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Daily Devotion: Hebrews 2:16-18

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Hebrews 2:16-18    "For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.  (17)  Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.  (18)  For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted."

Why did Jesus have to die?  Why did He have to leave heaven to come to this earth? Why did He have to endure such a contradiction against Himself? He was the Just walking among the unjust.  Everything surrounding Him was so contrast to the scenes of worship and praise of heaven.  He left the place where angels worshipped and adored Him to this earth where sinners accused and hated Him. Why did He do it?

Verse 17 tells us He was made flesh in order to make reconciliation for the sins of His people.  Could God not have simply spoken the words, "You are forgiven"?  The answer is, no.  God is Just and Holy. God had pronounced a sentence upon mankind through father Adam. "The day you eat thereof, you shall surely die." God had pronounced death. He could not simply go back and excuse that sentence.  If Jesus had not left heaven's glory to come to die for you and me, we would still be under the bondage of the sentence of death.

God could not excuse our sin and remain Just; therefore, He sent His only begotten Son to this earth to represent all of His people in His death. Jesus' death paid the sentence of death that was upon you and me. Through His death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus reconciled us (restored relationship and harmony) to God. As a result of the finished work of Jesus Christ, our Heavenly Father remained Just and the Justifier of us.  

But Jesus endured the contradiction of sinners against Himself. He endured the insults hurled at Him. He endured being rejected by people. He lived among disease. He observed the hardship of the people. He experienced all these things for a purpose. Because Jesus went through these experiences, He now can say to you and me, "I know how you feel."  As a pastor, I try my best never to say to anyone that I know how they feel. I don't. Especially if I have never gone through the difficulty they are experiencing at that moment. Even if I have experienced something similar, I still do not know how that individual is feeling. But I can point them to the ONE Who does know how they are feeling.

Not only has He experienced your difficulty, Jesus is experiencing it with you at that very moment. Because Jesus suffered, He understands. Because Jesus lives in you by way of the Holy Spirit, He experiences every situation and circumstance through which you go.  Yes, Jesus knows. Yes, Jesus also knows how to speak the very word into your heart that you need to hear.  I go back to the Prophet Isaiah, "The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned." (Isaiah 50:4)  Jesus will listen to you. Jesus will speak the very words you need to hear. Jesus will never leave you.  I pray we find comfort in these words.

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