9
What we do see is Jesus, who was given a position “a little lower than the
angels”; and because He suffered death for us, He is now “crowned with
glory and honor.” Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone. 10
God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many
children into glory. And it was only right that He should make Jesus, through His
suffering, a perfect Leader, fit to bring them into their salvation. 11
So now Jesus and the ones He makes holy (sanctified) have the same Father.
That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them His brothers and sisters. 12
For He said to God, “I will proclaim Your Name to My brothers and sisters. I
will praise You among Your assembled people.” … 17 Therefore, it was
necessary for Him (Jesus) to be made in every respect like us, His brothers and
sisters, so that He could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God.
Then He could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. 18
Since He Himself has gone through suffering and testing, He is able to help
us when we are being tested. Hebrews 2:9-12, 17-18 (NLT)
The
unknown author of Hebrews warns and instructs everyone to listen very carefully
to the truths we have heard from the living God about His Son Jesus, or we may
drift away into eternal punishment (Hebrews 2:1; see also 1 John 2:5). The
living God sent His holy angels, as messengers from God, to give His moral commands
to Moses at Mount Sinai – the Mosaic Law (Hebrews 2:2; see also Deuteronomy
33:2; Psalm 68:17; Acts 7:38; Galatians 3:19). Sadly, people continually disobeyed
and rebelled against the living God’s moral commands which led to God’s justice,
punishment, and wrath (Hebrews 2:2; see also John 7:19; Acts 7:53).
Now,
the living LORD God has given everyone a GREATER
truth about His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and that greater truth is the
Gospel (Good News) message. This is the GREATER truth: the living LORD God freely
gives ALL PEOPLE salvation and reconciliation to Him through faith and
obedience to His Son Jesus Christ’s teaching, sacrificial death, and miraculous
resurrection (Hebrews 2:3; e.g., see also John 1:29; Luke 19:10; 1
Corinthians 15:3-4; 1 Timothy 1:15; Hebrews 10:26-29). The living LORD God and
His Son Jesus have confirmed the great Gospel message of salvation through signs,
wonders, and various miracles as well as through the Holy Spirit’s power
(Hebrews
2:4; see also John 3:2; Acts 2:22; Acts 10:38; Romans 1:16-17). The disciples who
were eyewitnesses of Jesus’ ministry and obeyed His teaching passed the Gospel message
to others (Hebrews 2:3-4; see also Acts 1:21-22; 2 Peter 1:16; 1 John 1:1). The
disciples’ Gospel message about Jesus was authenticated and confirmed by God’s
power in their lives through amazing signs, wonders, miracles, and gifts of the
Holy Spirit (Hebrews 2:3-4; e.g., see also, Acts 2:43; Acts 3:6-7, 11-12, 16; Acts
5:12-16; Acts 9:31-42; Acts 14:3, 8-10; Acts 19:11-12; Acts 28:7-10).
The
living LORD God loves ALL people, even above His holy angels (Hebrews
2:5-6; see also Deuteronomy 33:3; Psalm 8:4-6; Luke 12:6-7; John 3:16). From
the beginning of human history, the LORD God’s purpose was that the humans He created
in His image would have dominion and control in His world, subject only to His
Kingship (Hebrews 2:7-8; see also Genesis 1:26-28; Psalm 8:6-8). Sadly,
the first humans Adam and Eve failed to receive God’s dominion and control because
of their sin, rebellion, and disobedience against the living God and caused all
humanity to fall into sin – the Great Fall (e.g., see Genesis 3:1-7). In the
coming future world - Utopia, God’s righteous and redeemed people will control His
world, and His Son Jesus will be their Captain and Leader (Hebrews 2:5, 10; see
also Isaiah 65:17; Isaiah 66:22; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1-4).
