Quote for the Day
“…the author of their salvation…”
Today's Prayer
This week pray for God’s mercy in the lives of those who travel. Ask God to give them special blessings as they face the emotions of family separation.
Hebrews 2:5-18
Hebrews 2:5-18 (NIV)5 It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. 6 But there is a place where someone has testified: “What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? 7 You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor 8 and put everything under his feet.” In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. 9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 10 In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. 12 He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises.” 13 And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me.” 14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Message
Now we get back into the depths of theology and Christology. As you may recall in chapter one the writer establishes that Christ is God and that Christ is the Creator of the Universe. Here in chapter two we now see Christ as man incarnate. After a lengthy description of Christ’s position both as God and as man in this world (and the complex relationship that is), we see in verses 14 and 15, “Since the children [that’s us] have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”Here we see to the very core of every man. Not only is Christ the only power over Satan, but He is the power to save us from our worst fear, the fear of death. While most will admit it publicly, the reality of humanness is a fear of death, mostly because it is the fear of the unknown – the final unknown.This great salvation we talked about last week is not only a salvation into something (eternal life with Christ) but also a salvation from something else (slavery to the fear of death). As believers in Christ we no longer have to fear death, since we have an absolute assurance of life with the Creator of the Universe for eternity.