Hebrews 2:10-18

10 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting..

First, we see here that God is bringing sons and daughters to glory. The language here is that God acts, and we are being acted upon. God BRINGS, we are brought. God is active, we are passive. This reinforces the idea of the elect being saved, not by our works, but by God’s grace. Not by our works, so that none can boast, but because of God’s mercy. Where are we being brought? To GLORY! We always talk about glorifying God, which is the goal and purpose of our lives, but in Hebrews 2:10, we see that God’s plan is to bring us to Glory. He is glorifying us. We are a rebellious and sinful people, but God’s plan is to glorify us. Romans 8:28-30

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

God’s goal and purpose is to bring us to glory. We are predestined to be called, we are called to be justified, and we are justified to be recipients of Glory. I underlined a word in both verses in order to point out a consistency between the various parts of scripture. The emphasis is mine, it’s not underlined or emphasized in the bible. But Both verses talk about how God brings MANY sons and daughters to Glory. God’s purpose for reconciliation is extended to many. We are conformed to the image of his Son. We change to become like the Son, who is the radiance of the Father. As we conform to God’s will, we become more like the Son. So that Jesus might be firstborn among MANY brothers and sisters. God’s plan isn’s just forgiveness, it’s adoption. It’s a family. God’s plan is to redeem many! History is designed, and God is working so that He receives maximum glory, and that plan includes redeeming many. Sometimes, as a reformed church, we can stress the fact that atonement is limited. This is one of the main points of Calvinism. Jesus didn’t die for the entire world. He died for “Whosoever believes”. He didn’t die so that the whole world could be redeemed, he died so that God’s elect could be redeemed. The atonement is LIMITED, it’s not UNIVERSAL. It’s an important theological point to make. However, when we say it’s limited, we need to understand that God’s atonement is still an atonement for MANY. It’s not an atonement for few, or an atonement that’s limited to 144,000. It’s an atonement for MANY and it’s VERY Inclusive. It’s just not an atonement for ALL.

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.

It was fitting. Some translations say it was “becoming to God” or “it became him”. That means, it was right. It made moral sense. It was appropriate for his character. Why? Read the clause that describes God. For Whom and through Whom everything exists. This language refers to creation again. The language also says Through Whom everything exists. Creation exists through God’s power and command. It wouldn’t exist except through God’s action. God therefore caused all things to be. Creation doesn’t just exist through Him, but Everything exists For God. The purpose of creation’s existence is for God and for His Glory. God is the reason and the point of it all. He is the cause of and the intended benefactor of the creation. Because of this, it’s appropriate that God should make the pioneer of our salvation perfect through what he suffered. Jesus is the pioneer of our salvation. Other translations describe him as the captain, or leader, or prince, or author. As an author of our salvation, Jesus caused and brought about our salvation. As the leader or prince of our salvation, he made the way, and went first. This verse says that God made Jesus and the salvation he bought perfect through his suffering. Now one could misread this translation and think that Jesus was imperfect until he completed his work on the cross. But that’s an incorrect reading. Jesus was perfect and holy to start with; however, he made our salvation complete and perfected us through his suffering. Sometimes the Bible uses the word perfection to mean completeness. Jesus was perfect his whole life, but his existence and purpose and life were completed through suffering. There are different kinds of suffering that exist. There is suffering from man, suffering brought about by nature and the cursed ground, dating back to the events that happened in the Garden of Eden, but there’s also a curative suffering. This is a temporary suffering that has an end goal that will result in a greater good. It’s also interesting that the author of Hebrews mentions this suffering along side of references to God’s creation.There is a contrast between those two. How did God create the world? He did it by his will and command. He used the word and spoke and made it so. Fiat. How did God redeem the world? Differently. It was not appropriate to redeem us simply by a command. Sin has consequences and results. That’s the nature of sins. Transgressions need payment, that’s the nature of the law. It was becoming to God, it was fitting, it was appropriate, that our redemption was accomplished by action, and by suffering. That’s God’s nature. To suffer for our salvation, God needed to exist on this earth and be capable of experiencing suffering.. For us to have an author and a leader or captain who was like us, God needed to send us one who would exist in this form, living alongside us in this creation. The major concept is called incarnation. We will talk about this more, so let’s continue reading.

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.”[h]

The one who makes people holy, Jesus, is of the same family as those who are made holy, God’s elect. We know God and Jesus are of one family. And Jesus is God’s only begotten Son. But we are also called brothers and sisters. We have been adopted into the family with the only begotten son, so we are sons and daughters of God. We are part of the same family. Not of natural or biological likeness, but have been adopted into that family. The quotation in verse 12, footnote [h] is found in Psalm 22:22. Anyone know what’s in Psalm 22? Jesus apparently did. In fact, New testament Gospel authors Matthew and Mark record that he was reciting this part of scripture. You might not know it as Psalm 22, but from the first line, I think most will recognize it. Psalm 22:1

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?

