Hebrews 2:10-18: Perfect is Going the Distance

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 2:10-18

 "...make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered." How could Jesus be made "perfect"? Wasn't he already perfect? Yes. But perfect is only perfect not just for a moment. It must be carried through to the end. This is the sense of "perfect" as "complete"

Baseball pitchers can have a good game. They can throw a shutout: no score. They can throw a no hitter: no hit allows someone to reach a base. They can even hold their opponent scoreless. But in a "perfect game" "no batter from the opposing team reaching any base" for all 9 innings of a baseball game. 

What Jesus did had never been done before: a human who lived holy from beginning to end. Perfect game. By doing it, he proved that "human" was not the problem but rather "sin"-something external to our being human-was the problem. Since it was external, it could be "atoned" for-paid for. 

That doesn't mean it was easy for him. He was tempted like we were. That temptation led to hard choices. Those hard choices were suffering. But it was going through those hard choices and choosing God's way in each one that gives me hope. Sin is not me. It is an ill chosen accessory to the person God made me to be. That gives me hope. And gratitude that he still considers me to be his family, since "the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family."