God With Us in Our Fear

We’re continuing our series, “God With Us,” in which we consider the miracle of God's presence in every moment of our lives. The miracle of Christmas is that God came to us in Jesus Christ. He walked among us, lived among us, and is with us.

Today, we will talk about God with us in our fear. Whenever we face fearful times, God is with us, and his presence reassures us with his promises, empowers us with his strength, and comforts us with his favor.

Yesterday, we had two great men’s and women’s events. The ladies had their annual Secret Sister event, and I could not attend. The ladies have a great time there every year.

Last night, the men had a bowling night, and I was allowed to attend. When you walk in, they give you a pair of bowling shoes, and I don’t want to think about how many people have worn those shoes before. But you stand up at the lane wearing your bowling shoes, and you’re holding your bowling ball, getting ready to throw the ball. You line up your throw, expecting to hit the pins right in this pocket toward the center, where you can knock down all the pins.

In your mind, the ball will go right there and knock down all the pins. But that’s not what happens. You throw the ball, and the ball drifts this way and that way. It’s not what you planned. You meant to knock down all the pins, but now you hope it will hit something.

Sometimes, life is like that. You planned to go one way, but instead, you find yourself going in a completely different direction than what you planned. In bowling, there’s only one direction that you want to go. But in life, sometimes God takes you in a different direction than you planned, and his direction is always better.

But when you’re in those moments and seeing things change, it can be scary. It can be fearful when you are not in control. How can we trust God’s direction in fearful times? We’ll look at this in Luke 1:26-38. If you have your Bibles, please open them there.

"In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged, to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came to her and said, 'Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you.' But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. Then the angel told her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.' Mary asked the angel, 'How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?' The angel replied to her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless. For nothing will be impossible with God.' 'See, I am the Lord’s servant,' said Mary. 'May it happen to me as you have said.' Then the angel left her." Luke 1:26–38

This story is an incredible moment in history. A young teenage girl named Mary receives a message from one of God's angels, Gabriel. The angel Gabriel appears a few times in Scripture. He appears in the book of Daniel, bringing Daniel a message from God in Daniel 8 and Daniel 9. And the other time Gabriel appears in Scripture is here, in Luke 1, where he predicts the birth of John the Baptist to Zechariah, the husband of Elizabeth, who is Mary’s relative. He then predicts the birth of Jesus to Mary.

While everything around the message from Gabriel to Mary is incredibly astounding and a supernatural miracle, at the heart of what is happening in Luke 1:26-38 is something profoundly human and relatable. In this story, God comforts a young woman who is scared and is facing the unknown.

While her circumstances are incredible, her fear is relatable. What kind of fear is she facing? I will outline four fears she faces, and as you examine them, you will find ones you can relate to.

Fear #1: The Fear of the Unknown

The first kind of fear she is dealing with is the fear of the unknown. 

What must this vision have been like? Mary was minding her business. She was going along in life, engaged to a man, and getting ready to be married. She was planning things out and was probably pretty happy with the engagement. 

Mary is a young teenager, maybe 13 to 15 years old. She is not floating around on a cloud with prayer hands. She is a young woman who's probably pretty obedient to her parents and preparing for her new life as Joseph’s wife.

All of a sudden, this angel appears, and his appearance might give all of us a heart attack. Her life suddenly changes from the life she knows to the appearance of the unknown. This angel and his message were not in the plans. This angel has to tell this young, trembling girl, “Do not be afraid, Mary,” because Mary was facing the fear of the unknown. 

If you’ve ever encountered a brand new situation you were unprepared for, you know the fear of the unknown.

Fear #2: The Fear of Inadequacy

The second kind of fear she is dealing with is the fear of inadequacy. The angel starts describing all these incredible things: that she will conceive, give birth to a son, and name the son Jesus. It goes on that this baby will be the Son of God and reign on David's throne. And she must have been like, "Hold on. You must have taken a wrong turn and are looking for another Mary.” 