Jesus began speaking this Psalm while he was being crucified. He may have been reciting the Psalm in its entirety or thinking about it while he was hanging there. This psalm is uncanny as it describes the scene.

2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. 3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. 4 In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. 5 To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

Jesus cried out to God by day, but received no immediate answer. He cried out to God in Gethsemane at night, but found no rest. Jesus had been with God, and now he was forsaken. This is something that is kind of hard for regular humans like us to understand, but in the past, God the Son experienced a fellowship and oneness with God the Father. But at this time, the Son was forsaken, and the fellowship was no longer there. Even though Jesus called out to God, there wasn’t an imminent miraculous rescue for Jesus at hand. The miraculous rescue was about to happen, but the rescue was for God’s elect, not for God’s son. Verse 3, even though Jesus cried out to God, and God didn’t respond, Jesus’ faith didn’t waver. We must remember Even when God doesn’t respond to our prayers like we expect, Yet God is still enthroned as the Holy One. God is still sovereign, even when we don’t like the situation that God’s sovereignty allows. He is still worthy of our prayers. Verse 4. In You (God) Our ancestors put their trust. Jesus is speaking as a Jewish man, a descendant of David. His ancestors trusted in God. Trust results in deliverance. When you read trust, you can equate that to belief or faith. You put your trust or your faith in someone else. Deliverance is not tied to works, it’s tied to trust. Sometimes you demonstrate your faith or your trust or your belief by doing a work. By faith Abraham obeyed and went to a place. By faith Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice. etc. Verse 5 says God’s people cried out and were saved, they trusted and they were not put to shame. That’s how God’s salvation functions. By trusting in God’s works. Not by our own works.

6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people.

Jesus was God, and became man. And then he became less than a man, but a spectacle. He became a worm. Job described himself as a worm, which seems to be the lowliest creature described in the bible. But there’s an interesting thing about this word “worm” in Psalm 22.; it’s not a maggot, it’s a special type of worm called a crimson worm. There’s an interesting article about it here. The post describes similarities between this worm and Jesus Christ. Like this worm, Jesus attaches himself to a tree and dies. He dies so we can live. In our communion we talk about feeding on his body and drinking his blood. We are cleansed with the blood of Christ, and our sins turn from scarlet to white as snow.

7 All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. 8 “He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”

You can’t read these words without feeling the humiliation and scorn that was felt by Jesus. People despised him, mocked him, hurled insults. The teachers of the law and Pharisees asked him to show them signs to prove he’s the messiah. Come down from the cross, if you are the son of God. Let God rescue you, if you really are who you say you are. If God rescues you, maybe then we’ll believe. He was mocked for trusting in God, but we learned that we are saved by our faith and trust. That trust is a gift from God. Jesus had his trust in God from infancy.

9 Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast. 10 From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

He had a relationship with God for his entire life, and was God’s since before his Birth. From his mother’s womb. This is something that is mysterious and something we can’t fully understand, but the Bible does talk about life before birth. Being known by God, and experiencing life in the mother’s womb. Psalm 22 talks about the duration of this trust in God, which is important to reiterate. But instead of talking about the mockers and the scorn, the Psalmist changes the focus and starts to think about His mother. Just like psalm 22, the crucifixion scene has a parallel.

From the cross, during the crucifixion, Jesus was able to see His mother Mary. She, along with his cousin John approached. Jesus, with his labored and struggling breath, made sure that his mother was taken care of. As he was suffering for the sins of humanity, as he was being encircled by mockers and scorn, he still had compassion on his mother, and still thought to demonstrate care for Mary’s life and her well being.. As we approach Mother’s day, let’s try and remember how Jesus treated his mother.

11 Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. 12 Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. 13 Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me.

Trouble and danger surrounded Jesus Christ. There was nobody who could help him. He was among powerful enemies. What are Bulls of Bashan? The country of Bashan embraced the territory which was on the east of the Jordan, north of Gilead, which was given to the half tribe of Manasseh. Throughout scripture, it was known as pasture land for its rich lush landscape. The trees were mentioned alongside cedars of Lebanon. Bashan’s breed of cattle are frequently referred to in the Scriptures. In that area, there were wild bulls. They were quite strong, fattened calves, but not fat. Muscular and stocky. They were dangerous, especially when they were in groups. They would circle something unwanted or unwelcome. They would charge with their horns. Since the days of the golden calf, Bulls in scripture were compared to unholy or ungodly but very powerful beings. Horns also represented the power or strength. Roaring Lions tearing prey are also representing a strong and dangerous adversary. Lions are known as king of the jungle and are predators. When God is described as powerful, and the son of God, the Bible compares his power to a lions’. However Lions aren’t always associated with Good. They can represent evil as well. Daniel was thrown into a lion’s den.. Before he was a King, before he defeated Goliath, David used his sling to protect his Father’s sheep from a Lion. In Psalm 91:9-16

Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge—10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. 12 On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.

