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— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Hebrews 2:14-18 NIV
For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants.
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.
Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Table of contents
Earlier in Hebrews, the author had made the point that Jesus was the divine Son of God; high above the angels. From there he moved into Jesus’ humanity; his suffering and death; and his identification with the children God had given him. In this passage, the author makes the point that Jesus’ humanity was more than just skin deep. But that he was human in every way.
Fully Human
Twice in these five verses, Jesus is said to be human. In verse 14 the author shared that Jesus shared in our humanity. Then, in verse 17 he said that Jesus was made fully human in every way. What does it mean that Jesus was fully human in every way? I discuss this more fully in the article about the Person of Jesus, part of which is quoted below.
He was born (Luke 2:7) and developed physically and mentally (Luke 2:52). He knew hunger (Matt. 4:2), thirst (John 19:28), had human emotions (John 11:35), was limited in knowledge (Mark 9:11; 13:32), and grew weary (John 4:6). Jesus died (Matt. 27:50) and was buried (Matt. 27:59-60). And his disciples claimed to have seen and touched him (1 Peter 1:16-18, 1 John 1:1).
The Person of Jesus Christ
It is not uncommon to find people who will attribute Jesus’ ability to perform miracles and know what people were thinking to his divinity. But I believe that is incorrect. Jesus lived among us as fully human. It was the Holy Spirit working in and through him, that enabled the miracles, his knowledge, and his words. Apart from his birth, death, and resurrection, there is little Jesus did that others in the Scripture did not also do. And he told his disciples that they would do even greater things than what he did (John 14:12).
I believe we sell the humanity of Jesus short when we explain away his life and work by saying that he was also God. Indeed he was fully God. But he was like me in every way. The mystery of the incarnation.
The Reason for Sharing Our Humanity
This passage gives us four reasons for Jesus sharing in our humanity.
To Break the Power of Satan
Jesus became human so that he could die. And in that death break the power of the devil, the one who holds the power of death. The power of death is the fear that it holds for us. It is a journey into the great unknown. Or, as many believe, into oblivion. No matter how bad life gets, the vast majority of people will cling to life, trying to delay death as long as possible.
Jesus’ death on the cross appeared to be a defeat. And that is certainly what both his followers and his enemies believed as he hung on the cross. But it was not. Jesus’ death was actually a triumph. In his death he defeated Satan. More commonly we understand Jesus’ resurrection to be his victory. And indeed it gave evidence of his victory over death. But the author of Hebrews here says that it was actually his death that gave him the victory.
Jesus’ death, and victory over the devil, frees us from our slavery to the fear of death. The one who holds the power of death is defeated. And now those who place their trust in the one who defeated Satan have been released from their fear of death. It is true that many still have an unwarranted fear of death. But there is no reason for that now. The Son has set us free.
To Become a Faithful High Priest
These next two reasons are closely related, both being concerned with our atonement. Jesus was made fully human in every way so that he might become our high priest. Hebrews 5:1 says that “Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.” The Jewish high priests were human and they represented us before God. So Jesus became human in order to be our perfect high priest, representing us before God, and offering a sacrifice for sin.
The author of Hebrews will have much more to say about this in the chapters that follow. Jesus as the high priest is a significant element of his theology of Jesus.
To Make Atonement for Sin
Jesus became fully human so that he could be our high priest. And so that, as the high priest, he could offer the atoning sacrifice that we needed. But Jesus was not just the high priest offering the sacrifice. He was also the sacrifice that made atonement. This thread will also be developed in much greater detail in the chapters to come.
Able to Help Those Who Suffer
“Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” This is not directly connected to the statements about Jesus becoming fully human. But it really fits within that context. Jesus became fully human and experienced temptation. This further emphasizes the humanity of Jesus. James tells us that God cannot be tempted by evil (Jam. 1:13). But Jesus, as fully human, was clearly tempted to disobey (Matt. 4:1-11).
And, not only was he tempted, but he suffered in that temptation. The temptations that he faced were hard. No better example can be found than in the garden prior to his arrest and crucifixion. In Luke 22:39-44 Jesus expressed his human desire to not go to the cross. But he resisted that temptation and submitted himself to the Father’s will. But doing so cost him great anguish. So much so that he was sweating. And that sweat fell to the ground like blood. He suffered intensely during that time of temptation.
When someone is experiencing temptation it is common to try and offer advice on how to deal with that temptation. And sometimes we might actually have good advice to offer. Advice that is helpful. But all too often we fall short. However, there is one who can, through his own experience, help us through whatever temptation we might be facing. He has faced every challenge we do (Heb. 4:15). He does indeed know the temptations we face. And he has overcome them. Because of that, he is able to truly offer help and counsel to those who are facing any temptation.
Abraham’s Descendants
It is for the descendants of Abraham that Jesus became human in order to defeat death and become our high priest. It might be tempting to understand Abraham’s descendants as referring to ethnic Jews. But I believe that is an incorrect understanding. Certainly, there are some who have physically descended from Abraham that could fall into the category of Abraham’s descendants. But there are many who might be able to trace their linage back to Abraham who are not his descendants (Rom. 9:8). At least in the sense that it is being used here.
