Explore: Why One of Us?

• The Explore the Bible lesson for Sept. 21 focuses on Hebrews 2:14-18.

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• The Explore the Bible lesson for Sept. 21 focuses on Hebrews 2:14-18.

Every year, hundreds of high school and college students, as well as adults, pour through Mission Waco for a weekend poverty simulation. They come for various reasons—college or seminary class credit, church youth group trips or simply hoping to develop compassion toward those who live in poverty or homelessness.

They experience 43 hours of walking a mile in someone else’s shoes. Many church youth groups schedule a Mission Waco poverty simulation at the beginning of a weeklong mission trip, and it profoundly changes their mission trip experience. The weekend is physically, mentally and emotionally strenuous. Although a single weekend cannot begin to compare to the suffering of someone truly living in poverty or homelessness, participants cultivate a greater sense of awareness, understanding and compassion for the plight of the poor.

A poverty simulation

Everyone who seeks to do ministry with people in poverty should consider going through a poverty simulation. It is difficult to minister to someone with any sense of credibility if you have no understanding or experience of his or her suffering. This gives us a hint as to why “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14).

In the incarnation, Jesus “took up our pain and bore our suffering” (Isaiah 53:4) and so shared in our flesh and blood. Yet this was not just for a weekend, and Jesus was not just simulating humanity. In fact, the early Christians spent considerable time combating heresies to that effect. Jesus was fully human and fully divine. The preacher of Hebrews paints a picture of Christ who is for us.

Christ for us triumphed over death and defeated the devil. The Apostle Paul tells us, “Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). Sin and death are the instruments with which the devil enslaves God’s children. Some of us foolishly think we can conquer sin through our own strength, but no one presumes to be able to overcome death. We need a champion, a hero, to save us. Through his death, Jesus conquered death once and for all. The one great weapon in the enemy’s arsenal was used against itself.

Longing for a hero

This dramatic demonstration of heroism would have reminded the original hearers of the great stories of Hercules. The most famous of all mythological heroes, Hercules was known for his strength and mighty deeds was associated even with the conquest of death.


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Throughout history, people have shown an innate longing for a hero, and Christ is the ultimate hero. Christ’s death brought freedom to those enslaved by the fear of death, and so Christ for us is the great champion and liberator. Romans 5 continues, “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:17).

John Donne celebrates Christ’s triumphant victory over death with his famous sonnet, Death Be Not Proud:

Death be not proud, though some have called thee

Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not soe,

For, those, whom thou think’st, thou dost overthrow,

Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill mee….

One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,

And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.

Christ not only is the hero who triumphs over death, Christ for us also is the high priest who atones for our sins. Jewish high priests were held in the great esteem, and at the time of Jesus, the high priest was the highest representative of the people. The high priest performed the Jewish sacrifices to atone for the sins of the people. The act of consecration through death for the sake of the people shows Jesus as the ultimate high priest. He became fully human in every way, but was without sin. Only such a high priest can atone for our sins and sanctify us through his death.

Our advocate and help

Finally, Christ for us is able to become our advocate and our help. He has suffered and faced temptation just like every one of God’s children (2:18), and so he is able to empathize with us in our weakness (4:15). He knows what it is to face uncertainty and loss. He knows the pain of betrayal. He has walked the difficult path of obedience. He has encountered and overcome injury, illness and even death. There is nothing we can face that is beyond the reach of Christ’s compassion. And so we can sing:

Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged;

take it to the Lord in prayer!

Can we find a friend so faithful

who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness;

take it to the Lord in prayer!

– What a Friend We Have In Jesus

Because we have a high priest who has suffered with us and for us, “we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (4:16).

Hebrews 2:14-18 paints a beautiful portrait of our Immanuel, God with us. Through the incarnation, Jesus put on flesh and blood and became Christ for us. This is not a simulation. Christ for us defeated death. Christ for us atoned for our sins. Christ for us is our help and advocate. Praise be to God.


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