Terry Storch

Writing about life, leadership, faith, and anything else I find interesting.

Hebrews 2: 5-18 - Set Free

 

Hebrews 2: 5-18 - Set Free

I love watching good magicians; they are fascinating. Seeing Harry Houdini escape from death-defying situations is awesome! Netflix has an original series called Magic for Humans, where Justin Willman will blow your mind with his street magic. So much fun to watch. 

There is something about these passages of text from the writer of Hebrews that got me thinking about magicians. The ability to escape just about anything, the ability to become free, and get out of certain death. The train barreling down the tracks headed right for the magician that was chained up in a straight jacket and locked in a wooden box and somehow escaped right at the last second before the train plows through the box. The great magicians escape death and live another day. Now, we know this is sleight of hand, tricks, escape hatches, and even camera editing to make it all look a certain way. Magic is, well...not really that magical. Sorry to burst your bubble. 

Here in Hebrews, we read about something that is out of this world; it’s genuinely the death-defying escape. For this to all come together and make sense, the author of Hebrews must continue to press into the Fully Human nature of Jesus. 

“But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.” - ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭2:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

If you recall, in Hebrews 1, we heard over and over that Jesus was greater than the angels. But here we read that Jesus was made lower than the angels. This text goes on and says for a little while...just while he suffered death, death for EVERYONE! Jesus, who was fully human, fully man, died to set a new path, set a way for us to experience God. You see, Jesus' death on the cross gave us freedom, we have been given the escape hatch, the universal key, the ability to exit the death trap of our lives. 

“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” - ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭2:14-15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We read here, we are the children with the flesh and blood. Jesus shared in our humanity, Jesus walked though everything we could ever experience. Jesus walked through the worst of the worst, suffered significant loss, torture, persecution, hunger, shame, anything you or I have ever experienced, Jesus walked through it - and did not sin. Why is this important? Check out the next part of the verse, by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

This is the gospel, and this is the good news. Yes, because of Jesus, we get to live eternally in heaven, but there is SO MUCH MORE to following Christ than a get into heaven punch card. By Jesus' death, we have been set free from our bondage, free from our slavery to sin that is caused by the devil. I love how the ESV puts this:

“...through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,” - Hebrews‬ ‭2:14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Now we need to understand the destroy the devil here does not mean killed, and eliminated. NO, destroy here means that Jesus took away the devil's power over us. Jesus rendered the devil's schemes useless and powerless, and this is the freedom this side of heaven we have access to. Our sins are forgiven; they have been nailed to a cross, Jesus took all of them and died for them, disarming the devil. 

We have been set free! We have freedom from our bondage today. The sin we have been a slave too is no more in the name of Jesus. Are we tapped into this freedom? Are we living this life of freedom? 

“You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.” - ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭2:13-14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus set us free! The devil has been destroyed, disarmed, rendered useless by the power of Jesus. This freedom is ours today to claim, ours to step into, or an even better way to think about it, this freedom is something we live from. The devil’s tricks and schemes are real, he would like to trick us into thinking we do not have this freedom, that we have something to fear, that we should fear death we should live in bondage. But friends, this is a lie from the pit of hell. We are free, and we have been set free. Lord, I ask in Jesus' name that we live today from this freedom we already have, that we claim this freedom in Jesus' name and walk free. Amen. 

other writing
John 20 - The Gospel

John 20 - The Gospel

The Gospel, the Good News! Jesus, Son of God, was born of Mary, lived as the Son of Man, died, and rose to life to rescue the world and bring about a new life. The central message of the gospel. Jesus, the centerpiece! John 19 & 20 cover the brutal death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

In this scene, I can not imagine how the disciples felt. John describes them as overjoyed...but those words just fall short of what I can imagine this moment was like.

John 19 - The Magnitude of the Cross

John 19 - The Magnitude of the Cross

The day of Jesus' crucifixion fulfilled 28 Old Testament prophecies. Scripture was fulfilled! Beyond that, trying to wrap my mind around what happened this day, on the cross, and fully grabbing the magnitude of the cross is mind-boggling.

Sure, we can dumb this down or simplify it to a place where I just don’t believe it is anywhere near accurate. We can get into penal substitution and argue over was God full of love or was God full of wrath and hate that he killed his son. To me, John 3:16 is pretty clear on the love part.

John 18 - Jesus levels an army

John 18 - Jesus levels an army

In John 18, we come to the great betrayal. Judas came with the soldiers, officials, and chief priest and Pharisees. We know the scene. But this morning, I saw something I don’t remember reading and surly don’t remember learning about.

“So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭18:3-6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

John 17 - The Lords Prayer

John 17 - The Lords Prayer

John 17 is Jesus looking heavenward and praying to God the Father. So much beauty and mystery in this prayer. One thing that jumps out to me is that Jesus, fully God, and fully man prayed. Jesus is God fully. Why did he need to pray, He was One with the Father, He was God...and yet he prayed. This is so powerful;

“And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭17:5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

John 16 - What does it take to believe?

John 16 - What does it take to believe?

By the end of John 16, Jesus had done countless miracles, preached some amazing sermons, transformed so many lives, and developed a close and personal relationship with his disciples. So, when reading these verses, I am just utterly confused on so many levels.

“I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.” “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭16:28-31‬ ‭NIV‬‬

John 16 - Undervaluing God in Spirit

John 16 - Undervaluing God in Spirit

Jesus’ time on earth is quickly coming to a close, and he finishes up his last sermon or teaching to his disciples as they walk to Gethsemane. This final teaching was a heavy one that no doubt left his disciples with a heavy heart. Jesus said it this way;

“...None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭16:5-6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus goes on to say;

John 15 - Constant Growth

John 15 - Constant Growth

We were built for growth, constant growth. From birth, all the way until our death, we were designed by God for constant growth. The problem is, we often can find ourselves stuck in a belief, a phase, or a part of life where we stop growing.

One of the most brilliant investors embodies this understanding. Charlie Munger, at 96 years old, is still learning and growing as a person. I love this quote:

“Knowing what you don’t know is more useful than being brilliant.”
- Charlie Munger

John 14 - The Gift of Peace

John 14 - The Gift of Peace

John 14 opens with Jesus, saying, Don’t let your hearts be troubled. And the chapter closed down with Jesus saying Don’t be troubled or afraid.

A message that needs to resonate with our spirit and our inner self. This was such a good reminder, reading through John 14 over and over. This passage lifted off the screen.

“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart…

John 14 - Troubled Hearts

John 14 - Troubled Hearts

The world today seems so volatile and chaotic. Everywhere you look, whatever we read and see on TV just seems to be troubling. Last night, I noticed my lovely wife Tweeted this;

“I can’t be the only one who watches the news and is simply embarrassed right now, right? (Dear Jesus, we tap out. Come on back.)”

I find this first humorous, but then I also find it sad. It’s true, watching the news as a Christ-follower is pretty embarrassing. In John 14, we see Jesus…

John 13 - Unselfish Concern

John 13 - Unselfish Concern

Summarizing John, chapter 13, looks like this. The Lords Supper takes place. Jesus washes the disciple's feet. Jesus calls out Judas, and Satan enters him. Night comes, Judas leaves, and Jesus says he must go, and where I am going, you can not come. To cap it all off, Jesus also calls out Simon Peter and tells him that he will deny and completely disown Jesus three times. Whoa, a really full chapter, and historical day.

Nestled in the wrap up of the day is the parting message Jesus leaves his disciples, a message Jesus is sharing with us right now.

 
thoughtsTerry Storch