The reading that we will consider in greater depth is today's Epistle lesson
from the Book of Hebrews, where we read,
'...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,
15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong
slavery.
16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of
Abraham.
One of my favourite passages in the whole Bible, this section, from the book of
Hebrews helps answer two questions that are very important, but which you may
never have asked, and which many people (even great thinkers and theologians)
have gone through their whole lives without ever considering them. What are
these two questions?
They are 1: Why do we have 'flesh and blood'. And 2: Why didn't God help the
angels that sinned, so that they, like us, could also be forgiven of their sins?
Most people don't ask the first question, because it seems like a silly
question. Like 'why is the sky “up”?', or 'why is the grass green'? It is just
IS – we say. Why do we have flesh and blood? Well, we just do! Or, as
creationists, we should add, 'God made us this way. He made us 'flesh and
blood', for reasons best known to Himself!
But that is just the thing. Was our design, as 'flesh and blood' just arbitrary
on God's part? Did God create all the angels without flesh and blood and then
just decide – on a whim - to create us with flesh and blood – for no particular
reason?
God tells us, here in His word, that the answer is 'no'. Our design was very
intentional. Here's how the 'God's Word' translation puts it: '... Since all of
these sons and daughters have flesh and blood, Jesus took on flesh and blood to
be like them. He did this so that by dying he would destroy the one who had
power over death (that is, the devil). In this way he would free those who were
slaves all their lives because they were afraid of dying. So Jesus helps
Abraham’s descendants rather than helping angels'.
This brings us to the second question, 'Why didn't God help the angels that
sinned, so that they, like us, could also be forgiven of their sins?'
The answer has to do with the way angels were designed as creatures without
'flesh and blood', as immortal spirits.
Because they lack 'flesh and blood', they have only one death they receive if
they sin – they receive permanent death – an eternity in Hell. Now bear in mind
that to be redeemed, sinful creatures have to have God to arrange for a sinless
Somone to take their punishment in their place. The only way angels could be
redeemed from sin would be if that Someone - God's Son - were to endure
permanent separation from the God.
Such a permanent separation of the persons of the Holy Trinity would simply
fail to achieve the higher purpose that a sacrifice of atonement should
achieve. So this is why, as the author to the Hebrews writes, 'it is not angels
He helps, but children of Abraham.
I don't know if you've ever thought of physical death as having a higher
purpose, or even to be a beautiful design feature – but – in a way, it is! God
designed humans, uniquely among all His creatures, to be capable of not one,
but two deaths – a physical death that is temporary as well as the permanent
spiritual death that evil angels must receive.
These two deaths that humans can die, both physical death and eternal death
each have a certain respective finality, yet they are still not the same and it
is mercifully possible to experience the one, but not the other. The Bible says,
“Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each
one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown
into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if
anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the
lake of fire”. (Revelation 20:13-15)
You see, the design feature of two deaths, that humans have, gives us a
built-in advantage that is not only advantageous to us, but also to God, who
planned to use this feature he created - our 'flesh and blood' physical death
as the centrepiece of a grand demonstration of His love from the very creation
of our world.
I refer to the atoning sacrificial death of God’s son. For God demonstrated His
love for us in this way – that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”
(Romans 5.8).
As I've said, had humans been like the angels, with only a single kind of death
(the permanent kind), then for Christ to demonstrate His love for us by sparing
us the punishment that we deserved through the substitution of Himself for us
under the judgment of God, God’s Son would have to endure permanent separation
from His Father – hardly a practical option! But, because we are designed as
flesh and blood as well as spiritual beings and are capable of being punished
for sin with two kinds of death, Jesus could experience one of them (physical
death) and His demonstration would still serve its purpose.
Because Christ’s death successfully demonstrated that God was loving and
merciful enough to redeem sinners at tremendous cost, both humans and the holy
angels benefit enormously and God is permanently glorified as a direct result.
Humans benefit, because we can be forgiven our sins and be spared from eternal
death (a priceless benefit!).
God's holy angels also benefit, because through the redemption that is in
Christ Jesus, and only in that redemption they can now observe God, their
creator, showing mercy and forgiveness toward sinners without compromising His
perfect justice – something they could never have seen had humans never been
created, fallen into sin and been redeemed through the atoning sacrifice of
God’s Son.
And, ultimately God benefits, so to speak, because, as the result of what His
crucified and risen Son has done, both humans and angels can join together to
give Him endless praise for the perfect combination of righteousness and grace
that the redemption of humanity displays.
St. Paul wrote,
"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely
by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented
Him as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in His blood. He did this to
demonstrate His justice, because in His forbearance He had left the sins
committed beforehand unpunished - He did it to demonstrate His justice at the
present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith
in Jesus" (Romans 3.23-26).
As people who have been redeemed by the death of God's Son, it would be foolish
of us to fail to admire the design of physical death as God's way of showcasing
His love and mercy. Consider an historic bottle of brandy. Part of its design
is to have its cork removed and its contents poured out. How foolish it would
be for that bottle to resent it's "death". It was obviously designed to have
its cork removed and its contents poured out. Even after its first "death", the
brandy bottle would not have to have a second death (be trashed). It could live
forever in someone's permanent bottle collection.
Seeing physical death as part of a divine design almost rehabilitates it or at
least helps us recognize how being flesh and blood creatures who die serves a
higher purpose since it has served to showcase the surpassing love of God for
us sinners by the death and resurrection of Christ.
Meanwhile, as we constantly seek and receive the forgiveness Christ purchased
for us by His redeeming death, even our repentance service to give joy to the
angels. Imagine what the holy angels must make of a Divine Service of Holy
Communion, in which our flesh and blood Christ, delivers His forgiveness en
masse to repentant sinners by means of His flesh and blood in the Sacrament!
God seems to have designed us well to serve the higher purpose of demonstrating
the glory of His love and forgiveness.
'... Since all of these sons and daughters have flesh and blood, Jesus took on
flesh and blood to be like them. He did this so that by dying he would destroy
the one who had power over death (that is, the devil). In this way he would
free those who were slaves all their lives because they were afraid of dying.
So Jesus helps Abraham’s descendants rather than helping angels.
You see, our SALVATION may not have involved saving any fallen angels, but it
still is a grand demonstration to the angels, “to the rulers and authorities in
the heavenly places”, of God's gracious character and His willingness to pay a
tremendous price to show love and forgiveness toward sinners.
This makes sense to the holy angels. The angels get this. Do you? The angels
appreciated the design of human salvation before we were even created. Those
same angels that are our guardians who always behold the face of our Father in
Heaven (Matthew 18.10). Those angels who are sent to serve those who are
inheriting salvation (Hebrews 1.14). Those same angels watching the unfolding
of our lives and the working out of God’s plan to save us through the sacrifice
of His Son – the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world. Those
angels who rejoice in Heaven over the forgiveness of every sinner who repents.
St. Peter tells us that “angels long to look into these things” (1 Peter 1.12).
'Therefore (Jesus Christ) presented by His parents in the Temple, and acclaimed
as the promised Messiah by men and women whom the Holy Spirit had enlightened
to understand these things, 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.
Amen.
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