weaknesses

It’s Advent, and one of the things I’m trying to do this year is find and remind myself of all the reasons that Christmas is a big deal for me personally. I’m doing this because, frankly, my work year has worn me down and December just looks tiringly busy to me.

But I got a little boost of energy for the holiday this morning while reading in Hebrews. With my question “What’s the big deal about Christmas?” in the back of my mind, I read this, from Hebrews 4:14-16: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are —yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

That’s a big deal, because it hits head-on a big problem I have. I have weaknesses. Actually, I sin, but these days we don’t call it that. I don’t want to. I want to do good (and do well). I want to obey. I want to live into good relationships, and work on kingdom-forwarding ministries. But I find myself being small-minded, petty, self-indulgent, and far too often, just outright bad. As much as I want to be good guy Greg, I’m not strong enough to do it all the time.

But my high priest, Jesus, can feel me on this. He gets it. He, in the words of Hebrews, empathizes with my weaknesses. Know why? Because he was here! He lived it, he walked through all of it, he knows how hard it is. So he understands why I get it wrong so often. I can go to God confidently, because Jesus knows how to explain me. At that same time, what he did here on earth is why I’ll find grace and mercy when I do approach God.

Jesus knows because he lived it – that’s one reason why Christmas is a big deal for me.