dictionary entry for ὁμολογία

Scripture quotations marked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. The Lockman Foundation.