The
LORD God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the
world on
a rescue mission to take away ALL humanities’ sins (e.g., see Luke
1:78; Luke 2:10-11; John 3:16-17; Romans 8:38-39; 1 John 4:9-10; 1 John 2:2;
Romans 3:25). Approximately 2,000 years ago, God visited earth when the living LORD
God made His Son Jesus Christ temporarily lower than the angels and made
Jesus human — the God-Man (Hebrews 2:7, 9, 14, 16-17; see also John 1:1-2, 14; Luke
1:29-33, 35; Romans 1:3; Galatians 4:4; Philippians 2:7-8; 1 Timothy 3:16; 1
John 4:2). The Father of Jesus graciously sent His Son Jesus as a Jew – the “Seed
of Abraham” – with human flesh and blood to become a living and final sacrifice
to take away the sins of the world (Hebrews 2:14, 16-17; see also John
1:29; John 4:22; Romans 3:25; Romans 8:32; 2 Corinthians 5:19; Philippians
2:6-8; 1 John 4:10, 14). The Lord Jesus Christ’s coming to earth and living as a
human is known as the Incarnation (e.g., see Matthew 1:21, 23). With the
Incarnation, the living LORD God was in His Son Jesus reconciling and merging the
world to Himself (e.g., see 2 Corinthians 5:19). In the order of creation, humans
are made lower than angels, and the Lord Jesus Christ took this lower place
temporarily during the Incarnation (see Hebrews 2:9).
In
His humanity, the Lord Jesus experienced all the same emotions, pains, hardships,
and temptations of humans (e.g., see John 4:6-8). During His earthly ministry,
Jesus experienced fatigue and weariness (e.g., see Matthew 8:24; John 4:6);
hunger and thirst (e.g., see Matthew 4:2; Matthew 21:18; John 19:28); joy and
sorrow (e.g., see Matthew 26:37; John 15:11); compassion and love (e.g., see Matthew
9:36; John 11:5); and righteous anger (e.g., see Mark 3:5). Yet, the Lord
Jesus Christ NEVER sinned against the living God nor disobeyed His Father’s
righteous commands (Hebrews 2:18; see also 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15;
Hebrews 7:26; 1 Peter 2:22).
Biblical
scholars refer to the Lord Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death for all humanities’
sin as an “atonement,” “propitiation,” or “expiation” (Hebrews 2:17; see also Romans
3:25; 2 Corinthians 5:5; 1 John 2:2). The Lord Jesus suffered and tasted the
horrible death of crucifixion on Calvary’s Cross as the God-Man to bring
salvation, redemption, and freedom to ALL people through faith in Him
(Hebrews 2:9-10, 15, 17-18; see also e.g., John 1:29, 34; John 3:16; Galatians
1:4; 1 Peter 2:24). Only as a human could the Lord Jesus Christ suffer eternal
death for ALL people to remove and destroy the power of sin in our lives (Hebrews
2:14; see also Romans 8:3; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15). Jesus’ sacrificial death and
subsequent resurrection from complete death arrested, ended, and
destroyed the power of the evil one, who had the power of death (Hebrews
2:14; see also John 16:11; Romans 6:5-11; 2 Timothy 1:10; 1 John 3:8). In
other words, the evil one is disarmed, inoperative, and has no control against
faithful and obedient followers of Jesus (e.g., see Colossians 2:15). Everyone
dies, but death is not the end for believers of Jesus but a doorway to victory
and a new life through faith in Jesus (e.g., see John 14:6; 1 Corinthians
15:55-58).
Through
His sacrificial death and miraculous resurrection from complete death, the
living LORD God has crowned His Son Jesus with glory and honor and given His
Son Jesus complete charge over everything (Hebrews 2:8-9; see also Acts 2:23-24,
32-33, 36; Romans 1:4; Romans 8:34; Philippians 2:9-10). Even more, the living Jesus
brings everyone who believes and
obeys Him freedom,
restoration, eternal salvation, and God’s Holy Spirit power (Hebrews 2:10, 14-15;
see also John 8:36; Hebrews 5:9). The living God gives His spiritual
empowerment to those who obey Him (e.g., see John 14:15-17, 21, 23-24; Acts
5:32). Sadly, Adam and Eve failed to receive God’s glory because of their sin, rebellion,
and disobedience against God (e.g., see Genesis 3:1-7). Jesus shares and brings
many sons and daughters into God’s glory who trust and obey Him (Hebrews
2:10; see also John 17:22-24; Revelation 1:5-6).
