For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. - Hebrews 5:1 –3 (ESV)

As a pastor there are certain expectations that come with the job. In a public gathering, I'm usually the one asked to pray. Sometimes people will ask random Bible questions. Other times people ask me to 'put a good word in with the man upstairs.' There is a general feeling that if anyone is close God, it must be the pastor. So while the concept of a priest may seem like a distant concept, there still seems to be echoes of it in our culture. We have a sense we are separated from a holy God and we need help to restore our connection and relationship to Him, but who and how seems to be fuzzy.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. - Hebrews 4:12 –13 (ESV)

As a Sunday school kid, we had 'sword drills'. They were the churchy equivalent of a playground game. A group of kids would sit in a row, Bibles at the ready, and a Bible reference would be called out.  It would be a race to find it first, then stand up and read it. You had to know your Bible cover to cover, have quick hands, and a sense of the relative placement of the books. Tabs and bookmarks were cheating. Honestly, I was not very good at it and more than a few pages of my Bible were ripped in my failed attempts at speed.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, - Ephesians 2:4 –6 (ESV)

Death has been an important topic this year. That is kind of odd. Death has happened since the Fall, but we do just about anything to prevent or ignore the dark reality of death. Our physical death is not our greatest problem. In fact, we already suffer from a condition that has a 100% mortality rate, spiritual death.

So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. - Hebrews 4:9 –11 (ESV)

I have a confession. I'm bad at resting. I can't sit still. Work and projects are a regular part of life.

When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. - John 19:30 (ESV)

One of the central symbols of Christianity is a cross. We wear them, decorate with them, put them on clothing, and more. If you really think about that, it's odd. The cross is an instrument of death. It was the place where a humiliating execution happened. No person in the first century would display the cross the way we do.

Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house. - Hebrews 3:1 –2 (ESV)

We have all had heroes. Early in your life your hero might have been your parents. As you grow up you, it might have been someone you wanted to be like - the brave fire fighter or the brilliant scientist or the skilled athlete.