Hebrews 2:1-18 - The Servant King

"I will declare your name to my brothers, in the presence of the congregation..." (Psalm 22:22)

Todays reading is from Hebrews 2:1-18, and one of the most startling images that resonate from these passages is the exemplary humanity of our Lord Jesus:

¹ We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. ² For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, ³ how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. ⁴ God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
 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 mankind that you are mindful of them,
   a son of man that you care for him?
⁷ You made them a little lower than the angels;
   you crowned them with glory and honor
 ⁸ and put everything under their feet.”
   In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. ⁹ But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, 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 and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. ¹¹ Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.^[12 He says,
   “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;
   in the assembly I will sing your praises.”
 ¹³ And again,
   “I will put my trust in him.”^[i]
   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 break the power of 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 them, fully human 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.

It was Jesus' mission to provide Salvation for Human beings (Abrahams decendants). Jesus hels in a very real way by seeing his people through whatever they are facing. He relates to Human suffering because of his incarnation. He had to take on human form in order to die, and by doing so he also experienced the emotions, pains, trials and tribulations every one of us goes through. His experience perfectly qualifies him to act as high priest - an intercessor between sinful mankind and perfect and holy God. No one can rightly claim that God doesnt understand them, or how they feel, because Jesus lived through everything any human being can face - and worse!