What purpose did the death of Jesus, the Son of God, serve? Hebrews 2:14-18 gives us insight into this aspect of His death, burial, and resurrection.
“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,” (Heb. 2:14).
God formed man to be of flesh and blood. Man sinned and brought a pandemic of death and the curse upon all. Through Jesus, God intends to save as many as believe in Him. To do this, Jesus “likewise shared in the same” flesh and blood, God becoming man. Adam’s sin brought death into the world. By becoming a man Himself, Jesus could overcome death and the devil. How does He do this?
Jesus lived a sinless life, subjecting His entire life to the will of the Father. How He approached the sufferings of the cross and death became our example. He did not retaliate against those who jeered at Him. He did not strike back (1 Peter 2:21-24). He actually looked beyond the pain of the cross to the joy ahead of Him, and endured the pain and indignity of the cross (Heb. 12:2).
He died, but did not stay dead, since He never sinned. Death is for sinners. He rose from the dead and showed Himself alive openly over the next 40 days (Acts 1:3), then He ascended to heaven to sit at the Father’s right hand. By rising from the dead, we see that He had broken the power of death. Furthermore, He became sin for us and took that sin into the grave with Him. He rose again without that load of baggage. When we believed in Jesus, our old self with its baggage went into the grave with Jesus and it remained behind (Romans 6:3-7) while the new creation in Christ rose with Him. Now we learn how to live out this new person that we are.
“and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Heb. 2:15).
We don’t like to think about death. It gives us the creeps. So through fear of death we avoid the subject and busy ourselves with the things of this life, confining ourselves to this universe. This is one of the ways the devil keeps our eyes off of death and eternity. So from the beginning we were not slaves of God and heaven and eternity, but slaves of this world. Through Jesus’ suffering and death, His burial and resurrection, Jesus bans the fear of death in those who follow Him. Death loses its hold on us and we are able to look ahead with hope, even though facing death first. He tasted death for every man (Heb. 2:9). Jesus tasting death was by the “grace of God” (Heb. 2:9), not human effort. His resurrection showed us that we did not have to be afraid of death any more, so the devil’s hold on us was broken.
Now we know how to taste it and go through to the other side: we look to God’s grace as Jesus did. We look to His mighty hand, His willingness to save, His grace, to pull us from the depths of despair, out of darkness into light.
“For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham” (Heb. 2:16).
The book of Hebrews shows the readers Jesus’ superiority over all aspects of Judaism. In chapters 1-2, we see that Jesus is superior to angels in every way. As we read above, He did not come to us made like an angel, such as Michael or Gabriel, to save angels. He came in flesh and blood like a man to save man. After all, man brought sin and death upon the world, so a Man is responsible to undo it (1 Cor. 15:21-22).
Jesus came to give aid to those who believe in God like Abraham did. God promised; Abraham believed; God counted him righteous. All who believe in God’s promise of receiving aid or salvation through Jesus will likewise be saved. We may come confidently to His throne of grace for help every day (Heb. 4:16).
“Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Heb. 2:17).
Because Jesus became man and suffered with the people, He is perfectly suited to be our Savior and High Priest. The priest helps people toward God, and stands in prayer to God on behalf of the people. Because Jesus knew the hardness of life, He is merciful to those who come to Him for help regarding sin or any other area where we are fallen. He is faithful to continue His mission to save us, to shepherd us back to God, since He made propitiation for our sins; that is, He satisfied God with the payment of His death for all sins, so all of us may come to God through Him. Because He is merciful and faithful, we need never worry about coming to Him for help with our sins and frailties. He will not turn away any who come to God though Him.
Jesus became like us so much that He called us His brethren—brothers and sisters (2:11-12). He is not only the Son of God Himself, but considers us all as having one Father, God. So in teaching His disciples to pray, He told them to address God as “our Father.” This is how much He identifies with those of the household of God.
“For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted” (Heb. 2:18).
We resent those who shake their finger at us while us giving their “advice.” But those who rose up from the ashes and turned around to help lead the others out? They are inspiring. They were where we are. They faced our struggles. They know the way out. And in them we find hope of escape as well.
Jesus suffered and was tempted. Jesus sorrowed and was tired. Jesus didn’t stay on a mountaintop but mingled with the people. Jesus didn’t confine Himself with good synagogue people but went out to the fringes of society. He went out to God’s people, “His own” (John 1:11).
Then He suffered and died. Then He was buried and rose from the dead. So that’s why He can be merciful—He endured what we went through, believing God even to death. His path from suffering to a throne is our path. He came specifically to bring many sons to glory (Heb. 2:10). That’s inspiring. That means there’s hope for me. I can live for God and rise from the dead. I don’t need to be confined to what this world offers me. I can remove the chains of my earthly addictions in this life and live for the one to come. “He is able to aid those who are tempted”—even into the next life. I can believe God and live free.
What do you believe?
