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Robert Murray M'Cheyne

Go Boldly to the Throne of Grace

Robert Murray M'Cheyne 3 min read
1 Article 4 Books
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Robert Murray M'Cheyne
Robert Murray M'Cheyne 3 min read
1 articles 4 books

M'Cheyne presents Christ's ongoing intercessory work as the foundation for bold prayer and confident access to God's throne of grace. Drawing on the Old Testament typology of the high priest's role and Hebrews 4:14-16, he argues that Jesus' ascension did not end His ministry but rather intensifies His advocacy—His human heart at God's right hand continuously pleads for believers' needs, whether spiritual temptation, physical suffering, or grief. Believers are encouraged to approach Christ directly in all circumstances, assured that His divine omniscience, human compassion, and infinite power guarantee both understanding and deliverance in every trial.

What does the Bible say about going to the throne of grace?

The Bible encourages believers to approach the throne of grace boldly to obtain mercy and grace in times of need.

Scripture invites believers to go boldly to the throne of grace, as mentioned in Hebrews 4:16. This call to approach confidently reflects the reality that Jesus, our merciful and faithful High Priest, is ever-present to intercede for us and provide help in our trials. His ability to sympathize with our weaknesses stems from His own experience of temptation, allowing Him to offer us grace where we are weakest. Hence, going to Him with our burdens is not just a privilege, but a necessity in the Christian life.

Hebrews 4:16, Hebrews 2:17-18

How do we know Jesus is our High Priest?

The Bible affirms that Jesus holds the position of our High Priest, interceding for us based on His eternal nature and sacrificial work.

Jesus is recognized as our High Priest primarily because He fulfills the requirements of this office as presented in Hebrews 5:5-6. He was appointed by God, not by man, and His sacrifice on Calvary established Him as the final and ultimate priest. His resurrection and position at the right hand of the Father provide ongoing evidence of His high priestly role, as He continually intercedes for believers. This heavenly ministry infuses our prayers with hope and assurance, confirming that He is not only our sacrifice but also our advocate in the presence of God.

Hebrews 5:5-6, Hebrews 7:24-25

Why is understanding Jesus' empathy important for Christians?

Understanding Jesus' empathy reassures believers that He fully understands our struggles and provides necessary support.

Jesus' empathy is crucial for Christians as it connects His divine nature with our human struggles. In Hebrews 4:15, it is emphasized that He was tempted in every way yet without sin. This unique understanding allows Him to offer genuine comfort and help to those who suffer. As believers confront life's trials, knowing that Jesus not only sympathizes with our pain but also offers strength and grace is vital to maintaining faith and hope under distress. His empathetic nature encourages us to approach Him with our troubles, reminding us that we are never alone in our suffering.

Hebrews 4:15, Matthew 11:28-30

    Ah! believers, you are a tempted people. You are always poor and needy. And God intends it should be so, to give you constant errands to go to Jesus.  We have a merciful and faithful High Priest. He suffered, being tempted, just that He might succour them that are tempted.  The high priest of old not only offered sacrifice at the altar,—His work was not done when the lamb was consumed. He was to be a father to Israel. He carried all their names graven over his heart,—He went in and prayed for them within the veil. He came out and blessed the people, saying, “The Lord bless thee and keep thee. The Lord make his face shine,” etc. (Num. 6:24-26).

    So it is with the Lord Jesus. His work was not all done on Calvary. He that died for our sins lives to pray for us,—to help in every time of need. He is still man on the right hand of God. He is still God, and therefore, by reason of His divinity, is present here this day as much as any of us. He knows your every sorrow, trial, difficulty; every half-breathed sigh He hears, and brings in notice thereof to his human heart at the right hand of God. His human heart is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever; it pleads for you, thinks on you, plans deliverance for you.

    Dear tempted brethren! Go boldly to the throne of grace, to obtain mercy and find grace to help you in your time of need.

    Are you bereaved of one you loved? Go and tell Jesus; spread out your sorrows at his feet. He knows them all; feels for you in them all. He is a merciful High Priest. He is faithful too, never awanting in the hour of need. He is able to succour you by His word, by His Spirit, by His providence. He gave you all the comfort you had by your friends. He can give it you without them. He has taken away the stream that you may go to the fountain.

    Are you suffering in body? Go to this High Priest. He is intimately acquainted with all your diseases; He has felt that very pain. Remember how, when they brought to Him one that was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, He looked up to heaven and sighed, and said, Ephphatha! [be thou opened] He sighed over his misery. So He sighs over you. He is able to give you deliverance, or patience to bear it, or improvement by it.

    Are you sore tempted in soul—put into trying circumstances, so that you know not what to do? Look up; He is able to succour you. If He had been on earth, would you not have gone to Him—would you not have kneeled and said, Lord, help me? Does it make any difference that He is at the right hand of God? He is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. 

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