Hebrews 2:14-18

Last Week’s Text (Hebrews 2:10-13) was Building Up to Our Text Tonight

I was Saying…

God, in His Amazing Grace Gave His Son Over to Suffer and Die for Humanity

He Found it Entirely Appropriate for Jesus to Become a Human…

And for Him to Experience All that We Experience…

So That in His Suffering, Death, and Resurrection…

He Might Bring Many Sons to Glory

God Wants to Rescue Us and Call Us His Children

Jesus Wants to Rescue Us and Call Us His Siblings

There’s a Lot of Good Stuff in There, But…

It was All Primarily to Lead Us Up to Our Text Tonight

The Author is Now Going to Drop an Atomic Bomb of Information On Us

Jesus Had to Become Like Us, Experience What We Experience, and Die Like We Die…

And Here’s Why!

Hebrews 2:9–18 (NASB95)

But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.

For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, “I will proclaim Your name to My brethren, In the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise.” And again, “I will put My trust in Him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.”

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham. 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.

Now Let’s Begin Our Study With Verse 14

Hebrews 2:14 (NASB95)

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

“Therefore” = “Keeping in Mind What We Were Just Talking About”

What Were We Just Talking About?

That Jesus Became Human

He Became What Humanity was Always Meant to Be Through His Perfect Suffering and Death

Which Made it Possible for God to Adopt Us as His Children and Glorify Us

Since He Experienced What We Experience, He is Not Ashamed to Call Us His Siblings

Keeping All That in Mind…

Hebrews 2:14 (NASB95)

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

Again, the Point is Made:

Jesus Became Human

God Became a Mortal Human to Share and Experience What We Share and Experience

In Order for Jesus to Save Us, He Needed to Be Like Us

Hebrews 2:14 (NASB95)

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

Jesus Became a Mortal Human “That”…

“That” = “in Order to”, “So That”

“That” Leads Us to the Purpose/Reason

Jesus Became a Mortal Human So That…

He Could Die

I Feel Like We Should Take a Moment to Think About That

The Purpose of Jesus’ Birth…

The Purpose of His Life…

The Purpose of Him Becoming Human....

Was to Die

But What His Death Would Accomplish is the Real Point

Through His Death, He Made the Devil Powerless

Satan Held the Power of Death

Ever Since He Tempted Adam and Eve to Sin…

He Has Held the Power of Death in His Hands

Every Person Since the Beginning Has Fallen Prey to the Devil and Death

But Jesus Ended the Tyrannical Reign of Death By His Utter Defeat of the Devil

2 Timothy 1:10 (NASB95)

but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

But if Jesus Truly Defeated the Devil and Death…

Why Does the Devil Still Tempt Us?

And Why Do We Still Die?

It Brings Us Back to the “Already and Not Yet” Aspect of God’s Kingdom

Jesus Has Already Defeated the Devil and Death

But He Has Not Yet Cast Them into Hell for Eternity

Jesus’ Reign as King Has Already Begun…

But He is Patiently Waiting Until the Day of His Return to Bring Judgement Upon His Enemies

The Best Illustration I’ve Ever Heard On the “Already and Not Yet” Aspect of the Kingdom is:

The Story of WW2 American POWs in a German Concentration Camp

They Had Been Captured, Held Against Their Will, and Tortured By the Nazis

But One Day, They Happened to Scrounge Together Enough Parts…

To Build a Make-Shift Radio

When They Were Able to Lock Onto a Signal, They Heard the Greatest News

The War was Over and the Allied Forces Were Victorious

But News Hadn’t Reached the Nazis Running the Concentration Camp Yet

So for the Next Several Days, They Continued to Run the Camp and Torture the POWs

But the POWs Couldn’t Be Beaten Down Now

They Knew that They Would Be Rescued and Given Their Freedom Any Day Now

And They Were Right

A Few Days After They Had Heard the News On the Radio…

They Woke Up that Morning to Find the Camp Completely Empty of All Nazi Soldiers

They Had Finally Received the News and Fled

The Point:

