Book of Common Prayer
The sympathetic high priest
14 Well, then, since we have a great high priest who has gone right through the heavens, Jesus, God’s son, let us hold on firmly to our confession of faith. 15 For we don’t have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then come boldly to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help us at the moment when we need it.
5 Every high priest, you see, is chosen from among human beings, and is placed before God on their behalf, so that he can offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to sympathize with people who don’t know very much, or who wander off in different directions, since he too has his own share of weakness. 3 That’s why he has to offer sacrifices in relation to his own sins as well as those of the people.
The son becomes the priest
4 Nobody takes the office of priesthood on himself; you have to be called by God, just as Aaron was. 5 In the same way, the Messiah didn’t exalt himself so that he might become a high priest. It came about through the one who said to him,
You are my son; today I have become your father.
6 As he says in another passage,
You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.
The transfiguration
28 About eight days after this conversation, Jesus took Peter, John and James and went up a mountain to pray. 29 And, as he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became shining white. 30 Two men appeared, talking with him: it was Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was going to fulfill in Jerusalem.
32 Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but they managed to stay awake. They saw his glory, and the two men who were standing there with him.
33 As they were going away from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah!” He didn’t know what he was saying; 34 but as the words were coming out of his mouth a cloud appeared and overshadowed them. They were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 And a voice came from the cloud: “This is my son, my chosen one: listen to him.” 36 As the voice spoke, there was Jesus by himself. They kept silent, and told nobody at that time anything of what they had seen.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.