She's young, but she still knows at least the basics. There's no way that she's adequate for this. She's not even married yet. She tells the angel, “I haven't even had sexual relations with a man.” She doesn't feel adequate for everything the angel is telling her. 

If you’ve ever been given a role you felt unqualified for, you know the fear of inadequacy.

Fear #3: The Fear of Social Consequences

The third kind of fear she is dealing with is the fear of social consequences. Although this fear is not explicitly stated in the text, it will be the natural result of the angel's message in her life. It's not like the angel Gabriel went to the town square of Nazareth and told everybody, “Just so you guys know, everything is entirely legit here. This is a miracle from God. We don't want anybody spreading rumors.” 

It doesn't say where exactly the angel gave Mary this message, but it seems it's somewhere private. How is Mary going to explain this to her parents? Will she walk up to her parents and say, “See, what happened was there was this angel Gabriel. He told me I'm going to have a baby, and it'll be the Son of the Most High, and he will be a king. So, I’m pregnant.” How is that going to go? Her parents will start looking for this fellow, Gabriel, to have a good heart-to-heart conversation.

If you ever faced being judged unfairly because people didn’t understand what you were going through, you know the fear of social consequences.

Fear #4: The Fear of Change

The fourth fear she is dealing with is the fear of change. Mary's life is about to change radically. Mary was already preparing for change. She's engaged to Joseph, so she's preparing for the joys and challenges of married life, maybe thinking about kids and their new home. But that change is nothing compared to this!

Mary's life is about to change from a typical path for a young woman preparing for marriage to the extraordinary path of being the wife of Joseph and the mother of the Son of the Most High. Her life will never be the same again.

If you've ever experienced a moment when life takes an unexpected turn and realized that things will never be the same, you know the fear of change.

Mary's fears are deeply relatable. Whether you're dealing with the fear of the unknown, the fear of being inadequate, worrying about what others think, or anxiety about change, we've all faced these fears at some point.

What's incredible about this story is not Mary's fear. It's how God works in her life in the middle of her fear. I want to show you three ways in which God's presence draws Mary out of her fear, and I hope these three things will encourage you to seek God's presence when you are experiencing fear.

The first thing we see in this story about fear is this:

I. In Fearful Times, God’s Promises Reassure Us

If you've got a picture in your mind of a young Jewish teenage girl named Mary, you can start picturing how this young girl would be trembling with fear, her hands shaking as she looks up and sees an incredible angelic figure giving her a message from God. I don't know how I would take this, a guy in my forties, much less a young teenage girl named Mary.

To draw Mary out of her fear, God’s message starts with his promises to her about his presence and his favor. Listen to how the message to Mary begins in Luke 1:28:

"And the angel came to her and said, 'Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you.'” Luke 1:28

Mary, you are about to face some challenging times. There is going to be an incredible change in your life. Life is never going to be the same. But God’s promise to you is this: In all you are about to face, you are not doing it alone. The Lord is with you.

Mary, the Lord is with you because God promises that he favors you. Listen to how God is drawing Mary out of her fear by his promise of favor toward her. In Luke 1:30:

Then the angel told her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.'" Luke 1:30

What Does It Mean to Have Favor with God?

The word translated “favor” here is the Greek word χάρις (charis). This word is in the New Testament a lot. This word is translated ten times in the New Testament as “favor,” but most of the time, it’s translated as “grace.” So, another way to look at Luke 1:30 is as if the angel is saying, “Mary, you don't have to be afraid because the grace of God is upon you.” 

The promise of God's grace is a reason not to fear. When you're reading this story of Mary, realize that the promise of God's favor to her is a promise of God's favor to all of his children. God is no respecter of persons. He gives his grace freely to those who have faith in Jesus Christ. So, as a Christian, you don't have to be afraid when fearful times happen in your life because God’s grace is upon you.

The grace of God upon a Christian could be an entire series of sermons on its own, but I'll point out these verses for us in Romans 5:1-2:

"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God." Romans 5:1–2

Notice his words there when he says, “This grace in which we stand.”

