Hebrews 2:14

It was not otherwise possible for man, forasmuch as he was of a nature that was perishing, to escape death, save by recovering that ancient grace, and partaking once more in God Who holdeth all things together in being and preserveth them in life through the Son in the Spirit. Therefore He hath become partaker of blood and flesh, i.e. He hath become man, being by nature Life, and begotten of the Life that is by nature, i.e. of God the Father—to wit, His Only-begotten Word, with intent that ineffably and inexpressibly and as He alone could skill to do, uniting Himself with the flesh that by the law of its own nature was perishing, He might bring it back unto His own Life and make it through Himself partaker of God the Father. For He is Mediator between God and men, according as it is written, knit unto God the Father naturally as God and of Him, and again unto men as man; and withal having in Himself the Father and being Himself in the Father; for He is the impress and effulgence of His Person, and not distinct from the Essence, whereof He is impress and wherefrom He proceeds as effulgence; but both being Himself in It, and having It in Himself; and again having us in Himself according as He wears our nature and our body has become entitled the Body of the Word. For the Word was made flesh, according to the utterance of John. And He wears our nature, remoulding it unto His own Life. And He is also Himself in us; for we have all been made partakers of Him, and have Him in ourselves through the Spirit; for, for this cause we have Both, being made partakers of the Divine Nature, and are entitled sons, after this sort having in us also the Father Himself through the Son.

For existing essentially as life, the only begotten Word of God united himself to earthy and mortal flesh in order that death, which was pursuing it like some wild beast, might thereafter relax its hold … Indeed, if the only begotten Word of God did not become human, but rather united to himself the external form [prosōpon] of a man, as is the opinion of those who define the union only by good pleasure and by an inclination of will, how would he be likened to "his brethren in all respects"?… How would he have "shared in blood and flesh" unless these had become his own as they are ours?

We say that he partook of blood and flesh in accordance with the meaning established by the interpreters of God. By "he" we do not mean the one who was in flesh and blood by his own nature and could not exist otherwise, but rather the one who never existed in this way and was of a nature different from ours.… For the Word became flesh, only not sinful flesh.… He was God and human at the same time.

Therefore, the one Lord Jesus Christ must not be divided into two sons. The correct expression of the faith is not assisted by taking this line, even when some allege that there is a union of persons, for Scripture says not that the Logos united to himself the person of the human being but that he became flesh. And for the Logos to become flesh is nothing other than for him to "share flesh and blood as we do," to make his own a body from among us, and to be born of a woman as a human being. He did not depart from his divine status or cease to be born of the Father; he continued to be what he was, even in taking on flesh. This is what the correct teaching of the faith everywhere proclaims. And this is how we shall find the holy fathers conceived things. Accordingly, they boldly called the Virgin "God's mother" (Theotokos) not because the nature of the Logos or the deity took the start of its existence in the holy Virgin, but because the holy body which was born of her possessed a rational soul to which the Logos was hypostatically united and was said to have had a fleshly birth.

And again he indicates the superiority and the great interval between us, by what follows: "Since then the children," he saith, "are partakers of flesh and blood" (thou seest where he saith the likeness is? in reference to the flesh), "in like manner He also Himself took part of the same." Let all the Heretics be ashamed, let those hide their faces who say that He came in appearance and not in reality. For he did not say, "He took part of these" only, and then say no more; although had he said thus, it would have been sufficient, but he asserted something more, adding "in like manner," not in appearance, he means, or by an image (since in that case "in like manner" is not preserved) but in reality; showing the brotherhood. Next he sets down also the cause of the economy. "That through death," he says, "He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." Here he points out the wonder, that by what the devil prevailed, by that was he overcome, and the very thing which was his strong weapon against the world, namely, Death, by this Christ smote him. In this he exhibits the greatness of the conqueror's power. Dost thou see how great good death hath wrought?

