those who are tempted

"Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted." (Hebrews 2:17-18)

In these final verses of the second chapter of the epistle to the Hebrews, the author recalls the theme that resonates throughout chapter 2, that of the incarnation of Jesus Christ. As the writer is in various parts of the epistle deeply concerned with supporting the supremacy of Christ, we find that just as Jesus is "better than the angels" as the Son of God, so He remains supreme as the Son of Man; His incarnation in no way depreciates His nature (Hebrews 1:4). In verse 18 we find an additional argument to buttress the previous assertion of the absolute necessity of the incarnation, that is, we read that Jesus "had to be made like His brethren in all things" (2:17, emphasis added). In addition to the goal of "becom[ing] a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people," we now encounter the notion that Jesus' authentic temptation and suffering enables Him in a unique way to "come to the aid" of humanity, who is beset by constant temptations and, because of our fallen nature, without intrinsic capability to overcome such temptation(s) (2:18). Thus, these verses not only continue the major theme of chapter 2, they also recall the notion of Christ's suffering mentioned in verse 10, wherein the author states that God "perfect[ed] the author of [our] salvation through sufferings" while "bringing many sons [and daughters] to glory" (2:10). In the immediate (textual) context of these present verses, then, Hebrews highlights the incarnational reality of Jesus' being "made like His brethren in all things" and His ability to offer humanity enduring relief as a result of His demonstrating (and not mere willingness to demonstrate) His love toward us.
In order to establish the effectiveness of Christ's help for humanity and our temptations, what follows here will perhaps appear to be in reverse order. That is, instead of beginning with Christ's perfection, I will instead begin with humanity's dilemma, and this is done so as to avoid a basic error with regard to the nature and purpose of the temptations and sufferings of Christ. The error (that Jesus was Himself in need of perfection) as well as the essential truth (that Jesus is innately perfect and lived a perfect sinless life as a human) both stem from attempts at answering the same questions, namely a) How is it (i.e., in what manner was it) that Jesus was "made perfect" through sufferings?, and b) Did Jesus (need to) suffer for His own sake, or just for ours? Other passages in Hebrews seem to exacerbate our predicament, for although in chapter 1 the author lucidly and definitively argues for the deity of Christ, elsewhere the reader encounters statements such as "[Jesus] learned obedience from the things which He suffered," or "having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation" (5:8, 9). Are these real or apparent contradictions? And, if they are only apparent ones, how can we reconcile these truths in light of the eternality and immutability of Jesus that is evidenced in chapter 1?
So, as mentioned above, I will begin with humanity, with "those who are tempted." But what does it mean to be tempted? What type of temptations do we face, and how serious are they? And why are we in need of "aid" for temptation? (brief note/disclaimer: In this post, keep in mind that I will not be able to address sufficiently the semantic and theological issues regarding the differences and subtle nuances between 'tempt/temptation' and 'test/trial,' etc.) Consider the following excerpt from a recent book by Shirley Rose, who exhorts us to guard against a conceptualization of temptation that is too narrowly constrained on only one type of temptation[1]:

[W]hen most of us think about temptation, we immediately think about sexual temptation. And for good reason. Sexual immorality is rampant in our postmodern society, and it affects women as well as men. The allure of sexual sin must be taken seriously. However, it's not always about sex. Most women [and I'll add, many to most men] struggle with other temptations on a more regular basis. Left unchecked, these areas of temptation can lead to serious sins of the spirit. I propose there are other temptations women [and men] face in the day-to-day business of living that are just as lethal to a close, fulfilling relationship with God and a fruitful ministry. (Rose 2006:11, emphasis original)

Crucially, we must note three elements from this passage in regards to temptation. First, temptation by itself does not equal sin, though succumbing to temptation does lead to sin as we are "carried away and enticed by [our] own lusts" that "when [...] conceived, it gives birth to sin" and eventually "brings forth death" (James 1:14-15). As we read in Scriptures, Jesus Himself was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, and as Hebrews 2:17 states, "tempted in that which He suffered," but He completely overcame these temptations and lived a sinless life (therefore, temptation does not necessarily equal sin). Second, temptation that gives way to sin, because it is/becomes sin, ruptures the relational intimacy that God has granted between Himself and His children. Indeed, it stands as a barrier between God and humankind that only God Himself could destroy, and verily did so in the Person and work of Jesus. Still, if the purpose of God's creating humanity is to have fellowship/communion with Him, and sin consequently breaks that fellowship, then through Christ we have need to participate in His sinless life; thus He enables us to be in a relationship with God. Third, temptations are manifest in many aspects of our lives, including regular "day-to-day" experiences. Thus, these temptations can take many forms, in line with what Paul terms "the deeds of the flesh":

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

In light of these manifold actions and thoughts (along with how tragically commonplace they are in our lives), we recognize the desperate need we have for "aid" since, in and of ourselves, we lack the ability to propitiate for the sins that separate us from the living God, who Himself is our greatest joy. Moreover, we must take care that we guard ourselves from a wide array of temptations that are not exclusively tangible and material.
Apart from what we have just discussed, there are also "temptations" that are, to some degree or other, divinely ordained (though bear in mind James 1:13) with the ultimate goal of our good and God's glory (and, perhaps we might even say that all temptations may serve the ultimate purpose that we, in and through Christ, overcome them). Job is more or less the quintessential example of this, for early in the book we learn that the Adversary, despite being an enemy of God, necessarily has to request God's permission, and thus admit to God's authority, in order to assault Job with various ailments and trials. God, who remains sovereign and intrinsically possesses all authority, allows that Job suffer, for in His absolute benevolence He knows that it will produce a deep and abiding transformation as eventually (and by God's ability), Job moves from imperfection toward a greater perfection. Peter is yet another paradigmatic model of God's sovereignty in human temptation. Before Jesus went to be crucified, He poignantly declared to Peter:

Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers. (Luke 22:31-32)

Though Peter would deny Christ three times in the course of the evening, Jesus strengthened Him through His intercession, and even sought Peter to encourage Him after He rose from the dead and appeared to His disciples. Though the temptation was painful and even resulted in Peter's temporary denial of the Lord Jesus Christ, the product that resulted from overcoming temptation by the merits of Christ far outweighed and outlasted Peter's failings and shortcomings (note that, Peter did not overcome temptation in the original instance itself, but his life and death as a martyr are a testimony to his having overcome). Truly, as James, the brother of our Lord writes:

Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (James 1:12)

