Exodus 28 describes the High Priest’s garments in the performance of his duties in the presence of God in the tabernacle.  Verse 12 tells us about the two stones which would be mounted on the priest’s shoulders. The stones would be engraved with the names of the 12 tribes, thus representing all God’s people. The High Priest would carry his people on his shoulders into the presence of God.

In Hebrews Jesus is our great high priest. As our high priest we understand how he fills this role. In Luke 15, we read about the parable of the lost sheep. Our great shepherd and our great high priest, Jesus, came to seek and to save that which was lost.  In verse 5 it says, “and when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.”

You’ve heard about Atlas. He’s the man with every muscle straining to bear the weight of the world upon his shoulders. You can live that way! I expect some of you, like me, are an “Atlas Wannabe,” trying your best to carry the responsibilities of the world on your shoulders. But you don’t have to.

Remember “Christian” in Pilgrim’s Progress. John Bunyon dreamed this story. “Now I saw in my dream, that the highway up which Christian was to go, was fenced on either side with a wall, and that wall was called Salvation. Up this way, therefore, did burdened Christian run, but not without great difficulty, because of the load on his back.

He ran thus till he came at a place somewhat ascending, and upon that place stood a cross, and a little below, in the bottom, a sepulchre. So I saw in my dream, that just as Christian came up with the cross, his burden loosed from off his shoulders, and fell from off his back, and began to tumble, and so continued to do, till it came to the mouth of the sepulchre, where it fell in, and I saw it no more.”