The other day, I walked into my son’s room to see him holding his bloody hand in his blanket. I panicked because I had absolutely no idea what had happened. He plainly told me that he cut his hand on a broken piece of glass, but then (probably because I was freaking) he immediately started crying. But I mean the cut was significant, I thought we might have to go to the ER. (Anyway, why there was even broken glass is a completely different story)
As I tried to help, Ezra fought me tooth and nail. He didn’t want me to look at it, or touch it, or help him at all. He didn’t even want a band-aid. But I knew that cleaning it, wiping away the blood, applying pressure for a good long while, and putting a band-aid on it would really be the best thing for him, even though initially it would hurt.
He continued to fight me, and eventually I had to use a very stern voice and finagle my way around his squirming body. Toddlers are strong y'all. I asked him if he knew that mommy loved him. I asked him if he trusted mommy. Finally he relinquished control and let me help him. He looked at me, sighed, and said “ahh, much better mommy”.
If me and you are Ezra, this is a picture of our relationship with God a lot of times.
After a few minutes of having a paper towel and 3 bandaids (which were probably wrapped too tight) I asked him if he was okay & he said that he was. He also said, “I am sorry I got cut.” It wasn’t his fault that he got cut; it was just an accident. But I was still there to help him with his cut, his injury, his boo-boo.
About 20 minutes after getting bandaged and back to playing with his trains, he looked at me and said “Jesus got cut too.” Ezra wasn’t asking a question, it was just a statement that, in fact, Jesus had gotten cut before. So right there, I thought of how Jesus probably did get cuts, and scraps, and boo-boos as a child, and his mom probably bandaged him a few times (except Jesus was super compliant and perfect and all, but still, in his humanity he felt all the physical pain of a boo-boo).
So I told Ezra that Jesus is our empathetic high priest. I know, I know, he has no idea what the words “empathetic” and “high priest” even mean, but it was a wonderful reminder to me that Jesus understands every thing we go through. From boo-boos to loneliness, and broken relationships and loss, Jesus understands.
Jesus, who was God in the flesh, became a human and lived a perfectly obedient life that we were meant to, but couldn’t because of our sin. Any hardship or struggle we find ourself in in this broken world, Jesus can empathize because he suffered in the ultimate way—bearing the wrath of God on the cross, on our behalf because of our sin, our disobedience against a holy God.
Jesus even understands the successes and victories, because he conquered death.
When I told Ezra that Jesus understands the pain that he feels in his finger, I really meant it, Jesus does understand the pain that Ezra is experiencing right now because what could be more painful than absorbing all the wrath of God for all of mankind from past, to present and future.
So this is good news as we enter into this holiday season, or maybe for you tonight. Because whatever hardship, frustration, pain you are facing, Jesus understands. And I totally get that things might be smooth sailing and nothing is wrong, but something might happen soon, and you need to know that even then, Jesus understands.
Hebrews 4:14-16 says:
“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
So Jesus, our high priest who has suffered on our behalf, can understand all our hurts and weaknesses and pains and struggles and temptations. We can be confident when we call upon our God we will receive exactly what we need in these trying times.
I don’t know what is going on in your life. Things might be all around great, but they might not. Chances are there are things through out the week that just don’t seem to work out the way you thought they would.
So if you are in the midst of any type of physical pain, Isaiah 53 says that Jesus’s physical body was actually pierced for our transgressions and completely crushed for our iniquities.
If you’re hurting from the loss of someone your love, remember in John 11 how that Jesus grieved and wept because his friend Lazarus had died.
In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul reminds us that though Jesus was rich, he became poor for your sake. He became poor so you might be rich in him. So this is incredibly good news if you are feeling the weight of finances and struggling to see how ends will meet.
As I go through this list of real life situations, I am sure you can think of times in Jesus’ life that he would have experienced them: loneliness, abandoned by friends, betrayal, humiliation, physically violated, cheated, physical stress, excluded from things.
As Jesus experienced the greatest broken relationship in the world — being separated from the Father on the cross “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me” we can rest in the truth that because Jesus endured the separation and brokenness from the Father, we now can have a restored and whole relationship with God himself.
Jesus understands.
Jesus is our great, empathetic high priest.
Whatever strain in your life there may be—even a little boo-boo like Ezra—Jesus calls us to draw near to his throne, cast our cares on him because he cares for us, and he will give us his real grace in our time of need. That is demonstrated by the cross. Thank you for the cross.
