We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. But there is a place where someone has testified: “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him? You made them a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor and put everything under their feet.”
In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.
He says, "I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.”
And again, “I will put my trust in him.”
And again he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me.”
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. - Hebrews 2:1-18
There can always be an accusation leveled against God that he can never be truly compassionate because he has never lived with our limitations. God was never powerless. God was never ignorant. God was never limited to one place. So how could he really have sympathy because he has never experienced any of these things. Like a rich person from a wealthy family who claims to "feel" for those who are poor, and therefore will misjudge acts of help because they can only imagine what it is like. There are certain aspects of knowledge which can only be learned by experience.
Jesus was "fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest. He did not exercise his power. He relied on the Spirit for knowledge. He lived in one place. He suffered, both physically, emotionally and spiritually. Then he could be compassionate because he knew what it was like to live as a human and the suffering that would attend that human life.
But he also came to show us what was possible as a human. The design of God was that everything should be under the human authority, "yet at present we do not see everything subject to them." But when Jesus, who was human, showed us that God intends to restore us to that position which we, through sin, had forfeited.
He showed that the very suffering which is endured because of our fallen, weakened condition, could be overcome through the grace of God and would, in fact, bring us to maturity.
He came to show us that we could have a brother and sister relationship with Jesus.
He came to show us that the devil and death and the slavery that comes from the fear of both could be overcome.
Jesus lived with and understood our limitations, but he also showed what was possible and blazed the trail for us to find.
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