The incarnation of Christ is such an important fact that it is dealt with multiple times in Hebrews. Several reasons are given for Jesus Christ’s coming and sharing the same.
Hebrews 2:14 NKJV Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same…
Christ Jesus shared the same.
What does that mean?
Jesus entered into the life and death experiences of human beings. To become our Savior, Jesus had to be made as we are.
God knows all about us.
Psalm 103:14 NKJV For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.
If God knows our frame and knows all of our need, WHY would Jesus have to share in the same?
We saw last week that He became part of the same family.
Hebrews 2:11 NIV84 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
Jesus actually became like us.
When we consider the person, nature and character of God, this is amazing and wonderful grace and mercy. God Who is high and exalted became like us.
Watch this very closely.
Hebrews 2:14-15 NLT Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could He die, and only by dying could He break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could He set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.
In order to make our redemption and transformation possible, Jesus partook of the same. He came down to our low estate. The idea of His taking part of the same, indicates familiarity with our suffering, weakness, and human condition. He came down so that He may lift us up. By condescending to flesh and blood, Christ has made it possible for us to have a new nature and a new life.
Here are the fundamental necessities for this to occur.
Jesus had to share the same.
He had to be made like us by becoming flesh and blood. Remember, God is not a man. God is high and exalted. There is no one like Him. Jesus had to become human and be subject to death and the temptations, trials and difficulties of being flesh and blood.
God experiences some things that humans experience.
- God was sorry that He made man, (Genesis 6:6). God has sorrow.
- God regretted that He made Saul king, (1 Samuel 15:35). God has regret.
- The joy of the Lord is your strength, (Nehemiah 8:10). God has joy.
- God is love, (Ephesians 2:4; 1 John 4:7, etc.). God loves.
- God is good, (Mark 10:18).
- God is holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners, (1 Peter 1:16; Hebrews 7:26).
- He is the God of grace, mercy, and peace, (Romans 15:13, 33; 2 John 3).
God created us in His likeness and image, but death and the curse came when sin entered.
Jesus had to share the same because only as a human being could He die, and only by dying could He break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. This victory that Jesus gained is not only for our immediate salvation and change, it also impacts our eternal destiny.
1 Corinthians 15:53-54 NLT For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory.
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 NLT O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus became like us and was subject to death so that He might release us from the fear and power of death.
He did not come down to the level of the angels, for angels are not subject to death.
Jesus was made lower than angels for the suffering of death, (Hebrews 2:9). He did this so “that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone,” (Hebrews 2:9). Through death He could He destroy the power death and the devil and give liberty to those who are subject to bondage.
Hebrews 2:16 NLT We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham.
Jesus shared in our humanity and suffering so that He could help us.
What does, “He came to help the descendants of Abraham” mean?
- First, He was born of the seed of Abraham of the tribe of Judah, of the family of David, of the nation of Israel, of the seed of the woman, of the human race.
- Second, He came to help everyone of the spiritual seed of Abraham.
Galatians 3:26-29 NIV84 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Hebrews 2:17-18 NLT Therefore, it was necessary for Him to be made in every respect like us, His brothers and sisters, so that He could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then He could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since He Himself has gone through suffering and testing, He is able to help us when we are being tested.
Christ became like us so that He might liberate us from the tyranny of sin, death and the devil.
He had to partake of the same nature and be subject to the same things to effectively deal with them.
His sacrifice for our sins made propitiation for the sins of the people.
Propitiation is the instrument by which forgiveness is accomplished. To meet our need of purification, Jesus came as our High Priest to offer the sacrifice of Himself for our sins to effectively deal with them.
Through death He released those who were fearful and powerless against death.
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die,” (John 11:25-26).
Jesus has robbed the devil of his power and influence to steal, kill, and destroy.
Satan was defeated at the cross of Christ and was rendered impotent and ultimately will be not only bound for a thousand years, but will be cast eternally in the lake of fire.
Christ’s liberation is instantaneous, continual, and eternal.
What Jesus did on the cross was a divinely planned conquest of sin, death, and the devil. Believers individually recognize its achievement as this victory is applied to their daily living. This victory is not only what was historically achieved by Christ Jesus, but also what He continues to do for His people.
Jesus removes our fears.
When Jesus comes into our lives, the greatest fear is broken. A truly committed believer should have no fear of death for Jesus has conquered death.
Jesus helps us by being our merciful and faithful High Priest.
Our High Priest has put away (expiation) our sins by becoming the propitiation for our sins.
It is important for us to remember that all sin is ultimately against God and must be put away and covered.
Propitiation is the means of covering sins. Moses was told to put the Law, a pot of manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded in the ark of the covenant, under the “mercy seat,” (Hebrews 9:4). Israel had sinned in breaking the Law, complaining about ‘bread from heaven’ (manna), and refusing God’s leadership (Aaron). The mercy seat was a covering over the sins that had been committed. Not only were they covered by the mercy seat, they were covered by the blood of sprinkling. The Greek word ‘hilasterion’ means “mercy seat, and covering.” Hilasterion ultimately not only denoted the mercy seat, it also referred to propitiation or reconciliation by blood.
1 John 2:2 NKJV And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
1 John 4:10 NKJV In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Romans 3:24-26 NKJV Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Jesus Christ has become our (hilasterion) Covering and Mercy Seat.
Hebrews 4:15-16 NKJV For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Through the atonement of Jesus Christ, we have the propitiation (mercy seat/covering) of our sins that have been committed. Jesus is able to help us by His word and work He declares us clearly and unmistakably clear and clean, forgiven and pardoned.
He is our faithful High Priest.
Hebrews 2:17-18 NLT Therefore, it was necessary for Him to be made in every respect like us, His brothers and sisters, so that He could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then He could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since He Himself has gone through suffering and testing, He is able to help us when we are being tested.
In the things pertaining to God, Christ Jesus faithfully makes propitiation for the sins of the people, (Hebrew 2:17). He is trustworthy and completely adequate to make atonement for us in every life experience.
He helps us by sharing in our suffering, (Hebrews 2:18).
Jesus was not detached from our adversity, trouble, hazards, hardships, suffering and anguish. He shared the same so that He might be touched with the feeling of our infirmities and weaknesses. He understands and feels and knows how to support and cover our need.
He supplies aid and strength through His indestructible and available power, (Hebrews 2:18).
Jesus has become our High Priest, not on the basis of a regulation as to His ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life, (Hebrews 7:14 NIV).
All of the forces and power of evil came against Him as He died on the cross, but He conquered death and the grave. When Jesus suffered, He became our “hilasterion” (covering and mercy seat) so that, any who come to God through Him may find mercy and grace to help in time of need.
Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV84 Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Jude 1:24-25 NIV84 To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
Jesus shared the same so He is able to encourage and help us in every struggle and trial that we may face.
Romans 8:37-39 NIV84 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Why is this true?
Hebrews 2:18 AMP For because He Himself [in His humanity] has suffered in being tempted (tested and tried), He is able [immediately] to run to the cry of (assist, relieve) those who are being tempted and tested and tried [and who therefore are being exposed to suffering].
