According to Paul (Galatians 3:19) and Stephen (Acts 7:53), it is fair to say the Law of Moses was delivered by the hand of angels. By no means did this weaken its authority as God's revelation. Failure to obey brought the wrath of God by the hands of the same angels. Yet the Law had distinct limitations, for it only applied to things of this earth, bringing blessings only in this world, and applied only to one nation in this world. Jesus Christ brought an end to that covenant. He was the very person and character of God, bringing an eternal covenant, which applies to all mankind throughout history. His teaching received the same miraculous support as that of Moses, but with the added power and presence of His own Spirit, rather than mere angels. Thus, being so much a higher covenant and truth, how can we afford to let it slip away?
Calling attention to a Jewish Messianic phrase -- "the world to come" (olam habba) -- our writer points out the angels are not masters of the Kingdom of Heaven. David in Psalm 8:4-6 refers to the proper view of mankind as fallen, sinful and wretched. In this context, the phrase "son of man" is not a Messianic title, but would be taken by Jews as a reference to the first Adam. This reminds us in Hebrew writing context is everything. As fallen creatures, why does God even bother with us, who trashed His Creation? He placed us at the head of this world, subjected all things to our mastery, even commanding angels. Yet clearly, we have so corrupted His image of us we can barely make our way through life. It now appears we aren't masters of anything, and certainly not angels. Into this very fallen existence came Jesus, who walked as mere man, far below His rightful place. On behalf of us all, He took from us and for us the just sentence of death. This made Him rightfully Master of All Things in Heaven and Earth.
He translated death into Life. By absorbing the penalty for sin, He makes death a rite of passage into the Kingdom, rather than the first step to damnation. He accepts our death, and trades it for His death; He takes our old life and gives us His New Life. As the very living expression of God's authority and nature, the Agent of Creation, His death fulfilled all requirements to inaugurate the Kingdom of Heaven. As our Commander, He calls us His brothers.
Rightly do we understand Psalm 22 as a prophecy of the Messiah. It dramatically recounts the experience of Jesus, beginning with the crucifixion, words which Jesus quoted from the Cross. We can almost see Him rising from the grave, as He declares His victory in His Father's response to that sacrifice. He has gained the authority to remake those called by the Father into His new children. On our behalf, He declares His trust in the Father's will, in a quote found all over the Old Testament. Just as Isaiah stood before God faithful, with his two children bearing prophetic names regarding God's deliverance, Jesus stands before His Father having faithfully carried out the Word, in the company of those changed by that Word, as granted by the Father's grace.
By His willingness to wear human flesh and bear our sins, Jesus was given power to render Satan harmless. He took from Satan the only weapon he had. Since death is no longer the end, those who follow Christ are truly free to serve without restraint. No earthly persecution, nor even the grave, are a threat to His brothers and sisters. He did not come as an angel, but as a Hebrew, of the bloodline of Abraham. To Israel He came as an Israelite, able to sympathize with their condition. He was the perfect High Priest who covered the sins of all, not with some sacrifice of another, but of Himself. He passed through all the same temptations, and intimately understands what we face.
Thus, He was fully aware of all the Hebrews were facing in Rome. Their situation was not unique, their sorrows not greater than those Christ faced. He gave Himself over to far worse, and came through the victor, offering that same victory to the Hebrew readers of this book.
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Ed Hurst
13 February 2008
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