He Calls Us Brothers and Sisters
Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.
It is Jesus who calls us brothers and sisters
It is pretty incredible when we think that the Son of God would choose to call us brothers and sisters
That He would give His life for us
Because of His love for us He has taken on flesh and blood
Has has stepped into our shoes
He has come to give us help
He is our champion and defender and regardless of what we face, He will lead, guide, and direct us
But as we look at Hebrews 2:11-16 today we Jesus that Jesus calls us brothers and sisters
1. He calls us brothers and sisters
a. Hebrews 2:11-13: 11 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.[a] 12 He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.”[b] 13 And again, “I will put my trust in him.”[c] And again he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me.”[d]
b. It is Jesus who makes us holy through the work and person of The Holy Spirit
i. The phrase makes people holy means sanctifies
ii. Word sanctifies means To consecrate, to make holy, sanctify, hallow, treat as holy. Describes the divine act of setting aside as sacred. Can also refer to a human attitude of reverence shown to divine things.
iii. We are washed clean by the blood of Jesus
iv. Our sin is dealt with
v. We have been set apart for service to Almighty God
vi. The very character and nature of Christ is produced within us
c. We have been adopted into God’s family
i. Romans 8:15 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
ii. We are able to call God Father because of what Jesus has done
iii. Abba (father) — (Aramaic) father, probably as an informal term that a child would be privileged to use with his own father.
d. Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers
i. The scripture from verse 12 is from Psalm 22:22
ii. Psalm 22:1-21 is a prophetic Psalm about the suffering of Christ at Calvary
iii. Psalm 22:1-2 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? 2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.
iv. Psalm 22:7-8 7 All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. 8 “He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”
v. Psalm 22:16-18 Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce[a] my hands and my feet. 17 All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. 18 They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.
vi. Because of what Jesus endured at Calvary we can call God our Father and Jesus calls us brothers and sisters
vii. Because of what He went through what is described in verses 1-21 He can boldly declare “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.”
e. Jesus trusted the Father as a fully human man on this earth during His earthly ministry
i. Verse 13 says I will put my trust in Him
ii. Jesus followed the leading and guidance of The Holy Spirit in all He did
iii. But not only that we see that we have been chosen by the Father
iv. It is the Father who has given us unto Jesus
v. John 10:28-30 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[a]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”We have been chosen and it is God who saves us and no one can snatch us from His hand
vi. 1 Peter 2:9 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
2. He has taken on flesh and blood
a. Hebrews 2:-15: 14 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— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
b. We are flesh and blood
i. The only way Jesus could save us is to take our place on the cross
ii. He had to fully become human
c. When sin entered the human race so with it death
i. Before Christ came the authority Adam had that was given by God was stolen by the devil
ii. When sin entered the human race so did death and disease
d. One of the greatest fears people have is the fear of death
i. 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
ii. Those who have no relationship with Christ Have no idea was is on the other side of this life
iii. Great fear concerning death can paralyze and cripple people
iv. But in Christ we no longer need to fear death
v. 1 Corinthians 15:50-57 50 I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”[a] 55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”[b]56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
vi. By Jesus taking on flesh and blood His blood that was spilled has set us free
vii. Isaiah 53:4-6 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
viii. We all have gone astray
ix. All of us are born into sin
x. But it is the precious blood of Jesus that has brought the victory over the devil
e. Because of Jesus the devil has been rendered powerless
i. It doesn’t mean he is not active today
ii. 1 Peter 5:8 8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
iii. Because of Christ the devil has been defeated
iv. We as sons and daughters of the Most High God have authority over the devil
3. He helps The OffSpring of Abraham
a. 16 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants.
i. There is no assistance or redemption for fallen angels
1. They are not created in the image of God
ii. God has sent His Son to redeem humanity
b. Those who are the seed of Abraham are not merely the Jews
i. The Jews are the physical descendants of Abraham
c. But I believe the writer of Hebrews is referring to all those who have come to saving faith in Jesus Christ
d. Galatians 3:6-9 6 So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”[a] 7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. 8 Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”[b] 9 So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
i. Through faith in Christ we become descendants of Abraham
ii. I believe that is who the writer of Hebrews is refering to.
e. Jesus has come to help us
i. The word help means grow or make strong, prevail, have or show courage, seize, grasp
ii. It is Jesus who holds us by His grace
iii. It is Jesus who makes all things possible
iv. Even when we feel overwhelmed, we have nothing to fear
4. He is our merciful and faithful High Priest
i. Hebrews 2:17-18 17 For this reason he had to be made like them,[a] 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. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
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