Having established the unity between the Son and believers, the author concludes that there are two purposes of this close identification. The Son became human so that He could destroy the devil (v. 14) and release those who were in bondage to sin (v. 15).
His humanity enabled Him to disarm Satan and deliver us from death (vv. 14–16). Angels cannot die. Jesus did not come to save angels (note Heb. 2:16); He came to save humans. This meant that He had to take on Himself flesh and blood and become a man. Only then could He die and through His death defeat Satan. The word “destroy” does not mean “annihilate,” for it is obvious that Satan is still alive and busy. The word means “render inoperative, make of none effect.” Satan is not destroyed, but he is disarmed.
14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, so that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. 16 For clearly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendants of Abraham. 17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brothers so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted. (NASB)
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Although completely perfect and sinless, Christ voluntarily submitted to the penalty of sin, this agonizing death on the Cross. This voluntary sacrifice of Himself for our welfare satisfied the justice and holiness of God. The benefits of His sacrifice are applied to all who place their faith in Him.
- Through His death (v. 14) the Son eliminated the fear of death and broke the bondage of sin and death.
- Jesus experienced the lure of sin, but He never surrendered Himself to it. He knows what it is like to be tempted, so He knows how to assist those who are being tempted.
CLOSER LOOK:
Verses 14–15: Jesus Christ shared in our humanity by humbling Himself to become a man (Phil 2:5-11). These children, however, were once held in servitude by their enemy, Satan. Since they were human, their Captain had to become human and die for them, in order to rescue them. But by doing so He was able to destroy or “render powerless” the devil. The author did not mean that Satan ceased to exist or to be active. Rather the word the author used for “render powerless” (katargēsē) indicates the annulment of his power over those whom Christ redeems. The word in this instance, has a definition of “to cause something to come to an end or to be no longer in existence, abolish, wipe out, set aside.” In speaking of the devil as wielding “the power of death,” the writer meant that Satan uses people’s “fear of death” to enslave them to his will. Often people make wrong moral choices out of their intense desire for self-preservation. The readers were reminded that they were no longer subject to such “slavery” and that they could face death with the same confidence in God their Captain/Leader/Founder/Originator (i.e. Jesus from v. 10) had.
In thinking about the phrase the “power of death,” the devil tempts people to sin and then accuses them of rebelling against God (Gen 3; Job 1). By inducing them to sin, Satan delivers people over to death, the due penalty for their sin (Rom 5:12). In what sense did Satan have the power of death? The final authority of death is in the hands of our God (Deut. 32:39; Matt. 10:28; Rev. 1:18). Satan can do only that which is permitted by God (Job 1:12; 2:6). But because Satan is the author of sin (John 8:44), and sin brings death (Rom. 6:23), in this sense Satan exercises power in the realm of death. Jesus called him a murderer (John 8:44). Satan uses the fear of death as a terrible weapon to gain control over the lives of people. His kingdom is one of darkness and death (Col. 1:13). We who trust in Jesus Christ have once and for all been delivered from Satan’s authority and from the terrible fear of death. The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ have given us victory! (1 Cor. 15:55–58). The devil is still active today (1 Pet 5:8), but his power over death has been taken away from him. Christ’s death fulfilled the penalty for sin. Thus, by placing our trust in Christ, we can be free from Satan’s evil grasp (LK 10:18; 2 Tim 1:10; Rev 1:18). The judgment of Satan was rendered by the Cross, but the execution lies in the future (1 Cor 15:54-57; Rev 20:10). The devil uses the “fear of death” (v. 15) to enslave us. Through His death (v. 14) the Son eliminated such fear and broke the bondage of sin and death.
Verses 16–18: Whatever their needs or trials, their Founder is adequate to help them since He ministers to Abraham’s descendants, not angels. The expression “descendants of Abraham” (literally, “Abraham’s seed”) may point to the Jewishness of the writer’s audience, but even Gentile Christians could claim to be the “seed of Abraham” in a spiritual sense (Gal. 3:29).[1] This phrase refers either to the physical descendants of Abraham or the spiritual children of Abraham—that is, the ones who, like Abraham, have placed their faith in God (Gal 3:7, 29). The author may have used this expression because the recipients were primarily Jewish believers. The author is pointing out that Christ came to the aid of Abraham’s children, not of the angelic hosts.
The help which the Originator gives to these His followers is again predicated on the fact that He was “made like His brothers” in “all things” (v. 17, or every way), that is, both in terms of becoming incarnate and by virtue of suffering. The phrase “in all things,” includes Jesus’ humanity and His suffering. Jesus participated in our nature and in our suffering on earth so that He could be a sympathetic Mediator between God and humanity.[2] Jesus understands our weaknesses and intercedes for us in the presence of God the Father. Here for the first time the writer introduced the thought of His priesthood, which they elaborated on later. This is the first time the title High Priest occurs in Hebrews, and the first time the title is applied to Jesus Christ in the Bible. For now, the writer was content to affirm that this identification with “His brothers” had made possible a priesthood characterized both by mercy (sympathy) and faithfulness (trustworthy) in service to God (“in things pertaining to God”).
This involved, as its basis, “propitiation (atonement) for the sins of the people.” Of this too the author said more later, but they chose to conclude the section on the profoundly hopeful thought that the Founder, in His role as Priest, is able to aid the readers who are being tempted (v. 18) out of the experience of temptation which His own sufferings entailed. Though the discussion of these themes is far from over, the author has already suggested that the Leader has indeed been made perfect for His role in leading them into participation in His future glory. The phrase “make propitiation” refers to the satisfaction of the claims of a holy and righteous God against sinners who have broken His law. Christ appeased God’s righteous wrath by dying on the Cross in our place (Rom 3:21-26). Although completely perfect and sinless, Christ voluntarily submitted to the penalty of sin, this agonizing death on the Cross. This voluntary sacrifice of Himself for our welfare satisfied the justice and holiness of God. The benefits of His sacrifice are applied to all who place their faith in Him.
Christ’s suffering included temptation. He experienced the lure of sin, but He never surrendered Himself to it. He knows what it is like to be tempted, so He knows how to assist those who are being tempted. Because He has defeated every enemy, He is able to give us the grace that we need to overcome temptation. While He was here on earth, Jesus was “made like His brethren” in that He experienced the sinless infirmities of human nature. He knew what it was to be a helpless baby, a growing child, a maturing adolescent. He knew the experiences of weariness, hunger, and thirst (John 4:6–8). He knew what it was to be despised and rejected, to be lied about and falsely accused. He experienced physical suffering and death. All of this was a part of His “training” for His heavenly ministry as High Priest.
It might be good at this point to explain the difference between Jesus’ ministry as High Priest and His ministry as Advocate (1 John 2:1). As our High Priest, our Lord is able to give us the grace to keep us from sinning when we are tempted. If we do sin, then He as our Advocate represents us before the throne of God and forgives us when we sincerely confess our sins to Him (1 John 1:5–2:2). Both of these ministries are involved in His present work of intercession; and it is this intercessory ministry that is the guarantee of our eternal salvation (note that in Heb. 7:25 it is “forever,” i.e., eternally).
[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] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald B. Allen, H. Wayne House, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: Nelson, 1999), 1638.