Heb 2:9-13 Who's Your Family

Hebrews 2:9–13 ESV

9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12 saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” 13 And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.”

Heb 2:9-13 Who's Your Family?

In the mountains of Tennessee, there was a boy born to an unwed mother. He had a hard time growing up because every place he went, he was always asked the same question: 'Hey, boy, who's your daddy?' Whether he was at school, in the grocery store, or drug store, people would ask the same question: 'Who's your daddy?' He would hide at recess and lunchtime from other students. He would avoid going into stores because that question hurt him so badly.

"When he was about 12 years old, a new preacher came to his church. He would always go in late and slip out early to avoid hearing the question, 'Who's your daddy?' But one day, the new preacher said the benediction so fast, that he got caught and had to walk out with the crowd. Just about the time he got to the back door, the new preacher, not knowing anything about him, put his hand on his shoulder and asked him, 'Son, who's your daddy?' The whole church got deathly quiet. He could feel every eye in the church looking at him. Now everyone would finally know the answer to the question, 'Who's your daddy?' The new preacher, though, sensed the situation around him and using discernment that only the Holy Spirit could give, said the following to the scared little boy: 'Wait a minute! I know who you are. I see the family resemblance now. You are a child of God.' With that, he patted the boy on his shoulder and said, 'Boy, you've got a great inheritance -- go and claim it. 'With that, the boy smiled for the first time in a long time and walked out the door a changed person. He was never the same again. Whenever anybody asked him, 'Who's your daddy?' he'd just tell them, 'I'm a child of God.

As you can see for this boy, his identity or belonging was tied to his family, specifically his daddy or last name.

The scripture text we are going to study today reminds us of our identity telling us who is our father and that we are related to Jesus by blood and by close relationship. If you don’t remember anything else from today, I hope you will remember that Christ is not ashamed to call us brothers and God is our father.

Last week when we were looking at verses 5-8, we were reminded that Christ is our King and that He is reigning even though we don’t see it. Today we will start our study in v9, last week we saw the importance for us right now in knowing Him, that even though we don’t see Christ reigning we know Him. Knowing Him and being known by Him is the most important truth for us. As we pick back up with the rest of v9 we see the author describing the one we know…namely Jesus.

Hebrews 2:9 ESV

But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

Even though it is crystal clear that the author is referring to Jesus, the author explicitly states Jesus’ name. There is no one else who is fully God and fully man, but in order to have no room for any doubt, the author says namely Jesus. This is what the author is saying here, “this is whom I’m talking about, the personal pronoun him I’m referring to is Jesus.” He is the one; He is the only one.

The first thing the author tells us about Jesus is that He “who for a little while was made lower than the angels” it is ok for us to pause and ask, what does this mean exactly he was made lower than the angels? This phrase is a quotation from Psalm 8, considering its context the phrase made lower than angels means He became a man. Jesus who is God became a man, took the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

This Jesus, who was a man, was crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of His death. Jesus had not only to humbly himself to be a man, but he took the form of a servant, he associated himself with sinners through His baptism and humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Because of His suffering God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name. Right now, Jesus is seated at the right hand of God highly exalted because of what He accomplished through His suffering.

Thus, clearly reminding us that Jesus is NO LONGER “lower than angels” His time as the suffering servant is done. This is important to remember as many will try to take this out of context to imply that Jesus is just a man or a good teacher.

Revelation gives us a picture of Christ's exaltation, crowned with glory and honor. It says in Rev 5

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

Then a myriad of angels sang with a loud voice “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”

Then every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea were saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

In this picture from Rev 5, we have a glimpse of the honor and glory that Christ receives as He is seated at the right hand of God. The reason Christ receives such great honor and glory is not just because of who He is, that would have been enough for Jesus to receive all honor and glory, but it is even more, “so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone”

When it says “so that” it is indicating the purpose of His suffering, it is answering the question, why did Jesus come, suffer, and die? So that by the grace of God Jesus might taste death for everyone. There is a key word here, by the grace of God, it is not by works it is by God’s grace. According to the Oxford dictionary, grace is the “free and unearned favor of God.” Grace means we receive his favor, salvation is a gift, an undeserving gift from God to us. Even though we don’t deserve this grace He gave it to us and it is now ours to keep.

