Jesus too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might break the power of the devil. Hebrews Chapter 2, Verse 14. Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.
A Deaf Heart was written by Tim Gustafson and read by Stephen Tabor. Hebrews Chapter 2, Verses 9-18. But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what He suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He says, I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters.
In the assembly I will sing your praises. And again I will put my trust in Him. And again He says, Here am I and the children God has given me. 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. For surely it is not angels He helps, but Abraham's descendants. 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.
Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted. A Deaf Heart written by Tim Gustafson. To improve her sign language skills, Lisa immersed herself in the world of the deaf. Soon she learned the problems they face. The deaf are awkwardly ignored by hearing people, are expected to lip-read flawlessly, and are routinely passed over for promotions at work.
Most public events go uninterpreted. Lisa's signing steadily improved to the point where she felt at home with the deaf. At a party, a deaf person was surprised to learn Lisa could hear. Before Lisa could respond, another friend signed, she has a deaf heart. The key had been Lisa's willingness to live in their world.
Lisa didn't condescend to be with the deaf, except for her hearing, she was like them. But Jesus did stoop to reach all of us, to live in our world. He was made lower than the angels for a little while, says Hebrews chapter 2. Christ shared in our humanity, so that by His death, He might break the power of Him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil. In doing so, He freed those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
More than that, He was fully human in every way, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful High Priest in service to God. Whatever we face, Jesus knows and understands. He hears our heart.
He is with us in every way. Would you spend some time in prayer with me? Lord Jesus, thank you for sharing in our humanity and breaking the power of death, freeing us from sin and fear. And whatever trial we may face, remind us of your compassion and faithful presence, knowing you understand our hearts and walk with us always. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. As you go about your day, reflect on these questions. What does it mean to you that Jesus has experienced the same hardships you face? How might you step into someone else's world for a while?
Whisper: medium.en / 2025-01-07 20:51:40 / 2025-01-07 20:53:33 / 2