This "weight of glory," as C. S. Lewis argues in his famous sermon The Weight of Glory, is the approbation of God that culminates in the precious words "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21, 23, ESV; Lewis 2001). Still, we can only give glory and honor and praise to the great high priest who comes to give "aid" to "those who are tempted" (Hebrews 2:18, NASB). So, as with Job and with Peter, Satan received permission to bring about suffering and temptation. And, as with Job and Peter, the ability to overcome rested in the strength of God and of His Christ, evidenced, for example, by Jesus comforting Peter with the words "but I have prayed for you."
To further illustrate the importance and intention of transformation through divinely ordained temptation and suffering, allow me to share a hymn that I enjoy entitled I Asked the Lord (this was originally written by John Newton, and a beautiful remake is sung by Laura Taylor of Indelible Grace Music):

I asked the Lord that I might grow
In faith and love and every grace
Might more of His salvation know
And seek more earnestly His face

Twas He who taught me thus to pray
And He I trust has answered prayer
But it has been in such a way
As almost drove me to despair

I hoped that in some favored hour
At once He'd answer my request
And by His love's constraining power
Subdue my sins and give me rest

Instead of this He made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart
And let the angry powers of Hell
Assault my soul in every part

Yea more with His own hand He seemed
Intent to aggravate my woe
Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,
Cast out my feelings, laid me low

Lord why is this, I trembling cried
Wilt Thou pursue thy worm to death?
"Tis in this way" The Lord replied
"I answer prayer for grace and faith"

"These inward trials I employ
From self and pride to set thee free
And break thy schemes of earthly joy
That thou mayest seek thy all in me,
That thou mayest seek thy all in me."

Now, in the above hymn (and the aforementioned examples of Job and Peter) it is clear that suffering and trials can in many cases be, in a sense, divine incidences and circumstances that God utilizes to achieve sanctification. That is, as it is His goal to make us "partakers in the divine nature," God often disciplines us, which frequently takes the form of suffering and trials by means of temptation, "so that we may share in His holiness" (2 Peter 1:4; Hebrews 12:10). These latter examples of temptation are perhaps more similar to the explicit mentionings of the temptations of Christ in the Scriptures, for example when He was directed by the Holy Spirit to be tempted of Satan in the wilderness, or when He "was tempted in that which He [...] suffered" by His obedience to the divine will even unto His death on a cross (Matthew 4:1; Hebrews 2:18; Philippians 2:8; John 6:38). Yet, does this transformation that human beings experience through suffering and temptation extend to the Person of Christ, who was Himself both fully God and fully human? In other words, is transformation what it means for Christ to have been made "perfect [...] through sufferings" (2:10)?
What I wish to propose (though, of course this is no novel idea), and what I believe to be supported biblically, is that this type of transformation does not extend to Jesus, for He in no way moved from imperfection to perfection, as He is Himself divine and, in His incarnation wherein He became human, He was born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary - thus, free from original sin. As the writer of Hebrews later maintains, Jesus was tempted "as we are, yet without sin," so He retained sinlessness throughout His life on earth (4:15). Also, Jesus, the eternal high priest, is, according to Hebrews, "holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens" (7:26). If it is indeed proper to speak of "movement" in the type of perfection that Jesus as Son of Man attained, it would only be, from our temporal perspective, movement from incompletion to completion. Jesus' "perfection" in the sense of being made "perfect" through sufferings, relates to what I have alluded to in previous posts, namely, that Jesus was not merely willing to demonstrate His love, but that He demonstrates His love for us in a genuine incarnation, a genuine self-sacrifice, and a genuine resurrection. So, He is "made perfect" by His perfection and completion of the task set before Him - indeed, He "for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down [= completed work] at the right hand of the throne of God" (12:2). Therefore, our transformation and ability to overcome temptation is predicated upon His innate and proven ability to overcome sufferings and offer up Himself as a pure and spotless Lamb to God on our behalf. Without a genuine, incarnational means of overcoming sin and suffering, God would effectively be resigning His fallen creation, Himself, and His own power to the temporal, inferior power of the devil. Why? Because He would be admitting that the purpose for which we are created is an impossibility. But Jesus Christ not only renders it "possible," He ushers in a new reality predicated upon His own Person and work, and in and through Christ we are invited to participate.
The beautiful truth expressed in these verses is that Jesus' ability to condescend to our estate, taking our human nature upon Himself, in a unique and singular way completes Jesus' innate ability to come to our rescue and offer us aid in our distress. This theme is repeated a few chapters later in Hebrews, where it is written:

For we do not have a high priest that cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)

Our confidence to "draw near [...] to the throne of grace" is predicated upon the reality of Christ's incarnation, and the validity of His human experience, even while He fully retains His deity. Thus, He uniquely relates to humanity by His having been tempted, yet without sin, and He simultaneously offers to God perfect humanity in His own body. For this reason, for Jesus' willingness-cum-demonstration, and for His authentic temptation and suffering that characterizes His demonstration of love toward us, He can and does offer us the rescue that we need and long for.
What temptation(s) are we facing? It is never so great that Jesus has not already conquered it. In and of ourselves, we are utterly weak and helpless, but God is "our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1). Recall the intercession Jesus made on behalf of Peter; the same is available to us now, since Jesus "save[s] forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25). Though we be tempted, yet through the living Christ we are empowered to overcome temptation by the aid that He gives - the perfection of Himself. We only have need to be found in Him, and although we may think we have a firm grasp, it is He that holds us and makes us one with Him.

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Footnotes:
[1] To be honest here, I have not read this book entirely (though the first chapter is available to view online), which is rare for me with books/authors I quote. This particular book is, after all, one principally written to and for women, which is why I have included (i.e., added) "men" to the above quotation so that it applies (as I intend it) across gender. The quote referenced above I heard mentioned on a Christian radio program.

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References:
Lewis, C. S. (2001). The weight of glory. In The Weight of Glory: And Other Essays. New York, NY: HarperOne, 25-46. (Original work published 1949)

Rose, Shirley. (2006). The Eve Factor: Resisting and Overcoming Temptation. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.