By God’s grace, He took the death, the punishment that we deserve. Does it mean that Jesus alone tasted death? The answer is yes and no. All of us will die unless Christ returns first. But there is also a manner that Christ alone tasted death, in the sense that He alone received the punishment, the wrath of God for our sin. Even though we die, our death is not the same as Jesus’ because Christ was the substitutionary atonement for us, he died in our place, he took our sin and received the punishment that we deserve.

Thus, the author has told us in v9 that despite the fact, that Jesus is exalted in glory as God it was necessary that He became a man so that we could be saved.

These are the essential grounds for our salvation. The author of Hebrews goes on in v10 and 11 to describe some of the benefits of our salvation; mainly answering the question who’s your daddy? Or what’s our identity?

Hebrews 2:10 ESV

For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.

For it was fitting that he. The personal pronoun he is referring to is God the Father. What does it mean it was fitting or appropriate that God should make Christ taste death in our place? Both Greeks and Jews found Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross foolish and offensive. This is stated by Paul in 1 Cor 1:22-23 “For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles” To Jews the cross was offensive, to say that God would humble himself to become a man was already offensive, it was just unthinkable to Jews that God, the Son, would suffer death in the place of sinners, that was just too outrageous to Jews.

To gentiles, a savior dying in our place was considered plain foolishness. Even today many think that Jesus dying, and suffering is foolishness because they can’t see how serious sin is and they can’t see what Jesus’ death accomplished.

Considering how people responded to the cross It did not seem fitting or appropriate, that God the Father would make Christ suffer in this way. However, the cross was the only way, the only necessary way to save mankind.

Therefore, it was fitting that God should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. Here it refers to Christ as the founder. The word founder often in Scripture is a reference to leaders of families and clans. In extra-biblical Greek, this word refers to founders of cities and champions who fought on behalf of a country. Thus, Christ the founder is a reference to Him as our champion, our savior, our kinsman-redeemer, someone who is related to us (a man like us) and who is the only one able to redeem us, to rescue us, to pay the price for our redemption. He is the founder of a new nation, a new people, a new kingdom.

It says that Jesus was made perfect through suffering. How can he be made perfect since He was already perfect by being 100% God? Jesus never sinned, and as God, he could not have been made more holy. Therefore, this made perfect is not a reference to being holy but is the same language used in the OT referring to the consecration and ordination to the priestly office. Jesus became our high priest, not through the washing and anointing and any external ritual, but it was through his complete obedience to the Father amid trial and suffering and even death. He was made the perfect high priest, the perfect intermediate through suffering.

When we go through any suffering in this life, we have a perfect high priest, who is not only 100% God, but someone who went through suffering in this life as 100% man. Jesus not just experienced death, but suffered from being born into a poor family, he experienced the pains of growing up, and many of the sufferings that we go through in this life. Jesus did not experience everything that we could experience in this life, but his suffering along with His suffering to death was perfect for Him to know exactly how we feel when we go through suffering in this life. What a comfort knowing not only that Jesus cares for us and that He is going to go with us through any suffering, but he knows what it feels like.

I remember hearing this story, I just don’t remember where exactly. A Christian woman was quietly driving home. Unexpectedly, she was pulled over by the police, and the next thing she knows she is cuffed and taken to the police department. She was placed in a waiting cell between two tough and crude men. Over the next several hours the police realized they had mistakenly arrested the wrong woman in a crazy case of mistaken identity for a wanted woman with the same name in another state.

As she sat there recognizing that she might go to jail for years in someone’s place and sitting very uncomfortably between these two horrible men that were jeering at her. She was praying distraughtly then in anger for being unjustly accused and placed next to these criminals. As she was praying she was saying, Lord, I’m innocent I don’t deserve to be here. Why are you doing this to me? you don’t know what it feels like to be right here between these evil men.

That’s when the Lord responded to her, I know exactly what it means to be put between two criminals! I was not just unjustly accused; I willingly took the full payment for your sin. Her response was just to weep. Christ not only cares for you, and willing to be with you. But also knowns and sympathize fully with our sufferings, whether just as He suffered or in true empathy.

