Jesus' Unique Incarnation, Savior, Priest, and Sanctifier - Hebrews 2

Hebrews Chapter 2, Part 4
Pastor Martin Saine

In Hebrews 2:9, we are reminded that although Jesus, during His earthly life, was made a little lower than the angels in terms of His self-limitation in power, He remained the Commander of the heavenly armies. This is evident from the account in Joshua 5, where the Commander of the Lord's army appeared to Joshua and received worship. Additionally, Jesus Himself spoke about His relationship with the angels in various passages, emphasizing His authority and their role in His work.

It was necessary for Jesus to be temporarily lower than the angels so that He could experience suffering and death on our behalf. This allowed Him to fulfill His role as our Savior. Jesus had to be capable of death, something God and angels cannot experience. This highlights the uniqueness of Jesus' incarnation and His mission to save humanity.

Hebrews 2:10 further emphasizes the appropriateness of this arrangement. Jesus, through His suffering and obedience, was made complete in His role as our Savior and High Priest. While Jesus was perfect in His deity and equality with God, He needed to experience obedience, faith, and suffering in order to fulfill His role as our Savior.

Hebrews 2:11-13 highlight the profound relationship between Jesus and believers. He sanctifies us and calls us brethren. This is in line with what Jesus Himself said in Matthew 28 and John 20 about His relationship with His followers. The passages also quote Old Testament verses that underscore the unity and trust between Jesus and His people.

In Hebrews 2:14-18, the focus shifts to the purpose of Jesus' incarnation. He took on flesh and blood to destroy the power of death and the devil. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus released those who were in bondage to the fear of death. This passage draws a parallel between the first Adam and the last Adam (Jesus), emphasizing the victory over sin and death that Christ achieved.

The concept of sanctification is explored, pointing out that it is an ongoing process. While believers are initially sanctified in Christ, they are also called to walk in the Spirit and crucify the flesh, as described in Galatians 5. Sanctification involves being conformed to the image of Christ and living according to the Spirit rather than the flesh.

Overall, Hebrews 2:9-18 highlights the uniqueness of Jesus' incarnation, His role as our Savior and High Priest, and the ongoing process of sanctification for believers as they follow in His footsteps.