The Pulpit Commentary — Hebrews — Section 88

Vers. 10-13.-His exaltation endears his association with his followers. There is a Divine becomingness and suitability in the process of salvation, which suggests that as the Leader of believing souls should pass through sorrow and gain his official perfectness throu.gh sufferings which show at what a cost redemption was procured, they qualify him to become an Example to which Christians are to be conformed. He reached his glory through distress and agony, and his followers are through much tribulation to enter into the kingdom of God. He showe<l himself to be a merciful and faithful High Priest, by his tender compassion for men, and his fulfilment of promise, prophecy, and type; for he was" the end of the Law for righteousness." Looking unto Jesus we over- come impatience and complaint, and waiting upon him we renew our strength; for" if we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him." Motives to sustain us in this career are supplied in these verses, which consist of his gracious avowal of his followers as his brethren, of whom he is not ashamed. '!'hey "are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God," and are sanctified by the Divine Spirit, to a life of separation from evil and consecration t,o all holiness of life. If Joseph was not ashamed of his brethre:i-tor they had all one father-and presented them to Pharaoh, much more will our Lord avow his brethren by expressing his love t,o them and vindi- cation of them. They are now somewhat like him, and are conformed to him as the Firstborn among many brethren. They are not of the world, as he was not of tho world, and being joined to him are one Spirit. 'l'his truth is confirmed and illustrated by quotations from the pages of the Old Testament. The first is from the twenty- 6 econd psalm (ver. 22), where he affirms," I will declare thy Name unto my brethren." These words denote that our Lord would be the Teacher of his brethren, and are con- firmed by his declaration in John xvii. 26, where ho said, "And I have declared unto them thy Name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them." Then, like his brethren, he would confide in Jehovah, as it is written in Isa. xii. 2, "I will trust in him." The citations end with one drawn frorr, Isa. viii. 18, "Behold, I and the children which thou hast given me," which are the words of the prophet in a time of prevalent unbelief, when he and his children who had received symbolical names were witnesses for the truth of God. Considering the past. w,,rk of Christ in suffering to bring many sons unto glory, acd his joy in claiming relationship with them, we conclude that he is not ashamed to call them brcthren.-B. Vere. 14-18.-Here we have stated the sublime results of the incarnation and death of Christ in their influence upon t!,e present temptation and death of believers. Our Lord did not assume an angelic nature, which would have necessarily set him at some distance from us, since the experiences of those sinless and exalted beings would CH. JI. 1-18.] 'l'HE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 'j!)