How have we “told” God he doesn’t understand our suffering? Maybe we haven’t said it with words, but our actions have shown that we don’t believe that He sympathizes with our sufferings. Let’s never forget that Christ not only cares, but He knows what it feels like to go through whatever we might go through in this life.

All of this and v10 still hold more truths for us!. There are two phrases that we did not study yet, the phrase “for whom and by whom all things exist” is a clear exaltation of God and who He is as the creator and sustainer of all creation, and the one who saves us. Here this phrase is a reference to God the Father, we could only tell because of the context of the verse.

This same language was used previously by the author of Hebrews to indicate that Jesus is God in Heb 1:2- 3 but in these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

The phrase “for whom and by whom all things exist” is very similar to what Paul says in 1 Cor 8:6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

And then in Col 1:16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

We see that the phrase “for whom and by whom all things exist” could be a reference to God the Father or God the Son. The main point of this phrase is that God is the center of the Universe. We are not, our lives are not the center of the universe. God is for whom and by whom all things exist. Everything was created for Him, for His glory and everything is sustained by His hand, for His glory.

The next phrase in v10 says “in bringing many sons to glory”. Here is saying God the Father is the one responsible, the one that brings about our rescue. Since the center of creation is God, even our salvation is all about God. This beautiful picture of salvation “bringing many sons to glory” means that we are saved from death in our trespasses and sins. We are rescued to life now and eternally.

But there is more! We are rescued from our “criminal state” and instead made holy. We see this explicitly in v 11- 13

Heb 2:11 “11 For he, Jesus, who sanctifies and those who are sanctified, believers, all have one source. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers,”

Heb 2:12 “12 saying, “I will tell of your name, God the Father, to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”

Heb 2:13 “13 And again, “I will put my trust in him. The Father” And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.”

First, we see, that the one who sanctifies is Jesus. 1 Cor 1:30 says that Christ is our sanctifier, “because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption”

Those who are sanctified are a reference to us, those that repent and put their faith in Jesus. You are the sons and daughters of glory mentioned in the previous verse.

For he who sanctifies, Jesus, and those who are sanctified, believers, all have one source. Now we should ask what is the source for believers and for Jesus? Considering v 10, the source is God, the Father the one who brings many sons to glory, the one who made Christ the perfect high priest.

So then why is Christ not ashamed to call us brothers?

Here is an amazing truth!

We like Christ have God as our Father because Christ made us holy through His sacrifice.

Let me say this again because this so out of this world

We like Christ have God as our Father because Christ made us holy.

You are made holy.

What does holy mean? It is sad that this word is used so often in our world for not what is intended, but it is used in foul language and for cursing. It seems to me that in the same way that God’s name is used in vain or in cursing, so God’s attribute of holiness is also in the same manner.

When we talk about God’s holiness we are talking about His absolute perfection, that God is unlike any other. God is completely separated from sin, there is not even a trace or hint of sin. God’s holiness means He is high above any other and no one can compare to Him.

As believers, being holy means being set apart, we need to be "set apart" from the world unto the Lord. We need to be living by God’s standards, not the world’s. As holy people, we are called to be distinct from the world. We are separated from the world; we need to live out that reality in our day-to-day lives. One day we will be completely separated from sin. We are made holy because of Christ’s suffering.

Through Christ, God the Father brings many sons to glory, what glory? Being made holy, redeemed, and adopted sons of God.

John 1:12-13 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

1 John 3:1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.

Being adopted sons and daughters of God does not make us less or more loved. I can tell by experience that I love my adopted son no more and no less than my biological child. God has demonstrated to us His love for us, in that while we were still sinners, he died for us. This is who you are, we are loved, we are adopted into God’s family, God is your Father, and Jesus your brother.

You don’t belong to this world or just to your earthly family you belong to Him who bought you and gave His life to ransom you, to sanctify you.

