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Hebrews 2:11-18

The Pulpit Commentary on Hebrews 2:11-18

The Pulpit Commentary · Joseph S. Exell and contributors · Public domain

Jesus our Brother.

Here the writer expands the statement of , and confirms it by suitable arguments. This closing paragraph of the first section of the Epistle emphasizes the fact that Jesus, the Son of God and the King of angels (), is also as Mediator our brother Man.

I. THE BROTHERHOOD OF CHRIST. First, stated abstractly (). Next, illustrated from Old Testament Scripture (, ), the Messianic passages quoted being ; ; . Then, verified from the facts and events of the Savior's earthly life ( :—18). This endearing brotherhood is:

1. A brotherhood of nature. "All of one" (); of one nature, of one race, of one Father. He "partook of flesh and blood" (); i.e. he became man. He took his place as one of "the children" by being born. He had a human body, Subject, like ours, to pleasure and pain, to hunger and thirst, to suffering and death. And he had a human soul, which thought and felt, loved and hated, was joyful and sad, and which acknowledged its dependence upon the Father of spirits.

2. A brotherhood of condition. "In like manner" (); i.e. in a manner almost similar. Jesus had no nimbus round his head, such as the painters give him. God sent him "in the likeness of sinful flesh;" for, though his human nature was perfectly pure, it was exposed to those infirmities and sufferings which in all other sons of Adam result from sin.

3. A brotherhood of experience. "It behooved him in all things to be made like unto his brethren" (). So he actually passed through a complete course of pain and trial and temptation, which ended only with his death. He traveled over the entire range, and fathomed all the depths, of human suffering. "He himself hath suffered, being tempted" (). He went through every human experience of poverty, toil, pain, disappointment, insult, persecution; through every sorrow which arises in a pure mind from constant contact with sinners; and through every form of Satanic temptation.

4. A brotherhood of love. "Not of angels doth he take hold" (), to help and save them: then what a wonder of grace it is that he became the Redeemer of mortal man! It was from love to us that he "partook" so readily of "flesh and blood," that by this means he might raise humanity to a higher pinnacle of glory than any on which the loftiest angel can set foot. It is because of this love "beyond a brother's" that even now he does not disdain "to call us brethren" ().

II. THE PURPOSES ACCOMPLISHED BY CHRIST'S BROTHERHOOD. Some expressions in the passage state these generally.

1. To expiate sins. () By his death in our nature he has offered to God a perfect satisfaction for the sin of the world. The perfection of his sacrifice is due to the fact that he who suffered is the same glorious personage who is described in . as the Son of God, the eternal Jehovah, the Creator and Possessor of the universe.

2. To deliver/rein death and Satan. (, 15) "The sting of death is sin;" but death is powerless to harm the new life of those who are cleansed with the atoning blood. Sin was introduced at first by the devil, and death through sin, and so death is associated with the devil's usurpation; but Jesus has "bruised the serpent's head," rendering him impotent in relation to "the children" who are to be brought to glory. They are emancipated by their elder Brother from death's power and fear.

3. To enable him to sympathize with his people. (Verses 17, 18) He passed, as our Brother-Man, through every variety of trial and sorrow, that we may learn to have confidence in him, as being fully able to sustain and cheer us amid the darkest experiences of affliction (, ).

4. To "bring many sons unto glory." () Jesus is our Moses and Joshua. He became our Brother that he might be our Leader through the wilderness of this world up to the heavenly Canaan. Had he not "partaken of flesh and blood," there would have been no inheritance for us. "The humanization of God is the divinization of man."

LESSONS.

1. The native value of human nature, as seen in the fact that Christ has assumed it, to redeem it.

2. "Thanks be to God for his unspeakable Gift?

3. How great the madness of the man who rejects Christ's offered brotherhood!

4. The necessity of union with Christ by faith, if we would have him claim us as his brethren.

5. The comfort of knowing, in our days of trouble, that the God-Man cherishes for us the love of a brother.

6. The duty of loving our brethren in Christ ().

HOMILIES BY W. JONES

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