Title: Why Christ Incarnated
Exposition of Hebrews 12
Why Christ took on a body
(Hebrews 2:11-18)
Verse 11 says that our Lord is not ashamed to call us brothers. It also tells us that the Lord took on flesh like us, “so that he might remove the devil, who had held the power of death, and set free all those who were slaves to death.”
1. The Lord was not ashamed to call us brothers
The Bible reveals many things about our relationship with the Lord. However, today's text verse 11 is very impressive in that it shows a completely new relationship that has not yet been revealed. He said, “For both the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all of one, and therefore He is not ashamed to call them brothers.”
We are those who have the authority of children of God in Christ. Now we and Christ have a family relationship in God. It is important to know that Jesus is the older brother and that we have a brotherhood of brothers. Jesus is the Son of God. We have come to call God Abba Father because of that Jesus. They became children of God. And we have become heirs with Christ our Father in Heaven. This fact means that Jesus and we have become brothers in the same family relationship.
We are people who have been blessed by having a good brother once. But our brother, Jesus, is so humble and loves us that he is not at all ashamed of calling us brothers. What a wonderful grace and how thrilling it is that the holy Son of God loves this filthy sinner and is not ashamed to call him a brother.
We must not shame our Jesus like this. What did Jesus tell us? He said, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of the Father with the holy angels.” What does it mean to be shy? Christians are ashamed of showing Jesus in front of others. Doing things like pretending to be someone who doesn't even know Jesus in front of unbelieving friends and people is to shame Jesus. Peter did this in the courtyard of the high priest's house while following Jesus' arrest. “He did not know who Jesus was,” he said. Later, he even cursed while swearing.
However, the members of the Philadelphia Church were praised because they did not betray the name of Christ, even though they had little power.
2. Why Jesus took on a body
Verses 14 and 15 reveal the reason why Jesus took on a body like ours. It tells us that because we, the children of God, have a physical body, in order to bring these children to glory, we must have the same image as our brothers, so that He became flesh.
(1) First, He said that He took on flesh to belong to flesh and blood like us, in order to put away the one who had the power of death, the devil. To catch the devil, you have to destroy the authority he has. We cannot destroy the power of death that the devil holds. Because when we die, we have no power to rise again. Only Christ could overcome this authority through resurrection. As we have become one body and become one brother with Christ, who overcame the devil's authority of death through the power of resurrection, we too can overcome the authority of death together with our older brother.
(2) Next, Jesus said that He took on the flesh to raise us up from the slavery of sin. Servants are people who are in a situation where they are subjected to the care of their masters for the rest of their lives. And all that is received from the sprout is death. We were slaves to sin, from which we could not escape from this miserable situation. But Jesus, who overcame sin and judged sin, freed us from the slavery of sin.
(3) Next, he also said that he is trying to help those who are being tempted. Verse 18 says, “Because he suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” Our Lord personally went through many trials when he was on this earth. To help us be able to be tempted. In John 14:18 it says, “In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” The Lord, who did not lose temptation and overcame the world, immediately helps us when we are tempted, so that we can overcome the temptation.
Conclusion: How do you help? He helps us by not allowing us to be tempted beyond what we can handle. He said he would give us a way to escape. He grants us the ability to persevere and overcome, so that we can overcome. He makes us overcome by working together for good. Because the Lord participates in our tribulation, we can overcome it.