Click here to listen to this post! 

“Jesus shared in their humanity.” Hebrews 2:14

Anyone who studies Greek and Roman mythology learns “deities” frequently deigned to come down to earth from Mt. Olympus. Those trips were almost always self-serving though. Key motivations included romancing a human or seeking revenge upon a perceived rival. Never would they have considered donning flesh to share their sorrows, rejoice alongside them, heal them, reveal God’s love for them (just picture Athena explaining to a random crowd how much Zeus loves them), or ultimately die to redeem them from sin. Absolutely not. Humanity existed to love and serve them, to sacrifice to and for them, to die if necessary to gain their approval. A god loving people enough to die for them and bring them to share in Olympus’ glory? Not this pantheon. 

Sadly, that mythology reveals how many people think they can achieve heaven. Don’t I have to do and do and do for God to accept me? How will I know when I have done enough? Will God finally get angry enough at my mistakes and say, “enough; you’re not coming here”? But our God is not Zeus, ready with the lightning bolts. Far from it. He sends a Babe in a manger, deity mingling with the downtrodden, showing God’s love, heading to a cross to take lightning bolts upon Himself, willingly, for us.

While we may joke about getting struck by thunderbolts, underlying that joke is our understanding that God cannot abide sin. Punishment or sacrifice must be involved to escape divine wrath. And so we plead: but do you understand what it’s like to be human, to suffer, to be tempted to sin? How would that sit with Zeus? Mt. Olympus “deities” didn’t care about humans unless it benefited them. They had no desire to understand humans or relate to them. Those “deities” were distant and superior and wanted to keep it that way. Become like those creatures below? Why? But our God answers that question. He offers us what they never considered: love for us as a father and compassion for us in our failings. He doesn’t come down to us to benefit Himself. He spans every gulf to bring us to Him. 

God came down from heaven not disguised as a human. He took on human flesh. He became like us “in every way...He shared in our humanity...He suffered when He was tempted” (2:17,14,18). Jesus lived 30+ years in human flesh, so he knows what it’s like to be human - weak and frail and prone to fall - so He can legitimately be the final sacrifice we owe for our sin. Unlike Olympic “deities,” our Savior identifies with us and is “not ashamed to call [us] brothers and sisters” (2:11). 

The tortuous road to Calvary and the blessings of Easter morning purchased salvation for anyone who believes. Jesus became our “perfect” Savior “through His suffering” (2:10), freeing us from our slavery to sin and “fear of death” (2:15). Since Jesus “suffered when he was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted” (2:18). No distant, superior-acting deity, Jesus comes alongside us. It’s impossible to imagine a Greek god suffering for, dying for humanity. Praise God we don’t have to.

What is most amazing to you about God coming down to us in the Person of Jesus? Take a few moments to thank and praise Him for that.

How does it help you to know that Jesus was “fully human in every way” (v.17)? Thank Him for that in these few moments.

Verse 11 says, “both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.” What do you see when you picture Jesus saying this of Chatham Church? Pray for CCC’s vision to be a Big Tent church.