Closer To Heaven
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You can view an in-depth discussion of Jesus Our Faithful Brother in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris. Click on the image to view:
With thanks to Hope Channel – Television that will change your life.
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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/4-jesus-our-faithful-brother-hopess-discussion-video/
p>This video is produced by the South Pacific Division Discipleship team.
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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/4-jesus-our-faithful-brother-spd-discipleship-video/
The apostle says that God made Jesus “perfect through sufferings.” This expression is surprising. The author has said that Jesus is “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (Hebrews 1:3, ESV) and that He is sinless, spotless, undefiled, and holy (Hebrews 4:15, Hebrews 7:26-28, Hebrews 9:14, Hebrews 10:5-10). Jesus did not have to overcome any kind of moral or ethical imperfection. He was perfect both morally and ethically.
Image © Kevin Carden from GoodSalt.com
Hebrews does say, however, that Jesus underwent a process of “perfecting” that provided Him with the means to save us. Jesus was perfected in the sense that He was equipped to be our Savior.
1. Jesus was “perfected” through sufferings in order to become the Captain of our salvation (Hebrews 2:10). Jesus had to die on the cross as a sacrifice so that the Father could have the legal means to save us. Jesus was the perfect sacrificial offering, the only one. As God, Jesus could judge us; but, because of His sacrifice, Jesus can also save us.
2. Jesus learned obedience through sufferings (Hebrews 5:8). Obedience was necessary for two things. First, obedience made His sacrifice acceptable (Hebrews 9:14, Hebrews 10:5-10). Second, His sufferings enabled Him to become our example (Hebrews 5:9). Jesus “learned” obedience because He never experienced it before. As God, whom would He have to obey? As the eternal Son, and one with God, He was obeyed as the ruler of the universe. Therefore, Jesus did not progress from disobedience to obedience, but from sovereignty and dominion to submission and obedience. The exalted Son of God became the obedient Son of Man.
3. Suffering temptation and being victorious enabled Jesus to be a merciful and faithful High Priest (Hebrews 2:17-18, ). Sufferings did not make Jesus more merciful. To the contrary, it was because of Jesus’ mercy that He volunteered to die on the cross to save us to begin with (Hebrews 10:5-10; compare with Romans 5:7-8, ). Yet, it was through sufferings that the reality of Jesus’ brotherly love was truly expressed and revealed.
| If the sinless Jesus suffered, we, as sinners, surely will suffer, as well. How can we learn to endure the tragedies of life while at the same time drawing hope and assurance from the Lord, who has revealed His love to us in so many powerful ways? |
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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/wednesday-perfect-through-sufferings/
Hebrews says that Jesus adopted our human nature so that He could represent us and could die for us (Hebrews 2:9, Hebrews 2:14-16; Hebrews 10:5-10). Here is the foundation of the plan of salvation and our only hope for eternal life.
Image © Krieg Barrie at Goodsalt.com
The expression “flesh and blood” emphasizes the frailty of the human condition, its weakness (Ephesians 6:12), lack of understanding (Matthew 16:17, Galatians 1:16), and subjection to death (1 Corinthians 15:50). Hebrews says that Jesus was made like His brothers “in all things” (Hebrews 2:17). This expression means that Jesus became fully human (NIV). Jesus did not simply “look like” or “seem to be” human; He truly was human, truly one of us.
Hebrews also says, however, that Jesus was different from us regarding sin. First, Jesus did not commit any sin (Hebrews 4:15). Secondly, Jesus had a human nature that was “holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners” (Hebrews 7:26, ESV). We all have sinned, and we all have evil tendencies. Our bondage to sin begins deep inside our own very nature. We are “carnal, sold under sin” (Romans 7:14; see also Romans 7:15-20). Pride and other sinful motivations often taint even our good actions. Jesus’ nature, however, was not marred by sin. It had to be this way. If Jesus had been “carnal, sold under sin,” like us, He would have also needed a Savior. Instead, Jesus came as a Savior and offered Himself as a sacrifice “without blemish” to God for us (Hebrews 7:26-28, Hebrews 9:14, ESV).
Then Jesus destroyed the power of the devil by dying as the sinless offering for our sins, thus making possible our forgiveness and reconciliation with God (Hebrews 2:14-17). Jesus also broke the power of sin by giving us the power to live a righteous life through His fulfillment of the new covenant promise to write the law in our hearts (Hebrews 8:10). Thus, Jesus has defeated the enemy and effectively liberated us so that we can now “serve the living God” (Hebrews 9:14). Satan’s final destruction, meanwhile, will come at the final judgment (Revelation 20:1-3, Revelation 20:10).
| Since we have the promise of victory through Jesus, why do so many of us still struggle with sin? What are we doing wrong, and more importantly, how can we start living up to the high calling we have in Christ? |
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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/tuesday-flesh-and-blood-like-us/
Hebrews says that Jesus was not ashamed to call us His brethren (Hebrews 2:11). Despite being one with God, Jesus embraced us as part of His family. This solidarity contrasts with the public shaming that the readers of Hebrews suffered in their communities (Hebrews 10:33).
Image © Damon Bowie at Goodsalt.com
Have you imagined what it meant for Moses to be called “the son of Pharaoh’s daughter”? He was a powerful figure in the most powerful empire of the time. He received the highest civil and military training and became a remarkable character. Stephen says that Moses was “mighty in words and in deeds” (Acts 7:22). Ellen G. White also says that he was “a favorite with the armies of Egypt” and that Pharaoh “determined to make his adopted grandson his successor on the throne” (see Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 245). Yet, Moses abandoned all of this privilege when he chose to identify himself with the Israelites, a slave nation without education and power.
This was part of the problem for the readers of Hebrews. After suffering persecution and rejection, many of them began to feel ashamed of Jesus. By their actions some were in danger of putting Jesus “to an open shame” instead of honoring Him (Hebrews 6:6). Thus, Paul constantly calls the readers to “hold fast” the “confession” of their faith (Hebrews 4:14, Hebrews 10:23, NKJV).
God wants us to recognize Jesus as our God and our brother. As our Redeemer, Jesus has paid our debt; as our brother, Jesus has shown us the way that we should live in order that we will “be conformed to the image of his Son, [so] that he might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29).
| Think for a moment on the decision that Jesus had to make in order to embrace us as “siblings.” Why was what Jesus did so much more condescending to Himself than what Moses did, and what does this teach us about God’s love for us? |
(0)The post Monday: Not Ashamed to Call Them Brothers appeared first on Sabbath School Net.
Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/monday-not-ashamed-to-call-them-brothers/
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