Hebrews 2:14-15

It's been two weeks into the Advent season and I've really been enjoying going through the short devotionals that John Piper releases on his app - by spacing out my regular devotions and his short excerpts throughout my day I think it has made me more aware of Christ; though I do hope that I would continue to grow in longing and expectation for his (second) return. There were many lessons that stood out, but the devotional I read through on Friday stood out to me because it pushed me one step further to embrace and fully wrap my head around the Gospel all the more, linking a few more fragmented pieces to the entirety of the good news.

"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."

- Hebrews 2:14-15

Piper uses and looks at these two verses to give a greater and broader perspective on Christmas; how it connects the beginning and birth of Christ, to the end of Jesus' first coming. There's so much within these two verses that were revealed to me that morning.

"since therefore the children share in flesh and blood he himself likewise partook of the same things [flesh and blood]"

In this section of the statement, "children" is in reference to the children of God, those who are born of God, those who are believers and followers of the LORD. And because of His children, God came in both flesh and blood as fully man and fully God to this earth, for the people of the world, but more specifically for his children. Piper puts it this way, "it is true that "God so loved the world, that he sent [Jesus]." But it is also true that God was especially "gathering the children of God who were scattered abroad" (John 11:52). God's design was the offer Christ to the world, and to effect the salvation of his "children" (1 Timothy 4:10)." God's plan had us in mind all along, and He considered us - feeble, weak and faithless people, so that we could be reconciled to Him through His Son. 

"that through death"

Christ came to die. That was his purpose, being a human man while also being God - He came to die for both you and I. Good Friday is the reason for Christmas. 

"he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is the devil..."

I think i've always had these pieces floating around in my mind - how did the death on the cross destroy the devil, how are we freed from sin through shedding of blood, how are we cleansed with his blood etc... I knew all these things because that's what I was told all my life, but it never fully clicked until I read this devotional. 

The devil is being destroyed as Christ's death covers our sins - the devil being fully destroyed upon Christ's second coming - our sin is Satan's weapon on us, but through the death of Christ, the blood of Christ justifies us, and we are made righteous before God - forgiven, sin is no more, and thus the devil cannot use it against us! 

"and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery."

Sin leads to death, and because Christ takes upon our sin on the cross, we are no longer walking down a path that leads to death, but rather a path that leads to life and righteousness, we are freed from being slaves to sin, and are now slaves to righteousness, free to true joy in the LORD.

It's mind boggling to think how much God loves us, and I continue to pray that He would overwhelm me with recognizing his immense and lavishing love for me - how He considered us in our sinfulness and how He designs an almighty and wondrous plan for us so that we can be called His people and He can be called our God. God is good, so good. 

So as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ this Christmas, may we not forget the greater scheme of things - the purpose behind his birth - so that He would die for us, be raised to life, defeating sin, death and therefore giving us life, God's outpour of love on His children, and the freedom that this brings us!