Wednesday in the Twenty-Fifth Week of Ordinary Time

Hebrews 2:10-13

It Was Fitting

We have said before that Hebrews does more to highlight our Lord’s priestly office and function than any other book or letter in the New Testament.  Chapter one spoke of our Lord’s superiority to the angels by nature of being God’s Son, but chapter two wastes no time showing us that his exaltation to the Right Hand was predicated upon his suffering unto death for the sake of his “brothers” or “children,” that is, those whom he sanctifies through his suffering to bring before God.

We might momentarily trip over the beginning of the paragraph, “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.”  What does “perfect” mean in this context?  We cannot comprehend how he who is “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature” (1:3), who shares the divine nature as the Father’s Son—how is it that he can be “furthered,” so to speak, in perfection?  Was there something lacking in the Son which his suffering perfected?  No.  To make perfect in this case does not mean adding to a deficit or correcting something which was incomplete or fixing something which was broken; on the contrary, to make perfect in this passage refers to fulfilling the task he came to do and thereby attaining his goal, which was to sanctify those he would bring to God (NICNT, 139).  Prior to his Incarnation, the Son had not fulfilled his task ordained in eternity to present a redeemed and sanctified people unto the Father.  That task waited for the “fullness of time” to come (Galatians 4:4).  It came and the Son completed the task which revolved around his suffering and death.

And now through his Incarnation, his sinless life, his suffering, death on our behalf, resurrection, ascension, and seating at the Right Hand (you see how none of these events can be separated from the other), he entered into his office of High Priest who brings us before the Father as a sanctified people.  This is why the passage begins, “It was fitting.”  How else might he bring us, sinners that we are, before the Father?  How else might we be sanctified?  “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins,” we are taught everywhere in Scripture (9:22).  It is this priestly office the Son has earned through his work on earth, and these are his people whom he has sanctified through his blood and whom he may present to His Father by right of his suffering.  These are those whom the Father gave to him to sanctify whom the Son now presents (John 6:37-39; 10:29; 17:2).

Author: The Reformed Baptist

My name is Stephen Taylor, ordained Baptist minister of eighteen years pastoral experience with a Ph.D. in Historical Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Better than that, I am married to a godly woman, Karla, who has been very patient with me since 1989. I have two daughters, both of whom I homeschooled for extended periods of time, who became godly young women, and who ran off and married godly young men, all of which is very proper. The oldest daughter has even seen fit to bless me with a grandson and a granddaughter, and my youngest daughter with a grandson, all three of whom are bundles of exceeding joy. As you can see, I am quite blessed. This website is dedicated to helping people grow in the wisdom and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ through the gift of writing that the Lord has given to me. It is specifically about helping His people grow in godliness, the theme you see repeated above. I write devotions with this aim and hope that they might be of some help to God’s people. Full disclosure: I am of a Reformed bent, meaning that my understanding of Scripture is primarily informed by the Reformers and their successors of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. However, as a student of church history and theology, I strive to remain true to that teaching handed down once for all unto the saints through every age of the Church. I like to think of myself as a “catholic” Christian, as the Reformers thought of themselves. At any rate, feel free to read, pray, and contact me if you wish, or correct me if need be. As you can see, I tend to follow the church year. Of course, I make no special claims about these devotions. I know very well that others have written better and plumbed the depths of God’s word with greater insight. But if my musings help someone draw closer to the Lord, well then, I have my reward. Blessings to you and may the God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ speak to you that word which He knows you especially need to hear. Grace & peace, Stephen Taylor

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