Hebrews 4.15-16 - More Radical Than We Dare Think

One of the more beloved passages in the NT is Hebrews 4.15-16. It reads as follows:

15 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. 16 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.

Verse 16 clearly links itself to what is said in v15 as the basis for its confident exhortation to approach the throne of grace to receive mercy in times of trouble. And it makes perfect sense for v16 to be linked to v15. Why? Because in v15, the stunning claim is made that during Christ's earthly ministry, he was tempted in every way that we are, yet didn't sin.

Americans in particular tend to read this verse and equate the temptations of Jesus with their own temptations. And this indeed causes us to be in some awe of how Christ could resist sin despite being tempted like we are. But this individualistic understanding actually dilutes just how radical the claim of v15 is. Verse 15 is not somehow reducing the temptations of Jesus to the temptations that any one person might struggle with. No indeed! Verse 15 is saying that Christ was tempted in every way as WE are - plural. This is an inconceivably radical claim. Take all the temptations of all the people in the world, or even just all the temptations of all the Christians in the world, put them all together, and this is the scope of the temptations of Christ. Some of us struggle with jealousy, while others don't. Some of us struggle with addictions, while others don't. Some of us struggle with any number of sexual sins, while some don't. Christ, by virtue of taking on human flesh and identifying himself with us, took on every possible temptation of humanity - not just the ones you or I might struggle with, but the totality of temptations humanity at large struggles with!

Verse 15 is telling us something about Christ that is so radical that it is impossible to completely grasp it. And frankly, we're scared to grasp it because of its implications. If Christ endured the totality of human temptation, this means a lot of things we might prefer not to think about. There are people who are tempted by things like same-sex attraction, the desire to hurt people deeply, the desire to lash out and wage war, the desire to cheat or steal, and on and on. As Christians, we tend to be very uncomfortable thinking about our Savior being tempted by these kinds of things. We're not totally okay with the radical Jesus that the NT gives us, and what Hebrews 4.15 tells us. I mean, we can be okay with the idea that Jesus might have been tempted to be impatient, or a little gossipy, or even to tell a 'harmless' lie - and that thankfully, Christ didn't act on any of these things. But the idea that Jesus would have been tempted by lust the way many of us are almost makes the fact that he remained without sin beside the point. We're not comfortable with Jesus being tempted by particularly 'heinous' sins - that's just a little too radical for us. But that's what Hebrews 4.15 is saying, and thankfully so! It is precisely because Jesus endured the full brunt of humanity's temptations that he is so completely familiar and sympathetic with our struggles - even our darkest struggles. And what verse 16 says is that it's this complete and total familiarity and compassion for human struggling and striving that makes Jesus so capable of offering us mercy and grace when we confidently go before his throne in prayer and repentance.

If Jesus was only tempted by lesser temptations, verse 16 would not be in the Bible absent significant clarification. The boldness of v16 is thoroughly linked with the radicalness of v15. Because v15 relates to the totality of human temptation, v16 is applicable to all Christians at all times who are struggling with absolutely anything. Verse 16 is for the man with an anger problem. It is for the child who struggles with defying authority. It is for the infertile woman who is secretly insanely jealous of people who are able to conceive. It is for people struggling with same-sex attraction, for people struggling with addictions of all kinds, for people crushed by doubt and low self-esteem, for those who are depressed, for those who are arrogant and unfeeling, etc. We can confidently approach the throne of grace like v16 tells us to because there's nothing we can bring before God that he isn't already personally familiar with as v15 says. We can receive grace and mercy because there's no temptation, no matter how dark, that Christ himself was not exposed to. Christ was tempted more than any individual ever was because his temptations were the temptations of an entire race. This is radical stuff that we are often too scared to embrace. But the radical nature of Christ's temptations is the exact basis for the confidence we now have in going to him with our struggles. Don't water down the person and work of your Savior, because to do so is take the wonder and awe out of your faith.