Identified by Christ
"Both the One who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters." -Hebrews 2:11
Last week I was asked the question that moved me so much that I've spent a lot of time meditating on the its truth, and what this verse above is really saying. The question was this: Why do you think Jesus is not ashamed to be of the same family with us? This is an interesting verse to compare against the verse that is quoted all the time of Jesus being ashamed of us before His Father(Luke 12:8). I've spent a lot of my life thinking Jesus is so ashamed of me, and wondering why He would even look my way again. Even now from time to time I try to hide from my God, my Maker, in my guilt and my shame...embarrassed in my sin...but He looks for me. Just like with our first parents in the garden, God came down even in their sin and sought them out. He's not ashamed, He's full of grace and love from the very beginning. Then God sent Jesus. This is the hope of the Christmas season! This is the full love of God in action. Sin breaks His heart, He wanted to make a way back to Himself. Jesus, the One who would make people holy by His blood so we could be sons and daughters, brothers and sisters. The Greek word for brothers and sisters is adelphoi, and refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family.
Now we are in the correct context to understand Luke 12:8 "I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God." The way it is presented a lot on email forwards and Facebook is if you ignore, and not forward Jesus will ignore you too, and be ashamed of you before Jesus. That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard in my life. The difference isn't, will I forward this and not be ashamed of Jesus that defines my relationship, much less that gives me a relationship with Him. He's not a god I'm trying to appease and work for His love. He is already appeased at me and my existence, He already loves me whether I want him to or not. The more important thing to look at is if God is your Father, and are you being made holy by Him? Forwarding an email or "liking" a picture or sharing a picture isn't going to save you, it isn't going to make God insecure either. I don't think we'll be judged on that either. He's more interested in what you are doing with His Son, Jesus. Do you accept Him as Savior? Are you willing to be identified with Him in His death, burial, and resurrection? In His suffering? The whole basis of Hebrews 2 is Jesus coming to Earth to identify and give aid to the seed of Abraham(that's us). He identified with us, so we could identify with Him.
Jesus is the Redeemer. Even Peter denied Jesus, not once but three times! But Jesus didn't leave Peter in his shame and guilt. It wasn't long after Jesus resurrected that He Redeemed Peter(John 21:15). A repentance of sorts which can make angels rejoice(Luke 15:10). Only when we have the same Father are we able to identify Jesus as brother. Jesus is not ashamed of us because we identify with Him, we who have accepted His blood sacrifice to cover our sins, it is as if His very blood courses through our bodies. If Jesus were ashamed He would be ashamed of Himself and the Father.
I would like to close with a poem a friend of mine wrote, taste the words...
God bless you as you seek Him:
Singing with Eve
Written by: Sandy Snavely
From the moment I saw
Temptation hanging from the tree,
My heart knew
That I would never be
The woman I had been before.
My naked self
Exposing
What my foolishness had done.
I tried in vain to cover it all
But the leaves were too small
And my sins were too great
To stay hidden from Your sight
I head you call my name
And so in fear I came
Poor, and sorry,
Full of shame.
In horror I watched You do
That unspeakable thing;
An unsuspecting lamb
Slain before my eyes
Its woolen coat stripped away
Wrapping me in love
That would remain
Beyond the Garden Gate
Until a better Lamb
Nailed to a better tree
Would come with willing heart
To die and cover me.
And here in the shadow
Of Eden's promise
I rejoice
And lift my voice
TO worship You
I am covered
I am clean
I am covered
I am seen
Undying Mercy
Unerring Grace
Unending Presence
Unblemished Face
Covers me.
O Holy Lamb
The I AM of who I am
Your love
Covers me
Last week I was asked the question that moved me so much that I've spent a lot of time meditating on the its truth, and what this verse above is really saying. The question was this: Why do you think Jesus is not ashamed to be of the same family with us? This is an interesting verse to compare against the verse that is quoted all the time of Jesus being ashamed of us before His Father(Luke 12:8). I've spent a lot of my life thinking Jesus is so ashamed of me, and wondering why He would even look my way again. Even now from time to time I try to hide from my God, my Maker, in my guilt and my shame...embarrassed in my sin...but He looks for me. Just like with our first parents in the garden, God came down even in their sin and sought them out. He's not ashamed, He's full of grace and love from the very beginning. Then God sent Jesus. This is the hope of the Christmas season! This is the full love of God in action. Sin breaks His heart, He wanted to make a way back to Himself. Jesus, the One who would make people holy by His blood so we could be sons and daughters, brothers and sisters. The Greek word for brothers and sisters is adelphoi, and refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family.
Now we are in the correct context to understand Luke 12:8 "I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God." The way it is presented a lot on email forwards and Facebook is if you ignore, and not forward Jesus will ignore you too, and be ashamed of you before Jesus. That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard in my life. The difference isn't, will I forward this and not be ashamed of Jesus that defines my relationship, much less that gives me a relationship with Him. He's not a god I'm trying to appease and work for His love. He is already appeased at me and my existence, He already loves me whether I want him to or not. The more important thing to look at is if God is your Father, and are you being made holy by Him? Forwarding an email or "liking" a picture or sharing a picture isn't going to save you, it isn't going to make God insecure either. I don't think we'll be judged on that either. He's more interested in what you are doing with His Son, Jesus. Do you accept Him as Savior? Are you willing to be identified with Him in His death, burial, and resurrection? In His suffering? The whole basis of Hebrews 2 is Jesus coming to Earth to identify and give aid to the seed of Abraham(that's us). He identified with us, so we could identify with Him.
Jesus is the Redeemer. Even Peter denied Jesus, not once but three times! But Jesus didn't leave Peter in his shame and guilt. It wasn't long after Jesus resurrected that He Redeemed Peter(John 21:15). A repentance of sorts which can make angels rejoice(Luke 15:10). Only when we have the same Father are we able to identify Jesus as brother. Jesus is not ashamed of us because we identify with Him, we who have accepted His blood sacrifice to cover our sins, it is as if His very blood courses through our bodies. If Jesus were ashamed He would be ashamed of Himself and the Father.
I would like to close with a poem a friend of mine wrote, taste the words...
God bless you as you seek Him:
Singing with Eve
Written by: Sandy Snavely
From the moment I saw
Temptation hanging from the tree,
My heart knew
That I would never be
The woman I had been before.
My naked self
Exposing
What my foolishness had done.
I tried in vain to cover it all
But the leaves were too small
And my sins were too great
To stay hidden from Your sight
I head you call my name
And so in fear I came
Poor, and sorry,
Full of shame.
In horror I watched You do
That unspeakable thing;
An unsuspecting lamb
Slain before my eyes
Its woolen coat stripped away
Wrapping me in love
That would remain
Beyond the Garden Gate
Until a better Lamb
Nailed to a better tree
Would come with willing heart
To die and cover me.
And here in the shadow
Of Eden's promise
I rejoice
And lift my voice
TO worship You
I am covered
I am clean
I am covered
I am seen
Undying Mercy
Unerring Grace
Unending Presence
Unblemished Face
Covers me.
O Holy Lamb
The I AM of who I am
Your love
Covers me
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