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Hebrews 2:10-13 – The Family of God

In verses 10-18, the writer of Hebrews used, for the first time, the Greek word archēgos of Jesus (the other use of the word is in 12:2). The word suggests such concepts as “Leader,” “Originator,” and “Founder” and is almost equivalent in some respects to the English word “Pioneer.” The KJV rendering “Captain” seems a bit higher than “Author” (2:10). (“Author” is used in the NASB 95 version. The 2020 version updated it to “originator.” Both have the possible alternate rendering of leader. The ESV translates the word as founder.)  The Lord Jesus, the writer will try to show, is the Captain, Pioneer, Founder, Originator, and Leader of that loyal band of people whom God is preparing for glory.

In verses 11-13, we see a statement followed by three supporting quotations from the OT. In doing this, the writer demonstrates the unity between the Son and the “many sons.”


10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the originator of their salvation through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for this reason He is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters12 saying,

“I will proclaim Your name to My brothers,
In the midst of the assembly I will sing Your praise.”

13 And again,

“I will put My trust in Him.”

And again,

“Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.” (NASB)


KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • Jesus was the perfect and complete sacrifice for our sins.
  • Jesus was fully human and fully God.
  • Believers are part of the family of God
  • We are being sanctified continually. This does not mean we will never sin. But that God has set us aside to do His will and His working in us to make us more mature, complete, and holy
  • Trusting and obeying represented the only principles for living life for Jesus and for us, His followers.

CLOSER LOOK:

Verse 10: The author here continued to think of Psalm 8, as the authors reference to “all things” reveals (cf. Heb. 2:8). Thus the “glory” the writer mentioned here is also the glory referred to in the psalm, that is, the glory of dominion over the created order (cf. Heb. 2:7–8). Even the expression “many sons” is inspired by the psalmist’s mention of “the Son of Man” and suggests that for the writer of Hebrews, the messianic title Son of Man probably had a corporate aspect. Jesus is the Son of Man, and His brothers and sisters are the many people who are linked with Him in both suffering and future glory.[1] They will be the King’s “companions” who share His joy in the world to come (cf. 1:9). The phrase “bringing many sons to glory,” is not a reference to taking believers to heaven. It is bringing fellow sufferers to future glory (2 Cor 4:17). When believers suffer, they become sons in the sense that they prove themselves to be sons of the Father in heaven. Jesus used the word “sons” in this way in Matthew 5:44-45.

In 2:9 the writer had mentioned Jesus’ death for the first time. Now the writer affirmed that such suffering was appropriate for the One who was to serve as the Originator or Leader of the many sons. The death of Jesus on the cross was proper or fitting. Jews viewed the idea of a suffering Messiah as a horrible concept, but Jesus’ death fit in with the plans of a gracious God. Whatever God does is fitting, and Jesus’ death is no exception to that principle. Before He could fittingly lead them to the salvation experience God had in mind for them (i.e., “to glory”), He must be made “perfect” for this role “through suffering.” Since His brethren must suffer, so must He if He is to be the kind of Leader they need. By having done so, He can give them the help they require (cf. v. 18). Jesus’ endurance of “sufferings” on this earth makes Him our leader.

He has already experienced the suffering we must go through on this earth (and exponentially greater than we could ever imagine). He not only endured them but triumphed over sin, death, and Satan through them, His sinless life has blazed a path to God, a path we must follow. Jesus is our model, our leader, and our Founder/Captain/Originator. He understands our pain because He Himself went through suffering. Salvation refers to our future salvation, our glorification in Christ’s coming kingdom (1:14).

God’s method was to make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Jesus was the originator, founder, or trailblazer in securing salvation. If Jesus had not broken a new trail, no one else would have succeeded. Jesus’ work was essential for God to make an offer of salvation to the world.

In what sense did Jesus become perfect? He was already perfect in a moral sense. Making Jesus perfect refers to qualifying Him to become a perfect Savior by His death.[2] By His death God qualified Him to serve effectively as the priest of His people. This allowed Him to accomplish His work of redemption. Only through the death on the cross could the world gain a perfectly qualified and effective Savior.

