Jesus Is Every Believer's Touchstone with Heaven
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Shared Experience Builds Trust
Because I’ve counseled many people over the years, I learned that shared experience and trust are important.
Trust is an important part of counseling at any level, whatever the need is. Knowing a person identifies with our situation and knows what we're going through builds a bridge of trust between them and us.
Even peer counseling in self-help groups or within Christian fellowship can be reassuring because of shared experiences in life. Shared experiences help build trust within any community of people.
In matters of faith, we also need to have similar assurances. This is an important reason for Jesus, God's Son, becoming human to live among us. Because He lived as a human, Jesus can relate to everyone. He understands all that we face in life.
Read through the following verses from the 2nd chapter of Hebrews to help you understand how Jesus can relate to what each of us goes through in life.
Scripture Text
Jesus, who makes people holy, and all those who are made holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus isn’t ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He says, “I will tell my people about your name. I will praise you within the congregation.” In addition, Jesus says, “I will trust him.” And Jesus says, “I am here with the sons and daughters God has given me.” [vss 11-13]
Since all of these sons and daughters have flesh and blood, Jesus took on flesh and blood to be like them. He did this so that by dying he would destroy the one who had power over death (that is, the devil). In this way he would free those who were slaves all their lives because they were afraid of dying. So Jesus helps Abraham’s descendants rather than helping angels. [vss 14-16]
Therefore, he had to become like his brothers and sisters so that he could be merciful. He became like them so that he could serve as a faithful chief priest in God’s presence and make peace with God for their sins. Because Jesus experienced temptation when he suffered, he is able to help others when they are tempted. [vss 17-18]
(Hebrews 2:11-18 GW) [Context– Hebrews 2]
Key Phrase —
He had to become like his brothers and sisters so that he could be merciful.
—Dig Deeper Into the Text—
How is Jesus like us? In what way has He identified with all of humanity?
Why would Jesus, the Son of God, become human? What did it enable Him to do?
How does the death of Jesus destroy the devil and his power over death?
Things to Consider—
The idea of Jesus being both divine and human in nature is hard for us to accept. We tend to emphasize one nature at the cost of the other. Either we think Jesus is too far removed from our lives in heaven, or because He was human, we wonder how He can help us.
Jesus identified with us through His humanity. Because He is like us, we can relate to God being near us. Jesus’ humanity enables Him to be our personal touchstone between heaven and earth. He is the only Mediator between the Father and us (1 Timothy 2:5).
Jesus is the perfect bridge between us and the Father. He is like us and yet is divine in nature. His death, as the only sinless human without a selfish nature, enabled Him to destroy the fear of death and the devil’s power over all people.
His resurrection from the dead enables Jesus to be a High Priest who can relate to us in every way, knowing what it’s like to suffer as a person. And He is able to represent us in heaven in the Father’s presence.
Jesus is our human connection—our touchstone—with God.
Answer These Questions to Apply God’s Word in Your Life—
Have you experienced the Lord Jesus' mercy and presence in your life?
Do you have confidence that Jesus fully understands all you experience in life?
Have you experienced the Lord's help in times of temptation and testing?
Are there still some areas in your life hard for you to trust God with? If so, why?
Here’s a link to a free study guide for the book of Hebrews— Study Guide and Study Questions for Hebrews