  • Christian, when you are having a hard day, there is still a grace in which you stand.
  • When you’ve fallen and messed up, there is still a grace in which you stand.
  • When it feels like the world is falling apart, there is still a grace in which you stand.

God's promise of grace to Christians means we will stand because of Jesus Christ no matter what we face. In fearful times, God’s promises reassure us.

One of the fun things I did as a dad was teach both of my boys how to ride bicycles. I remember buying this awesome orange bike for one of my boys, which came with training wheels. It’s scary to take those training wheels off for your child because you know they’ll probably fall. I remember coaching my son, “Just keep looking forward!” My boys did fall, but they knew I was there to help them get back up each time they fell.

Just as I was there to help my boys when they fell, God's grace is there for us when we face life's fears because of his presence. God is with us in our fear. Christians always stand in his grace, no matter what. No matter our fears, God’s promises reassure us.

The second thing we see in this story about fear is this:

II. In Fearful Times, God’s Power Enables Us

Mary's eyes must have been bulging as she listened to what the angel told her. It starts with the angel telling her: 

  • You will conceive and give birth to a son. 
  • You will name him Jesus.

Her response shows that this is already too much for her young, teenage brain to handle. She can’t figure out how this will happen because she’s not married yet.

But the rest of this gets better. Who this baby will be gets bigger and bigger and bigger.

  • He will be great.
  • He will be called the Son of the Most High.
  • The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David.
  • He will reign over the house of Jacob forever.
  • His kingdom will have no end.

This is where Mary has to say, “Pause. Listen, some natural things need to take place for this to happen. I haven't even had sexual relations with a man yet. What are you talking about? How can this be?”

I want you to see that when you can’t figure out how God will get you through something, God will continually point you back to his power. Look at God’s message to Mary in Luke 1:35-37.

"The angel replied to her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless. For nothing will be impossible with God.'” Luke 1:35–37

In this passage, I want you to see three ways God enables us to trust him in fearful times. He does this by pointing to his power, giving examples, and reminding us that his power has no limits.

First,

A. God Enables Us to Trust Him by Pointing to His Power

Many times, we're like Mary. We look at a challenging situation with natural eyes and list all the possible natural solutions. When we run out of natural solutions, we say, “God, how in the world will you get me through this?” As Mary does in her question to the angel, we treat God as if our limits are his limits.

God responds by pointing to the power of his presence. He tells her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you.” The fact that the Holy Spirit is with any of us is an absolute, supernatural miracle from God. Today, the Holy Spirit continues to convict people of their sins and change their lives through faith in Jesus Christ. Every man, woman, or child saved by the supernatural power of God is an ongoing witness of God's miraculous power in the world. When the Holy Spirit abides in a person, his powerful presence in their life enables them to overcome fearful times.

God also tells her, “The power of the Most High will overshadow you.” This picture here that the angel gives Mary has profound biblical significance. The word for “overshadow” means to “cast a shadow over” or “to envelope.” This word is used in two other places in the New Testament (Mark 9:7; Luke 9:34) where a cloud overshadows the disciples, and they hear from God.

In the Old Testament, God would show his presence with his people through a cloud enveloping or overshadowing the Tabernacle. You see this in Exodus 40:34,

"The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle." Exodus 40:34

By telling Mary that the power of the Most High will overshadow you, God is saying, “Mary, you can trust me to get you through this because my presence is with you, and my glory will fill you. You don’t need a natural solution. You need the presence of my glory to fill you.”

When you give your life to Christ, the presence of his glory will fill you. He does this by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that enables you to overcome fearful times. 

Second,

B. God Enables Us to Trust Him by Providing An Example of His Power at Work

When you need to trust God in a fearful time, God will point you to how his power is at work in others to remind you that he is mighty to get you through what you are facing. That’s precisely what God does with Mary in Luke 1:36.

God points Mary to her relative, Elizabeth. He says, “Do you need an example of my power? Look at Elizabeth.” There are no natural solutions to explain Elizabeth. We don’t like to call ladies “old” here, but describing her as “old” in this text is biblically correct. It says, “She has conceived a son in her old age.” God uses her miraculous pregnancy as a tangible example of his power at work.