The POWs Already Knew They Had Won…

They Just Weren’t Experiencing the Victory Yet

But They Had Hope that They Soon Would

We Still Suffer Through Temptations and Trials Brought On By the Devil

And We Still Know that Death is Coming for Us

But We Also Know that Jesus Has Already Won

And Though We Aren’t Experiencing the Joy and Freedom of That Victory Yet…

We Will Soon

Sometimes Living in the “in Between” is Hard

In Between the Promise and the Fulfillment of that Promise

In Between Having Faith in Everlasting Life and Seeing Everlasting Life

In Between the Cross of Friday and the Empty Grave of Sunday

But We Must Allow Our Faith and Hope in Jesus’ Victory Over Death…

To Give Us the Strength and Endurance to Remain Faithful to Him During the “in Between”

Hebrews 2:15 (NASB95)

and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

Because We Know that Jesus Has Won Us the Victory…

And that the Devil and Death are Powerless Against Us…

We Can Live Our Lives Free of the Fear of Death

At Some Point in All of Our Lives, We Have Been Afraid of Death

Maybe that was a Long Time Ago, or Maybe You Still Are

But as Christians, There is No Reason for Us to Fear Death

There is No Reason for Us to Be Enslaved to Such a Fear Anymore

A Mature Faith that We Should All Be Striving for…

Places Full Trust and Assurance in the Fact that Death is Now Temporary

At Jesus’ Return, Resurrection to Eternal Life is What We are Promised

And We Can Rest Assured in That Promise

Such Faith Allows Us to Lay Confident and at Peace on Our Deathbeds…

Knowing that Death Has No Victory and No More Sting

But Before We Move On to Verse 16, I Do Want to a Curious Question About Verse 14

I Don’t Think Any of Us Have Any Trouble Understanding the Part About Jesus Being Victorious Over the Devil and Death

The Part that is Confusing is:

Hebrews 2:14 (NASB95)

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

How Does Jesus Defeat Death By Dying?

When Someone Dies, Doesn’t that Mean that Death Has Won?

Normally that’s Exactly What it Means

But Not With Jesus

Jesus Did Not Die as a Result of the Fall or Because of His Own Sin

Jesus Died Voluntarily and Perfectly as a Sacrifice of Atonement

Atonement for His Siblings Whom He is Leading to Glory

As Hard as the Devil Tried to Assault and Tempt Jesus…

He Never Once Won a Victory Against Jesus

Jesus Absorbed the Suffering and Death Faithfully

And Then He Ultimately Didn’t Stay Dead

The Devil and Death May Have Believed Themselves to Have Won…

But Jesus Didn’t Stay Dead

He Wasn’t Forcibly Taken into Death Like the Rest of Us

He Invaded Death’s Domain Willingly in Order to Overcome it

Death’s Power is No Match for the Power of Almighty God

It’s Difficult to Defeat a Fortress From the Outside

It’s Much Easier to Defeat it From the Inside

Jesus Invaded Death/Hades and Won the Victory

Hebrews 2:16 (NASB95)

For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham.

“Give Help” = “Take Hold Of”

Jesus Took Hold of Peter and Lifted Him Up Out of the Water

More Than Once, People Hostile to Paul Took Hold of Him to Forcibly Take Him Somewhere Else

Jesus Does Not Take Hold of Angels, But He Takes Hold of the Seed of Abraham

Historically, There are 2 Ways to Interpret This

1. Jesus Does Not Take Hold/Become Like the Angels…

But He Takes Hold/Became a Descendant of Abraham (Jewish/Faithful Human)

2. Jesus Does Not Take Hold/Help Angels…

But He Takes Hold/Helps the Descendant of Abraham (Faithful Human)

Both are True Statements:

He Did Become Human and He Did So to Help Faithful Humans

The Point that has Been Made Since the Beginning of the Book is:

Jesus is Superior to the Angels

He is God Who Became Human to Rescue Humans

Hebrews 2:17 (NASB95)

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.

Keeping in Mind that Jesus Became Human

Hebrews 2:17 (NASB95)

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.

He was Obligated to Become Fully Human in Every Way

“In All Things” Pretty Much Sums Up to What Extent Jesus Became Human

In Every Conceivable Way

He Lived, Breathed, Ate, Had Relationships and Emotions…

And as We Will See in a Moment…He Even Had Temptations Like Us

Why?

Why was He Obligated to Be Fully Human in Every Way?

We Already Know One Reason:

To Defeat the Devil and Death

But That isn’t the Only Reason

Hebrews 2:17 (NASB95)

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.