Because of who we are in Christ, Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters. Let’s be real now, Jesus has all the reason to be ashamed to call us brothers. He not only has reasons but it will be right for Him to be ashamed of us. We were in rebellion against God, and even now that we have been given eternal life and desire to honor and praise God, we often fall short and sin against God and against others. Despite all of this, isn’t it amazing that Christ is not ashamed to call us brothers? He loved us while we were still sinners, and He still loves us now, with all our imperfections as we work out our salvation!

How can he not be ashamed of us? Because it is through His sacrifice that all of our sin, past, present, and future has been paid on the cross. Therefore, we are sanctified, we are holy not because of anything that we have done, but because of what He has done.

This truth is out of this world, it is unimaginable! But the truth remains and begs the question how should we then live? Believing that God is our Father and Jesus our brother. What does this mean?

Remember the story of the young boy without a father. How he became a changed person after he was reminded of His identity in Christ, that he was a child of God. He grew up to be a changed man, he ended up being the governor of Tennessee from 1911 to 1915. His name was Ben Hooper.

Just as this man had his life and outlook changed so we should. I’m not saying you should get into politics. I’m saying we can live with confidence knowing who we are in Christ.

Our goal should be to become more holy in our daily walk working to overcome our daily sins because He suffered. He loved me despite All, He still calls us brothers and sisters. What is more? He says He is not ashamed to call me family. Wait… what? He is not ashamed to call me His family.

Life is not easy, we always have room to grow in this loving God, living holy lives or sanctification. Luther said that marriage is a school of character. I’ll say that in this school, grade level work is raising kids. Do you know what I find the most difficult thing in parenting and being a husband? It is to humbly have to confess to my wife and kids when I sin against them when my parenting is focused on my own selfish desires instead of training and teaching them in God’s way and being an example. I’ll say I can’t think of anything more difficult, embarrassing, and humiliating than to recognize, confess and ask for forgiveness.

And even though we struggle so much to recognize, confess and ask for forgiveness. He is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters. We are not worthy to be called brothers or sisters. But it is not because of anything in us, not anything that we ever did, or ever will do. It is because He loved us while we were still sinners and He died for us.

On this note let’s get back to our passage in Hebrews nothing this connection to brothers v 12-13, let me read also v 11

Heb 2:11 “11 For he, Jesus, who sanctifies and those who are sanctified, believers, all have one source. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers,”

Heb 2:12 “12 saying, “I will tell of your name, God the Father, to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”

Heb 2:13 “13 And again, “I will put my trust in him. The Father” And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.”

Here the author is quoting this Psalm not just because it mentions “my brothers” but because as a whole this psalm describes Jesus’s suffering and exaltation. In fact, Psalm 22’s first words (My God, my God why have you forsaken me) were quoted by Jesus while on the cross, towards the end of his suffering. It is thought that Jesus was likely reciting this Psalm just before He said it is finished.

Psalm 22 can be divided into two parts, the first part describes great suffering. Just as the author of Hebrews just related. The second part starts on v22 where it describes salvation and celebration. It is in this exaltation, Jesus calls us brothers. We could say that while on the cross He was not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters…

Wow

While on the cross He was NOT ASHAMED to call you…me… brothers and sister. Talk about humility and love! In the midst of the people, I will sing your praise.

Do we do this? Do we praise Him in the midst of suffering?

But how can Jesus do this? We see in v13 because Jesus put His trust in God the Father.

Here the author is quoting Isaiah 8:17-18. Jesus' obedience to the Father led Him to great suffering but even then Jesus was putting His trust completely in God the Father. Jesus was not ashamed because He trusted God. As a result, Jesus brought many sons to glory.

Did you catch that Jesus, as 100% man, had to choose to put His trust in the Father?

Jesus as our brother gives us the power to trust God. Because through His sacrifice he redeemed and restored us. Christ shows us that we can trust God even when everything around us is pointing to the opposite. Christ trusted God when He was unjustly accused because of us when all He did was do the right things. Jesus always told the truth, He healed many, cast out many demons, fed the people, and performed many miracles. He always did what His father told Him to do. Because of that, Jesus suffered greatly, but even in His suffering, He entrusted Himself to the Father. So now we should do the same.

So I ask you… will you also live unashamed to call Jesus your brother? To trust God your Father in All circumstances? How will you let this change your outlook on life and your actions and ultimately your identity?