Jesus and his Brothers (Hebrews 2)

The author of Hebrews describes Jesus and his work of salvation in this way: ‘Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery’ (Heb. 2:14-15).

 

The context of those verses is about aspects of the relationship that exists between Jesus and his brothers. His brothers in this context are the sons that God is bringing to glory, and the means of bringing them there would involve the atoning death of Jesus. In this set of verses, we are told that Jesus became human in order to die, but that his death would not be a defeat. Rather, his death would be the defeat of the devil and the deliverance of his brothers from the state of slavery.

 

Behind the emphases in these verses is the Israelite provision of a person called the kinsman redeemer. The best-known story involving such a person is the account in the Book of Ruth about Boaz and his role as the kinsman redeemer who came to the aid of Ruth. Several passages in the Old Testament refer to this role and they indicate that the kinsman redeemer acted on behalf of a relative who had come into hard times and needed deliverance from his troubles. Those troubles included losing property (Lev. 27:9-25) or coming into poverty (Lev. 25:25) or slavery (Lev. 25:47). The kinsman redeemer was also responsible for avenging the murder of a family member (Num. 35:9-34). Job refers to One who would be his redeemer (Job 19:25) and deliver him fully from his troubles.

 

The Son as Kinsman Redeemer

It is not difficult to see how Jesus performed the role of a Kinsman Redeemer and we can explore some of the ways in which he did that are mentioned in Hebrews 2. The first concerns how he near did he come as the relative of his people. The author tells us that he did so by taking on flesh and blood at his incarnation (v. 14). At his conception, he assumed into union with his divine person a human nature, and this union enabled him to perform the tasks for which he was responsible as the Elder Brother. We can look at this divine action from many angles, but one which brings great comfort and joy is considering him as the brother born for adversity. He knew the purpose of his action, which was to deliver his people from poverty and slavery, from the threat of punishment for their sins, and provide for them a permanent right to the inheritance that they had lost. 

 

The poverty of the relatives of the Kinsman Redeemer

We certainly were in a state of desperation and it is helpful to remind ourselves often of the deplorable circumstances that we were in. Of course, we should ask how we came to be in such a poor state and in the Bible we find that the one who brought about our downfall was the first man Adam. God had created Adam in his image which meant among other things that he was sinless. Yet he and his wife Eve chose to disobey the straightforward command of God not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and the outcome was that they became poor.

 

The poverty that the sons were in after Adam fell from the state of innocency included lack of righteousness in the sight of God. He had written his law on their hearts, and conformity to it would have ensured that they would continue to enjoy the inheritance he had given to them, which was the world he had created and given to them to share. But they fell from that high position, became estranged from God, were now under his curse, and heading to the place of perpetual punishment under the wrath of God. Moreover, they had chosen to listen to the temptation of the devil, and having done so, were now under his vicelike grip which indicated his determination that they would never be liberated from the power of death – they were slaves. The question that arises is, who can provide such deliverance? The answer is Jesus.

 

The provision made by the Kinsman Redeemer

Why was Jesus born in a poor condition? The answer, according to Paul, was to make sinners rich (2 Cor. 8:9). And the Son of God would provide great riches that are more than the equivalent of a sinner creating wealth every moment of his or her life. That sinner sadly spent every minute increasing his poverty. The riches that Jesus provides include a perfect life, the life that Adam failed to provide as a means of his seed existing as God’s people. But Jesus obeyed God’s law perfectly throughout his life and did so as the Kinsman Redeemer who had come to restore the wealth of his family. In this case, the number in his family is so large that no one knows the number (Rev. 7:9), and as far as possessing the riches of a perfect life is concerned, each of them has it equally and permanently reckoned to their personal account by God when they believe in Jesus.

 

Many if not most Christians today seem to pay little attention to the life of Jesus. They value his death, obviously. But often they only seem to value his life as a good example, which he is. But his life is more than that. It is also part of our personal riches because it is an essential feature of our justification in God’s sight. And Jesus, our Kinsman Redeemer, provided this standing freely for his people. And we should thank him constantly for our wealthy status if we are Christians.

