Day 6: Shared humanity: death's defeat
For this reason He had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people (Hebrews 2:17).
We praise You God our Father—we thank You for Your amazing grace, For with the Lord there is lovingkindness, And with Him is abundant redemption (Psalm 130:7). Who is a God like You offering mercy and forgiveness to sinners and enemies (Romans 5:8, 10)?
Lord Jesus, we praise You. Although in very nature God, You did not consider equality with God something to be used to Your own advantage; rather, You made Yourself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, You humbled Yourself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:6-8).
Because You, Lamb of God, came to be like us, You understand our hurts and our sorrows, our tears and our fears, our weaknesses and our failings. What an assurance it is to know that we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses… (Hebrews 4:15). And what a comfort to know that You were a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3 -ESV).
Thank You merciful and faithful high priest that You made atonement for our sins. Thank You for Your shared humanity—death’s defeat.
Long ago, You gave Your promise through the prophet Isaiah, The Lord Almighty…will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces (Isaiah 25:7-8).
The writer of Hebrews spoke of the fulfillment of this promise: Since the children have flesh and blood, [Jesus] too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might break the power of 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 (Hebrews 2:14).
The apostle Paul stated with confidence, “For [Christ] must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:25-26).
And You, Lord Jesus Yourself proclaimed Your victory over death and hell: I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades (Revelation 1:18).
In all the griefs and sorrows of this earthly life, we have a friend in You, Lord Jesus—a friend who understands our sorrow and our pain. We have the assurance that You are the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25). And You have delivered us from the fear of death.
So in the midst of our difficulties, our griefs, our trials, thank You for this great comfort. Teach us to lean on You, and pray like the psalmist, Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me (Psalm 23:4).
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