Day 620: He calls us family - Hebrews 2 vs 5 - 13

5-7 Now it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honour, putting everything in subjection under his feet.”

8 Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 9 But we see him who, for a little while, was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

10-12 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them  brothers, saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” And again, “I will put my trust in him.” 13 And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.” Hebrews 2:5-13 (English Standard Version)

Angels, understandably, were very important to the Jews. But what's the surprising truth the writer reminds his readers of in vs 5-7 by quoting the words of Psalm 8:4-6?

It wasn't angels, but human beings who were put in charge of God's creation! That's quite amazing. In the first chapter of the Bible we read: “God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:26-27) This was a huge honour God bestowed on men and women. Yet something went wrong. What was the result? (vs 8)

We know from Genesis that the first man and woman, the ones who'd been placed in charge of creation, disobeyed God and brought sin into the world. And with sin came death. Instead of creation being in subjection to mankind, mankind became subject to death. Death was something man couldn't subdue. So how did God respond to man’s terrible fall from the place of honour? (vs 9)

Just as man was created a little lower than angels, but then crowned with the honour of being put in charge of creation, so God's eternal Son became man and, for a little while, was made lower than the angels. But this was only so that, in God's wonderful grace, He could 'taste death for everyone.' His death would be one that atoned for sin and which would end the power death had held over mankind. This is why it was necessary for God's Son to become a man. (vs 10-13) And what does Jesus call those whom He saves from sin?

The writer says of those whom Jesus redeems that: “He is not ashamed to call them brothers!” (A Bible footnote explains that the plural Greek word for “brothers” also refers to siblings in a family. So it can be used of men and women as 'brothers and sisters' in God's family - as seen in vs 13. The point being made is that Jesus was made 'just like' those He came to save. Like us, He was born of a woman, and this likeness was perfected when He even suffered and died. So the writer applies the words of Psalm 22:22 (which were about the Messiah speaking of his brothers) to Jesus Christ. And then he quotes words from Isaiah where Messiah triumphantly leads those He has redeemed saying: “Behold, I and the children God has given me.” How lovely these words will apply when the bodies of the redeemed are raised again.

In Luke's gospel we read that when Jesus was told that His mother and brothers were wanting to speak with Him, He replied 'My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.'” (Luke 8:21) He isn't ashamed to call us family; let's not be ashamed to own Him as our Lord.