By dying on the cross Jesus experienced a perfection which resulted from having suffered. This type of suffering differs from a perfection which comes from being ready to suffer. By passing through the crucible of suffering, Jesus developed a perfection which qualified Him fully to be a complete and effective Savior. He also demonstrated a perfect example of obedience to the Father’s will. He failed at no point in obeying God. Jesus became perfect in that He learned sympathy through His own experience and practiced obedience without reservation.[3]

Verse 11: Accordingly, there is a deep unity between the Son and the many sons. By His death He sanctifies them, and “those who are thus sanctified are all from one Father” (NIV gives a little more understandable of a translation by saying: “are all of the same family”). That the writer thought of the sacrifice of Christ as making the many sons holy and sanctified in a definitive and final way is clear from 10:10, 14. The phrase “all from one” refers either to the common humanity that Jesus shares with all believers, or to the fact that Jesus and believers all belong to God.[4] Because the children of God and the Son Himself are from the same Father (Jn 20:17), Jesus can call all believers His “brethren.”

Jesus, who makes us holy, is a human being just like the readers of Hebrews. The idea of sanctification (being made holy) means that Christ sets us apart for God’s purpose. The fact that we are sanctified does not mean that we are without sin. It does mean that God has sealed us. We are set aside to do His will.

Christ can sanctify us because of His close connection with us. Christ is of the human family. He is fully one with us. He identified with us so that He was our brother. He has no shame in acknowledging us as His family. Because Christ is a human being, He can help us to grow in holiness. Verses 12-13 provide three Old Testament quotations to support the claim that Jesus is one with us.

Verses 12-13: Thus as Psalm 22:22 (quoted in Heb. 2:12) predicts, Jesus can call them brothers and sisters (i.e. “my brethren”). Psalm 22 describes the agony of a righteous sufferer. Ultimately the psalm is messianic. It depicts the suffering of Christ. Jesus quoted Psalm 22:1 on the Cross when He said, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” (Matt 27:46). In this psalm, the Messiah refers to “my brethren,” identifying Himself with all those who place their faith in God. The word for “assembly” or “congregation” (ekklesia) is the term for “church.” Jesus has shouted God’s praises to fellow Christians, calling them brethren, thus showing that He was one with them. He suffered for them and was a part of them.

He can also speak to them of His own “trust in” God (v. 13a, quoting Isa. 8:17) and can regard them as the children “God has given Me” (Heb. 2:13b, quoting Isa. 8:18). The quote from Isaiah 8:17 shows the attitude of Jesus in putting His trust in God the Father, demonstrating that He is like other human beings who must live by faith in the Father. Trusting and obeying represented the only principles for living life for Jesus and for us, His followers. The citations are from Isaiah 8:17, 18 and refer to a prophet, who, like the Lord Jesus, was persecuted and rejected but became a rallying point for the faithful. Like an elder brother in the midst of a circle of younger children, the Founder/Originator of their salvation can teach them the lessons of faith along the pathway of suffering.

In the Old Testament Isaiah recognized that his own children were signs given by God. Hebrews understands Isaiah’s words about his children as the words of Christ about His people. Jesus affirmed His closeness with His people by calling them, children. In John 17:6, Jesus had described His disciples as “those whom you [God] gave me out of the world.” Jesus was making a close identification with human beings. His statement led naturally into a declaration that Jesus shared in our humanity in the next verse.


Aside: Captain, Leader, Author, Pioneer, Originator, Founder (2:10)

From the Greek word, archēgos, and found in Hebrews 2:10; 12:2; Acts 3:15; 5:31. The Greek word for captain or author found in 2:10 means “pioneer” or “leader.” It literally means “the first one to lead the way” from archē (“the first”) and agō (“to lead”). To express this idea of leadership, the word is translated in Acts 3:15; 5:31 as the “Prince” and in Hebrews 12:1 as “the author.” Thus, the writer of Hebrews is emphasizing that Jesus endured suffering and temptation on this earth in order to become a perfect leader.[5] He is not only sinless but also can sympathize with our difficulties in following His perfect way, the Way that leads to glory.


[1] Zane C. Hodges, “Hebrews,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 784.

[2] Thomas Lea, “Hebrews” in The Holman New Testament Commentary: Hebrews & James, edited by Max Anders (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), n.p. Hebrews 2:10

[3] Thomas Lea, “Hebrews” in The Holman New Testament Commentary: Hebrews & James, edited by Max Anders (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), n.p. Hebrews 2:10

[4] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald B. Allen, H. Wayne House, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: Nelson, 1999), 1638.

[5] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald B. Allen, H. Wayne House, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: Nelson, 1999), 1638.