God tells Mary, “Mary, I'm already doing miracles in the world that are above and beyond your expectations. You can see it in your own family. Don't you believe that I would do the same for you?”

God does the same for us, too. When you’re struggling to trust God in a fearful time, he’ll show you the example of how he worked in someone in your family, someone in the church, someone in Scripture, and tell you, “Don’t you believe that I have the power to do the same in your life?”

Third,

C. God Enables Us to Trust Him by Reminding Us His Power Knows No Limits

Not only does God remind us of his power and give us examples of his power at work, but he also reminds us that his power is strong enough to get us through the most impossible situations. 

Listen to the message the angel gives Mary in Luke 1:37: “For nothing will be impossible with God.” When we see the impossible, God sees an opportunity for us to see the impossible with man as possible with God.

We need to believe that God can do the impossible—not only believe it but embrace it. It's one thing to believe theoretically that God can do the impossible. It's another to have a heartfelt conviction in your soul that, even though I don't know how God will do it, he will heal and save.

Facing an impossible situation is only possible when you believe in God’s power to do the impossible.

God’s power to do the impossible is the story of Israel. Picture the people of Israel—men, women, and children—standing before a huge sea. They’ve just been saved from slavery in Egypt, but now the Egyptians are coming to get them. They're stuck, trapped between the Egyptians and the Red Sea. The Egyptians have them cornered. This looks impossible. But listen to what Moses said to the people in Exodus 14:13 “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation that he will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again.” God didn’t need natural solutions. He parted the sea and created a path where none existed.

Just like Moses told the Israelites, we must often hear the message: “Don't be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord's salvation, which he will accomplish today.” We serve the same God, who has already accomplished the impossible in Jesus Christ. When you face fearful times, will you stand firm and wait for the Lord’s salvation? May that be true for us.

Last,

III. In Fearful Times, God’s Favor Comforts Us

This story shows a woman who goes from fear to faith, embracing God's grace. Remember where she is in the beginning—a woman trembling, where God has to say, “Don't be afraid!” Verse 29 says she was “deeply troubled” by what she heard. She struggles to grasp faith as she tries to understand God’s work.

But after she has been reassured by God’s promises and enabled to trust God’s power, she rests in the grace of God. Luke 1:38 shows us the comfort of the grace of God in her life. It says,

“'See, I am the Lord’s servant,' said Mary. 'May it happen to me as you have said.' Then the angel left her." Luke 1:38 

God's grace is the most comforting thing in the world for a human being. When we learn to embrace the grace of God, the natural result is a life of service to the Lord. 

  • There is nothing better than the grace of God. 
  • There is nothing more fulfilling than the grace of God. 
  • There's nothing in all the Earth that will ever affect your life like the grace of God.

And when you learn of the grace of God, it causes you to say, “God, may it happen to me, as you have said.” There is rest and comfort in the grace of God because God’s grace is only available in Jesus Christ. He says in Matthew 11:28-29,

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:28–29 

Do you need rest for your soul today? Maybe you're facing a fearful time and can’t figure things out. In that case, you must embrace God's grace in Jesus Christ and find rest for your soul.

Conclusion

This incredible story of Mary shows us that God is with us in our fear, and he helps us overcome our fear. God doesn’t leave us in the fear of inadequacy, fear of consequences, or the fear of change. Instead,

  • His promises reassure us that we are never alone and that His grace is always upon us.
  • His power enables us, showing us that nothing is impossible with God, no matter how overwhelming our circumstances may seem.
  • His favor comforts us, offering rest and peace as we embrace His grace and trust His plan.

When you are facing a fearful time, trust in Jesus' plan, believe in his promises, rest in his power, and trust in his grace. All of that begins with faith in Jesus. Maybe you need to surrender something to him. Trust Jesus, and find rest for your soul.

Sermon Reflection Questions

  1. What is the sermon's big idea regarding God's presence in times of fear?
  2. How does the story of Mary demonstrate the theme of facing fear?
  3. What four types of fears does Mary experience?
  4. What reassurance does God provide to Mary in her moment of fear?
  5. How can we trust God's direction during fearful times?

