Sharing Flesh and Blood to Defeat Death

Jesus shares flesh and blood with the people he saves. Hebrews presents the incarnation as essential to his victory: through death he breaks the devil’s death-wielding tyranny and frees people held in lifelong slavery by fear of death. His saving work is directed toward Abraham’s seed, and he had to be made like his brothers in every relevant respect so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest. The chapter therefore joins incarnation, atonement, victory over the devil, compassion in temptation, and priesthood. Jesus helps sufferers not as a distant observer but as one who has truly suffered under temptation.