Render & Resist

Hebrews 2:14-18 (ESV) Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Five verses. One staggering truth: Jesus became exactly like us—not almost, not in appearance only, but in every respect—so that He could save us completely. Fully Human, fully God, fully perfect to save!

Breaking it Down

1. He took our nature (v. 14a) “He himself likewise partook of the same things.” The eternal Son didn’t send a substitute or an avatar. He took flesh and blood—our weakness, our limitations, our tears, our mortality. Christmas is not a myth; it’s the invasion of love.
2. He destroyed our greatest enemy (v. 14b) Satan held the power of death like a jailer holding the keys. Jesus walked straight into the prison, allowed Himself to be locked in, and then—on the third day—kicked the doors off the hinges. Death is defeated. The devil is disarmed. The keys now hang on Christ’s belt.
3. He delivered us from our deepest slavery (v. 15) The fear of death has kept the human race in chains since Eden. Every anxiety, every act of greed, every desperate grasp for control traces back to this one terror. Jesus came to say, “You don’t have to be afraid anymore. I went through it, and I’m on the other side waiting for you.”
4. He became our merciful and faithful High Priest (vv. 16-17) He didn’t come to rescue angels. He came for Abraham’s offspring—for us. And to represent us before the holy God, He had to be one of us “in every respect.” He is not a distant deity; He is the Brother-High-Priest who offered the final sacrifice (Himself) to turn away God’s wrath forever. Propitiation accomplished. Sins gone.
5. He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities (v. 18) Because He suffered when He was tempted, He feels what you feel right now. The loneliness. The pull of that same old sin. The exhaustion. The diagnosis. The grief. He’s not rolling His eyes from heaven saying, “Get it together.” He’s leaning in, arms open, saying, “I’ve been there. I overcame. Take My hand—I’ll help you through this moment.”

Greek Word Study

καταργήσῃ (katargēsē) – “destroy” / “render powerless” (v. 14) English says “destroy,” which sounds like total annihilation. The Greek word is stronger than “defeat” but weaker than “wipe out of existence.” It means to render inoperative, to make powerless, to strip of authority. Think of a general who is stripped of his command and weapons—he still exists, but he has zero power to hurt you anymore. That’s what Jesus did to the devil through His death. Satan is a defeated foe whose arsenal is now empty.

ἀπαλλάξῃ (apallaxē) – “deliver” (v. 15) Literally “to set free by exchange” or “to release from.” It was used for freeing captives or slaves by paying a ransom. The picture is Jesus paying the price with His own blood to buy us out of the slave-market of fear.

ὁφείλων (opheilōn) – “he had to” (v. 17) This is a strong word of moral necessity—“it was obligatory,” “he owed it.” The author is saying the incarnation wasn’t Plan B or optional; it was the only fitting, righteous, necessary way for God to save us.

ὁμοιωθῆναι … κατὰ πάντα (homoiōthēnai … kata panta) – “made like … in every respect” (v. 17) “Made like” is from the verb homoioō (to make similar). The phrase kata panta is emphatic: “according to all things,” “in all respects,” “in every way.” The writer is guarding both sides of the incarnation: Jesus is genuinely, truly, completely human (same tears, same hunger, same temptation), yet (as Heb 4:15 will immediately add) “without sin.” He is like us in all things except our fallenness.

ἱλάσκεσθαι (hilaskesthai) – “to make propitiation” (v. 17) This is the big one. Most modern translations say “atonement” or “sacrifice of atonement.” The Greek verb is hilaskomai, the same root as hilastērion (the mercy seat in the OT). It means to turn away wrath by offering a satisfactory sacrifice. Jesus didn’t just take our punishment; He turned God’s just anger into favor. Wrath is exhausted; love now flows freely.

πειρασθείς (peirastheis) – “having been tempted / having suffered in temptation” (v. 18) The verb peirazō means both “tempt” and “test.” In Jesus’ case it always carries the sense of real suffering. He didn’t just face temptation; He felt its full weight and pressure, yet never yielded. That’s why He can sympathize so deeply when the same pressures crush us.

Call to Action

So what do we do with a Savior like this?

First, rest. Stop striving to earn what He has already secured. The devil is disarmed. Death is defeated. God’s wrath is propitiated. Your Elder Brother is praying for you at the right hand of the Father right now. The war is over. You are safe in Him. Let that settle deep into your bones today.

Second, breathe out thankfulness and breathe in courage. Because Jesus has destroyed the power of fear, you no longer have to live as a slave. Fear of death, fear of man, fear of tomorrow—none of them get the final say. You are free to love, free to give, free to suffer well, free to obey without the old chains rattling.

And third, get ready to run. Hebrews is going to call us very soon to “run with endurance the race set before us, looking to Jesus…” (12:1-2). You can’t run far when you’re looking over your shoulder at a destroyed devil or a swallowed-up grave. Fix your eyes on your victorious Forerunner. He has already gone ahead, blazed the trail, and crossed the finish line. One day soon He will reach back, take you by the hand, and say, “Come home.”

Until that day, rest in His finished work—and walk in the freedom He died to give you.