I Asked the Lord is copyright (2004) of double v music.

merciful & faithful

"Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people." (Hebrews 2:17)

(note: this post comes closely on the tail end of a three part discussion of the incarnation of Christ; click here, here and here to read these posts)

One manner in which it can be beneficial to understand the truth and content of a particular state, or proposition, or event, or action, etc., is to consider the consequences of the same had it been another way. That is, we can (potentially) learn about reality by contemplating possible alternatives to that reality, whether they are or were indeed possible/actualizable or not. With that in mind, What would be the consequence of the following statement, if indeed it were true?

a. Jesus Christ was/is willing to offer Himself for the life of the world (but, He did not or has not yet done so)

Would this mere willingness-without-demonstration depreciate or augment the Christian gospel? Hopefully, it does not take any convincing to recognize that the former of these consequences would result, and not the latter. Narrowing closer on the present topic, that of the goal of the incarnation of Jesus, consider a second, but similar proposal, What would be the consequence of the following statement, if indeed it were true?

b. Jesus Christ was/is willing to become human for the sake of humanity and for the glory of God (but, He did not or has not yet done so)

The reason I here invoke these possible "alternative" circumstances (that are, of course, totally fabricated) relating to Christ's incarnation is so that we might understand more fully (to the extent that we are able) not just the reality, but also the necessity of Jesus becoming incarnate: "He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people" (Hebrews 2:17, emphasis added). The claim of Christianity is not just that it is a historical fact that a man named Jesus, who is called the Christ, lived on this earth and died for the sins of the world. It is much stronger than that. Christianity asserts, in conjunction with historical reality, that it was necessary for Jesus, who is the Christ, to become human, live a perfect and sinless life, suffer and die for the sins of the world, rise again on the third day to conquer death through death and ascend into heaven to be seated "at the right hand of the Majesty on high" (1:3). In a sense that we will explore below, Jesus was obligated to "partake" of the very "flesh and blood" that "the children [His brethren] share" (2:14).
But now we have introduced a notion that demands clarification, for, how can Jesus, being Himself God, be obligated towards anything? This can be answered in (at least) two ways. One response is to say that it is (although at first it may seem contrary to what I have just claimed) wholly correct to maintain that the Triune God, and all Persons of the Triune God, are not obligated to do anything. Obligations often come from something external to the self, and God is the only eternal Person who is entirely self-existent and, therefore, in no position to be obligated by His creation. For example, He created the universe and all that is out of complete freedom and love, and not out of any need or obligation. The only way in which God may be said to be properly obligated toward anything (though this statement needs careful consideration and perhaps refining) is that He is (self-)constrained by His own eternal nature. For example, we know from God's self-revelation to humankind that, among many other things, God is love, God is merciful, God is just, God is eternal, God is immutable, and God is holy. Perhaps, then, we may say that God is obligated to be love, to be merciful, to be just, immutable and holy. God is obligated in that He, in a sense, constrains Himself - He cannot be, for example, unholy.
This brings us to the second response to which it may be possible for any or all Persons of the Trinity to be obligated towards something. That is, given the exigencies of a particular situation, something could not be another way (and this, in turn, could relate to principles of God's creation that God instilled or embedded into it). So, for example, given that God created (among everything else) humanity, and that humanity not only disobeyed God, but also "ceased to be hungry for Him and for Him alone," perhaps it is necessary from these circumstances that God should enter into humanity in order to redeem us (Schmemman 1973:18). Thus, as the author of the epistle to the Hebrews writes, "[Jesus] had to be made like His brethren in all things" - it was absolutely necessary for Jesus to become incarnate. Still, now we are confronted with yet another dilemma, and we may ask, Why was it necessary? This is the point to which the author brings us, and this can be understood by reference to the aforementioned hypothetical situation, wherein Jesus possessed willingness to become human, but did not actually do so.
This question of "Why was it necessary?" in light of the possibility of mere willingness-without-demonstration takes us back to the beginning of creation, wherein the eternal, loving, omniscient, merciful, and holy Triune God created all things and then blessed them as being "good" (Genesis 1:1-31). Among the creation, humanity was also blessed with a unique position among the created realm, so that we who have been made in the image of God might enjoy His creation, returning it to Him in thanksgiving, communing with Him and enjoying Him forever (for which purpose we were created). Yet, although sin was not initially introduced into creation by humanity, Adam and Eve failed to see God as their all-sufficiency and thus disobeyed Him, transgressing against His loving words (which were for their good) and rupturing the intimacy and communion for which they had been created. As a result of this action, "sin entered the world, and death through sin" (Romans 5:12). Moreover, even until now, we actively participate in such rebellion universally (3:23).
Our sin, therefore, puts us in quite a singularly devastating predicament, whose effect is twofold. We cause(d) the separation that exists between ourselves and God, and, therefore, we (humanity) have the responsibility and (even individual) accountability to reconcile the rift we have created. Yet, paradoxically, we are not able, in and of ourselves, to draw near and reconcile ourselves to a holy God. Thus, our circumstance demands reparation and restoration that is initiated by us, but, simultaneously, we are now universally and individually in no position to effectualize the perfection in us that we so desperately need in order to fulfill the requirement that enables us to again commune with the divine. Communion, again, relates to the purpose of humanity in relation to the purposes of the divine will, and this intimacy with Him is what provides us with utter satisfaction and enjoyment, for we participate in a direct and meaningful relationship with the One who is above and before all things. Still, we are presently confronted with our complete helplessness.
How does God remedy this broken relationship? One possibility is that He perhaps grants automatic cleansing of sin and therefore there is no need for the incarnation. However, let us not even go so far as to say there is no need, for we can reject this proposition by treating a similar one, namely, that God (i.e., Jesus) was willing (but did not actually) become flesh and blood; instead, God enacts reconciliation without such drastic means and just offers reconciliation in a (seemingly) straightforward manner. At this point we might ask the question, Does this really remedy the problem? According to Hebrews 2:17, according to Christianity - and if these truly have their origin in God Himself then we may also be bold enough to declare, and according to God - this neither does nor could produce the salvation of which we (i.e., all of humanity) are in need.
According to Hebrews 2:17, the reason for this relates to the role of Christ as the "merciful and faithful high priest [...] to make propitiation for the sins of the people." Though we will return to the concept of high priest when we discuss various points in Hebrews 5-10, a basic "definition" that will be important to bear in mind is that "every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins" (5:1). Also important to the present verse and its mentioning of certain purposes of the incarnation is that Jesus "make[s] propitiation for sins" (2:17). And, though it seems quite obvious to state this, if there is an act of propitiation then there must first exist a need for that propitiation such that the particular act in question can alone offer satisfaction. This need was instantiated by the fall of Adam and Eve, which spread to all of humanity, and so brought death to all humanity. Sin causes separation between us and an all-holy God, and as He is holy and just we incur a just wrath that obligates satisfaction and appeasement for, being holy, God cannot ignore or overlook sin.
But this becomes the beautiful truth of the Christian gospel: God does not ignore sin. Even though we caused ourselves to be left in an utterly helpless estate, God is not so powerless nor is He without mercy and love that He allows us to remain without the highest good that we can possess: Himself. God, even though He is holy and pure (and, thus, not only sinless but not capable of sin) actually and directly initiates reconciliation on our behalf through Jesus Christ. As we consider the verse in Hebrews 2:17, and the truth of the incarnation and Christ's propitiatory sacrifice, we must contextualize these verses in the prior argumentation (especially chapter 1) wherein the writer definitively and unambiguously maintains the deity of Christ. Therefore, by God Himself condescending and taking our flesh and blood upon Himself, He effectively overcomes the seemingly impossible barrier that we have erected: God remains all-powerful, merciful, sovereign, holy, loving, and all-sufficient, yet by entering into humanity and offering Himself as a pure sacrifice He is able to fulfill the demand placed upon us as the result of our sin. The work that Christ came to do, the salvation that He Himself inaugurated, demanded a genuine incarnation wherein God dwelt among us in human flesh in order to, as we read later in Hebrews 9-10, offer up Himself as a perfect sacrifice for the life of the world. As a result, it is in no way arbitrary, nor is it for mere expediency that Christianity upholds the glorious truth of the incarnation which is (in part) treated in Hebrews 2:17. Rather, Jesus was, in this sense, obligated to become God incarnate: "He had to be made like His brethren in all things." Moreover, it is not truly possible that Christ merely desired or was willing to become incarnate without genuine action. For this reason:

God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through the Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. (Romans 5:8-11)

So we may say that it was absolutely necessary for Christ to become human, to offer Himself as a perfect sacrifice by blood that was His own, and to rise again so that He would, by way of humanity, conquer death that spreads to us all as a result of sin. In his death, the death which He verily died as a human, He reconciles us to God, overcoming the separation between us. And furthermore, in His resurrection, He invites us to experience communion with God in newness of life - life in Him and through Him.
At times it amazes me how wont people have been throughout history to deny the essential truths of the incarnation. Such activity usually focuses narrowly on only one aspect of the twofold truth expressed in the hypostatic union (the union of two natures in one Person, Jesus Christ). For example, some admit to the human Person of Christ, but deny any possibility that the divine could, say, co-mingle with fallen and sinful humanity. This may at times be in a supposed effort to preserve the holiness of God in His work of salvation, but it effectually renders Him passively operative by only having some degree of indirect involvement in salvific work. On the other hand, some admit to the deity of Christ but reject His having dwelt among us in physical, bodily form. This, too, may be in an effort to preserve some aspect of Christ's Person, namely His deity, but it fails in that it falsely conceptualizes God's relation to the physical world and the purposes He has for it through Jesus Christ. A biblical doctrine of the incarnation necessarily admits to the reality of the hypostatic union in spite of its mystery (or it may be better stated, because of its mystery), for it proclaims that someone other-than-human became clothed in human flesh. This Other Person was and could be no less than God Himself who became incarnate in holy condescension, so that it might be truly said that with God - who is holy, loving, just, merciful, and righteous - all things are indeed possible.

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References:
Schmemman, Alexander. (1973). For the Life of the World: Sacraments and Orthodoxy. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press. (Original work published 1963)

to the descendant of Abraham

"For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham." (Hebrews 2:16)

The comment in Hebrews 2:16 strenghtens the notion of who qualifies as the recipient of Christ's help, and comes on the tail end of the prededing discussion that relates to His incarnation. The structure can be broken down as follows:

1) Jesus was made "lower than the angels" so that He might "by the grace of God [...] taste death for everyone" (2:9-10)
2) Jesus refers to redeemed humanity ("those who are sanctified") as His "brethren" since He (the one "who sanctifies") shares in our (i.e., humanity's + God incarnate's) common origin (2:11-13)
3) Therefore, Jesus "partook" of human flesh & blood so that He might "through death [...] render powerless [...] the devil" and liberate humanity from the fear of death that enslaves us (2:14-15)

This short passage referenced above (Hebrews 2:9-15) can perhaps be viewed as an argument, with the first two points being premises and the third point serving as the conclusion. Taken as such, we can view verse 16 as further expounding upon and clarifying the conclusion of this single "argument." In it, we find a significant element as to not only the purpose of the incarnation, but also its scope (in terms of who Jesus came to "help"). The author makes plain that the work of Christ does not primarily pertain to the angelic hosts, but instead applies "to the descendant of Abraham." This brings us to a question that must be answered properly if we are to understand not only this passage, but, more broadly, God's plan of salvation through Jesus Christ.
Namely, this question is, Who is "the descendant of Abraham"? There is, first, a sense in which this phrase narrowly refers to those who may rightfully claim physical (i.e., biological) lineage, and Scripture abounds with such usage. But this scope is broadened to make available universal application by highlighting Him to whom Paul refers as the "seed" of Abraham. That is, Jesus Christ has enabled descendancy in Himself as being the one in whom the fulness of the promise to Abraham would be realized. In other words in Abraham through Christ "all the nations of the earth will be blessed" (Galatians 3:8-9; Genesis 12:1-3). Speaking to the Galatians regarding the "blessing of Abraham" that "in Christ Jesus" would "come to the Gentiles," he writes:

"Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as referring to many, but rather to one, 'And to your seed,' that is, Christ [...] For you are all sons [and daughters] of God through faith in Christ Jesus [...] And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to the promise." (3:16, 26, 29)