Furthermore
through our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection
by His Father, the living LORD God declares all believers holy (sanctified,
cleansed), righteous (justified), and adopted into God’s family
and Kingdom (Hebrews 2:11; see also John 1:12-13; Romans 5:1; Romans 8:14-23; 1
Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:26; Galatians 4:5; Hebrews
10:10, 14, 29). The Lord Jesus Christ’s sacrificial suffering and death made Him
a perfect Leader to bring ALL
BELIEVERS in Him into their eternal salvation and glory (see Hebrews
2:10). Only through Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection could He
deliver and bring freedom and salvation from sin and death (see Hebrews 2:15).
Now, faithful and obedient believers of Jesus now have the SAME Father of Jesus Christ also as their Father (Hebrews
2:11-12; see also Romans 8:15). Even more, believers become united with the resurrected
Lord Jesus Christ and become His fellow brothers and sisters (Hebrews 2:11-13;
see also Galatians 2:20). During His earthly ministry, the Lord Jesus Christ
declared that everyone who TRUSTS in Him and OBEYS His teaching as His brothers
and sisters and part of God’s Kingdom (e.g., see Luke 8:19-21; Luke 11:28; John
14:15, 21, 23; James 1:22).
Even
more, the Lord Jesus Christ’s humanity made Him our merciful and faithful final
High Priest before His Father, the living LORD God (Hebrews 2:17; see also Hebrews
4:14-16). In the Old Testament, the high priest was the mediator or intercessor
between God and His people. The high priest’s job was to regularly offer animal
sacrifices according to the Mosaic Law and to intercede with God for
forgiveness of the people's sins. Jesus Christ is now our High Priest. Now, the
Lord Jesus Christ understands our weaknesses, trials, and temptations, and He freely
gives His mercy, grace, and Spirit during our temptation (e.g., see Hebrews
4:15-16). Because of the Lord Jesus Christ’s suffering and temptation, He knows
what it is like when humans suffer and are tempted (see Hebrews 2:18).
Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ is wonderfully able to help and save us
humans during our suffering, testing, and temptations (see Hebrews 2:18).
Now, the Lord Jesus Christ is obedient believers’ perfect High Priest who
intercedes and mediates with His Father. Having personally experienced human
testing, hardships, and temptations, the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ can now
better help ALL humans with our testing, hardship, and temptation (e.g., see
Hebrews 2:18). If you need any help,
cry out to Jesus for help (e.g., Romans 8:34; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews
7:25; 1 John 2:1)!
Because
of Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection, ALL humans must STOP sinning and doing evil, REPENT of their sins, and TURN and LOVE the living LORD God, who is the Father of Jesus (e.g.,
see Matthew 4:17; Matthew 22:27; Mark 1:14; Luke 13:3, 5, 27, 1 John 2:1). The
Son of God bore ALL our sins
in His body on Calvary’s Cross that we might die to sin and live to
righteousness (e.g., see 1 Peter 2:24). Our trust, goodness, and obedience in
the living God and His Son Jesus removes ALL our sins (e.g., see Acts 2:38-40; Acts
3:19). The living God calls ALL people to OBEY His righteous ways and commands
(e.g., see 1 John 2:3-6). Every time one sinner repents and turns to the living
and loving God, God’s holy angels rejoice and celebrates your recovery from the
death of the evil one to new life (e.g., see Luke 15:7, 10, 32). Our
continual sins, disobedience, and evil actions reveal you do not love God but
in allegiance and obedience with the evil one (e.g., see 1 John 3:7-8). COME
BACK TO GOD (e.g., see 2 Corinthians 5:20).
References
ESV
Study Bible, English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL:
Crossway Bibles, 2008).
Life
Application Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House
Pub., 2005).
The Living Bible Paraphrase (Tyndale House, 1971).
Zondervan NIV Study Bible (Grand Rapids,
MI: Zondervan, 2008).