And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever.’ ” Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant. Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

God’s calling matters. And when he calls us with an oath, it means the calling is of monumental importance. Abraham was called with an oath to go to an unknown, far-off land and be the father of a nation who served God. And that oath stood through the times of trial that Abraham experienced in not having a son until late in life. The oath stood even when Abraham and his wife did not trust in God‘s plan and decided Abraham would have a son through Sarah’s maidservant.

Now Jesus is called to the position of high priest by an oath from God. And this calling was not a one-time calling. By raising Jesus from the dead and seating him at his right hand, God called him to be a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. And he is a high priest who stands alone in stature. He went through trials and experienced the pain, heartache, and loneliness we have. He had to fight with fear all the time — the fear of death, the fear of betrayal, the fear of loss, the fear of a fall from position or power, the fear of false accusation, the fear of abandonment, etc.

Have you experienced some of the above fears? I have. It’s so great to know that Jesus experienced these too. Jesus experienced all the challenges we experience on earth, but he was perfect in how he handled them. He had a relationship with God that was solid. He relied on God for his strength.

All this adds up to a person in Jesus who has the power and authority of God, the experience of a human, and the exceptional life lived by a perfect man. What better advocate could I have? What better high priest could I ask for?

Lord, thank you for loving me, even though I fail you at times. Thank you for being a high priest that I can trust. And thank you for saving me. I want to live my life in honor of you. Give me the strength to reflect your goodness, love, and grace today.