Hebrews 2:5-18

Hebrews 2:5-18 / Jesus Is Better #3 / Jesus Stepped Down So We Could Step Up

  • Theme: Humanity has a magnificent calling, but has yielded it over to death through sin, so Jesus became one of us to lift us up back to our rightful place with God.

1 Jesus fulfilled humanity's magnificent calling (2:5-9)

  • Angels are not as special as Christ, nor human beings.
  • Humans were created to have creation subjected to them.
  • But we have not, because of sin and death, experienced that subjection yet.
  • Jesus, though, became a human and lived up that original calling (and more). He makes a way for us to enter into God's intention (and more) for us.

We were created to wear a crown (5-8)

5 For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking.

  • 5 Notice that there is a world to come.
    • It is a future inhabited earth.
    • Angels will not be in charge of that world.

6a It has been testified somewhere,

  • 6 Somewhere: He quotes from Psalm 8, but he is not being flippant when he refers to it as "somewhere." On the contrary, he believes God to be the author who testified of himself and his plan in Scripture.

6b [Psalm 8:4-6] “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man [Hebrew parallelism means this is not used of Jesus in this instance], that you care for him? 7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, 8a putting everything in subjection under his feet.”

  • First, we are impressed by God's heart for us.
    • 6 What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him?
    • We see God's care for humanity over all of creation and are impressed.
      • The planet's fine-tuning, splendor, and variation impress us. God must truly care about the people he created for this space!
    • We see God's care for us individually and are impressed.
      • David gazed into heaven and was moved that God would show such kindness to man.
        • The verse right before the one quoted: Psalm 8:3–4 (ESV) — 3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?
  • Second, we are impressed at God's plan for us.
    • 7-8 A little lower than the angels / crowned / glory / honor / putting everything in subjection under his feet
    • The writers point? Man has been crowned at the top of all creation. We’ve been given a position of dignity and honor. We were given this responsibility!
      • Genesis 1:26–30 (ESV)* — 26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so*.

But we have not lived up to our calling (8)

8b Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.

  • 8 At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him:
    • When sin entered into creation, humankind lost the subjection of creation.
      • After Adam's sin:
        • 1 Men and women were no longer in partnership with each other.
        • 2 The ground was no longer in partnership with man.
        • 3 Brothers were no longer in partnership with each other.
        • 4 Lamech entered into polygamy.
        • 5 A parade of death passed by.
        • 6 The flood destroyed nearly all of humanity.
        • 7 Animal kingdom began to fear humanity.
          • Conclusive conclusion: Humanity lost the crown! Subjection lost.
      • We still live in the chaos of a lack of subjection.
        • Life is still a struggle, in many ways, for mere survival.
          • We wrestle with the creation to survive.
            • Natural disasters.
            • Physical limitations and uncertainty (suddenness of sickness or injury).
            • Fragility of the human mind.

Jesus was the only one of us to live up to that original calling (9)

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.

  • 9 We don't see the earth's subjection to humankind, but we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowed with glory and honor because of the suffering of death.
    • We don't see subjection, yet, in the way we expected.
    • But we see it in Jesus.
      • He was made lower than the angels also.
      • He was a man named Jesus.
        • The author calls him by his human name nine times in this letter, and each occasion highlights the humanity of Christ.
      • He was crowned with glory and honor.
      • He gained his crown because of the suffering of death.
      • He did this for everyone.
        • Conclusion: Jesus fulfilled our magnificent calling. He was the perfect man. He died for us. Humans will only reach their destiny if they belong to the Son of Man.

2 Jesus became one with us so we could become one with God (2:10-15).

  • Since God's original plan for humanity was to live with a crown of glory, it makes sense that he would devise a means for us to be saved, brought back to glory.
  • This salvation required that we be unified to Jesus and the new humanity founded in him.
  • Jesus shared in flesh and blood with us so he could alter our relationship with death.

Jesus founded our salvation through suffering (10)

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.

  • 10 Fitting:
    • Because it's like God.
    • Because humankind's original glory was lost.
  • 10 The founder of their salvation: Jesus is the founder of our salvation!
    • Captain, author. leader, originator, or founder.
    • The idea: Jesus walked the way before us as he established the way of salvation.
  • 10 Jesus was made perfect through suffering.
    • He was not made morally perfect, but perfect as Savior.
    • This is the perfection which comes from suffering (rather than being ready to suffer).
      • Example: The bud might be perfect, but there is a difference between its perfection and that of the flower.
      • Note: To a far lesser degree, we are often "perfected" through suffering as well.

We are now one with Jesus (11-13)

11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source [or one Father CSB]. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12 saying [Psalm 22] , “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” 13 And again [Isaiah 8:17] , “I will put my trust in him.” And again (Isaiah 8:18), “Behold, I and the children God has given me.”

  • 11 We have the same source or Father as Jesus.
  • 12 We are his siblings as he calls us brothers.
    • Note: "Brothers" could also mean "brothers and sisters," and that is the implied idea.
  • 13 We are his children as well, and like him we must trust God with our lives.
    • He experienced all this because he came.
    • He is not ashamed to be connected to us in this way.

Jesus shared in flesh and blood with us so he could alter our relationship with death (14-15)

14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.

  • 14 He himself partook of the same things: He took on flesh and blood like we have.
    • We must meditate on this for a while. Different stages of life. Puberty. Adolescence. Adulthood. He can relate to you.
  • 14-15 Through death / destroy / deliver:
    • Destroyed its power (the power of death)
    • Destroyed its controller (the devil)
      • Creation was intended to be subject to man, but was given away through sin. One fallen-angel, the devil, became a power on earth.
    • Delivered us from its fear (fear of death)
      • Not to be confused with a fear of dying.
    • Delivered us from its slavery (lifelong slavery)
      • Conclusion: Our whole relationship with death has been altered by Jesus.

3 Jesus both helped us and continues to help us (2:16-18).

He helps faith-filled humans (16)

16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham.

  • 16 Offspring of Abraham: The readers would have liked this description.
    • First, it does not say he only helps the offspring of Abraham.
    • Second, though God's plan for Israel is not negated, but paused, there is a sense in which all believers are offspring of Abraham.
      • God has a plan for biological, physical Israel.
        • Romans 11:25–26 (ESV) — 25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved...
      • But you can become spiritual offspring of Abraham.
        • Galatians 3:29 (ESV) — 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
      • What was Abraham's legacy? Faith.
        • Romans 4:3 (ESV) — 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

So he became one of us to help us (18)

17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

  • How did Jesus become one of us?
    • In every respect:
    • To the point he himself has suffered when tempted:
  • Why did Jesus become on of us?
    • So that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest:
    • To make propitiation for the sins of the people:
    • To become able to help those who are being tempted:
      • Do you want this help?
      • He stepped down so we could step up.
        • To God. To our calling. From temptation.
        • We did not fulfill our destiny, but Jesus has worked to make a way for it to happen again.