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St Francis Magazine Vol 8, No 2 | April 2012 been there. 98 If there is fatigue which comes with the walk of obedience, He has been there. If there is a need for endurance then He has been there. If there is a need to fix eyes on a certain victory over the devil, He has been there. If there is a need to see the destination of this pilgrimage in all of its glory, then He has arrived there. 3.4 The Great Heavenly High Priest Just as Jesus had undergone a role-­‐reversal from only knowing the glories of heaven to taking on the human flesh, his humiliation is eventually turned into a status-­‐elevation, as he is resurrected, ‘passed through the heavens’ (Heb 4:14) and takes His royal seat as the Exalted and Great High Priest. (9:24). It is from there that He draws the longings and focus of His pilgrims on earth. Thus we can concur with the writer of the Hebrews that the main point of what he is saying is: “We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man” (Heb 8:1-­‐2). Thus it is quite logical for Richard Ounsworth to summarize the message of Hebrews as “the absolute pre-­‐eminence of Jesus Christ as the mediator between God and humanity, the pioneer of our salvation.” 99 The practical result for the Christian of having this Great Heavenly High Priest is that He personally entered the heavenly sanctuary to obtain cleansing for us (9:12), He represents us in the presence of God (9:24) and makes it possible for us to enter into heaven (10:19–22) as well. In short, the path of humiliation 98 See RSV margin for 2:18 “‘For having been himself tempted in that wherein he hath suffered.” 99 Richard J. Ounsworth, “Joshua and the Pilgrim People of God in the New Testament,” New Blackfriars. 84, no 987 (May 2003), pp. 246-­‐247. 235