Family Separated by Death

Family

Separated by Death

For this reason he had to be made like his brothers 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.

God became human flesh with all its sufferings so He might be family

A family member that understands our sufferings and temptations

A family member who is merciful and faithful to serve us

By making a way for us to reach the Father

And the Father to reach us in life and death

It is appointed unto man to die and then judgment

Jesus could not stop death because it is a part of justice

But He did suffer death so that we can survive judgment   

What great hope we have because Jesus was made like family in every way

He has gone through what you are going through

And He is going with you through what you are going through

I am so glad when I need to hold a family member at the time of death

That Jesus is one of those family members to embrace

Separated by Death

This morning I glanced at Facebook

before getting into God’s Word.

I saw two posts by two sisters who shared

their older sister had just passed away.

I had to stop and think what I could say as

I have been a friend of this family for decades.

The loss of a family member is never easy.

Whether you come from a large family

or a small one…

 The death of a family member

brings sadness, grief and pain.

I found myself just the other day missing my

grandmother who has been gone for almost 20 years.

 

There are a lot of things that separate

family, but death is that final separation.

When we see our parents die and our siblings,

there is a greater realization that we are next.

As I opened God’s Word today,

 I came upon Hebrews 2.

This passage tells us…

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels,

now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death,

so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.v9

He died to make us holy.

 

Verse 11 is powerful…

Both the one who makes men holy and

 those who are made holy are of the same family.

So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.

Jesus is more than a friend on Facebook

saying I am praying for you.

He is not ashamed to call you His brother, family.

The scriptures say precious in the eyes

of the Lord is the death of His saints.

In verse 10 it says…

In bringing many sons to glory,

it was fitting that God…

God’s gain is our loss.

 At times we complain to God…

 “Why have you taken them from me?”

When God takes His children home,

 they don’t always go peacefully in their sleep.

Death can be full of suffering and pain.

God understands the pain and

suffering of death and separation.

He is making provision for us.

 He made sure He fully experienced our

sense of pain, suffering and loss.

This is what verse 14 is trying to tell us…

Since the children have flesh and blood,

he too shared in their humanity so that by his death

he might destroy him who holds the power of death

 — that is, the devil—

…Since we have to suffer the pain of

sin and death, the power of the devil.

Remember the devil comes to rob,

kill and destroy.

 You and I know the devil is very good at it.

Look at the world.

 The fruit of the devil is everywhere.

The power he has to get people to act out his character.

Don’t ever underestimate the devil.

But there is hope…

 The greatest power of the devil is death

and Jesus conquered death!

Jesus “shared in our humanity”.

Jesus became just like us with

flesh and blood, He became family.

The wages of sin is death.

 It is the suffering we all must go

through and we deserve it.

Jesus the Son of God went through

the suffering and pain of death.

Feeling what you and I feel every time

we face it with the loss of a loved

one or even our own death…

For this reason he had to be made like his brothers 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.

God became human flesh with all its

sufferings so He might be family.

A family member that understands

our sufferings and temptations.

A family member who is merciful

and faithful to serve us.

By making a way for us to reach the Father

and the Father to reach us in life and death.

It is appointed unto man to die and then judgment.

Jesus could not stop death

because it is a part of justice.

But He did suffer death so

that we can survive judgment.

   

What great hope we have because Jesus

was made like family in every way.

He has gone through what you are going through.

And He is going with you through

what you are going through.

I am so glad when I need to hold a family

member at the time of death…

 That Jesus is one of those

family members to embrace.

Scripture Reading

Hebrews 2:8-18 NIV

 9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

10 In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. 12 He says,

"I will declare your name to my brothers;

in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises."  

13 And again,

"I will put my trust in him."

And again he says,

"Here am I, and the children God has given me."  

14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death — that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers 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. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.