In Hebrews 2:9 we are told that “Jesus tasted death for everyone.” His death was not just for ethnic Jews. It was for everyone in the world. And all who place their trust in him are considered children of Abraham (Gal. 3:26-29). And heirs of the promise made to him.
Hebrews Post List
- Hebrews: An Introduction - This article gives a brief introduction into the book of Hebrews. It is the first of a series of on this sermon from a pastor to his people.
- Hebrews: The Supremacy of Christ (1:1-4) - In the prologue to Hebrews the author identifies the supremacy of Christ over the prophets and angels as well as summarizing his Christology.
- Hebrews: Superior to the Angels (1:5-14) - This passage uses seven quotes from the Old Testament to demonstrate that Christ, the Son, is superior to the angels.
- Hebrews: A Warning to Pay Attention (2:1-4) - The author of Hebrews here warns us to pay attention to the great salvation we have been given. If we do not, the danger of drifting away is great.
- Hebrews: We See Jesus, Crowned with Glory (2:5-9) - Humanity is not what God created us to be. But we see Jesus, who took on a human nature, tasted death for us, and is now crowned with glory and honor.
- Hebrews: Made Perfect Through Suffering (2:10-13) - Jesus, the author of our salvation, was made perfect, as a savior, through his suffering on the cross. The perfect lamb sacrificed for us.
- Hebrews: Jesus Is Fully Human in Every Way (2:14-18) - Jesus became fully human in every way, allowing him to defeat death and to become our perfect high priest, offering himself as our atonement.
- Hebrews: Jesus Is Greater Than Moses (3:1-6) - To one raised in Old Testament Judaism, there was no one greater than Moses. But Hebrews here affirms that Jesus is greater than Moses.
- Hebrews: Failure to Enter God’s Rest (3:7-19) - Hebrews uses Psalm 95 to demonstrate that failure to enter into God's rest is because of our disobedience and failure to remain faithful.
- Hebrews: Enter God’s Rest (4:1-11) - The promise of entering into God's rest is still open to us today. Unlike many in the past, make every effort to enter into that rest.
- Hebrews: the Active Word of God (4:12-13) - God's word is active and alive. It is not just words on a page. It is his message for us that reaches deep within us to shape our lives.
- Hebrews: Our Great High Priest (4:14-16) - Because Jesus is our great high priest, who has experienced the life we live, we can confidently come to God for his grace and mercy.
- Hebrews: Obedience Learned Through Suffering (5:1-10) - Jesus, the Son of God, learned obedience through his suffering on the cross. He knows what it is to obey the Father, even in suffering.
- Hebrews: Move Beyond Elementary Teachings (5:11-6:3) - The author's challenge to us here is to move beyond the elementary teachings of the faith. To be growing ever deeper in the truth.
- Hebrews: A Most Explicit Warning (6:4-12) - There are a number of warnings in Hebrews about falling away. But this is the most explicit of them. How should be understand there warnings.
- Hebrews: An Anchor of Hope for the Soul (6:13-20) - The promise that God made to Abraham is relevant to those of us who have come to trust in Jesus. And that hope is an anchor for our soul.
- Hebrews: The Priesthood of Melchizedek (7:1-10) - Two priesthoods are examined here. That of Melchizedek and that of Aaron. And Melchizedek's is demonstrated to be the superior one.
- Hebrews: A New Priesthood (7:11-28) - Jesus has ushered in a new priesthood. One that is after the order of Melchizedek, eternal and fully able to meet our needs.
- Hebrews: We Do Have Such a High Priest (8:1-6) - Hebrews has been building toward this point. A high priest after the order of Melchizedek is not just theory. In Jesus, it is a reality.
- Hebrews: A New Covenant (8:7-13) - The new covenant that Jeremiah foresaw has found its fulfillment in Jesus. He is the mediator of this new covenant made with us.
- Hebrews: Worship in the Tabernacle (9:1-10) - The worship in the old covenant tabernacle was a shadow of what was to come. Especially the hiddenness of the Most Holy Place.
- Hebrews: The Blood of the New Covenant (9:11-15) - The old covenant was written on tablets has been replaced with a covenant written on our hearts and inaugurated by the blood of Christ,
- Hebrews: Entering the Heavenly Sanctuary (9:16-28) - The earthly tabernacle was only a shadow of the heavenly sanctuary that Jesus entered into on our behalf, offering a perfect sacrifice.
- Hebrews: One Sacrifice for All Time (10:1-18) - Jesus sacrificed himself for us. One sacrifice that was sufficient for all time. There is now no longer any need to sacrifice for sin.
- Hebrews: Enter the Most Holy Place (10:19-39) - Because of what Jesus did for us, we can have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place with full assurance. We have been cleansed and washed.
- Hebrews: Faith in Action (11:1-31) - The 11th chapter of Hebrews is nicknamed the Hall of Faith. The author here defines faith, and then shows faith in action.
The views expressed here are solely mine and do not necessarily reflect those of any other person, group, or organization. While I believe they reflect the teachings of the Bible, I am a fallible human and subject to misunderstanding. Please feel free to leave any comments or questions about this post in the comments section below. I am always interested in your feedback.
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