Therefore, we find that when taken as a coherent whole, Scripture gives witness to the centrality of Jesus Christ as the key figure through whom the Abrahamic blessing would be bestowed upon all of humanity. Yet, this does not mean that all are automatically "descendants of Abraham" by virtue of being human. Rather, a crucial restriction still holds; Christ fulfills the biological requirement, and we must be in Him in order for the promise to extend to and be realized in us. We are united to "Abraham, the believer" through faith in Christ and, consequently, share in the same inheritance by virtue of Christ and being found in Him (Galatians 3:9).
The extension of this phrase to all of humanity (that is, available to all, but applicable to those who believe) concords with what we have seen so far in this portion of the Epistle to the Hebrews. The whole of humanity has already been in focus prior to this: Christ became "lower than the angels" (i.e., human) so that "He might taste death for everyone" (Hebrews 2:9), "He who sanctifies" shares a common origin with "those who are sanctified" (2:11), and He partakes of "flesh and blood", which is a unifying factor for all of humanity. Thus, it is not surprising that the author in verse 16 makes a distinction between two broad types of entities in the created realm, that is, between the recipeints of Jesus' help and angels (as opposed to, say, making a distinction solely among human persons). The implication must be that the phrase "desendants of Abraham" be taken in broad scope.
St. John Chrsysostom (ad 347-407), Archbishop of Constantinople, expands on this theme in one of the earliest "commentaries" on Hebrews that exists in church history. In his 5th homily on the Epistle, Chrysostom preaches on the nature of Christ's pursuit of humanity by "taking hold" of our flesh and blood, and taking it upon Himself. This pursuit we ought, as believers, to wonder at in amazement if indeed we realize the humility and condescension that characterizes the incarnation of Jesus Christ who suffers everything in order to make us His own. Chrysostom writes that the author (whome he views as Paul):

"[W]ishing to show the great kindness of God towards man, and the Love which He had for the human race, after saying: 'Forasmuch then as the children were partakers of blood and flesh, He also Himself likewise took part of the same' (c. v. 14) — follows up the subject in this passage. For do not regard lightly what is spoken, nor think this merely a slight [matter], His taking on Him our flesh. He granted not this to Angels; 'For verily He taketh not hold of Angels, but of the seed of Abraham.' What is it that he saith? He took not on Him an Angel’s nature, but man’s. But what is 'He taketh hold of'? He did not (he means) grasp that nature, which belongs to Angels, but ours. But why did he not say, 'He took on Him,' but [instead] used this expression, 'He taketh hold of'? It is derived from the figure of persons pursuing those who turn away from them, and doing everything to overtake them as they flee, and to take hold of them as they are bounding away. For when human nature was fleeing from Him, and fleeing far away (for we 'were far off' — Eph. ii. 13), He pursued after and overtook us. He showed that He has done this only out of kindness, and love, and tender care. As then when he saith, 'Are [the angels] not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation' (c. i. 14) — he shows His extreme interest in behalf of human nature, and that God makes great account of it, so also in this place he sets it forth much more by a comparison, for he says, 'He taketh not hold of angels.' For in very deed it is a great and a wonderful thing, and full of amazement that our flesh should sit on high, and be adored by Angels and Archangels, by the Cherubim and the Seraphim. For myself having oftentimes thought upon this, I am amazed at it, and imagine to myself great things concerning the human race. For I see that the introductions are great and splendid, and that God has great zeal on behalf of our nature." (Homily V, I Schaff 2004:388)

Since Christ uniquely pursued humanity and "took hold" of our nature, we, in return, inhabit a unique position from which to praise God, offering Him thanksgiving as the recipients of His redemption through the God-man, Jesus Christ. About 1400 years later, John Newton (ad 1725-1807) would write a hymn touching upon this same theme, which still exhorts and encourages us today to uniquely worship the Lamb who was slain for both who He is and what He has done, "for our sake and for our salvation":

Now let us join with hearts and tongues,
And emulate the angels’ songs;
Yea, sinners may address their King
In songs that angels cannot sing.

They praise the Lamb Who once was slain,
But we can add a higher strain;
Not only say, “He suffered thus,”
But that He suffered all for us.

When angels by transgression fell,
Justice consigned them all to hell;
But mercy formed a wondrous plan,
To save and honor fallen man.

Jesus, who passed the angels by,
Assumed our flesh to bleed and die;
And still He makes it His abode,
As man, He fills the throne of God.

Our next of kin, our Brother now,
Is He to Whom the angels bow;
They join with us to praise His Name,
But we the nearest interest claim.

But ah! how faint our praises rise!
Sure, ’tis the wonder of the skies;
That we, who share His richest love,
So cold and unconcerned should prove.

O glorious hour, it comes with speed
When we from sin and darkness freed,
Shall see the God Who died for man,
And praise Him more than angels can
(Now Let Us Join with Hearts and Tongues, from Olney Hymns [written together with William Cowper])

May we join with the saints and angels in that wonderful activity which will forever and willingly occupy our attention and pervade all of our being - praise to the Lord Jesus Christ, to the eternal glory of the Triune God.
_______
References:
Schaff, Philip (Ed.). (2004). Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Volume 14, Saint Chrysostom: Homilies on the Gospel of Saint John and the Epistle to the Hebrews. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson. (Original work published 1889)

the priesthood of all believers (de incarnatione, pt. 3/3)

"Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives." (Hebrews 2:14-15)

If you've been following along with previous posts (or if you just read this post's title), you've noted that this is the third and closing comments de incarnatione[1] ("on the incarnation") of Jesus as mentioned in Hebrews 2:14-15. Previously, we discussed a holistic approach to the Person and work of Christ in a way that unites, for example, the incarnation and its purpose to His passion, death, and resurrection. In the second post in this "series," we looked at the incarnation from the aspect of the kenosis, and the humility with which Jesus "emptied Himself" in order to become part of creation by entering into humanity as one of humanity, so that He might voluntarily offer Himself as the sacrifice for the life of the world (Philippians 2:7). In each of these, we (hopefully) retained the theme present in Hebrews 2:14-15, wherein it is evident that Jesus, to use St. John's language, "tabernacled" among us so that "through death" He might conquer death (and him who had "power of death") in order to set humanity free and grant us life in Him (John 1:14; Hebrews 2:14-15). In this third and final post, I would like to take a slightly different approach to discussing the incarnation while continuing to expound upon this latter theme, though in a somewhat indirect manner.
What I would like to do is consider the incarnation in light of Alexander Schmemann's argument(s) set forth in For the Life of the World in order to view part of humankind's transformative restoration by Christ Himself with regard to His becoming man in order to conquer death and hell. Before I delve into this topic, I feel obligated to offer some type of explanation for my motive, as well as a disclaimer. First, I was introduced to this particular book (and to Schmemann, in general) by and Orthodox friend of mine who, along with me and another friend, started an informal book club for the summer. We each selected texts to bring to the table, and this was his. In my opinion, this is excellent reading regardless of one's theological standpoints. This, then, brings me to my disclaimer: I am not Orthodox, nor am I attempting to "represent" Orthodoxy. In fact, I will most likely misrepresent Orthodoxy, since I will be taking what I see as true from this book and applying it within a Protestant perspective, and one that does not view the traditional liturgy as either (necessarily) essential for the Christian life or as the primary means by which we realize communion with Christ (or, more properly, the means by which Christ realizes communion with us in light of His incarnation,death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven). Consequently, though this is not my intention, I may disappoint the Orthodox reader by applying Schmemman's arguments to a broader scope to be realized outside of the liturgy, since I am going against his argument in this respect. Additionally, I may or may not disappoint Protestants because of the emphasis on Orthodoxy. Still, I hope that the reader will find value in this discussion despite these potential weaknesses. If anything, may the reader at least grant that I am being honest and transparent in my own biases. With that, I now turn to Schmemann's text, knowing that I cannot do it full justice. Still, perhaps the reader will be drawn to the source.
The constant theme that resonates through For the Life of the World is that modern Christians have uncritically assumed a reductionist framework of "religion" that forces us toward one of two options: either the spiritual/sacred/supernatural or the material/profane/natural. Yet, Schmemann urges us to consider that this is ultimately both a false dichotomy and a false dilemma. To stress this, he introduces us to a concept that may seem cliche to us now, namely, that "Man is what he eats" (Schmemman 1977:14). Schmemann essentially considers this view to be biblically grounded:

"But the Bible, we have seen, also begins with man as a hungry being, with the man who is that which he eats. The perspective, however, is wholly different [than that of material and spiritual opposition], for nowhere in the Bible do we find the dichotomies which for us are the self-evident framework of all approaches to religion. In the Bible the food that man eats, the world of which he must partake in order to live, is given to him by God, and it is given as communion with God. The world as man's food is not something 'material' and limited to material functions, thus different from, and opposed to, the specifically 'spiritual' functions by which man is related to God. All that exists is God's gift to man, to make man's life communion with God. It is divine love made food, made life for man. God blesses everything He creates, and, in biblical language, this means that He makes all creation the sign and means of His presence and wisdom, love and revelation: 'O taste and see that the Lord is good.'" (14)

Additionally, man is not to find the satisfaction for his hunger in the world as an end to itself (as secularism might advocate), but instead humanity at its core is worshipful: "'Homo sapiens,' 'homo faber'...yes, but, first of all, 'homo adorans.' The first, the basic definition of man is that he is the priest" (15). Humanity has an inherent need to worship God in order to know "the meaning of the thirst and hunger that constitutes his life." God gives, in a sense, the world to humanity, and humanity, in their proper role, offers it to God as a eucharistic sacrament.
What purpose does the incarnation of Christ have to do with all of this? In order to understand this aspect, we must first realize that we live in a fallen world, marred by the devastating consequences of sin, for "the wages of sin is death" (17; see Romans 6:23a). Significantly, though, for Schmemann disobedience is not itself the principal characteristic of the fall and cause of our great loss. Instead, humankind rejects love because it is "not easy" (16). That is, "Man has loved the world as an end in itself and not as transparent to God," and thus we "experience the world as opaque," resulting in a non-eucharistic life that does not return God's love in thanksgiving. Since we treated the world itself as sufficiently telic, we lose the sense of depending on the world in order "to be transformed constantly into communion with God in whom is in all life" (17). Schmemann continues,

"Man was to be the priest of a eucharist, offering the world to God, and in this offering he was to receive the gift of life. But in the fallen world man does not have the priestly power to do this. His dependence on the world becomes a closed circuit, and his love is deviated from its true direction [...] When we see the world as an end in itself, everything becomes itself a value and consequently loses all value, because only in God is found the meaning (value) of everything, and the world is meaningful only when it is the 'sacrament' of God's presence [...] For 'the wages of sin is death.' The life man chose was only the appearance of life. God showed him that he himself had decided to eat bread in a way that would simply return him to the ground from which both he and the bread had been taken: 'For dust thou art and into dust shalt thou return.' Man lost the euharistic life, he lost the life of life itself, the power to transform it into Life. He ceased to be the priest of the world and became its slave."

As a result of humanity's choice to not see God as all in all, which is a significant and crowning purpose of Christ's work (see 1 Corinthians 15:28), humanity chose a distorted "appearance of life" that resulted in death. And this death inhibits us from, as Schmemann puts it, fulfilling the priestly role for which we as homo adorans were created.
This state of death and need, of helplessness and failure on our part, is exactly what makes necessary the incarnation of the God-man, Jesus Christ. With all that we have said in mind, we are now prepared to return once again to our text in Hebrews:

"Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives." (Hebrews 2:14-15)

Jesus overcomes our despairing state and fulfills, through complete and eternal perfection, the eucharistic and priestly offering that we cannot. While we chose not to return God's love, Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, indeed returned God's love (see John 3:35; 5:20; 14:31a; 17:26) in pure obedience, and so has seated "at the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Hebrews 1:3). In the context of our discussion, one element that Jesus achieves for us by partaking of "flesh and blood" in order to conquer death and the devil so as to set us free from our "slavery" is a transformation by which he redeems us to be a "holy priestood." So, St. Peter writes, "you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood" (1 Peter 2:5). And how do we enter into this priesthood? On what or whom is our priesthood established? Peter deliberately notes prior to this verse that it is in "coming to Him," that is, to Jesus, that we are "built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (2:4a, 5, emphasis added).
It is, therefore, exclusively in Christ that we encounter the fulness of life as we now see everything as a means of communion with God as not only our hearts but all of our beings overflow with eucharistic thanksgiving to God. Not surprisingly, then, St. Paul encourages the believers in Ephesus that they be "filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks (eucharisteo) for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father" (Ephesians 5:19-20, emphasis added; see also Colossians 3:15-16).
Let me close by reintroducing one final thought. Those that are familiar with the passage referred to in 1 Peter will note that it, too, is introduced by the theme of humanity's hunger which Schmemann addresses. For, Peter writes, "long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord" (1 Peter 2:2-3, emphasis added). The wording is quite reminiscent of Schmemann's invocation of the psalms wherein we are given the invitation to "taste and see that the LORD is good" (Psalm 34:8). And, I hope that I will not be doing injustice to the text (for I really do not believe that what I am about to say regarding the play on words was necessarily intentional from the writer's standpoint) by noting that Christ "partook" of our "flesh and blood" (what we as human's commonly share) so that He might "taste" death on our behalf and "through death" conquer it. So, it is in Him that we find satiation for our want of food. For, He offers us to "taste" of His body and blood and "see" that the LORD is indeed very good. So Jesus extends an offer to find life in Him (note the incarnational references in this text!):

"I am the bread of life; he who comes to me will not hunger, and he who believes in me will never thirst [...] I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is my flesh [...] Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father has sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, will also live because of Me." (John 6: 35, 51-57)

"O taste and see that the LORD is good!"
_________
Footnotes:
[1] The title for this brief series alludes to a (and perhaps the) foundational work by St. Athanasius in the 4th century entitled De Incarnatione Verbi Dei ('On the Incarnation of the Word of God'). This is included in Schaff's famous volumes on the Church Fathers, but an online version (from a different translator) can be accessed here.