Preached on Sunday, 12/15/2024, at Catalyst Church San Diego. Click here to hear the sermon.

God With Us in Our Weakness

I listened to some preaching this week. I was listening to a sermon by Adrian Rogers. He's gone on to be with the Lord now, but you can still hear his sermons on his podcast. He was preaching a sermon on a different topic than I'm preaching today. But he said something in the sermon that I've often thought. He said, “I'm not only preaching to you. I'm also preaching to myself.” That was good for me to hear. Because as I am preaching this sermon today, I'm not only preaching it to you, but I'm also preaching it to myself. The sermon today is this: God is with us in our weakness.

As we approach Christmas, that is the message of Christmas. We celebrate Jesus because he is Emmanuel, God with us. Through faith in Jesus Christ, God is with you and with me. God is with us as we shop in stores for our gifts. God is with us at work, school, or home while we are with our family. God is with you as you are stuck in traffic, and that driver has just cut you off. In whatever is going on, God is with us.

But many times, when we are weak and in need, it's hard to remember that God is with us. We're just trying to figure it out ourselves. Especially when we fall into sin and temptation, we don't feel like God is with us. 

But is there a way for us to know that even in our weakness, God is with us? We're going to take a look at that question today through the book of Hebrews. If you have your Bibles, please open them to Hebrews 4:14-16.
"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need." Hebrews 4:14–16
The Book of Hebrews is a very Jewish book and an incredible epistle. We will preach through it next year as we start a sermon series on Hebrews in January. The Book of Hebrews has a constant theme that Jesus is greater. The one thing that will come back repeatedly in Hebrews is that Jesus is greater than everything the Jews had seen under Moses.

Hebrews 4:14-16, where we are today, is given within the context of the author of Hebrews speaking about how exposed we are before God. In other words, your human condition, who you are on the inside, is entirely bare before the Lord.

Hebrews 4:12 contains a famous verse about how “the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword.” It says God’s word can “judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” One way you know the Bible is the Word of God is that it exposes the very condition of your soul. 

I can't tell you how many times I've been preaching the Word of God, and someone comes up to me and wonders how I knew exactly what was happening in their life at that time. I don’t know what’s happening in your life, but God does. Whenever you encounter the word of God, whether someone is preaching it or you are just reading it on your own, God has a way of exposing the condition of your soul through his word.

Hebrews 4:13 states that “no creature is hidden” from God’s sight. Every person is exposed before God. Nothing is hidden from him, and the word says that we will give an account of ourselves to God.

Our condition of being exposed and laid bare before God sets us up for Hebrews 4:14. It starts with this Jewish idea of Jesus as our great high priest.

1. Jesus is Our Great High Priest

Take a look at Hebrews 4:14. It says,
"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to our confession." Hebrews 4:14

What Does It Mean That Jesus Is Our Great High Priest?

It is helpful to remember that Christianity is what Judaism was meant to be—the worship of the Jewish Messiah. Jesus fulfills all of God's promises to the people of Israel. For the Jews, to miss Jesus is to miss everything. They are missing the fulfillment of God's promises to them.

One of God's promises to Israel was fulfilled through the role of the high priest in the Jewish temple. When God established the temple, the role of the high priest signified that man needed a mediator between him and God.

God established the role of the high priest through Moses. His brother Aaron was appointed as the first high priest in Exodus 28-29. 

The high priest was someone who was set apart. He represented the people of Israel to God. He carried on him the names of the tribes of Israel before God as a reminder. 

You see this in Exodus 28:11-12. These verses describe an ephod (or a garment) that the high priest would wear on him as he approached the presence of God in the Tabernacle. There are instructions here on what to engrave on the ephod. It says,
"Engrave the two stones with the names of Israel’s sons as a gem cutter engraves a seal. Mount them, surrounded with gold filigree settings. Fasten both stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the Israelites. Aaron will carry their names on his two shoulders before the LORD as a reminder." Exodus 28:11–12
In other words, Aaron (or the high priest) must remember that he is a representative or a mediator between the people of Israel and God.

