²⁶ For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens …

Certain things commend themselves simply as just being right. They are appropriately fitting. One of those things was the baptism of Jesus. He Himself said to a reluctant John the Baptist, “… in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matt 3:15b). Jesus always did that which was properly suitable to the situation, to His person and to His mission. It was right for Him to be baptized.

Likewise, “It was fitting for Him … to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings” (Heb 2:10). The crucifixion of Christ is the absolute best solution to the problem of our alienation from God.

In the same way, again it is fitting that Christ is of the highest character in relationship to sin. It is fitting for our sake. He wasn’t a sinner like we are. He was, first of all, holy. Peter put it this way, “… you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18–19). To be holy, means to be separate from sin. Christ was not just relatively less sinful or comparatively more holy than we are. He wasn’t even close to being a sinner. True, He was tempted to sin just as we are (Heb 4:15), and from our human perspective it seems that for the temptation to have been real, there had to have been the possibility that He might have slipped up and sinned. But there was never any doubt from God’s perspective; the temptation was a trial, not to see whether Jesus would sin, but to prove He could not sin. The reason was that He is absolutely holy; that is inherent to who He is, as the Son of God.

He was innocent; of that even Pilate declared, “I find no guilt in this man.” (Luke 23:4). Not only was He not guilty of the false charges the Jewish leaders brought against Him, but their words ring true for all of His life. No one could find real fault with Him in any way. People’s objections to Christ were rooted in their own insecurity, hardened hearts and pride. That fault lay with them, not Him. Jesus was “separated from sinners,” as our passage indicates. In terms of humanity, there is Jesus, and then there is everyone else. Two categories of humans: the pure and undefiled (of whom there is only One), and sinners (you and me, and the rest of humanity). This Jesus, the sinless one, is our high priest representing us to our Holy God. How appropriate is that!

Lord, I who am a sinner would have no hope of coming close to You who is Holy, without the intercession of a holy priest, namely Your Son, the Lord Jesus.