“Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.” (Hebrews 2:17-18 NASB)

Listen to what this says and, considering who we are in Christ, take heart.

Jesus came in flesh so that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest, having experienced life as we know it. This leaves the impression that He came to know hunger, thirst, hurt, pain, and all the issues of human flesh so that He would understand in a way that grew His mercy muscles and increased the nature of His faithfulness, all of which was already perfect.

I don’t believe He did so because He did not know and understand; after all, God is All Knowing. I believe His need of personal experience of life in flesh was more so we can know with assurance that He understands. His suffering increased His ability to serve as High Priest, being better able to sympathize from a stance of personal experience.

The New Living Translation of verse 18 says, “Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, He is able to help us when we are being tested.” No one can look at Him on judgement day and say, “But, God, you don’t understand!” When we know someone does understand from experience, we more readily receive their encouragement. Beloved, we can know that God Incarnate understands.

Do I fully understand passages like this that speak as if Jesus had to grow. No, it blows my finite mind. I have spent two days trying to write this so as to explain the indescribable. Here’s the point I see that we need to grasp and understand as we grow into who we are in Christ.

Jesus, called and equipped as High Priest, suffered in human flesh in part to strengthen His ability to fulfill His role. We, too are called to a priestly role as part of the Royal Priesthood Peter speaks of in 1 Peter 2:9. Just like Jesus, we must realize that some of the things God allows us to suffer will be to increase our ability to serve in that blessed ministry.

Going through a hardship makes us better able to sympathize. In those seasons, we learn what is helpful and what is not. We gain a right to speak into the lives of others and a credibility that helps others hear. Sometimes suffering is simply purposed to make us God’s comforters to the hurting.

Are you going through a hard time? Know it has a purpose and, in Christlikeness, become a willing student so you can be a godly Priest.

“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.” (Colossians 1:24 NASB)

See also 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 NASB.