One of the many things I love about our God is that he understands us. Not just because he created us, but because he sent his son to be one of us. And when Jesus was here, he learned what it meant to be truly human, because he was tempted, felt pain, and experienced the struggles of the flesh just like we do, but he did it without sinning. Even still, his understanding of what we go through helps in his desire to be a merciful and faithful high priest. It says in Hebrews 2:17-18:
"For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."
To me, that is an incredible truth, because it didn’t have to be that way. God makes all of the rules, but he chose to have his son experience what we experience here on earth. In doing that, we know that he understands what we are going through, because he experienced trials of humanity himself. So, whatever you’re dealing with right now, Jesus knows what you’re going through. Not just because he is all knowing, but because he lived life on this earth as a human and can empathize with the human condition. And in that empathy, comes a mercy that may have been presented to us differently if he hadn’t. Praise God for that!
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The bible tells us that Jesus was made human, like us, in every way. He knows what it is like to be human in a fallen world, to be tempted by fleshly things and to feel sorrow and pain. He can empathize with us, and the bible says that this was done so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God. We really shouldn’t take that truth for granted, because it didn’t have to be that way. We are his lowly creation, yet he decided to become like us so that he can experience what it is like to be human. That is a God who truly loves us. And this experiment in humanity culminated in the salvation of those who believe and put their trust in him through his death and resurrection on the cross. I’ve been a Christian for several decades now, and I never want to take for granted these truths, because I always know in the back of my mind, that God could’ve decided to play things out differently. But because of his great love for us, he chose to become like us.