Jesus: Greater Salvation

Introduction

Good morning, everyone. It’s wonderful to be with you as we carry on with our series in the book of Hebrews. For those who don’t know me, I’m Chris, and we’re diving deeper into this letter that’s all about Jesus being the greatest. Last week, we looked at Hebrews chapter 2, verses 1 to 4, where we heard the warning not to drift away from the message of salvation. Today, we’re moving on to chapter 2, verses 5 to 18, and it’s about why Jesus became human—why He’s the pioneer of our salvation. Let’s pray before we begin. Father, thank you for your word, for Jesus, who became like us to save us. Open our eyes to see His greatness today. In His name, Amen.

Right, let’s get into it. If you’ve got a Bible, please turn to Hebrews chapter 2, and we’ll read verses 5 to 18. It’s a bit longer, so bear with me. “For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. It has been testified somewhere, ‘What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honour, putting everything in subjection under his feet.’ Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, ‘I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.’ And again, ‘I will put my trust in him.’ And again, ‘Behold, I and the children God has given me.’ Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” [Hebrews 2:5-18, ESV]

This passage is packed, isn’t it? It’s like a theological goldmine, showing us why Jesus is so great, why He had to become human, and what He’s done for us. The big idea is that Jesus is the pioneer of our salvation—He’s gone before us, faced suffering and death, and opened the way to glory. I want us to look at this in three parts: Jesus fulfils God’s plan for humanity, Jesus became human to save us, and Jesus is our merciful high priest. First, Jesus fulfils God’s plan for humanity.

Jesus Fulfils God's Plan for Humanity

Verses 5 to 9 start with a quote from Psalm 8: “What is man, that you are mindful of him?” The psalm’s talking about humanity’s place in God’s creation—God made us a little lower than the angels, crowned us with glory and honour, and put everything under our feet. That’s God’s original plan, isn’t it? Humans were meant to rule creation, to have dominion, like Genesis says. But the author points out, “At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.” That’s obvious, right? Look around—humans aren’t ruling perfectly. Sin’s messed it up. Creation’s groaning, we’re fighting, there’s chaos.

But then he says, “We see him”—Jesus. Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, through His human life, and now He’s crowned with glory and honour because He suffered and died. Jesus fulfils what humanity was meant to be. He’s the true human, the one who’s got everything under His feet, not because He avoided suffering, but because He went through it. By His death, He tasted death for everyone, by God’s grace. He’s the pioneer, the one who’s gone ahead and shown us what humanity was meant to look like—a life of obedience, suffering, and glory. Second, Jesus became human to save us.

Jesus Became Human to Save Us

Verses 10 to 16 get into why this had to happen. It was “fitting,” the author says, that God, who made everything, would make the pioneer of salvation perfect through suffering. That word “perfect” doesn’t mean Jesus wasn’t perfect before—it means completed, equipped for His role. Through suffering, Jesus became the perfect Saviour, able to bring many sons and daughters to glory. And here’s the amazing bit: He’s not ashamed to call us brothers. He quotes Psalm 22 and Isaiah, saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers,” and, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.” Jesus identifies with us. We’re family—not because we’re so great, but because He chose to become like us.

Why did He do that? Verse 14: “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things.” Jesus took on flesh and blood—He became fully human—so that through His death, He could destroy the devil, who has the power of death, and deliver us from the fear of death. That’s huge, isn’t it? Death’s the ultimate enemy, the thing we all fear, the thing that enslaves us. But Jesus faced it, went through it, and broke its power. He didn’t just die—He destroyed death’s hold, so we don’t have to live in fear anymore. He’s the pioneer who’s gone through the worst and come out the other side.

And notice, He didn’t come to help angels—He came to help the offspring of Abraham, God’s people, us. That’s why He had to be human, not an angel or some spiritual being. He had to be like us to save us, to stand in our place, to face what we face. It’s mind-blowing when you think about it—the Creator of the universe became one of us, lived our life, died our death, all to set us free.

Jesus is Our Merciful High Priest

Third, Jesus is our merciful high priest. Verses 17 and 18 wrap this up beautifully. Because Jesus became human, He could become “a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” Propitiation’s a big word—it means satisfying God’s justice, dealing with our sin so we can be forgiven. Jesus did that by offering Himself as the sacrifice, the perfect high priest who doesn’t just offer a lamb, but offers Himself. And because He’s suffered, because He’s been tempted, He’s able to help us when we’re tempted. He knows what it’s like to be human, to face pain, to feel the pull of sin—yet He never sinned. That makes Him the perfect helper for us.

Let me give you an illustration. Imagine you’re climbing a mountain, and it’s tough—steep, slippery, dangerous. You’re struggling, and you’re not sure you’ll make it. But there’s someone ahead of you, a guide who’s climbed this mountain before. They know every step, every danger, because they’ve been there. They’re calling back, “This way! I’ve got you!” That’s Jesus. He’s the pioneer who’s gone before us, faced suffering, temptation, death, and He’s leading us to glory. He’s not just pointing the way—He’s with us, helping us, because He’s been human like us.

So, what does this mean for us? For the Christians reading Hebrews, this was a lifeline. They were facing persecution, tempted to drift back to Judaism, to a safer, easier religion. But the author’s saying, “Look at Jesus! He’s the pioneer, the one who became human to save you, the high priest who’s got you covered. Don’t give up on Him!” And for us, it’s the same. Life’s hard, isn’t it? We face struggles, temptations, fears—maybe the fear of death, or failure, or just not measuring up. This passage says, “Jesus has been there. He’s faced it all, and He’s won. Trust Him. Lean on Him.”

Practically, how do we do that? First, remember who Jesus is. He’s not just a distant God—He’s your brother, your high priest, who knows what you’re going through. When you’re tempted, when you’re struggling, go to Him in prayer. He’s merciful, He’s faithful, He’s able to help. Second, keep your eyes on the goal. Jesus is leading us to glory, to a world where everything’s under His feet. That’s our hope, even when life feels chaotic. Third, don’t do this alone. Hebrews keeps saying we need each other—encourage one another, stick together, remind each other of Jesus.

Let’s finish with this. Hebrews 2 shows us a Jesus who’s greater than we could imagine—fully God, yet fully human, the pioneer who suffered to save us, the high priest who helps us. Don’t drift away from Him. Hold fast, trust Him, because He’s worth it. He’s the greatest.

Let’s pray. Father, we thank you for Jesus, our pioneer, our brother, our high priest. Thank you that He became human to save us, that He suffered to set us free. Help us to trust Him, to lean on Him when we’re tempted, to follow Him to glory. Keep us from drifting, and fill us with your Spirit to live for Jesus. In His name, Amen.