Three leadership roles in Israel: 1) Prophet - represents God (Yahweh) to the people, 2) King - orders the life of the nation. 3) Priest - represents the people to God.

Three words that frame the passage:

1. Furthermore, the former priests… (verse 23)
Levitical vs. Melchizedek priesthood

2. For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest (verse 26)
We need someone who is holy, blameless, undefiled, exalted above the heavens to make a way to God for us.

3. Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. (verse 25)

Salvation - eternal home and daily bread

Forgiveness is needed to reconcile with God and spend eternity in heaven.

Forgiveness is also Jesus’ gift that frees us from being stuck in our past bad actions, thoughts, and motives. Instead of living in shame we can be freed from past pain and even learn to forgive others.

And forgiveness has implications for our health. John Hopkins and University of Michigan both studied the impact of forgiveness and found decreased depression, and anxiety. Forgiveness is good for the body, mind, and spirit.

Bartimaeus in Mark 10 shows us how forgiveness works:

1. Gift of forgiveness is always available through Jesus. It cannot be EARNED. It will never be DESERVED.

2. Repentance puts us on the side of the road knowing we cannot help ourselves but realizing someone else can. (Bible, community, loss, guilt)

3. Confession is crying out “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer from Life Together says, “We must ask ourselves whether we have not often been deceiving ourselves with our confession of sin to God. Have not we rather been confessing our sins to ourselves and also granting ourselves absolution.”

James 5:16 “Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.”