Jesus sanctified baptism when he himself was baptized. If the Son of God was baptized, can anyone who scorns baptism pretend to piety? Not that he was baptized to receive the remission of sins—for he was without sin—but, being sinless, he was nevertheless baptized that he might impart grace and dignity to those who receive the sacrament. For, "since the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature," that we, sharing his incarnate life, might also share his divine grace. Thus Jesus was baptized that we, in turn, so made partakers with him, might receive not only salvation but also the dignity. The dragon, according to Job, was in the water, he who received the Jordan in his maw. When, therefore, it was necessary to crush the heads of the dragon, descending into the water, he bound the strong one, that we might receive the "power to tread upon serpents and scorpions." It was no ordinary beast, but a horrible monster. No fishing ship could last under a single scale of his tail; before him stalked destruction, ravaging all in her path. But life came running up, that that maw of death might be stopped and all we who were saved might say, "O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?" Baptism draws death's sting.

So let those be put to shame who say that He came as a phantom and an apparition. For the apostle did not merely say that He partook of flesh and blood, as the children, that is, the rest of mankind — though even if …

Human beings had been afraid of death because they are held in slavery. The slavery of death means to be a subject of sin. "The sting of death is sin." Now, by his death Christ destroyed "the one who has the power of death, that …

136. – Having shown the suitableness of Christ's death from the standpoint of the Father causing it, the Apostle now shows the same thing from the standpoint of Christ enduring it. Therefore, he intends to show how He was made the author of salvation by …

He destroys the tyranny of the evil one who dominated us by deceit. By casting at him as a weapon the flesh that was vanquished in Adam, he overcame him. Thus what was previously captured for death conquers the conqueror and destroys his life by …

Since then these children partake of flesh and blood - Of human nature with all its infirmities. He also in like manner took part of the same; that through his own death he might destroy the tyranny of him that had, by God's permission, the power of death with regard to the ungodly. Death is the devil's servant and serjeant, delivering to him those whom he seizes in sin.

Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood,....

Observe, There was a great breach and quarrel between God and man, by reason of sin; but Christ, by becoming man and dying, has taken up the quarrel, and made reconciliation so far that God is ready to receive all into favour and friendship who come to him through Christ.

Here the wonderful love of God appeared, that, when Christ knew what he must suffer in our nature, and how he must die in it, yet he so readily took it upon him. The legal sacrifices and offerings God could not accept as propitiation. A body was prepared for Christ, and he said, Lo!

The children are partakers of flesh and blood - Since those children of God, who have fallen and are to be redeemed, are human beings; in order to be qualified to redeem them by suffering and dying in their stead, He himself likewise took part of the same - he became incarnate; and thus he who was God with God, became man with men.

"The life of the flesh is in the blood; it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul" (Le 17:11, 14). also--Greek, "in a somewhat similar manner"; not altogether in a like manner. For He, unlike them, was conceived and born not in sin (Heb 4:15).

IN GOD’S ORIGINAL empire everything was happiness, and joy, and peace. If there be any evil, any suffering and pain, that is not God’s work. God may permit it, overrule it, and out of it educe much good; but the evil cometh not of God. He himself standeth pure and perfect, the clean fountain out of which gusheth forth ever more sweet and pure waters. The devil’s reign, on the contrary, containeth nought of good, “the devil sinneth from the beginning,” and his dominion has been one uniform course of temptation to evil and infliction of misery.

IN GOD’S ORIGINAL empire everything was happiness, and joy, and peace. If there be any evil, any suffering and pain, that is not God’s work. God may permit it, overrule it, and out of it educe much good; but the evil cometh not of God. He himself standeth pure and perfect, the clean fountain out of which gusheth forth ever more sweet and pure waters. The devil’s reign, on the contrary, containeth nought of good, “the devil sinneth from the beginning,” and his dominion has been one uniform course of temptation to evil and infliction of misery. Death is a part of Satan’s dominion, he brought sin into the world when he tempted our mother Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit, and with sin he brought also death into the world, with all its train of woes. There had been likely no death, if there had been no devil. If Satan had not tempted, mayhap man had not revolted, and if he had not revolted he would have lived for ever, without having to undergo the painful change which is caused by death. I think death is the devil’s masterpiece. With the solitary exception of hell, death is certainly the most Satanic mischief that sin hath accomplished. Nothing ever delighted the heart of the devil so much as when he found that the threatening would be fulfilled, “In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die,” and never was his malicious heart so full of hellish joy as when he saw Abel stretched upon the earth, slain by the club of his brother. “Aha!” said Satan, “this is the first of all intelligent creatures that has died. Oh how I rejoice! This is the crowning hour of my dominion.

