Freed from the Fear of Death

Jesus' Fulfillment of Scripture
Jesus and the Davidic Covenant
Son of David

Hebrews 2:14-18

The Message

^14-15 Since the children are made of flesh and blood, it’s logical that the Savior took on flesh and blood in order to rescue them by his death. By embracing death, taking it into himself, he destroyed the Devil’s hold on death and freed all who cower through life, scared to death of death.

^16-18 It’s obvious, of course, that he didn’t go to all this trouble for angels. It was for people like us, children of Abraham. That’s why he had to enter into every detail of human life. Then, when he came before God as high priest to get rid of the people’s sins, he would have already experienced it all himself—all the pain, all the testing—and would be able to help where help was needed.

 
For Reflection

Do you fear death?  Fear of death seems to be our most vulnerable weakness.  Just look to the appeals pharmaceutical advertisements for proof if you need it.  Christ has shown us that death has no sting.  Death thus becomes just a transition into new life.  As Christians, we mourn our human loss but celebrate our past lives and our future lives after death.  It is, perhaps, even more difficult to deny appeals to return to a former life of sin, apart from God.  Figuratively, we die to our old lives when we commit to a new life in Christ.

 

Pray

that you embrace death as a part of life. Pray that you will not fear death.  Pray that appeals to fear of losing you old life carry so little weight that it does not hamper your growth into righteousness and grace.