Jesus: The Brother Who Helped
Thinking about Hebrews 2.
The Lord’s parables of Luke 15 conclude with “The Parable of the Prodigal Son” – which is just as much about the older brother as it is about the younger brother.
In the parable, the younger brother leaves home and wastes his father’s possessions on wild living. After finding himself with nothing, he returned home to his father hoping that his father would let him be like one of the hired servants. The father joyfully greeted his “lost” son and threw a celebration to welcome him back home. But the older brother was disgusted and bitter by the father’s celebration of his brother’s return.
Something that stands out in “The Parable of the Prodigal Son” when compared with the other two parables in Luke 15 (“The Parable of the Lost Sheep” and “The Parable of the Lost Coin”), is that no one went out looking for the younger brother to bring him home.
While the Pharisees and scribes (represented by the older brother in The Parable of the Prodigal Son) complained about Jesus eating with sinners, He was doing what He described in the parables of Luke 15 – He was SEARCHING for the lost to save them and bring them home (Luke 19:10). He was doing what brought heaven joy (Luke 15:7, 10). Why had they not looked for the lost to bring them back to God?
Now, with that foundation in mind, let’s move to Hebrews 2 where Jesus is described as the one who helped us when we were lost like the younger brother in Luke 15.
Jesus is Your Lord (Hebrews 2:1-10).
Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?
For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. But one testified in a certain place, saying: "WHAT IS MAN THAT YOU ARE MINDFUL OF HIM, OR THE SON OF MAN THAT YOU TAKE CARE OF HIM? YOU HAVE MADE HIM A LITTLE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS; YOU HAVE CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOR, AND SET HIM OVER THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS. YOU HAVE PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET." For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
We must pay close attention to the things God has to say in His word because He is offering a “great salvation” through Jesus – while “every transgression and disobedience” receives a just reward (Hebrews 2:1-3; Romans 6:23). God has provided witnesses to confirm the truth of this message (Hebrews 2:3-4).
The Lord created the heavens and the earth by His own power (Hebrews 1:10; Genesis 1:1), and one day it will perish – folded up like a garment by the Lord – and be changed (Hebrews 1:11-12). This new world to come has not been put in subjection to angels but to the Lord Himself (Hebrews 2:5-8). While we do not see this yet, we will see it one day (Romans 14:11-12).
Although Jesus is the Lord of all, He humbled Himself (Philippians 2:5-8) and was made a little lower than the angels so that He, by God’s grace, could experience death for every person. His glory and honor as the Lord of all is because He chose to suffer death for each of us (Hebrews 2:9).
It was right for God, “in bringing many sons to glory,” to make the founder and author of our salvation complete through hardship and pain (Hebrews 2:10). The things Jesus chose to suffer for us so that we might be saved, was the justice of God being done – because “every transgression and disobedience” receives a just reward (1 Peter 2:21-24).
Jesus is Your Brother (Hebrews 2:11-18).
For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying: "I WILL DECLARE YOUR NAME TO MY BRETHREN; IN THE MIDST OF THE ASSEMBLY I WILL SING PRAISE TO YOU." And again: "I WILL PUT MY TRUST IN HIM." And again: "HERE AM I AND THE CHILDREN WHOM GOD HAS GIVEN ME."
Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.
The one who does the sanctifying – makes holy – and the ones who are sanctified – made holy – are all the same family (Hebrews 2:11). Because of that, Jesus is not ashamed to call us His brethren (Hebrews 2:12-13). God’s love for us is demonstrated by the wonderful news that we can be called His children (1 John 3:1).
Because we are flesh and blood, Jesus became flesh and blood also (John 1:14). He did this so He could die and destroy the devil, the one who had the power of death and who held us captive through the fear of death (Hebrews 2:14-15). This connects back to Jesus being our Lord – how could He be Lord of all, if the devil still held the power of death over our heads? But because He broke the power of death by being raised from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:20-26), He is truly our Lord who gives us the victory (1 Corinthians 15:57).
Jesus doesn’t give help to the angels, but “to the seed of Abraham” (Hebrews 2:16; Galatians 3:7-9). He had to be made like us in all things so He could “be a merciful and faithful High Priest” in service to God – reconciling us to God through His atoning sacrifice for our sins (Hebrews 2:17; Romans 5:6-11; 1 John 2:1-2).
Because He faced suffering – including being tempted (Matthew 4:1-11) – He is able to help us when we are tempted (Hebrews 2:18; 4:14-16).
In The Parable of the Prodigal Son, the older brother doesn’t go out looking for his younger brother, doesn’t help him, and sounds as if he doesn’t care about his younger brother at all.
But Jesus is our brother who came looking for us – His lost brethren – who came to help us because of His great love for us (John 3:16).
There is a price to be paid for our sins – and our Lord Jesus Christ paid it by dying for us. There is also a price to be paid if we reject Jesus’ sacrifice and choose to remain in our sins (Hebrews 10:26-31).
I have greatly missed your daily devos!! Bless you for taking the time!