[Another Sermon by Mr. Spurgeon, upon verse 14, is No. 166, Volume 4, in The New Park Street Pulpit, "The Destroyer Destroyed:"] BEFORE speaking upon the main subject of the text, I cannot help drawing your attention to those two words, "the children." Hear that sweet expression again, for it is one of the choicest descriptions of the saints, "the children." "You are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." What a wonderful influence the children have in the house! How many of the arrangements are made especially with a view to them!

[Another Sermon by Mr. Spurgeon, upon verse 14, is No. 166, Volume 4, in The New Park Street Pulpit, "The Destroyer Destroyed:"] BEFORE speaking upon the main subject of the text, I cannot help drawing your attention to those two words, "the children." Hear that sweet expression again, for it is one of the choicest descriptions of the saints, "the children." "You are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." What a wonderful influence the children have in the house! How many of the arrangements are made especially with a view to them! How much of the wear and tear of life to their parents is for their sakes! And we may truly say, concerning our Father in Heaven, that His plans, His arrangements, His actions, His gifts are very emphatically for the children! He uses all things in this great house of His for the education of the children—and when their education shall be finished—He will clear all these things away just as the builder takes down the scaffolding around the house when it is complete. This name of "the children" is such a blessed one, it seems to indicate a simple, sweet and gracious character. "Be not children in understanding," but in all else be— "Humble, teachable and mild, Like unto a little child." I. But this is only by the by—the main theme on which I am going to speak is the fear of death And, first, I observe that THE FEAR OF DEATH IS NATURAL TO MAN AS A SINNER. So long as there was no sin in the world, there was no death and no fear of death, but as soon as sin entered, God said to Adam, "Dust you are and unto dust shall you return." The echo of these words still rings throughout the world and Adam's children, as sinners, fear death, but this is rather a blessing to them than otherwise. To most unconverted men, the fear of death has often been made to subserve the highest purpose of Divine Mercy.

Forasmuch then - Since; or because. As the children - Those who were to become the adopted children of God; or who were to sustain that relation to him. Are partakers of flesh and blood - Have a human and not an angelic nature. Since they are men, he became a man. There was a fitness or propriety that he should partake of their nature; see the 1Co 15:50 note; Mat 16:17 note. He also himself, ... - He also became a man, or partook of the same nature with them; see the notes at Joh 1:14. That through death - By dying. It is implied here: (1) That the work which he undertook of destroying him that had the power of death, was to be accomplished by “his own dying;” and, (2) That in order to this, it was necessary that he should be a man. An angel does not die, and therefore he did not take on him the nature of angels; and the Son of God in his divine nature could not die, and therefore he assumed a form in which he could die - that of a man. In that nature the Son of God could taste of death; and thus he could destroy him that had the power of death. He might destroy - That he might “subdue,” or that he might overcome him, and “destroy” his dominion. The word “destroy” here is not used in the sense of “closing life,” or of “killing,” but in the sense of bringing into subjection, or crushing his power. This is the work which the Lord Jesus came to perform - to destroy the kingdom of Satan in the world, and to set up another kingdom in its place. This was understood by Satan to be his object: see the Mat 8:29 note; Mar 1:24 note. That had the power of death - I understand this as meaning that the devil was the cause of death in this world. He was the means of its introduction, and of its long and melancholy reign. […]