Friday 16th September - Hebrews 2

Today’s chapter is Hebrews 2, you can read it here

Tom writes:

This passage is more tightly packed than a flamenco dancer’s trousers… but don’t let that put you off. Everything in it flows from a single premise; Jesus has brought us the greatest possible salvation. As a word, ‘salvation’ is bashed around by Christians like a squash ball on a court. It is easy for us to do the same; whacking it around without a second thought about what we actually mean by it. That diminishes our faith. Grasping what Jesus’ salvation actually gives us - and why it is much better than any other salvation - will bring us immense benefit. Let’s catch this salvation word and have a good look at it.  Here is how Hebrews puts it; Jesus - the vastly superior Jesus - allowed himself to be made lower than those he was greater than. That in itself is quite extraordinary. It says so much about Jesus’ character and commitment to us. He will do things beneath him. He will do things that stress him and cost him. Hebrews tells us that  Jesus then suffered at the hands of men and died.  He died to make us holy.  He died to call us brothers.  He died to destroy the devil.  He died to free us from our fear of death.

Each of these four facets of faith fidget with fruitfulness. Are you appreciating the enormity of them? Are you paying attention? Jesus died to make us holy. By holy we should understand “whole” - restored to perfection - humming with the harmony of the Spirit of Life. You can’t get that “peace” in many places. Jesus actually gives it to us. That is how great his salvation is. Jesus also calls us brothers. A brother is a bosom-fellow. A brother is a collaborative adventurer. A brother is a co-inheritor. To be called a brother (or you might prefer the word sister) by a great human would be surprising. To be called a brother by the heir of all things is utterly astonishing. Space prevents us from doing this stuff justice but to know that Jesus’ salvation rendered a death-knell to the devil is perhaps the greatest of all his achievements. Satan is the horrific and horrendous power that makes life suck. If Jesus’ salvation really does destroy the devil that would have seismic consequences. How can I even think that through? Hebrews begins to help us do just that. It urges us to analyse it - and in doing so to conclude that Jesus is the greatest possible provider of the salvation we so desperately need.

Question for reflection

What aspect of Jesus’ salvation of you have you thought about the least?