 

The punishment of the Kinsman Redeemer

Jesus, as the Kinsman Redeemer, had also to deliver his people from the state of slavery. The writer of Hebrews says that their slavery was lifelong and was connected to them having a fear of death (Heb. 2:14-15). He also says that this state of fear was connected to the devil having ‘the power of death’. This does not mean that the death of a person is under the devil’s control. Rather, he has lured them into the state of death by his successful temptation of Adam and now condemns them before God (Zech. 3:1; Rev. 12:9-11), insisting that they be punished with eternal death. Paul reminds the Colossians that God ‘disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in’ Jesus. God did this ‘by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross’ (Col. 2:14-15). While it is still the case that the devil can demand that humans are punished with eternal death for their sins, he can no longer do so with regard to God’s people because Jesus has paid the penalty for their sins. 

 

The author of Hebrews say that Jesus became the Kinsman Redeemer in order to fulfil the role of high priest in God’s service. His service in that role is marked by faithfulness and mercy, particularly with respect to the sacrifice he made of himself on the cross when he voluntarily made propitiation for his people’s sins. Propitiation in this instance means the turning away of divine wrath from them to him when he bore the penalty due to them for their sins. That is what happened on the cross. Jesus offered himself without spot to God – Jesus was holy and remained so on the cross even when paying the penalty; but he was regarded as responsible to pay what God’s justice required, and he freely and fully did so. 

 

We admire our Kinsman Redeemer when we think of his atoning sufferings. He was faithful to the Father who called him to this task, and he was faithful to those he represented. The desire of the Father was for mercy to be provided justly, and Jesus had that desire as well. And the only way of doing so was by Jesus suffering under the Father’s hand in our place.

 

The purpose of the Kinsman Redeemer

The suffering of the Kinsman Redeemer occurred because of the will of the Father to bring many sons to glory, a reminder that there is a clear connection between what happened to Jesus and the doctrine of adoption. Those being brought to glory are the same persons who are called ‘children’ and ‘brothers’ in this passage from Hebrews 2:10-18.  

 

What does Jesus intend to do for those he delivered from the condemnation of the devil? From this passage, we can see several intentions. First, Jesus intends to teach them about the Father: ‘I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise’ (2:12). This verse is taken from Psalm 22 and is the first statement in the second section of the psalm. In the first section (vv. 1-21), the Sufferer has described what happened to him when on the cross; in the second section, he mentions what will take place in the future because of those sufferings, and one of his activities will be to instruct his relatives about the Father. In doing so, he will function as a priest – faithful priests in Israel taught truth and praised God as they did so, and so will Jesus, whether those in the classroom are brothers yet in this life, or in heaven when they die, or in the world after the resurrection.

 

Second, the author applies another verse from a psalm to Jesus when stating that Jesus will yet say, ‘Behold, I and the children God has given me.’ The thrust of this announcement is obvious – they and Jesus are together. Since they are all there, the statement is pointing forward to the eternal world after the resurrection. A question that arises is where this verse will be fulfilled. I would suggest it is when the Kinsman Redeemer and the rescued children are living in the recovered inheritance and enjoying the state of glory. There will be many of them: as mentioned earlier, Revelation 7, in its picture of the redeemed gathered round the throne, says that they are a number that no one can count.  

 

The word ‘glory’ describes both a place and a state. When used of a place, it describes a place of perfection; when used of a state, it means great dignity. It is difficult to say which meaning is found here; in any case, both ideas are usually found together. The place of final glory will be the new heavens and new earth, the restored universe where the effects of the curse have been removed. It will be a place of great and permanent splendour, and even the most spectacular days that we experience at present cannot begin to convey the beauty and the magnificence of that future world. 

 

The position of final glory will be that of joint-heirs with Jesus, the Kinsman Redeemer who is the heir of all things. Whatever God has, they are the heirs of it to all eternity because of the work of their elder Brother. Paul refers to this future blessing in Romans 8 when he writes about the deliverance of creation and the fullness of the experience of adoption (8:20-23), which we will consider in the next chapter.

 

The brothers of Jesus, the children of God, will be unveiled on the day of resurrection, clothed in glory, free from all the defects and weaknesses caused by sin. Spurgeon, in a sermon mentions that this glory will involve pursuits, pleasures and persons. These pursuits will be far superior to all the purposes of earth, the pleasures will be endless and increasing, and the inhabitants will be exalted with eternal honour. 

 

It will be a wonderful day when all the sons of God have been brought to the place and position of glory. What a great family gathering it will be, and what joy and delight will be experienced as they participate in the celebrations of that day! What will go through their minds when they hear the Kinsman Redeemer say, ‘Behold, I and the children God has given me.’