Hebrews 2:5-18-- To Taste Death for Everyone

Scripture: Hebrews 2:5-18

As I noted last time, Hebrews 1 and the beginning of Hebrews 2 give us a crucial truth-- Jesus is supreme, and so His message is supremely important to our lives. 'But,' the Hebrew audience might have objected, 'Jesus was a man, right? You're telling me a first century human was high above the angels and, as I sense you're about to tell me, Moses of old?'

I'm not sure how these ancient readers would have known about the numbered century system or what the author would write next, but their imagined interjection is a reasonable one. If the Son of God has all the glory and preeminence described in chapter 1, why do we find that He has lived life as a human?

This question is actually answered many times in this short passage, but I think it can all be summarized in two main answers and a resulting truth:

• The Son became human so that He could die a human death and thus forever alter the relationship between God's people and death (Heb 2:9,14,15).
• The Son became human so that He could truly represent us humans before the Father and provide the sacrifice for our sins (Heb 2:17).
• Because the Son's human life involved suffering and temptation, He can relate to and help us in our suffering and temptation (Heb 2:18).

1. Death

The specific phrases used indicate that Jesus "[tasted] death for everyone" so that He could "break the power of [the devil] who holds the power of death" and thus "free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death." Have you ever thought about the relationship between spiritual slavery and the fear of death? Perhaps our fear of the unknown of death causes us to cling ever more closely to this world and its comforts and promises. Jesus' decisive human victory over human death can free us from this fear and the consequent pursuit of security, accolades, etc.

2. Sacrifice

The office of high priest was one of representation. Whoever held the position would enter once a year into the Holy of Holies to offer sacrifice for all the people. It wouldn't make sense for a bird or lizard--or an Assyrian or Egyptian--to officiate this sacrifice, because it was for the people of Israel. An Israelite, then, would be the high priest and would symbolically stand in that holy place for the entire nation. Thus, when it came time for a better sacrifice to be made for all the peoples of the earth, it would be a human who would officiate (and in this case, be) the sacrifice while representing all mankind.

3. Help

My life has been blessed and easy. Compared to the suffering and atrocities of so many, my life has been a relative paradise. However, I've faced some hardships: betrayal and deception by loved ones, bitter disappointment at sin/failures of myself and others, death of family members, and near-death of significant other. You know what's incredible? Jesus has experienced these same hardships. Now, there are some differences in that technology and culture have changed and that Jesus never sinned when tempted. That being said, the emotional spectrum of suffering that I experience, He has endured. He has felt the pain I feel. He was betrayed, rejected, wronged, beaten, and killed (to name a few).

I hope that we, especially during the holiday season when we focus on gratitude and the Incarnation, can reflect on Jesus' victory. He has conquered death, made sacrifice for our sins, and overcome the very pains we feel.

Happy holidays indeed.