It is very intentional that the high priest needed a reminder because of an inherent weakness within the high priest system. The high priest was required to be holy to approach a holy God. In Exodus 28:36, the high priest wore a turban with a gold medallion engraved with the words "Holy to the Lord.” Exodus 28:38 describes why the high priest wore this medallion. It says,
"It will be on Aaron’s forehead so that Aaron may bear the guilt connected with the holy offerings that the Israelites consecrate as all their holy gifts. It is always to be on his forehead, so that they may find acceptance with the LORD." Exodus 28:38
The high priest had a specific role of bearing Israel's guilt upon himself before God. However, the high priest system's inherent weakness was that the high priest himself was a sinner. It was not enough for him to bear Israel's guilt because he had his own guilt to bear before God. 

The tabernacle, or temple, had an area called the Holy of Holies, where God's presence was manifested above the ark of the covenant. This area had the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat, and it was divided from the rest of the Tabernacle by a curtain. Once a year, the high priest went past the curtain and entered the holy of Holies to bring a sacrifice before God for the people.

However, because he was sinful, he first had to make a sacrifice for himself before he could present the sin offering to God for the people. This whole process is described in Leviticus 16. But Leviticus 9:7 gets to the heart of the process and purpose of the high priest. It says,
"Then Moses said to Aaron, 'Approach the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering; make atonement for yourself and the people. Sacrifice the people’s offering and make atonement for them, as the LORD commanded.'” Leviticus 9:7
So, the purpose of the high priest was for the people to have an atonement before God, a sacrifice made for their sins. The high priest needed to make that atonement before God.

Why Is Jesus a Greater High Priest?

Jesus is a greater high priest because he is sinless. He didn't need to bring a guilt offering for himself because he had no guilt. Jesus is 100% perfect in every way. 

That's the point the writer of Hebrews makes right in the next verse, verse 15, where he says that Jesus was without sin. You see this in 1 Peter 2:22, where it says,
"He did not commit sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth" 1 Peter 2:22
You can also look at 1 John 3:5,
"You know that he was revealed so that he might take away sins, and there is no sin in him." 1 John 3:5
Since Jesus had no sin, 2 Corinthians 5:21 says he was made sin for us. 
"He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21
In other words, since he was 100% perfect and pure without fault, he was the only pure offering that could be brought before God. Jesus, our great high priest, was the only perfect offering who could carry the guilt of us all.

He's a great high priest who not only went past the curtain—oh, he tore the veil! But he also ascended into heaven and is at the very right hand of the throne of God. He is the perfect mediator between man and God.

We know the importance of a mediator to advocate for the powerless. I worked for a Christian ministry toward homeless individuals for seven years. And during that time, I was a counselor for a lot of men in our program. Within that time, our bosses decided to change our job title from a Case Manager to an Advocate, because they really wanted us to internalize the importance of our position. Our job was to advocate for individuals who felt powerless, people who were trying to get things together. 

When you have mental health issues, It's difficult to advocate for yourself. What you haven't had a job for long time, It's difficult to advocate for yourself. Those guys needed somebody to stand in the gap for them. 

If we understand the issue of the powerless in our community, how much more do we need an advocate who will stand in our place before God? How much more do we need a perfect and sinless person who will stand in the place of the sinful and wretched? It’s not just difficult. A sinful person can't stand before a holy God. 

We need someone who can say, "I've walked in their shoes and understand their condition." I am perfect; I have no sin, and I can carry their sin for them. Praise God, for he made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us. We need Jesus, our great high priest. 

Because Jesus has taken on our humanity, he understands our weakness.

2. Jesus Understands Our Weakness

Verse 14 ends with, “Let us hold fast to our confession.” Why should we do this? That leads us to Hebrews 4:15.
"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin." Hebrews 4:15
We can hold fast to our faith and trust in Jesus because we have a great high priest, Jesus Christ, who sympathizes with our weaknesses. Jesus knows what it means to be human.

