The other day, I woke up thinking about a friend who is struggling in a health trial. This trial continues, even when she has done what the Lord showed her to do to be healed by Him. His timing doesn’t always meet our expectations; but we must never forget that our Lord is faithful. I woke up that day with the lyrics in my head from He Knows by Jeremy Camp: “He knows, He knows, Every hurt and every sting, He has walked the suffering. He knows, He knows. Let your burdens come undone, Lift your eyes up to the One who knows; He knows”.

Those lyrics took me to the following passage: “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb 4:14-16)

The passage begins by stating that Jesus the Son of God passed through the heavens. When we put people into a rocket and hurl them into space, we are throwing them into the heavens. They are still within this space-time continuum. Even if they traveled to the nearest planets or the outermost reaches of our solar system, which seems utterly impossible now, they would still be in the heavens. But the claim made for Jesus is that he has passed through the heavens; He has passed outside the limits of time and space. He is not contained within, limited by, those boundaries that hold us within physical limits. He is outside, above, beyond, over all, therefore there are no limits to His power. Jesus attests to His power: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matt 28:18).

The writer of Hebrews also makes clear that though the Lord Jesus has passed into the place of supreme power, and has absolutely no limits upon His ability to work, He also is extremely concerned with our problems. “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Heb 4:15) He has already gone the whole course before us. He has felt every pressure; He has known every pull; He has been drawn by every allurement we face; He has been frightened by every fear; beset by every anxiety and by every worry. Yet He did it without failure, without sinning. Never once did He fall.

Because we have a High Priest who can sympathize with our weakness, we’re encouraged to take everything to Him. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb 4:16) A throne speaks of authority and power, while grace conveys the idea of sympathy and understanding. These two thoughts are combined in Jesus Christ. He is both fully man and fully God with infinite power, without limitation, yet in complete and utter sympathy with us. What limitations do we presume to impose upon Jesus Christ, conqueror of time and space?

Is there anything heavy on your heart? Have you honored His amazing invitation to come boldly to His throne of both supreme authority and grace? “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:6-7) “We may faint and we may sink; Feel the pain and near the brink; But the dark begins to shrink when you find the One who knows. The chains of doubt that held you in between, one by one are starting to break free. Let your burdens come undone, Lift your eyes up to the One who knows. He knows.”

Help us, Father, to obey these simple words of admonition: To come with confidence, with boldness, to the throne of grace from which all help comes, all light is streaming, all hope is flaming. What an amazing Father You are, that You gave us the ability to come to You to receive grace and mercy even when we can’t form words for our pain. We thank You for the peace You give that guards our hearts and minds. For You did not give us a spirit of fear or bondage, but You gave us a Spirit who bears witness with our spirit that we are Your children, and therefore Your heirs. Search our hearts, O Lord, to show us any unrighteousness within us that we must forsake. We call upon You as You are near the brokenhearted, and claim the promise in Your Word that You will have mercy on us as we seek You. In the precious name of Jesus, amen.

Source: The Throne of Grace by Ray Steadman