Hebrews 2:6-13 - It has been testified somewhere, "What is man, that You are mindful of him, or the son of man, that You care for him? You made him for a little while lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet." ... At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see Him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that He, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the Founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why He is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, "I will tell of Your Name to My brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise." And again, "I will put My trust in Him." And again, "Behold, I and the children God has given Me."
Every time I read this passage, I'm surprised to see how much Jesus puts Himself on our side—the human side, I mean, rather than identifying Himself as God. Oh, of course Jesus is both God and Man—but all the emphasis here is on the human side. He says, "I will tell of Your Name to My brothers," and "Behold, I and the children God has given Me" (Psalm 22:22a; Isaiah 8:18a). It's as if all humanity is on one side, facing God—and Jesus is standing with us, speaking for us as one of us.
He puts Himself on our side elsewhere, too. If you read the Gospels, it looks like Jesus' favorite nickname for Himself is "Son of Man." That's not a term I hear a lot in church—if people say anything, it's usually "Son of God," isn't it? But when Jesus gets to choose for Himself, it's almost always "Son of Man" He goes for—and that puts the emphasis on what He shares with us—our human nature. Although the name comes from the Old Testament, even there, almost all the time, it emphasizes the humanity of the person who gets called that.
Why does Jesus do this? It can only be love. Being a human being is not much to be proud of, when you consider the evil we've fallen into. And yet Jesus wants that nature and takes it upon Himself when He comes into the world. He identifies Himself with us—takes our side. And why? "So that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone." Through His death on the cross He became the Savior of the whole human race, and through His resurrection He gives life to everyone who trusts in Him. As Paul says, "For as by a man came death, by a Man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive" (1 Corinthians 15:21-22).
WE PRAY: Lord Jesus, thank You for coming to our side—to save us. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
1. Tell about someone who was "on your side" when you needed help.
2. Why did it have to be a human being who became our Savior, do you think?
3. Is Jesus still on your side? How do you know?
Today's Bible Readings: Isaiah 53-55 Romans 10
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