HEBREWS 4:16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
ORIGINAL MEANING.
This verse follows a great description of Jesus as our compassionate high priest, and verse 16 is a natural continuation of verse 15. Since Jesus is such a great and wonderful high priest we should then approach the throne with confidence. Jesus character just oozes intimacy and he invites us to have that with God and himself. Here's the cool part, when we are urged to "let us approach" the throne of grace, it translates out into the present tense of the verb meaning that we are to continually approach the throne of grace again and again. Under the old covenant, only the high priest could come into God's presence and only once a year. Under the new covenant we can come over and over again with confidence and boldness. And if we do, we will receive mercy and find grace in "timely aid", as it is translated.
BRIDGING CONTEXT.
The idea of a sympathetic high priest is very comforting for teens. I think that it is hard for teens to imagine Jesus being "tempted in every way" as we are, but as they get older and more mature in their understanding of spiritual things, the idea starts to creep in and really make sense. We can approach Jesus with boldness and confidence that He will completely understand what we are going through and we have gone through and will be there to help us, love us, and forgive us. And on top of that, we can return again and again because he will never stop caring for and understanding us, his children. Jesus understands our greatest temptations that we face today, just as he understood probably the greatest temptation of his followers in his day, which was to turn away from their new faith and back to Judaism.
FAITH AFFIRMATIONS.
Just as in the days of Jesus, so it is today that in today's world it is increasingly hard to hold on to your faith.