Book of Common Prayer

Jesus The Son of God Is Our Great High Priest

¹⁴ Therefore, having a great High Priest having gone through the heavens^[a]— Jesus, the Son of God— let us be holding-on-to the confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest not being able to sympathize-with our weaknesses, but One having been tempted^[b] in all things^[c] in accordance with our likeness, without sin. ¹⁶ So let us be approaching the throne of grace with confidence^[d], in order that we may receive mercy and find grace for well-timed^[e] help.

High Priests Are Called By God From Among Men To Offer Sacrifices For Sins

5 For every high priest being taken from-among men is appointed for people in the things pertaining to God, in order that he might offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins— ² being able to deal-gently with the ones being ignorant and going-astray since he himself is also surrounded with weakness. ³ And because of it^[f], he is obligated to be offering sacrifices for sins— just as for the people, so also for himself. ⁴ And one does not take the honor to himself, but receives it being called by God, just as also Aaron.

So Also Jesus Was Made High Priest By God

⁵ So also, Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but the One having said to Him [in Ps 2:7] “You are My Son. Today I have fathered You” did, ⁶ just as also in another place He says “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” [Ps 110:4],

Many Believed, But Jesus Did Not Entrust Himself To Them

²³ Now while He was in Jerusalem at the Passover during the Feast, many believed in His name, seeing His signs which He was doing. ²⁴ But Jesus Himself was not entrusting Himself to them— because of His knowing all people; ²⁵ and because He was having no need that someone should testify about the person, for He Himself was knowing what was in the person.

Nicodemus, a Ruler of The Jews, Comes To Jesus, And Is Told He Must Be Born Again

3 Now there was a man from the Pharisees— the name for him was Nicodemus— a ruler of the Jews. ² This one came to Him by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher. For no one is able to be doing these signs which You are doing unless God is with him”. ³ Jesus responded and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you— unless one is born again^[a], he is not able to see the kingdom of God”. ⁴ Nicodemus says to Him, “How is a person able to be born while being an old-man? He is not able to enter a second time into the womb of his mother and be born, is he?” ⁵ Jesus responded, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water^[b] and the Spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God. ⁶ The thing having been born of the flesh is flesh, and the thing having been born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You^[c] all must be born again’— ⁸ the wind blows where it wants, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know from where it comes, and where it is going. So^[d] is everyone having been born of the Spirit”. ⁹ Nicodemus responded and said to Him, “How are these^[e] things able to happen?” ¹⁰ Jesus responded and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and you do not understand these things? ¹¹ Truly, truly, I say to you that we are speaking what we know, and we are testifying what we have seen, and you^[f] people are not receiving our testimony. ¹² If I told you people earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? ¹³ And no one has gone up into heaven except the One having come down from heaven— the Son of Man. ¹⁴ And just as Moses lifted-up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up ¹⁵ in order that everyone putting-faith in Him may have^[g] eternal life.