Hebrews 2:10-18.                             Jesus fully human, fully God!                                       1/1/17

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.”

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.

Just how amazing is this Jesus whose birth we celebrate again in these days. This is no ordinary human being; he is God himself; and yet he is fully human. All this God himself has done for us so that many sons and daughters could be brought to glory. Despite our rebellion against him; and our desire to do as we please, without regard for God and what he has to say to us; never the less his love for us was such that he does what is necessary for us to be made children of God.

Just think about that for a while: God becomes a human so that we might become children of God for all eternity. That is incredible! What we have all our lives strived after since Adam and Eve – equality with God has been made freely possible. It is there for all who dare to believe it.

Then what is even more remarkable is the fact that so many turn their backs on this wonderful gift. They still want to live and act as if none of this is important. They still want to live apart from God and do as they please. They still want to be selfish, self-centred people who have no real interest in God at all.

Sure many of them will still acknowledge that he is there and that they believe in him. However, they have no sense of appreciation for what he has done for us all, or the desire to live in a relationship with him. They are so wrapped up in themselves and what they make of their own lives. God is someone who is simply there to fix things up when it all goes wrong. Meanwhile they live for here and now; as if this is all there is to life.

So they have made themselves their own little god, who controls his own life. They have then made all these other little idols in their lives to seek to attain all that God promises to freely gives us, if only we would take him seriously. But their arrogance and rebellion is such that they will not.

But the reality of life for us all is that there is always still this one ‘bogey man’ that hangs over our head. Death is constantly before us. The news is full of it. Young and old, rich and poor, famous and unknown; this tragedy is ever before us; and in the end it is a reality for us all, sooner or later.

Then what? We travel toward this great light; to what? To heaven, or hell? Or toward Jesus Christ the Judge who holds our fate in his hands? Yes; and to all who believe in him and who are connected to him through baptism are able to now face that day with confidence and certainty. As we look to this Jesus who came into our world and trust in all that he has said and done for us we know that he will see us through.

This is one of the main points in this reading. This Jesus came for the very purpose: to free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. Because of our sin, death is the reality that it is. We all will die because of our rebellion against God. God has made this very clear to us all, all the way from Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, to this very day. Death comes to all who sin. But because of Jesus Christ and his coming into our world he has taken the sting out of death for all who believe in him.

To do that he had to share our humanity. We read: 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.

A sinless human being was needed in order for the sacrifice for the sin of the world to be effective. So God himself becomes one of us. As we are told here:

 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.

So the very reason we celebrate Christmas is a constant reminder to us that Jesus came into this world as a babe in Bethlehem to do this very thing. Despite us and our rejection of him, he comes to do what has to be done for our salvation. He comes so that we can be freed from the fear of death and that he may call them brothers and sisters.

Through his life, death and resurrection Jesus has accomplished that which is truly remarkable. He has done everything that was necessary in order to bring many sons and daughters to glory. It is all there freely available to each and every one of us. Now in connection to him we can face death with confidence and also then to be with our Lord for all eternity in heaven as his brothers and sisters. To him be all glory and honour, now and always.

So:  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.  Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family.

Here again we have another very important point being made to us in this reading. One that we need to very much reflect on and contemplate deeply. It is God almighty for whom and through whom everything exists. In our western culture we have drastically downplayed this important point. Too often even in our churches we give lip service to this, but in reality we put ourselves and our reasoning to the fore. Life exits for us and our pleasure; Not God.

We must remember that God created us for his purposes and benefit; not us. He is the all-important one around whom and through all things exists. Only in him and what he says will we find the life and being that should be there for us. He wanted us to live happily with him and his creation, but we chose to live by and for ourselves. The result is that we die because of it.

But again it is here that he himself comes to make things right for us. His own Son comes into our world to suffer so that we might be perfected once more. So now Jesus Christ is held up as that which is all important for us and for all. God has lifted him up and given him the name that is above all names.

So now as we look to him, trust him and seek to hold him up for the greatness of who he is and what he has done for us we are reassured of the life and hope that is now ours. We find that we are restored back to the way that was originally planned for us. We, now through belief and baptism are restored back into God’s family and are made once more brothers and sisters of Christs. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family.

Here the point is strongly made from Scripture itself that this is what God himself says to us. This is not some wishful thinking, or a made up story. This is what the Jesus Christ who was born, lived, died and rose again has done and said. Because he is a historical reality and is true to his word we can rely on what is said here.

However, because we live in a culture where this is ignored, ridiculed and down-played it is so easy to doubt this. We have the devil, the world and our sinful selves continually tempting us to doubt this. Continually we are being tempted to look to and trust me, myself and I. Along with that we still live in a sinful world and so constantly face the troubles and hardships that are always a part of it. As long as we live here on earth we will have this suffering and difficulties, and can easily be left wondering if all of this is really true.

Here however we are reminded again that: Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. So as we begin another new year let us resolve to look to him alone as our Lord and Saviour and constantly seek his help so that we do not lose sight of that which is so important for us.

Here also remember that he has promised to be with us always, to the very end of the age. He is right there with us and for us as we face life in whatever way it comes. His Word and very body and blood of Holy Communion are his constant reminder to us of this very fact.

So here as we begin another new year let us ever seek to look to and uphold Jesus Christ as both God and man who has come to win salvation for us and free us from the fear of death. Let us remember that God almighty himself is the one for whom and through whom everything exists. He and what he has done through Jesus and his death and resurrection alone is what has enabled us to be very own sons and daughters. To him the be all glory and honour, now and always. AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish