The Messiah Made Like Unto His Brethren
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
12/23/2012 PM
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Text:
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Hebrews 2:17
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Psalters: |
261, 235, 304, 243 |
- The meaning.
- Our text is speaking about God’s Son (1:3; 2:9,10).
- He is made like unto His “brethren.”
- Striking because these are, in themselves, not brethren.
- But God in predestination gave these these to Christ (John 17:2) as brethren of the Son (Rom. 8:29).
- So Jesus became a Jew, like them in all things.
- He took on Himself their flesh and blood, becoming essentially like them with their nature.
- The text emphasizes His likeness with the seed of Abraham because it adds: “in all things.”
- Such identification was necessary because of what He had to do: become the faithful High Priest.
- The High Priest must do things as the chief servant of God in the house of God.
- The “things pertaining to God” are the things which are toward God (10).
- He had to build the spiritual temple of God, the covenant, the kingdom of God in heaven.
- Also the High Priest must make reconciliation for the sins of the people (N.B. THE people).
- To reconcile is to expiate sin, to blot them out, to take their guilt away.
- To do this His suffering must be an act of obedience and love by the nature which sinned.
- A faithful High Priest must, above all things, be merciful.
- Mercy implies love, a love which delivers one out of greatest misery and gives joy and happiness.
- If Christ is to take on Himself the responsibility for His brethren, He must be like them.
- He is faithful in that He remained constant and true to the relationship with His brethren.
- Thus He, as your High Priest, comes out of the temple with a blessing: Go in peace, your sins are forgiven you.