Not Ashamed
Hebrews 2:9–18 (NIV)
9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 10 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. 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. 12 He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.” 13 And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me.” 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. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like them, 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.
Who Hebrews Was Written To
Hebrews was written to Jewish believers who were tired. They had followed Jesus for a while, and it had cost them. Some had lost property. Some had been mocked in public. A few were starting to drift back to the old ways, which felt safer and more familiar.
So the writer spends the first chapter showing how great Jesus is. He is higher than the prophets. He is higher than the angels. He is the exact image of God.
Then chapter 2 does something surprising. Having lifted Jesus as high as he can go, the writer brings him all the way down. Down to us.
Lower, for a Little While
“But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while”
Just before this, the writer quotes Psalm 8, which talks about human beings being made “a little lower than the angels.” Then he admits something honest. We don’t yet see everything under our feet. The world doesn’t look like it is in order.
“But we do see Jesus.”
That is the turning point. We may not see the whole picture, but we can see him. And what we see is someone who stepped down. He was made lower for a little while, and he tasted death. Not just for some people, but “for everyone.”
The word “taste” is a plain, physical word. Jesus did not watch death from a distance. He went through it the way we will.
Perfect Through Suffering
“it was fitting that God… should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered”
This is a phrase that can trip us up. Was Jesus not already perfect?
He was never sinful. But “perfect” here means complete, fully fitted for the job. A pioneer is someone who goes first and opens a road for others to follow. To lead us through suffering, he had to walk through it himself. He could not be our guide on a road he had never travelled.
The writer says this was “fitting.” It suits who God is. God does not save us by shouting instructions from a safe place. He sends his Son down the hard road first.
Not Ashamed
“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.”
This is the line the whole passage turns on for me.
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Think about who “them” is. It is the same people who drifted, doubted, and failed. It is us. And Jesus calls us brothers and sisters, and he is not embarrassed to do it.
Most of us know what it is to feel like the family member people would rather not mention. Maybe it is a failure we carry, or a season we are not proud of. We assume God feels about us the way we feel about ourselves on our worst days.
The writer says no. The Holy One looks at the people he is making holy and says, these are my family. Then he quotes three Old Testament lines to show it. He will sing God’s praises “in the assembly,” standing among us. He will “put my trust in him,” just as we have to. And he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me.” He stands with us, not apart from us.
Free From the Fear of Death
“he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death”
The writer is very direct here. Because we are flesh and blood, Jesus became flesh and blood. He did not pretend to be human. He shared it fully.
And the reason is given clearly. By dying, he broke the power of the one who uses death to keep people afraid. The writer says people were “held in slavery by their fear of death” all their lives.
That fear does not always look like fear. Sometimes it looks like grasping, trying to hold on to everything, or never resting because we feel time running out. Jesus went into death and came out the other side. So death is no longer the final word, and the fear of it no longer has to run our lives.
Made Like Us, To Help Us
“For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way”
Notice the words “had to.” If Jesus was going to be our high priest, the one who stands between us and God, he had to be one of us. “Fully human in every way.”
The writer says that made him two things: “merciful and faithful.” Merciful toward us, because he knows what it is like to be us. Faithful toward God, because he never let go of his Father.
Then the passage ends with this:
“Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”
This is very practical. When you are tempted, you are not praying to someone who cannot understand. Jesus was tempted. He felt the pull. It cost him something to say no. And because he has been there, he is able to help.
The help comes from someone who knows the road, not from someone reading about it.
Walk On
This chapter takes the highest person in the universe and brings him close enough to call us family.
So today, two things might be worth sitting with.
First, are you carrying a quiet belief that God is ashamed of you? Read verse 11 slowly. “Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.” That is said about people who were struggling, not people who had it together.
Second, what are you being tempted by right now? Don’t hide it from him. He has been tempted too, and he is not shocked. He is able to help, so ask him plainly, today, for the help he has promised.
All glory to God — forever and ever. Amen. 🤍
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