Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Hebrews 2:14-15 Since the children have flesh and blood, he 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.
HEADING TOWARD THE SUNRISE!
What could a little lamb do to rescue sinners from any slavery, not to mention the worst slavery of all: that which is brought on by the fear of death? Fear of death can cause panic-stricken flight, or it can paralyze a life, sapping the strength from every joy. This slavery is not established by other people, but something that all other people also face. So how can anyone rescue his neighbor from something that he himself cannot avoid? And if people could not, how could a lamb? Only if this Lamb is Christ, the Lamb of God!
Such a Lamb could do what all the sacrificial lambs since the Exodus from Egypt had only pictured: take the death-blow that our sins deserved. And that is just what happened! Since the children have flesh and blood, he 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 2:14-15).
Through His blood and dying, He would accomplish another Exodus from slavery, the one that Moses and Elijah talked about at the Transfiguration, and which Jesus would accomplish in Jerusalem for all people. With this joy ahead, Jesus endured the cross, and died our death.
This Lamb is Christ, the soul's great Friend,
The Lamb of God, our Savior;
Him God the Father chose to send
To gain for us His favor.
"Go forth, My Son," the Father saith,
"And free men from the fear of death,
From guilt and condemnation.
The wrath and stripes are hard to bear,
But by Thy Passion men shall share
The fruit of Thy salvation."
(The Lutheran Hymnal, 142:2)
