GOD UNDERSTANDS US - 2
Our High Priest. Our Heavenly Father.
FOUNDATIONAL TEXT
Let us begin with the Word of God.
Hebrews 4:15–16 (NKJV)
“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
This is our foundation.
We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize.
In other words — He understands.
The word sympathize means “to suffer with.”
God is not distant from human weakness.
He entered it.
And because He understands, we are invited to come boldly.
Now listen to this alongside Psalm 103.
Psalm 103:13–14 (NKJV)
“As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.”
He knows our frame.
He remembers we are dust.
That is Father language.
God understands us — not only as High Priest — but as Heavenly Father.
INTRODUCTION
Emotions are not just human inventions.
They did not originate in fallen humanity.
They originated in God.
There are fleshly emotions.
There are corrupted reactions.
There are selfish impulses.
But emotion itself reflects personhood.
And God is personal.
This is why the Incarnation matters.
God did not send information.
He sent His Son.
He did not observe humanity from a distance.
He entered it.
I. GOD IS JEALOUS — COVENANT PASSION
Exodus 34:14:
“For the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”
El Qanna.
Jealousy in the flesh is insecurity.
Jealousy in God is covenant protection.
It is the emotion of a faithful Husband guarding sacred relationship.
Zechariah 8:2:
“I am zealous for Zion with great zeal…”
This is not cold theology.
This is holy fire.
God does not casually love you.
He burns for you.
And like a father protecting his child,
Like a husband guarding covenant —
He refuses to share your heart with what will destroy you.
II. GOD CAN BE GRIEVED
Psalm 78:40:
“How often they… grieved Him in the desert!”
Isaiah 63:10:
“They rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit…”
Ephesians 4:30:
“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God…”
The Spirit can be grieved.
That means He is relational.
That means our choices matter.
And when we ignore His leading —
When we prioritize other affections —
It is not mechanical.
It is personal.
And I have experienced this even in my own marriage.
When I felt frustrated, feeling secondary to a cell phone — what I call the “prison phone” —
The Holy Spirit gently asked me:
“How often do you give your attention elsewhere instead of Me?”
Suddenly my frustration became revelation.
God understands that ache.
Because He has felt it.
III. THE PAIN OF DIVINE BETRAYAL — HOSEA
Hosea 11:8:
“My heart churns within Me; My sympathy is stirred.”
God uses human language to reveal divine pain.
He told Hosea to marry a harlot.
Why?
To show Israel what it feels like to love someone who runs away.
God understands betrayal.
God understands divided affection.
And yet His mercy restrains His judgment.
That is holy emotion.
IV. JESUS WEPT
John 11:35:
“Jesus wept.”
He knew resurrection was coming.
He still wept.
Mark 3:5:
“He looked around at them with anger, being grieved…”
Anger and grief together.
Luke 19:41:
“He wept over it.”
Compassion, sorrow, righteous indignation —
All without sin.
V. GETHSEMANE AND THE CROSS
Matthew 26:38:
“My soul is exceedingly sorrowful…”
Luke 22:44:
“Being in agony…”
Matthew 27:46:
“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
Isaiah 53:3:
“A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief…”
He entered abandonment so you would never be abandoned.
He understands loneliness.
He understands pressure.
He understands temptation.
Yet without sin.
VI. HOLY EMOTION VS. FLESHLY EMOTION
Now here is where transformation happens.
There are emotions unique to the flesh:
Selfish jealousy.
Manipulative anger.
Insecurity.
Bitterness.
But Jesus shows us emotion redeemed.
Emotion itself is not sin.
Corruption is sin.
In Gethsemane, He prayed:
“Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
He did not suppress emotion.
He surrendered it.
Holy emotion says:
“I feel this — and I will bring it under the Father.”
Fleshly emotion says:
“I feel this — therefore I react.”
The goal is not numbness.
The goal is sanctification.
God understands your emotional life —
Not to excuse sin —
But to transform you into the image of Christ.
VII. OUR HEAVENLY FATHER REJOICES
Psalm 103 calls Him Father.
Jesus taught us to pray:
“Our Father in heaven…” (Matthew 6:9)
Romans 8:15:
“You received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’”
Abba.
Intimate Father.
Now listen to Zephaniah 3:17:
“He will rejoice over you with gladness… He will rejoice over you with singing.”
The Father rejoices.
Luke 15 shows the father running to the prodigal.
He did not stand with folded arms.
He ran.
He embraced.
He restored.
Some of you struggle to believe that God delights in you.
But Scripture reveals a Father who:
Pities.
Knows your frame.
Remembers you are dust.
Rejoices over you.
He understands not only your weakness —
He understands your design.
VIII. WHY THIS MATTERS
If God understands us —
We can stop pretending.
Hebrews 4:16:
“Let us therefore come boldly…”
Boldly.
Not hiding.
Not performing.
Not pretending strength.
We come as sons and daughters.
Because the Father knows our frame.
He remembers we are dust.
He understands our weakness —
And provides grace.
This changes how we pray.
We bring frustration.
We bring jealousy.
We bring sorrow.
We bring temptation.
And instead of reacting in flesh —
We surrender in faith.
He understands us.
And because He understands —
We can be healed.
CONCLUSION
God created emotion.
God revealed emotion.
God entered emotion.
He is High Priest.
He is Father.
He is Husband.
He is Shepherd.
And the One who understands you
Is the One who is forming you.
ALTAR CALL
I want to speak to hearts right now.
Some of you have felt alone in your emotion.
You have felt things you were ashamed of.
Anger.
Loneliness.
Jealousy.
Weariness.
Frustration.
But hear this clearly:
You are not approaching a distant God.
You are approaching a sympathetic High Priest.
You are approaching a compassionate Father.
If you have felt distant — come.
If you have ignored His voice — come.
If you need forgiveness — come.
If you have never surrendered your life to Christ —
He who understands your weakness
Also bore your sin.
He felt abandonment
So you would never be abandoned.
Come boldly to the throne of grace.
Because the God who understands you
Is also the God who saves you.
Amen.