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Teaching Text: Hebrews 2:10–18
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. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He says,
“I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;
in the assembly I will sing your praises.”
And again,
“I will put my trust in him.”
And again he says,
“Here am I, and the children God has given me.”
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. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants.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. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Themes
Consider these themes and ask your group what else they see in the passage:
Hebrews
Brothers and Sisters Set Free
Formation
Thoughts and notes you can use for discussion:
The book of Hebrews is written for exactly these reasons to show people who are suffering the story they are in, and how to rely on resources beyond themselves in the moments of their lives.
It’s so important to remember this book is not just a theological treatise on how Jesus fulfills Torah. It is an endurance manual for people in the furnace of life.
This section of Hebrews that we read this morning has one of the most astounding asides in all of the Scripture.
The author is busy telling us about why and how Christ has to suffer. He is writing to early urban followers who are facing immense challenges for their faith in Christ.
And in telling them about the suffering of Jesus, he drops this little wonder...
God, for whom and through whom everything exists.
He is the Source, the Sustainer, the Destination of life.
Poetically He is the Beginning and the End
God is a creator and when the world He made was ruined by sin and death and violence and evil, it was revealed that He is also a Savior.
In an unfallen world you don’t see the aspect of God. In allowing for choice, God also allowed for many to choose other than God.
And so it is now also revealed that God is One who will suffer for healing, for reclaiming, for redemption.
There is a word in the passage that is translated "pioneer” in the NIV …
It is the Greek word archēgos - it has a wide lexical range and is hard to translate with one English world, but it means
Pioneer, Champion, Author
Pioneer, one who goes ahead where there is no known way and makes a way for others
Jesus is the Archēgos of our salvation
He has gone ahead to make a way where there was no known way
He has faced an enemy and force we could not face on our on and won a victory we have a share in
And He is telling a new story of how the world is healed and we have a share in a new type of life united to God.
Christ has become an Archēgos, a Pioneer, Champion, Author who gives
Freedom from the fear of death
Atonement for sin
Help in temptation
FREEDOM FROM THE FEAR OF DEATH
My question--that which at the age of fifty brought me to the verge of suicide--was the simplest of questions, lying in the soul of every man from the foolish child to the wisest elder: it was a question without an answer to which one cannot live as I had found by experience. It was: "What will come of what I am doing today or shall do tomorrow? What will come of my whole life?"
Differently expressed, the question is: "Why should I live, why wish for anything, or do anything?" It can also be expressed thus: "Is there any meaning in my life that the inevitable death awaiting me does not destroy?”
– Leo Tolstoy
Jesus has gone ahead of us into death. And He has not made it so that we don’t have to die, but He has made it so we can share in the victory He won over death.
1 Corinthians 15 puts it like this...The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:56–57)
Atonement for sin
He has made atonement for our sin, for the ways we are separated from God
We are going to talk in Hebrews about many of the beautiful ways that we understand the Atonement
But it is a ransom given to one who held us captive. It is a victory that we now have a share in, it is something Christ did on our behalf that we could not do on our own. It is the lamb of sacrifice and the scapegoat of Yom Kippur. Our death is faces and our shame is carried away.
And now we are made family. Christ is not ashamed to call us brother and sister.
Help in temptation
And Christ is a help in temptation
In all the ways we are drawn to doubt, and fear, and letting go of our confidence.
In all the ways we are tempted to do what we swore we wouldn’t do again,
In all the ways we feel trapped by patterns of thought and behavior. Addictions and little compromises of our integrity.
Our imaginations of vengeance or indulgence or laziness or workaholism.
Christ is able to help us when we are tempted.
When Christ was tempted (Matthew 4, Luke 4)
He clung to the hope that God would meet His needs better than the short cut or the substitute
He held on to His identity as a beloved Son
He spoke truth back to the lies from the Word of God
He received comfort from heavenly resources
How are you at using these mechanisms to help you in times of temptation?
Jesus it the Archēgos of our salvation - Pioneer, Champion, Author
He confronts our fear of death
He has made atonement for what separates us from God
He gives us help in temptation