Does Psalm 91 seem familiar? This is a verse in the bible that was partially quoted later in scripture. Who quoted it? Satan himself. When Jesus was being tempted in the wilderness, Satan came to him and told him to turn stones to bread. Jesus said he wouldn’t, but then Satan took him to the top of the temple and said throw yourself down. Satan said “11 For he will command his angels concerning you and 12 On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.” Satan deleted the second half of chapter 11 “to guard you in all your ways.”. This verse isn’t literally saying that God will protect you when you do stupid things. It’s not a promise that if you jump off of the top of the temple, you’ll be safe. It’s a promise that angels will guard us in all our ways, meaning something much more general and in an every day context.. Satan never finished quoting this psalm, and it’s clear why.

13 You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

Verse 13 continues by saying that man of God will be able to tread on the lion and the adder, he will be able to trample the lion cub and the serpent. In Psalm 91, the lion and serpent are mentioned together, so the lion represents the same thing that the serpent or the adder does. Ever since the garden of Eden, the serpent represents Satan himself. The man of God will trample over the serpent satan or any seemingly strong lions. Jesus demonstrated this victory before when he was being tempted by Satan, but now on the cross, he will be fully and completely victorious over Satan and his schemes. Even though Jesus appeared weak and defeated, he would overpower the lions, the serpents, the bulls, and all the enemies of God. At the end of Psalm 91, which Satan never bothered to quote, there is a promise.

14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. 15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

God will deliver. God will protect. God will hear and answer when he is called upon. Lets return to Psalm 22:14-15

14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me. 15 My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.

Jesus was beaten, whipped, scourged, and dripping with blood and sweat. Reading about how these crucifixions went, he was not clean or dry. He was poured out, his bones were disjointed, and his wounds were open. Verse fifteen. I kind of know what it feels like to be thirsty, but not like Jesus. Not after a physical beating, the labor of carrying a large beam of wood up a hill, the sweating, and massive blood loss. I have felt a dry mouth, but not while gulping for air, as the weight of my body pushes my lungs closed. As this psalm was coming to its prophetic fruition, Jesus said he was thirsty.

16 Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. 17 All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. 18 They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.

These things all were documented throughout the description of the crucifixion scene. Men surrounded Jesus, he was hung between criminals. The romans pierced his hands and his feet. He was stripped of his purple robe and beaten and placed on display. Soldiers divided Jesus’s robes and cast lots for the garments they didn’t want to tear.

19 But you, Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me. 20 Deliver me from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs. 21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen.

On the cross, Jesus was forsaken by God. But even though Jesus didn’t feel God’s presence, he pled to God to be close. He pled to God to be his strength, and to come quickly to help him. Even during Jesus sanctifying work on the cross, he was trusting in God’s deliverance. Even when he was being mocked for his trust, Jesus still trusted God. He was asking God to rescue him from the power of the dogs, and the mouth of the lions, and the horns of the wild bulls or oxen. We discussed the symbolism of dogs, lions, and bulls already. Here’s the part of the psalm that turns around the whole lamentation. This is the part that the Book of Hebrews quotes.

22 I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will praise you. 23 You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!

When we read Psalm 22:22, the way the Book of Hebrews reads it, as being read and interpreted as being the words spoken by Jesus, it says that Jesus will declare God’s name to his brothers and sisters. His brethren. Since Christ was the only begotten Son of God, who are his brothers? God’s adopted sons and daughters. Us. God’s elect. We are of the same family as Jesus Christ. Jesus will declare God’s name to us, despite the torment that he experienced on the cross. Jesus will continue to praise God. Verse 23. Jesus commands us to praise God. ‘you who fear God’ ; that means Anyone who loves and respects and fears God, should praise Him. Anyone who considers themselves to be a descendant of Jacob or part of the tribe of Israel. This doesn’t just apply to people who are Jewish by blood, or faith. Jesus said that God could raise up stones that are sons of Abraham. God is to be Praised. God is to be Honored, God is to be revered.

24 For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.

Jesus didn’t suffer unnecessarily. He suffered for a purpose. He was forsaken by God, but he was not despised and his work, his suffering, was not scorned. Jesus was the afflicted one, Jesus was forsaken. God’s face was momentarily turned away, but God did not ultimately hide his face. God was silent for a moment, and although He didn’t immediately respond, He listened, and heard the cry of the Son. God did provide deliverance. Here’s the result of Psalm 22.

