The Son of Man Brings Blessings – February 13, 2022

The writer to the Hebrews pens through the Holy Spirit: “Therefore, since the children share flesh and blood, he also shared the same flesh and blood, so that through death he could destroy the one who had the power of death (that is, the Devil) and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death” (2:14-15).  Of course, the one exception concerning Jesus was that He was conceived by a miracle of the Holy Spirit through the virgin Mary.  Unlike any other human born of a woman, too, Jesus was born without sin.  We call this truth of Scripture His immaculate conception. 

Moreover, Jesus had to take on a human nature so He could carry out His saving work for you and me.  One aspect of that work was His “active obedience.”  Jesus actively had to submit Himself to God’s holy law and live it perfectly as our Substitute.   

What’s more, Jesus—as true God and true man—died on the cross to pay for our sins.  We call this work of Jesus His vicarious atonement and describe it as His “passive obedience.”  Consequently, through His life, death and resurrection, Jesus saved us.  Although we may physically die before He returns on Judgment Day, because He as the God-man rose from death physically with His human, glorified body, so too will we (Job 19:25-27; today’s epistle).