Jesus is one of us! Our first reading proclaims this perhaps surprising and even shocking message. Jesus, the Son of God, is one of us, our “flesh and blood.” He shared not only the life that every human experiences but also, the death from which no one can escape: Hebrews states: “Since the children share in blood and Flesh, Jesus likewise shared in them…” The difference with Jesus is that “through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is the Devil.” Jesus’ death destroys the power of Sin and death.
Jesus is one of us! He knows and has experienced first-hand the joys and sorrows of human life. This personal experience makes him compassionate: “he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every way, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God.” Jesus experienced temptation like all of us and this experience makes him an understanding and compassionate minister or high priest. Unlike us Jesus did not give into temptation and sin: “we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15). Hebrews makes the key point that since Jesus is both fully human and fully divine, he not only destroyed “the one who has the power of death” but was also a merciful and faithful high priest before God to expiate the sins of the people.” Jesus removes (“expiates”) the power or harmful effects of Sin.
Paul in his Letter to the Romans states that true freedom is only possible when we are freed from the power of Sin:
“But thanks be to God that, although you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient from the heart to the pattern of teaching to which you were entrusted. Freed from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness.” (Romans 6:18-19).
Jesus frees us from the power of Sin and the Devil so that we are now “slaves of righteousness” or servants of God. When we do God’s will we are truly free because that is what we truly want to do in our hearts of hearts since we have been created in God’s image and likeness. Jesus is one of us! He shows us the way to live truly free lives. It is by striving to do God’s will each day as Jesus himself showed us by his own fully human life.
Image: “Alexander honours the Jewish high-priest Jadus” is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0.