Summary of passage: We have a great high priest (Jesus Christ) who has gone through the heavens and who has been tempted in every way, just as we have–but remained without sin. He can sympathize with out weaknesses.
Questions:
3a) A great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, and who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin.
b) According to Webster’s Dictionary, have also means “to receive, accept, and to stand in a certain relationship to”. We receive, accept, and stand in a certain relationship to Jesus.
4) Jesus’ greatest temptation was the questioning of who he is, what his mission was, and it’s ultimate fulfillment. Jesus faced human temptations and had human emotions, which included human desires. He didn’t want to die (his mission). He probably had great joy in helping people and healing them. The Devil tried to tempt him with human material items/desires.
This is significant because the Devil knows our greatest weaknesses as well. He tried to tempt Jesus, playing off of Jesus’ greatest fears.
Jesus himself says the spirit is willing but the body (being human) is weak. Isn’t this true for us all? We all have good intentions but when it comes down to us, our humanness often wins in the end.
b) Personal Question. My answer: Probably fulfilling God’s desires for me with human intentions instead of with His intentions. Doing His will selfishly, I guess, and on my own terms and not His.
c) We can tell ourselves that if Jesus withstood temptations then so can we. However, I’m unsure how helpful this will be because then we think ‘Well, that was Jesus. I mean, He was great, powerful, the Son of God! Of course he would withstand temptations. If I were the Son of God, I’d be able to as well. But I’m just a mere nobody mortal.’
Overcoming temptations is an act of will–nothing else. We must be strong just like Jesus was and have the courage to stand up in the face of the Devil and our particular temptation.
5a) God and Jesus sit on the throne of grace. God grants us grace. So to approach the throne of grace is to approach God and Jesus with our problems, lay it out for them, and ask for help to solve/overcome them. Here, we will find mercy and grace from the One who loves us beyond imagining.
b) Personal Question. My answer: I don’t like this question. In my opinion, EVERY circumstance is especially needful. If you have a need, God has the solution. You need but ask. ”Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6
If it worries you, take it to the throne. NOW! Don’t wait. God isn’t waiting…
Right now, my family is praying for a move because the place we live is draining life from my husband and me. We are praying He opens us up a home where we can stay for an extended period of time and quit moving around all the time. We are praying for stability in a place we want to live.
I am praying for my husband’s job. For him to feel appreciated for all the hard work he does or to open up a different opportunity where my husband can grow and bloom for a long time to come.
We don’t have a church right now. We haven’t since we moved. I just don’t have the heart to search one out. Our church is at home right now, where we read the Bible and discuss God’s word together.
I pray generically for my country since I believe the problems are too great to name specifics.
Conclusions: What I got out of this is Philippians 4:6. We need to pray. Pray with all of out might for ourselves, our family, for others, for our church, and for our nation. And ask God, the solution master, for His will to be done. And soon! Then verse 7 says the peace of God will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. We will have peace when we pray!
This is probably not what I was supposed to get out of Hebrews. Oh, well.
I love this site for the passage: http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/5804.htm
I use Enduring Word all the time for clarification but here they put it succinctly. I used them for my answer to 5 and they were the ones who reminded me of Philippians.
Hello. I enjoy following your blog. I was wondering if you have the notes for the Sharing the Gospel class. Thanks
No, I do not. I have not taken that class.
Dafne, your Class Administrator can help you with that. They should have a few extra copies if you lost yours. She’s usually in the back of the church where everything is set up. There are other assistant class administrators there who can guide you to her and help you. Also, your assistant teacher leader leads those seminars so she, too, might have a few extra copies if you explain that you misplaced your copy from the seminar. Was there something specific you were trying to remember? I actually was going through my stuff in the guest room last week and laid my seminar material aside to look at this week.
I’m not sure how this works exactly, but I want to tell you I enjoy reading your blog. You have such insights into so many topics (in additon to the BSF questions) and I enjoy piggy-backing on your research and checking out the links you post. Sometimes I use an edited version of your answer because I just don’t get the question, and sometimes I read your answers and say yeah – I got something similar and sometimes I think – whoa I missed the point of that question. I applaud your admonishments to BSF. But, mostly I enjoy your refreshing viewpoints, and I am sorry to hear about people giving you a hard time – you must be doing something right otherwise the “devil” wouldn’t be hounding you.. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Thank you so much for your blog. I have been reading it along with my BSF class for I think two years now. Currently we are out of town, and I will be missing my meetings for about two weeks. So your blog helps to get get feedback on questions etc. I will pray for you and your family. I believe that you need to be in a church where they can minister to you too. But because of my past circumstances and current family life, I know that the Lord will minister to you where you are and bring you to a church without looking at the right time. I have been widowed, married again, and now have extended family living with us because of hard times. Taking care of elderly parents as well. Many days I don’t have anything left. But by the grace of God I have much, a husband that loves God, a few very close friends, and my Christian family who lift me up in prayer when I just don’t…
Keep in mind a church doesn’t have to be thousands of people. Ours is about 100 people. That’s one of things I did when things were getting too much for me, went from a 2,000 member church to 300 member, to 100 member. The Lord did the leading, I did the following.
I didn’t realize you were praying for a new place to call home or else I didn’t realize your husband was included. I knew you had been unhappy before and since the move. I will be praying also for you to have a new location, someplace where you feel better and better about your situation. I keep thinking “What is God fine tuning you to do”? It’s as if you are being primed for something but for what, when, and where? Heb. 12:2 “He is the author and the perfecter” and Isa. 64:8 “We are the clay, you are the potter”. Makes me wonder what God is up to and I know you have probably been wondering too.
Thank you for your research, for this blog, for your wonderful insights as you share the personal items with us. I feel so blessed to have found your blog. Thank you!!!
your answer to 5b made me smile-an affirmation that God is working with HIs people. I thought I wrote your answer:) I will be lifting you in prayer- we are sisters in Christ. We do a website/blog an would love to connect-my husband is a watchman on the wall-Ministry of apologetics (not a popular ministry- love to encourage-love your blog and want you know you have a friend in Massachusetts:) Shalom