Jesus’ Family
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. He says,
‘I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence
of the congregation I will sing your praises’ Hebrews 2:11,12
Jesus has opened the way into God’s “new” world.
How? Firstly, by Him becoming one of us. We are ‘of the same family’ (2:11).
Secondly, He has released us from the sin and pollution that otherwise clings to every son and daughter of Adam. This is described here as our being ‘made holy’ (2:11). We could never enter the presence of God with this corruption.
Thirdly, Jesus has done this through His death. We can easily miss the importance of the Old Testament quotation used here. It’s from Psalm 22:22 ‘I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you.’
Psalm 22 begins with ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ Jesus’ unforgettable cry from the cross (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34). The Psalm describes in horrendous detail the suffering and death of someone who trusts implicitly in God but feels completely God-forsaken. The parallels to Jesus’ agony on the cross are extraordinary, “… they have pierced my hands and my feet … They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing” (Psalm 22:16,18).
But in verse 22 (quoted in Hebrews 2:12), the Psalm takes on a completely different feel. From this terrible suffering salvation has been accomplished. God’s kingdom is coming and an enormous multitude begins to praise God.
Jesus’ understanding of His mission was more than in part made up of His deep understanding and personal application of various Old Testament passages. The book of Hebrews highlights many of them in explaining His death.
Jesus has become one of us.
Jesus has released us from the world’s sin and pollution, making us ready to enter God’s glorious presence.
He has done all this by His death.
These three wonderful truths magnify God’s grace against our inability. Grace ultimately rests in His ability.
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