¹⁴ Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

Therefore” is one of the most critical words in the Bible. It connects thoughts in a cause and effect relationship, or a purpose and result configuration. “Whenever you see the word ‘therefore’ in Scripture, ask yourself what it is there for.” In this case, if it is true that Jesus is greater than Moses, and that life under the Law of Moses did not bring rest to God’s people because of their lack of faith, and if the Word reveals the true heart and soul of humans, we have a huge need. What, therefore, is the solution?

The solution is Jesus the Son of God. We have seen so far that God has spoken to us in His Son (who is the “radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature” Heb 1:3), He is the author of our salvation (2:10), the apostle and high priest of our confession (3:1). We now turn to an expanded exposition on Christ’s role as high priest that extends into chapter 8.

The role of a high priest is to represent people to God, a go-between, one who makes propitiation, that is, satisfaction for our sins through sacrificial offerings. We have already seen this in 2:17. This priest (the comparison with the Levitical priesthood is implied here but later in Hebrews more fully explored) has “passed through the heavens.” He is not just an ordinary high priest. As F.F. Bruce points out, there is no need to postulate the various levels or types of heaven He might have traversed. The writer is probably using the plural “heavens” to reflect the common practice in the Old Testament of expressing heaven in the plural. The point is that this Jesus is transcendent; He is more than just a human priest. He is the unique Son of God. That is the kind of high priest we now have.

Now here is where the “therefore” comes to bear. If the Law could not bring us into rest, and if we have a great High Priest, therefore, “let us hold fast our confession.” In other words, don’t go back to confessing the Law of Moses as the way to God. Rather, continue to believe in Christ, whom you first confessed. The writer includes himself, so he is speaking to believers, those who have already come to faith. Don’t shrink back to the old ways that did you no good. Only in Christ do we have “rest” in God. We must resist the temptation to live by earthly, religious regimens which ultimately leave us restless and uncertain in our relationship with God.