“He’s down to earth…one of us”
What an amazing thing to say about our saviour! Our God is not some far off deity that we have to earn the favour of. Hebrews 2 tells us that Jesus is not ashamed to call His people “brothers”!
Why is Jesus not ashamed to call us brothers? Because, “He’s down to earth…one of us.” Hebrews 2:11 tells us that Jesus and those who belong to Him all have one source. What does this mean? It could be a reference to God, but I wonder given the focus on Jesus’ humanity if the writer is pointing us back to Adam. Here we are being reminded that Jesus really took on flesh and was like us in every way (yet without sin). Jesus is qualified to be our saviour because He took on flesh and became one of us, born into the line of Adam. And yet, remember He is also a new Adam! He does not fail like Adam did, He becomes the representative for all who belong to him.
How do we become his brothers (and sisters)? v14 tells us he took on flesh and blood so that he could die for us. Do you see your saviour’s love for you? He became one of us so that he could save us. All the sacrifices we read about in Leviticus point forward to this perfect sacrifice. Because of this sacrifice, Jesus is not ashamed to say we belong to Him! He took away our sin and shame by dying for us, he has cleansed us, he declares to all who belong to Him, “these our my brothers and sisters”! How amazing that He is not ashamed of us and actually delights in us, rejoices to have us in His family.
If we belong to Jesus, we need not fear death (v15), we have been set free from slavery to sin so that death has lost is power over us. Jesus will raise us! So we can join in our Psalm for today and sing “the LORD is my light and salvation; whom shall I fear?” We can join in this Psalm because Jesus first sang it for us when he took on flesh and blood.
Imagine Jesus singing this Psalm in the garden of Gethsemane, as evildoers assailed him, and then as false witnesses arose against him (v12) and yet the cross would become the place where his adversaries and foes would fall (v2). Because Jesus was cast off and forsaken by God, we need never be, and because Jesus looked upon the LORD in the land of the living (v13 – in the resurrection), we will too.
What a blessing to belong to Jesus! He’s not ashamed to call us brothers and we need not fear.
“Wait for the LORD, be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” (Psalm 27:14).
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