Friday: Further Thought ~ Jesus, Our Faithful Brother
Further Thought:
Hebrews 2:13 contains the words of Jesus to His Father talking about His brethren: “Here am I and the children whom God has given Me” (Hebrews 2:13, NKJV).
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
Patrick Gray suggests that Jesus is described here as the guardian of His brothers. The Roman system of tutela impuberum determined that at their father’s death, “A tutor, often an older brother, became responsible for the care of minor children and their inheritance until they reached the age of majority, thus heightening the older brother’s natural duty to take care of his younger siblings.” — Godly Fear: The Epistle to the Hebrews and Greco-Roman Critiques of Superstition [Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2003), p. 126. This explains why Hebrews refers to us both as the siblings of Jesus, as well as His children. As our older brother Jesus is our tutor, our guardian, and protector.
“Christ came to the earth, taking humanity and standing as man’s representative, to show in the controversy with Satan that man, as God created him, connected with the Father and the Son, could obey every divine requirement.” — Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, book 1, p. 253.
“In His life and lessons, Christ has given a perfect exemplification of the unselfish ministry which has its origin in God. God does not live for Himself. By creating the world, and by upholding all things, He is constantly ministering for others. ‘He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.’ Matthew 5:45. This ideal of ministry God has committed to His Son. Jesus was given to stand at the head of humanity, that by His example He might teach what it means to minister.” — Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 649.
Discussion Questions:
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Think about the way Ananias and Barnabas helped change the world. Saul - who became known as Paul - eventually would become the most important missionary in Christian history, a leader the equal of Peter and John in the early church, and the most prolific writer in the New Testament.
How many millions, becoming Christians, have been freed by the concept of salvation by grace, and not by works? How many marriages have been saved by the words of 1 Corinthians 13, "The Love Chapter?" How many anxious hearts have been calmed by the peace that passes all understanding, or the knowledge that God can work good in every situation? God has used those scriptural concepts for centuries, for millions upon millions of believers. I've been changed by those words, and you have, too.
Paul wrote them. What a dynamic, confident, irrepressible, crucial leader.
Flashback now to the day when this same man lay crumpled in the dirt on the outskirts of Damascus. A bright light and an overwhelming Savior had just taken his eyesight, his spiritual foundation, and his emotional health.
As Saul stumbled into the city, he didn't want food, and he didn't want water. But he needed a friend. So God reached down to two men and asked them to help change the world. God spoke to Ananias, and to Barnabas, and asked them to be a friend to a man who desperately needed them.
And the world was changed !
God works in simple ways. Somewhere, perhaps today, a person near you needs a faithful friend. If you answer God's call to be that friend, it might be you who changes the world.
What a thought provoking & encouraging suggestion Josiah, Thanks for sharing that. It makes me think of 1 Corinthians 1:27, and helps me to remember that God can use me today.
To save us Jesus had to become our brother. I can go for that. He did not become our brother just to be our close friend it was the only way to save us. He had to be born into the human race. Begotten if you will. This is all done without making Him, less than what the Bible makes Him. Even though He is our brother He is still our Saviour, Redeemer, Master, our King of Kings and Lord of Lords. If you studied last week's lesson, you saw how they are tied with this week. Being born into the human race does not take away the fact that He is, Jehovah Himself, the resurrection and the life, the Great I AM, the self-existent One. Thank God He gave Him also as our friend, and our brother, I don't know about you, but having Him as a friend and brother, draws me closer to Him. It was a plan from the foundation of the world. I believe the plan is coming to fruition soon. Not completely though, there is yet the thousand years in heaven. Then the Holy City comes to earth, where the Devil and his followers are wiped out forever.
Having understood the word begotten fully as it applys to Christ and us I see no need to change the word in the Bible. It is the best way to articulate Christ being born into the human race. Yes it precipitates misunderstanding, but so do may other concepts. We need to pray the Holy Spirit guides us to correct understanding.
Josiah,
Thanks for your comments this week. It has been a blessing reading your thoughts on the lesson.
I appreciate the lesson pointing out the historical setting relevant to our relationship with Jesus as brother as well as being His children; this adds another perspective to deepen my relationship with Him. “Jesus was given to stand at the head of humanity, that by His example He might teach what it means to minister.” E.G.White
Yes, as the Author and finisher of our Faith, Christ Jesus exemplified the importance to stay faithful to the call, even unto death. We freely answered His Father calling us to live by His Grace through Faith when doing His Will; we freely committed all that we are to finish the race.