_________
References:
Schmemann, Alexander. (1973). For the Life of the World: Sacraments and Orthodoxy, 2nd Ed. Crestwood, NY: St. Valadimir's Seminary Press. (Original work published 1963)

the form of a servant (de incarnatione, pt. 2/3)

"Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives." (Hebrews 2:14-15)

Given the holistic approach/emphasis we just discussed to the Person and work of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, we are better equipped to understand the goal of the incarnation mentioned in Hebrews 2:14 (the initial discussion can be found here). Namely, Jesus uniquely entered into humanity by partaking of our common and shared heritage, being made of flesh and blood, and He did so (in part) with the goal of liberating us from the fear of death that debilitatingly enslaves us and destroys our communion/fellowship with God. And He did so by becoming incarnate, by becoming fully human, so that He might conquer death through death to remain ever victorious in His resurrection and ascension. Yet, in this singular event of the incarnation, we witness unmatched humility as we realize that one of the uncreated Persons of the infinite and eternal Triune Godhead did indeed stoop so low as to, "for our sake and for our salvation", become created, inhabiting finitude and mortality, though this was in no way to the depreciation of His divinity. One of the most beautiful images of this condescension and humility is found in John 13. Jesus is with His disciples (including His betrayer, Judas) sharing their final meal together before He inaugurates the New Covenant with His own body and blood:

"Now, before the Feast of Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them until the end. During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded." (John 13:1-5)

This manifestation of servitude is a true expression of the essence of the humility and meekness that marks a key element in the doctrine of the incarnation and Self-voluntary death of Christ, who "did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45). And this example has become, or should become, our expectation, as it is this servanthood to which we are called (see John 13:13-17). Similarly, we find an exhortation to follow Christ's humble example in Paul's letter to the Philippians:

"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others." (Philippians 2:3-4)

Upon what authority is this exhortation given? Is it merely the authority of the Apostle Paul? No, for its authoritativenes (and immediacy for our own lives) is founded upon the very principles of the incarnation and voluntary Self-offering of our great and perfect example embodied in human flesh, Jesus Christ, which are mentioned in Hebrews 2:14-15. Accordingly, Paul continues his exhortation by saying:

"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:5-8, emphasis added)

Again, "the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28). This service is evidenced by Jesus' partaking of that which we humans share - flesh and blood - in holy condescension, with the goal that He would definitively trample down death by death in order to raise us to new life. This is the "attitude," as Paul puts it, that God desires to be in us through the power of His risen Son who leads us in perfect humility.

a holistic approach to the Person and work of Jesus (de incarnatione, pt. 1/3)

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. (Hebrews 2:14-15)

When we read the Gospels, it is quite remarkable to view the perspective that each writer provides concerning the Person and work of our Savior, Jesus Christ, as they join together as a coherent whole in beautiful harmony. Nevertheless, while they are complete in the sense that they supply all we need to know about Jesus, they are not "complete" in the sense that they provide a minute-by-minute detail of Jesus' life from the moment He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary, until His appearances to the disciples post-resurrection. With that in mind, it is important that we attune ourselves to what is said, rather than fancy ourselves about what is silent, as the words preserved in Scripture are "inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16). That which we encounter in Scripture is written for a purpose, and since we are dealing with part of God's self-revelation, it is paramount for us to bear in mind what it is that God is revealing about His Person and work, say, in a particular passage, when we seek to derive meaning, wisdom, and understanding.
Now, if I am successful, I will make apparent that I, too, have a purpose in bringing these points up here. Briefly comparing the introductory accounts of all four Gospels, we find essentially the following sequences for each book (in very broad and simplistic categories):

-Matthew: 1) Jesus' Genealogy, 2) Jesus' Birth, 3) Jesus' baptism, 4) Jesus' temptation in the wilderness...
-Mark: 1) Jesus' baptism, 2) Jesus' calling of His disciples...
-Luke: 1) Jesus' Genealogy, 2) Jesus' birth, 3) Jesus' baptism, 4) Jesus' temptation in the wilderness...
-John: 1) Jesus' eternal nature, 2) Jesus' incarnation, 3) Jesus' baptism, 4) Jesus' calling of His disciples...

After Jesus' birth, barring minimal exceptions (for example, Luke 2:40-52), we know virtually nothing of Christ until His baptism, which is immediately followed by His temptation in the wilderness. Further questions arise, questions such as: Why are these events so closely associated in the Gospels? Why did the Holy Spirit lead Jesus to be tempted by Satan? How could Satan validly offer to Jesus "the kingdoms of this world and their glory" (Matthew 4:8-9). In Hebrews 2:14-15, the writer conjoins two themes that are often (mistakenly) viewed as related only tangentially. Namely, the author alludes to Jesus' incarnation (in that He partook of humanities' flesh & blood) as corresponding to His death and resurrection, along with the principal figure Jesus defeated through death, Satan ("that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death"). If we look back to the Gospels, however, we find that these themes are in no way unrelated. That is, and while there is not room here to discuss the importance of differences between each account in terms of scope and focus, Matthew and Luke both notably position the event of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness by Satan in relative nearness to the event of Jesus' incarnation or birth (only His baptismal account interrupts an immediate juxtaposition). The temptation of Jesus by Satan brings to mind Jesus' death because the cross of Christ, His passion, death, and resurrection, is the pivotal point wherein Jesus definitively "bruised the head" of the serpent by overcoming death through death. The questions I wish to introduce, then, is why, out of all the possible events to begin speaking of Jesus' life after He was born a man and partook of flesh and blood, do these gospel writers start with Jesus' baptism and temptation? What is God revealing about Himself in the relationship between the incarnation and Jesus' death and resurrection? The answers to these questions are, in part, touched on in our present verses in Hebrews, again repeated here:

"Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives." (Hebrews 2:14-15)