He was Obligated to Become Human So That He Might Become Our High Priest

In Order to Be Our Representative Before God…

He Had to Experience Life as We Experience it

One Commentator Said it This Way: “Representation Requires Identification”

Jesus Had to Identify With Us:

Experience What We Experience

Feel What We Feel

In Order to Mercifully and Faithfully Represent Us

By Suffering as a Human in this Evil Age, He is Able to Show Mercy Toward Our Weaknesses

And He Will Never Neglect to Fill that Role for Us Because He is Faithful

A God Who is Incapable of Feeling Weakness, Temptation, or Suffering…

Is a Scary God to Have as Your High Priest

But a God Who Willingly Lowers Himself to Where You Are…

Feels the Weaknesses, Temptations, and Sufferings that You Face…

Is a God Who We Can Confidently Count On to Be Merciful Toward Us

Hebrews 2:17 (NASB95)

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.

The Word “Propitiation is a Big, Beautiful, Complex Word

It Carries the Idea of Removing/Covering Over Sin (Atonement)

But it Also Carries the Idea of Appeasing the Wrath of God

Those With Sin are Enemies of God

And His Wrath Against Sin is Now Against Them

So Jesus’ Incarnation and Death Not Only Covers/Removes the Sins of the Faithful

But it Also Satisfies the Wrath Against the Faithful

But Don’t Let That Cause You to Believe the Lie…

That God is Sitting in Heaven Itching to Burn Every Sinful Human in Hell

It was God’s Own Plan to Satisfy His Wrath

Jesus’ Death was a Peace Offering to God From God

Romans 3:24–25 (NASB95)

being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;

It was God’s Plan to Appease His Own Wrath Through Jesus’ Sacrifice and High Priesthood

2 Corinthians 5:18–19 (NASB95)

Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

God Loves His Creation So Much, that He is Willing to Become Human…

Experience What We Experience…

Suffer How We Suffer…

And Die How We Die…

So That We Can Once Again Be With Him…

And He Can Once Again Be With Us

One Commentator Said, “God is both the provider and the recipient of the reconciliation”

Hebrews 2:18 (NASB95)

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.

In His Commentary On Hebrews, Michael Whitworth Wrote Concerning This Verse:

With the final verse of the chapter, our author clarifies the application of all that has preceded. To Christians drowning in their doubts and fears, he radios the comforting message: “The supreme Son—heir and King of all—knows exactly how you feel. Every bitter moment of the human experience was laid upon him. He walked this road; he endured this pain; he drank this cup…Even now, from his Father’s right hand, your brother offers you his grasp that will bear you through to the destiny appointed to you since before the foundation of the world—a crown of glory and honor!”

What a Wonderful God and Father We Have

What a Wonderful King, High Priest, and Brother We Have

If the Study of Hebrews Doesn’t Cause You to Recognize How Wonderful Jesus is…

Then You Aren’t Paying Attention

These Words of Hebrews Chapter 2 Were Bound to Have Added Confidence…

Invitation:

F. F. Bruce:

It calls for an exceptional effort of mind on our part to appreciate how paradoxical was the attitude of those early Christians to the death of Christ. If ever death had appeared to be triumphant, it was when Jesus of Nazareth, disowned by the leaders of his nation, abandoned by his disciples, executed by the might of imperial Rome, breathed his last on the cross. Why, some had actually recognized in his cry of pain and desolation the complaint that even God had forsaken him. His faithful followers had confidently expected him to be the destined liberator of Israel; but he had died—not, like Judas of Galilee or Judas Maccabaeus, in the forefront of the struggle against the Gentile oppressors of Israel, but in evident weakness and disgrace—and their hopes died with him. If ever a cause was lost, it was his; if ever the powers of evil were victorious, it was then. And yet—within a generation his followers were exultingly proclaiming the crucified Jesus to be the conqueror of death and asserting, like our author here, that by dying he had reduced the (former) erstwhile lord of death to impotence. The keys of death and Hades were henceforth held firmly in Jesus’ powerful hand, for he, in the language of his own parable, had invaded the strong man’s fortress, disarmed him, bound him fast, and robbed him of his spoil (Luke 11:21f.). This is the unanimous witness of the New Testament writers; this was the assurance which nerved martyrs to face death boldly in his name. This sudden change from disillusionment to triumph can only be explained by the account which the apostles gave—that their Master rose from the dead and imparted to them the power of his risen life.