Heb.12:3-4 NKJV - ”For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.”
To help us in this, we need to focus on maintaining the closest possible relationship with the Creator who became our Savior.
"How should we run the race of the Christian Life?"
Is it not by committing to loving God throughout all we experience in our life - the good and the challenging; not leaning on our own understanding, but trusting Him as our ultimate source of Wisdom?
What is being perfected?
Is it not our steadfastness/endurance to our commitment to loving the Creator, our Savior and so remain faithful to living His Will; to always desire to making His Will ours?
What undergirds our stamina to keep running the race and what is our aid to see to it that we finish it?
Is it not loving the Lord and Savior with all our heart, unreservedly, undivided, intentionally and committedly – always and forever!
Friday is typically a time for reflection back over the what the lesson has covered during the previous week. Now that we are about a third of the way through this quarter's study into Hebrews, I would like to offer a slightly broader reflection for those who may be interested.
Paul, in writing the 'letter' to the Hebrews, is attempting to assist readers/hearers to see things in a 'new light'. While this is 'new light' to them, in reality it is the light that has been there all along - but the readers/hearers couldn't see it. Paul knew this experience personally. One of the most 'qualified experts' in the law, Paul discovered on the road to Damascus that although he had been convinced he had clear understanding of 'scripture', he was in fact spiritually blind. After having his physical eyesight restored, Paul subsequently spent several years learning to re-see reality - including spiritual reality - in a 'new light' - seeing what was there all along but not able to be seen by him because of the mistaken world-view he had been looking through.
I appreciate this can be an uncomfortable question to ask, but is it possible that we individually and collectively may also have unintentionally developed the same issue as Paul? After all, Satan has invested considerable effort since Genesis 3 to try and blind the minds and therefore the perceptions of every individual who has ever walked this planet. Are we willing to relook at what we have always 'known' and therefore assumed to be true - just incase?
What I am proposing is not new. It was a significant issue in the time of the Disciples - and it has been a significant issue within Adventism across time. You can read more about this here.
What do you think?
Phil – a heart felt ‘Thank you’ for locating and sharing with us E.G.White’s article so aptly title “Treasure Hidden’. I knew after reading ‘The Great Controversy’ and ‘Desire of Ages’ that her writings infused the stale religious language with a breath of fresh air. I do not refere to the Scripture's language as being stale, but to the language used by teachers when teaching students about the bible Truth. Her writings are not necessarily new light, but it has brought us closer to this so very powerful light of the Holy Spirit which penetrates the spiritual Truth-seeking heart first before it reaches the mind.
I found that the spiritual language, the language the Spirit speaks, is interpreted by the God-loving heart’s ability to perceive Truth. The heart which loves God and does not lean on its own understanding. The spirit's language imparts the spirit of the Will of God, the letters only bring it to our sensory attention.
I ‘bookmarked’ the link and look forward to reading about those many topics Mrs. White wrote about and which are found to often be addressed during our bible studies. I truly enjoy her clear and direct writing style! Again - thank you!
"Jesus revealed no qualities, and exercised no powers, that men may not have through faith in Him. His perfect humanity is that which all His followers may possess, if they will be in subjection to God as He was." {DA 664.4}
Praise the Lord for such a Savior!
He proved that if we trust Him as He trusted His Father, He can keep us faithful.
He is ready to help us when we are tempted (Heb 2:18). When we are sorely tempted, He knows by experience how that feels, and He can sympathize with us (Heb 4:15). And because we have such a High Priest, we can come to Him, and he will give us forgiveness ("mercy"), and power to withstand temptation ("grace to help in time of need") - Heb 4:16.
Truly, we have a Savior who can save us to the uttermost (Heb 7:25).
My brothers and sisters, trust Jesus!
Like Abraham, stop looking at your weakness, and believe God's promises instead (Ro 4:18-21). Believe even though it seems impossible (Ro 4:18). With God all things are possible (Mt 19:25-26).
Trust His promises:
* He will not allow us to be tempted above what we are able (1Co 10:13)
* He can keep us from falling under temptation (Jud 1:24)
* He is with us until the end of the age (Mt 28:20)
Thank you Lord!