Hebrews 2:14-18
In these short verses we see not only the Power of Jesus Christ but also the love and mercy of Jesus. Now we understand that the Messiah has come, but now the author of Hebrews is showing us why Jesus has come in the flesh. Jesus is all God and all man, but in this portion of Scripture we see why. We also see how He relates to us mere mortal man, or better put how we can relate to him.
Why Jesus came in the flesh.
- To taste death for everyone. Vs. 9 and Vs. 14
Vs. 14, “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He himself likewise also partook the same.”
Vs. 9, “But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, SO THAT by the Grace of God He might taste death for everyone.”
First thing we must see here is that Jesus came in flesh because we are in the flesh.
SHARE = Koinonia – meaning to have fellowship, communion, or partnership. Having something in common with others. We all have flesh and blood so we all share that in common.
PARTOOK = Metecho – which means to take a hold of something that is not naturally one’s own kind.
We are by nature flesh and blood, Jesus is not. He took hold of our nature so that He might die for us and we could live in Him. So that we could have fellowship with Him.
Second – So that He might taste death for everyone.
Ezekiel 18:4, “The soul that sins will die.”
Romans 6:23, “The wages of sin is death.”
Jesus came as a man to die for man, He is the one who tasted death for everyone. Death waits for all men. There is no way around it. The sin in our life demands our lives as payment, Jesus came to take that for us. He is our substitute.
The Grace of God is what sent Him to take our place. We got what we didn’t deserve salvation, and missed what we did deserve death.
To be out of the body is to be present with the Lord.
The Love of God the Father through the expression of His grace leads to our eternal freedom.
John 10:18, “No one has taken my life away from me, but I lay it down on my own initiative.”
1 John 4:10, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
2. To render the Devil Powerless. Vs. 14
Vs. 14, “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He himself likewise also partook the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.”
Satan’s ultimate power over man is death. Sin is what he uses to get the hooks in, and to lead us to death, but his power is in death.
John MacArthur, “Obviously Satan’s power over us had to be broken in order for us to be brought to God.”
This is what the death of Jesus did, it broke the power of death over us, rendering the Devil powerless.
Satan knows if he can hold a man til death, it is over for that man, because nothing can be done after death. So Jesus takes that away from Him, now man has an eternal escape.
Our power is in the resurrection, because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ we can live. But to get to the resurrection, death must happen. Jesus died and was resurrected giving us a greater weapon than the devil himself, LIFE.
John MacArthur, “the resurrection of Jesus Christ provides the believer with eternal life. It is the only thing that could ever have done it. Death is the power of Satan’s dominion, and when Jesus shattered Satan’s power He also shattered his dominion.”
Think about all the ways the devil tries to kill us, emotionally, mentally, spiritually.
3. To free those who have become slaves because of fear. Vs. 15
Vs. 15, “and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”
Death scares people. It has been called the king of terrors and can lead to horrible fears.
Fear of heights, Alligators, motorcycles, cancer, etc. it all ends with death.
Now because of what Jesus did we are released from that fear.
Fearful people are easily controlled.
BUT NOW
Philippians 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
1 Corinthians 15:55, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
Our death now leads to Eternal happiness, not nothingness.
4. To connect to our human experience. We now have one who understands. One who can sympathize. Vs. 17-18
Vs. 17-18, “Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.”
We have a savior we can relate to, or better put can relate to us.
We can no longer say, no one understands. YES Jesus does. He walked the walk.
Addicts want to talk to someone who has been there. They get it, rather than someone who has just read about it.
Hebrews 4:15, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”
He sympathizes.
He ate.
He slept.
He got angry.
He loved.
He was astonished.
He was troubled.
He was overwhelmed with Grief.
He cried.
His heart ached.
He was tempted by the devil.
He was grieved.
He was glad.
Etc.
He gets it! We can draw near to him.
