03 Hebrews: He Became Flesh and Blood

03 Hebrews: He Became Flesh and Blood

Hebrews 2.5 - .18


One of the great wonders of the universe is the incarnation of Jesus. The Son of God became flesh. He lived as one of us. He smelled like us. He had to go to the bathroom like us. He was hungry like us. He could get sunburned like us. He was tired like us. He was for a moment trapped and confined by the limits of time and space. Before the Son became flesh and blood like us he was everywhere all the time. He had none of our weaknesses such as hunger, smells, bathroom breaks, being tired or having to wait in line. The Son gave up all that when he came down and put on flesh and blood like us. This is not just a wonder it is also a mystery!


The author of Hebrews picks up on the incarnation. At the beginning of the second chapter he writes about the future world being subject not to angels but to the SON. (Hebrews 2.5) The Father has put everything under the Son but at the present we cannot completely see His lordship. (Hebrews 2.5-9) We live in the overlap between the kingdom of this world and the Kingdom of God. The Son, Jesus was made lower than angels for a short time (Hebrews 2.9) to suffer and bring glory to himself and to his brothers. (Hebrews 10.10 – 13) We are the ones for whom the Son made holy thru his suffering and the holy one (Jesus) and the ones who were made holy (us) are brothers!


Then author writes:

Since the children have flesh and blood, Jesus too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason he had to made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

(Hebrews 2.14 - .18)


We can see that Jesus became, flesh and blood like us in order to destroy the fear of death and the one who had the power of death. God’s people, Jesus’ brothers have nothing to fear from death. We should not fear death. If your life is threatened you have nothing to fear because Jesus defeated the Devil. By becoming flesh and blood like us, Jesus also becomes our high priest. A high priest who is merciful and faithful that stands between the Father and us. As a high priest he makes atonement for our sins as his people. He also suffered temptation so he can help us when we are tempted.


That is an amazing and wonderful truth! Jesus became real flesh and blood. He didn’t appear to be flesh and blood. His spirit didn’t inhabit someone else’s body. The physical form the first disciples and apostles saw and touched, the physical resurrected body was or is the true flesh and blood of the Son of God. Now that is a true mystery!