A Sympathizing Savior

As the old hymn begins, “The Great Physician now is near, the sympathizing Jesus.” There’s no doubt when William Hunter penned the lyrics to “The Great Physician”, that he had the following passage in mind.

Hebrews 4:14–16

“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.”

It has been said that sympathy is one of the most important emotions because from it comes understanding, help, and support to those in need. Sympathy is certainly easier to extend when we ourselves have firsthand knowledge of the situation. Hebrews 4:15 explains that Jesus Christ, our High Priest, can sympathize with us when we are faced with temptation. Not only does He have knowledge of those challenges, but has empathy, having experienced all temptation Himself. With such an inclusive statement, we have to conclude that Jesus faced temptation from all aspects of the world. Yes, that means Jesus was tempted to be dishonest, immoral, and to neglect His service to God. As a young boy, He resisted the temptation to disobey His parents, as a teenager He turned down opportunities to run with the crowd into mischief. As He grew into adulthood, He was tempted to be lazy, break His promises and follow popular culture. He faced it all yet without sin. Jesus was the human that the Lord God created us all to be, but because sin entered the world long ago, we’re unable to live up to that faultless design and that is why we need a sympathizing Savior.

Jay Launius – 2023 Maud church of Christ Maud, Texas