#DailyDevotion Here Am I & The Children You Have Given Me
Hebrews 2:8b-13 As it is, we do not yet see everything put under Him. 9But we do see Jesus, Who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death in order by God’s grace to taste death for everyone. 10It fitted Him well, for Whom and by Whom everything exists, that in bringing many sons to glory He should make the One Who gives them salvation perfect through suffering. 11He Who makes men holy and those who are made holy all have one Father. That is why He is not ashamed to call them brothers. 12He says: I will tell My brothers Your name, in the congregation I will sing Your praise. 13And again: “I will trust Him.” And again: “Here am I and the children God has given Me.”
As it often is in the Scriptures we are living in the now-not yet reality of the last days. Jesus has fulfilled everything necessary for our salvation but we do not yet see it completely fulfilled in this age. We have to wait for his return in glory to see that. So while Jesus is at the right hand of God exercising his authority we do not yet always see how he is exercising that authority. Hebrews does say, “But we do see Jesus.” Meaning that he was seen by his disciples and indeed all Judea and Galilee. He was see risen from the dead by 500 of his disciples and was see ascending into heaven.
While he was a little lower than angels he suffered death “in order by God’s grace to taste death for everyone.” You see punishment for sin is death. Jesus died for the sin of the world. On the cross he tasted death for everyone. In tasting death he has made a full atonement for your sins and the sins of the whole world. By his death Jesus has redeemed all creation. All who believe this and are baptized never taste death themselves even though they fall asleep and their bodies return to dust. Jesus promises this in John 11, “Anyone who believes in Me will live even if he dies. 26Yes, anyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.” Tasting death is far worse than simply the cessation of bodily function. We died the first death when we were baptized. All unbelievers taste it as they breath their last. There is the second death, the lake of fire, into which all who did not receive the life of Christ are thrown into. Jesus’ disciples do not taste the second death either.
Jesus is now crowned with glory and honor. He was made perfect through suffering. Perfect in the original Greek here means more like complete. He completed what he was sent to do, trust and obey the Father, unlike Adam and then make atonement for the sin of the world. As he did them he brought and continues to bring many sons to glory. He makes us holy by his Holy Spirit through the faith given us through this proclamation and the sacraments to which it is attached. Being one with Jesus now in the Spirit, we have one Father with Jesus. He calls us his brothers and sings his Father’s praise because of it. We indeed are also his children as the Church is his Bride we are of her offspring. When Jesus brings us to glory he has us participate in his glory. Paul says in 2 Cor. 4 our suffering prepares us for this glory. 2 Peter 1:4 says we participate in his divine nature through these promises. His life is now our life and his righteousness is our clothing. Such is the “not yet” of those born of God, born of the water, the Word and the Spirit.
Heavenly Father, grant us such faith in your Son Jesus Christ and his work, that we may indeed at his revelation be brought to glory and be brought before you without blame and holy as Christ sings your praises because of it. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.