25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows. 26 The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will praise him— may your hearts live forever! 27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, 28 for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations. 29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him— those who cannot keep themselves alive. 30 Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. 31 They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!

We see Jesus fulfilling his vows to be the perfect sacrifice, and the great high priest. We hear the blessing of Jesus that the poor will eat and be satisfied. That those who seek God will praise him, that our hearts will live forever. Eternally. Following the Lord will be something that is world wide, not just a Jewish or regional religion. Verse 29, we cannot keep ourselves alive. We are mortal, but God will be praised from generation to generation. God’s righteousness will be proclaimed and declared for future people. The last lines of Psalm 22. He has done it! Perfectly mirrored at the crucifixion, when Jesus declared, “It is finished.”  So let’s return to Hebrews 2:13

13 And again, “I will put my trust in him.”[i] And again he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me.”[j]

Back to Hebrews 2:13, we see another quotation. Footnotes [i] and [j] are from Isaiah 8:17-18. Let’s start reading Isaiah 8:13-15 to get context.

13 The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread. 14 He will be a holy place; for both Israel and Judah he will be a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare. 15 Many of them will stumble; they will fall and be broken, they will be snared and captured.”

Jesus is known as the stumbling block to Jews. He represents a stumbling block because his existence and purpose attest to the fact that we can’t save ourselves. We can’t follow the law perfectly, and we can’t rely on ourselves. We need God’s help. We need God’s deliverance. We need God’s favor and God’s blessing. We need to trust in another. That’s something that is hard for us to do.

16 Bind up this testimony of warning and seal up God’s instruction among my disciples. 17 I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the descendants of Jacob. I will put my trust in him.
18 Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion.

This is how we are presented to God. Jesus presents us as children that were delivered. We are of a family. We are part of God’s family, even though we are different than God the Father. Even though we are flesh and blood, God became flesh and blood so that we could be part of the same family. Let’s return to finish Hebrews 2:14-18.

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.

The goal of God was to bring many sons and daughters to Glory. The Sons and Daughters have flesh and blood. So Jesus needed to be flesh and Blood. By Jesus death, he has broken the power of the Devil. As Psalm 91:13 said You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. Jesus has become victorious. Jesus has broken the power of the unholy lion, the serpent. The accuser. The Devil. Verse 15. Jesus has freed anybody whose lives were enslaved by the fear of death. Where is death’s sting? Well, if we are forgiven, that means that to live is Christ, and to die is Gain. Jesus has freed us from the sins that enslaved us and sentenced us to condemnation. And Because of the freedom from condemnation, we have freedom from 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 his brothers, 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.

Jesus wasn’t placed on this earth to help or minister to angels. He was placed on this earth to help and save us, the descendants of Abraham. We are the people of God’s promises. As verse 10 said, It was appropriate for God to use human suffering as a tool to save humanity from it’s suffering. It was fitting for God to be made like his brothers. God had to save humanity using an incarnation. Becoming Fully human and like us. So the sacrifice was appropriate. But it was not just about the sacrifice. Once God became incarnate and fully human, then the Son could be truly merciful. So that Jesus could understand exactly who we were, and what we were going through. So that the Son could experience what we did and can sympathize. The son has another job besides sacrifice. He is to serve as a high priest. A faithful High Priest. To have perfect human faith necessary to be a High Priest, God needed to become Human. The High Priest makes atonement for the sins of the people. The high priest was supposed to use a perfect sacrifice to make atonement. But in the case of Jesus Christ, that High Priest and the Perfect Sacrifice were one. Since Jesus suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those of us who suffer. He is able to help those of us who are tempted. God is no longer a God that is far away and unapproachable. God the Father can be approached because of God the Son. Because of the incarnation, God the Son has become a human being that can help and save us. When we are suffering, we can call on one who suffered. When we are being tempted, we can call on one who has stood up to and resisted temptation.

We worship a God who came to earth not to be served, but to serve. Our God doesn’t need help, although he is available to help us. It’s not Angels that Jesus helps, it’s Us, the descendants of Abraham. You may find yourself suffering, and this doesn’t need to be limited to physical pain. Suffering can come in the form of anger, frustration, annoyance, impatience; we can feel like we have a short fuse.  We can have one of those days that feels like nothing is going our way. We could feel tired, sore, or under the weather, but no matter the cause of suffering, that suffering causes us to be tempted. I wrote a post about suffering and temptation from James 1. We could be tempted to take short cuts, tempted to snap, tempted to take out our feelings on our brothers and sisters.  But we have one who can help, because our God is a God who became incarnate, and understands our experience.  God the Father sent God the Son to be our High Priest. God the Spirit is promised to be with always until the end of the age. So we have Help!