In short, we may (to our great detriment) lose sight of the unity of Christ's work, along with its scope and aim, when we dissect it into neat, but seemingly unrelated categories (e.g., category 1 = incarnation, category 2 = miracles, category 3 = crucifixion, etc.). Before coming across as hypocritical, these "categories" are indeed important; still, when we treat one, we must bear in mind its relatedness to the others, so that we are continually reminded of Christ's Person and work as holistic. Accordingly, in Hebrews 2, the writer expects of the reader to understand the connection between Jesus' incarnation and His death, wherein He effected our freedom from the "slavery" of sin and death - so-called "powers" that no longer have hold for those who are in Christ, "being", as Paul writes, "conformed to His death" (Philippians 3:10).
In Jesus' partaking of "flesh and blood", that is, in the incarnation, we encounter the embodiment of Jesus the eternal Word of God in human flesh without suffering any loss of His divine nature (see the post on hypostasis for more on this topic). Through the work that was only in a loose sense "begun" in the incarnation, Jesus initiates the effecting of a new creation upon His own creation. As St. Athanasius famously writes, "the renewal of the creation has been the work of the Self-same Word Who made it in the beginning" (De Incarnatione Verbi Dei "On the Incarnation of the Word of God", II, in Schaff & Wace 2004a:36). The goodness of creation, though still extant, was disturbed by the entrance of sin in the fallen angel that deceived Adam and Eve, through whom death passes to all humankind. Yet in all this, our sovereign and omniscient God was never without a plan, and that "plan" was the Person and work of Jesus Christ who would become God incarnate "in order to destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8). This is the purpose, according to St. John, for which "[t]he Son of God appeared."
It should, therefore, no longer be surprising to see the conjunction of the birth of Christ with the temptation of Christ in the wilderness, wherein Christ overcame Satan. And while Satan "left [Jesus] until an opportune time," Jesus totally conquered Satan, along with death and hell, through the cross, upon which He died in order to rise again (Luke 4:13). So the incarnation is intimately associated with His having "rendered powerless" the devil. Of course, what I'm writing is in no way novel, and we find expressions of this notion today in predicating about Jesus that He was "born to die that I might live." John Behr evidences the connection between, as he puts it, "the tomb and the womb" in the early Christian writings of Bishop Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-430) and St. Ephrem the Syrian (AD 306-373) (Behr 2006:134). For example, in one of St. Ephrem's hymns we read:


"But in Thy Resurrection Thou persuadest them concerning Thy Birth; since the womb was sealed, and the sepulchre closed up; being alike pure in the womb, and living in the sepulchre. The womb and the sepulchre being sealed were witnesses unto Thee.
The belly and hell cried aloud of Thy Birth and Thy Resurrection: The belly conceived Thee, which was sealed; hell brought Thee forth which was closed up. Not after nature did either the belly conceive Thee, or hell give Thee up!" (Hymns on the Nativity, VIII, in Schaff & Wace 2004:241)

And again:

1. Adam sinned and earned all sorrows;
likewise the world after his example, all guilt.
And instead of considering how it should be restored,
considered how its fall should be pleasant for it.
Glory to Him Who came and restored it!

2. This cause summoned Him that is pure,
that He should come and be baptized,
even He with the defiled,
Heaven for His glory was rent asunder.
That the purifier of all might be baptized with all,
He came down and sanctified the water for our baptism.

3. For that cause for which He entered into the womb,
for the same cause He went down into the river.
For that cause for which He entered into the grave,
for the same cause He makes us enter into His chamber.
He perfected mankind for every cause.

4. His Conception is the store of our blessings;
His Birth is the treasury of our joys;
His Baptism is the cause of our pardon;
His death is the cause of our life.
Death He alone has overcome in His Resurrection.

9. His Birth flowed on and was joined to His Baptism;
and His Baptism flowed on even to His Death;
His Death led and reached to His Resurrection,
a fourfould bridge unto His Kingdom; and lo!
His sheep pass over in His footsteps. (Hymns for the Feast of the Epiphany, X.1-4, 9, in Schaff & Wace 2004:280)

Christ, then, in His incarnation and death, but also His baptism, resurrection, and ascension, along with the life that He now lives, destroyed the power of Sheol and the power granted to the devil through the fall of humankind. Indeed, "His death is the cause of our life" and "He alone" "has overcome" death through death "in His Resurrection as "the gates of Hell" could neither keep Him out nor keep Him in. And as He is alive, so He has made us "alive together with Him," as Paul writes to the believers in Collosae:

"When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him" (Colossians 2:13-15, emphasis added)

Still, while there is a clear and lucid finality to what Jesus has accomplished, there is, from our perspective governed by the creation of time an anticipation of the full realization of what Jesus has completed and made effectual. For this reason, we on the earth still wrestle with the "rulers and authorities" that Jesus Himself "disarmed" and triumphed over. But although we do not fully experience release from this "struggle," we are to be encouraged in Christ to:

"Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God" (Ephesians 6:11-13a).

Furthermore, while we are still called to suffer in the flesh in accordance to the example that Christ provided for us (1 Peter 2:21), we cannot help but affirm in our tribulations:

"Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? [...] But in all things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:35, 37). And how did He "who loved us" demonstrate that love? St. John records the words of Jesus Himself with regard to this question: "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). Jesus, the eternal Word of God, took upon Himself our nature, being born of flesh and blood by the Virgin Mary so that He could not only call us friends, but demonstrate and forever prove that love and friendship by paying the penalty for our sins and conquering death through death. God "manifests" His love for us in that He "has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him" (1 John 4:9). That entrance into the world was through the incarnation; the life that we have through Him was wrought by Jesus in His death and resurrection, so that death and fear of death no longer holds us as its slaves. And so Paul continues, "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39).

By Jesus' having "part[aken] of the same [flesh and blood as humanity], that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives," He has granted and enabled for us both an individual/ecclesial and a universal/cosmic vision. With regard to the individual/ecclesial, we say with Paul:

"Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! [...] Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 7:24-25; 8:1-2, emphasis added).

And, with regard to the universal/cosmic, we see with John that:

"The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever" (Revelation 11:15). Amen, and amen!

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References:
Behr, John. (2006). The Mystery of Christ: Life in Death. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press.
Schaff, P. and Wace, H. (Eds.). (2004). Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 4, St. Athanasius: Select Works and Letters. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson. (Original work published 1892)
Schaff, P., and Wace, H. (Eds.). (2004). Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 13, Part II: Gregory the Great, Ephraim Syrus, Aphrahat: Second Series. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson. (Original work published 1898)

Icon of the Resurrection copyright Marie Lavie, and courtesy of www.greek-icons.org.