Hebrews Chapter 2

Verse 11. “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 . . . .”

God has made it very simple, so that we may be able to lay hold of eternal life. He has given us His own Son, Jesus Christ, as a brother among brothers, and has made Him a second Adam, a life-giving Spirit. We are all of one and the same Father, whose love is given to us all and draws us all to Him. Jesus showed the Father to His disciples, and now as the Mediator, He is still doing the same. We are all at different levels, so the Mediator isn’t just for one, but God is one. He reaches us all through the Mediator. He communicates with us all through the Son.

Verses 14-15. “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.”

If Jesus had not partaken of flesh and blood, then He could not have helped us who have. But He did share in flesh and blood, and through death He crushed Satan, who after the fall had his power in the flesh. Most people remain in death because they do not believe. Because of this, the devil’s power still rules them. In these days there are many Christians who consider it blasphemous to believe that Jesus came in the same flesh and blood as we. They believe that He had flesh and blood like Adam before the fall. But what help would that be for us who are in need of salvation after the fall? And surely there weren’t any people before the fall who, through fear of death, were in bondage all their lifetime, and now need redemption through the appearing of Jesus in the flesh? Every revelation that is not divine leads people astray because no scripture is for private interpretation. True revelation came when holy men spoke, driven by the Holy Spirit. The manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all. When a person lives in manifest sin, then he has no use for clarity about Christ manifested in flesh. He gets along fine with “sin and grace.” We hear about this constantly, but it never leads to a victorious life.

If a person is to overcome the law of sin and death through the law of the Spirit of life, then he must have light over Christ manifested in the flesh—light over the fact that God condemned sin in Jesus’ flesh, and that Jesus died to the flesh in order to free all those who were in bondage all their lifetime. Rom. 8:1-3.

Verse 16. “For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham.”

Abraham lived hundreds of years after the fall. It was his seed that was to receive aid. Jesus did not take upon Himself the nature of an angel or of Adam before the fall. Abraham was a godfearing man with a sinful flesh, and he waited for the deliverance that would come from the city whose builder and maker is God. People who have this mind—even though they have a sinful flesh—are in truth the seed of Abraham. These alone can receive revelation about the great mystery of godliness: “God was manifested in the flesh.” 1 Tim. 3:16. The fact that it is described as the mystery of godliness tells us clearly that this mystery is only revealed to godfearing people. They have use for it. The study of theology is of no use here. People who have all kinds of theories about the new testament remain in complete ignorance and are far away from understanding the mysteries of Christ, while uneducated people can easily understand the instruction of the Spirit. What is the reason for this??? How much higher the spiritual priesthood is than the earthly!

Verse 17. “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.”

It was here on earth, in flesh and blood, that Jesus received His education to be High Priest. It was while He was here that He had a self-will to conquer. John 6:38. It was on earth that He suffered death according to the flesh, in that He suffered when He was tempted. All this has taken place so that He can come to our aid when we are tempted. He Himself has gone before us through the flesh and therefore can give grace to help in time of need.

Verse 18. “For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.”

Is this difficult to understand? No, it’s quite simple. But it must be understood by faith, because unbelief understands nothing.

He Himself has suffered being tempted and is therefore a faithful High Priest, One who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses. A man who has never himself been tried in an area cannot help others when they are tried in that area. If Jesus had been like Adam before the fall, then He would not have been tried like we are. But that’s not what the scriptures testify to: “Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren.” It is the word of God that we are to follow and not the fables of men. Faith is the full assurance of things which cannot be seen, and by faith we understand.

But unbelief also has a type of understanding. In Jesus’ day, the Pharisees and scribes became furious when He testified about Himself that He was “the Son of God.” Today people react in the same way when we say that He was “the Son of Man.” But faith knows the way, both then and now. And against that faith the masses always cry, “Crucify, crucify!” This is precisely where unbelief and faith go separate ways. And who was it that stirred up the crowd against Jesus while He was alive? Was it not the scribes and Pharisees? There is nothing new under the sun; the same thing happens today. The sins of the people provide a livelihood for the priests. But in 1 John 3:8, it is written: “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” The works of the devil are destroyed when we do what God’s word says: Take up your cross every day.