Life Instead of Death

 DEVOTION

TO HEBREWS

LIFE INSTEAD OF DEATH

Heb 2:10-18

10 In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. 12 He says, "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation 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 destroy 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 his brothers 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.

NIV

The writer wants to make it clear that Jesus is God and that he came down and limited himself to human existence in order to be able to deal with temptations that all humans are burdened with. However, He remained faithful to God's calling, who has to be the Father at this point and lived a perfect life to be the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all mankind, who are called his brothers. Through his suffering on that cross he took away our sins and made us holy and blameless in the sight of God, which would include the Father and himself, the Son, and of course, the Holy Spirit. But here is the problem that all people must face. First, each one of us is subject to death, because we cannot attain the place of righteousness in order to stand in the presence of God. However, there is a solution to our problem and His name is Jesus. By His death, he destroyed the power of him who holds the power of death, the devil. We have been freed from the power of death therefore we do not fear it as we once did. Still, the problem is that we must put our faith and trust in Jesus and declare him as our Lord and Savior in order to be one of his brothers, or the right to be called a child of God. If we take that stand in life, declaring our allegiance to our Sovereign Lord and Savior Jesus then we can ask him to help us in our temptations as we journey through this life. We can be assured He will help us because he too was tempted in every way that we are and yet did not falter at all, and remained perfect as he lived in the flesh. Therefore, he understands our temptations perfectly, and still, he took all our sins, failures mistakes, and imperfections upon himself on that cross. He helped us in a way no human can, by freeing us from the power of death that is the rightful punishment for sins against God. Praise the Holy Name of Jesus for now we have life instead of death.