Do you want to know what our weakness is? Our weakness is temptation, and Jesus knows what it means to be tempted because he has been tempted in every way. 

You say, Pastor Jason, what do you mean he's been tempted in every way? Well, let's take a look at that.

Categories of Temptation

The Bible connects human weakness with temptation. Humans are weak because we are susceptible to temptation. If you've ever had to do something that took a lot of work and instead find yourself scrolling on your phone on social media because you want to see if that post you made has likes or comments, you know the power of temptation.

Jesus understands our weakness because the Bible says he has been “tempted in every way.” Now understand it’s not that Jesus faced every possible scenario a human could find himself in. For instance, he did not deal with temptations around modern technology. Instead, Jesus encountered every category of temptation a human being will find himself in.

You see these categories of human temptation described in 1 John 2:16. John describes them as the things of the world. He says, 
"For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s possessions—is not from the Father, but is from the world." 1 John 2:16
Human temptation can be categorized into three categories: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, or the pride of life (or, as in this translation, the pride in one's possessions).

You can see all these temptation categories at work in Matthew 4:1-11 during Jesus's wilderness temptation. If you're unfamiliar with this chapter, this is when Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

A. The Lust of the Flesh

What is the lust of the flesh? The lust of the flesh refers to the physical desires of the human being. A lot of times, our mind goes to sexual desires, but it could be any physical desire that one has, such as the desire to eat so we won’t experience hunger. It could be a desire for comfort or just a desire for the avoidance of pain.

As Jesus is sent out into the wilderness, he is out in this barren, empty place, the sun beating on him, and he has been fasting for forty days and forty nights. No food. He is physically weakened from the lack of sustenance. 

Sometimes, it's hard for us to miss lunch, and he's been missing breakfast, lunch, and dinner for forty days. You can picture the devil saying, “Why are you doing this? You know you're hungry. If you're the Son of God, tell those stones to become bread.”

Jesus responds in Matthew 4:4,
"He answered, 'It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” Matthew 4:4

B. The Lust of the Eyes

How about the lust of the eyes? What is that? The lust of the eyes has to do with every time you look at something and say, “I want! I want! I want!” It's the desire for recognition, the desire for possessions, the desire for power.

The wicked one takes Jesus to the top of a high mountain, where he can see all the world's kingdoms. The devil says, “You're trying to do things the hard way. Listen, I've already got power over all these people. I'll give them all to you. Just bow down and worship me.”

Jesus says in Matthew 4:10,
"Then Jesus told him, 'Go away, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'” Matthew 4:10

C. The Pride in One’s Possessions

How about pride in one's possessions? The human being is tempted to selfishly use his things, including his power or influence, for self-serving reasons. It's the temptation to use power selfishly, to avoid humility, to grasp or hold on to whatever perceived personal greatness you have.

The devil takes Jesus to the holy city of Jerusalem and has him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, the very top. Below him is this busy city of people, and if any normal human being would jump off from this place, they would fall to their death. 

The devil taunts him. He says, “If you're the Son of God, throw yourself down. And I know you like Scripture. I'll even throw a little scripture at you.” And then what he does, the devil will twist Scripture around. He takes Psalm 91:11-12 out of context and says, “This is what the Bible says about you: ‘He will give his angels orders concerning you, and they will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against the stone.’ Do you believe the Scriptures? Throw yourself down. Use your power and influence as the Son of God and show the people who you are.”

Jesus says in Matthew 4:7,
"Jesus told him, 'It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.'” Matthew 4:7
Jesus was tempted in every way as we are and was perfect in his response. Jesus is sinless.

Why Is It Important That Jesus Was Tempted in Every Way?

And why is that important? Why is it important to know that Jesus was tempted in every way, just as we are, and was without sin?

This is important because weakness is directly connected to the power of temptation over your flesh, eyes, and pride. Temptation kills our good intentions and drives humanity into sin and despair.

And if our Savior didn’t understand temptation, he wouldn't understand our weakness. He wouldn't fully understand what it means to be human.

But he does. He fully understands the pressure of temptation upon a human being because he was tempted in every way.

He understands our weakness. Here's the good news: God is with us in our weakness.

When we fall into temptation, when our weakness is exposed in our soul, that's the point when we feel we should be distant from God. That's the point when we feel like God is done with us. He is just fed up. He cannot take any more of this weak human being who is constantly falling into temptation. 

But just the opposite is true. When we fall into temptation, God is with us in our weakness. He sympathizes with our weakness and is mighty to stand with us because he has been tempted in every way but was without sin. 

We need someone who will stand in the gap when we are tempted, fall, and need help. 

That person who stands must sympathize with us and still be perfect in every way. It’s good to know that God stands with us in our weakness.

3. Draw Near to the Throne of Grace

Because God stands with us in our weakness, we can draw near to the throne of grace. It says in Hebrews 4:16,
"Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need." Hebrews 4:16
What would it mean for the writer to say, “Let us approach the throne.” In the first century, you didn't just approach the throne. The throne was the place of ultimate authority. It was the place of ultimate power. It was the ruler. It was the place of his majesty.

No one just approached the throne. If you approach the throne, you could be killed. This could be a place of severe judgment unless the ruler summoned you.

You see a good description of this in the Book of Esther, Esther 4:11. Now, Esther is queen and considering approaching the throne on behalf of the people of Israel. Listen to what she says about approaching the throne.
“All the royal officials and the people of the royal provinces know that one law applies to every man or woman who approaches the king in the inner courtyard and who has not been summoned—the death penalty—unless the king extends the gold scepter, allowing that person to live. I have not been summoned to appear before the king for the last thirty days.” Esther 4:11
That picture is a good example of what the writer of Hebrews would have thought as he described approaching the throne. Access to an earthly throne was limited, and one would likely die if one attempted to approach the throne.

If approaching an earthly throne was dangerous, coming to God’s throne was even more dangerous—it was certain death. The Jews considered the place over the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies to be God’s earthly throne. In Exodus 25:22, God said to Moses, “I will speak to you from there.”

It was expressly stated that anyone who approached the Holy of Holies other than the high priest would die. The high priest could only approach the Holy of Holies once a year and had to bring an offering. If he approached the wrong way, he would die.

All of that changed in Jesus. Because Jesus is our great high priest, the sinless one who took on the sins of the world, the throne is no longer a seat of judgment for those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ. We don't approach a throne of judgment. We approach a throne of grace.

When we fall into temptation and are weak, we often feel like we're approaching a throne of judgment. But the judgment is gone. Our great high priest has taken on our judgment on the cross. He has taken on our sins. And so we don't approach a throne of judgment. We approach a throne of grace. 

When Esther approached the throne, she hoped the king would extend the golden scepter so she would live. But when we approach the throne of Grace, we approach a throne that has already extended grace. He didn't do it through a golden scepter; he did it through a wooden cross so that we would live through faith in Jesus Christ. 
  • We approached the throne of Grace through faith.
  • We approach the throne of God's grace in his word.
  • We approach the throne of God's grace through prayer.
When we approach the throne of grace, we can approach it in all our weaknesses because God is with us. We can approach Jesus in all our weaknesses because he is strong, mighty, sinless, and stands in the gap for you and me.

Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in times of need. Do you find yourself in a time of need today? Do you find yourself falling into temptation? Are you kicking yourself because you feel like you're weak? 

Brothers and sisters, we are weak. When we find ourselves in our time of need and weakness, we must remember that he is strong. He stands for us. And we need to remember that God is with us in our weakness.

Sermon Reflection Questions

  1. What is the overall message of the sermon regarding God’s presence in our weakness?
  2. What categories of temptation are discussed concerning Jesus' understanding of human weakness?
  3. Why might people feel distant from God in times of weakness?
  4. Why is it significant that we can approach God’s throne as a throne of grace rather than judgment?
  5. How can we apply the sermon’s message about our weaknesses and Jesus’s empathy in our daily lives?