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How Does the Epistle to the Hebrews Describe the Family of God? #697 · Scripture Central

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  For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all
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  of one for which 'cause he is not ashamed to call them
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  brethren. Hey listeners, this is Nick from
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  Scripture Central and today's podcast addresses the question.
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  How does the Epistle to the Hebrews describe the family of
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  God? Throughout the Epistle to the
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  Hebrews, Jesus is depicted as an atoning high priest in the
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  heavenly temple, allowing all God's children to come boldly
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  unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace
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  to help in time of need. An often overlooked aspect of
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  Jesus's divine atonement, however, involves Jesus's role
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  as our brother. As Matthew Bowen has noted, a
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  key component of the message of Hebrews about Jesus as divine
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  son and atoning high priest, it is his solidarity with humankind
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  that grows out of his sibling relationship with them.
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  Indeed, toward the beginning of this epistle, the author notes
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  that in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his
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  brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high
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  priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for
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  the sins of the people. In other words, had Jesus not
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  become like his brothers and sisters, he could not have
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  performed his atoning sacrifice. The depiction of Jesus as a
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  brother to all mankind is not an unfamiliar one in the Bible.
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  In the Gospel of John, for example, Jesus himself claimed
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  to be our brother. Go to my brethren and say unto
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  them, I ascend unto my father and your Father, and to my God
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  and your God. Similarly, Paul describes how
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  Jesus was the first born among many brethren in Hebrews, such
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  familiar language is not confined to the opening
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  chapters, but is employed throughout the epistle,
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  reaffirming that we could relate to Jesus Christ because we do in
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  fact belong to the divine family of God.
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  Indeed, this divine family is organized such that our eldest
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  brother faithfully presides over God's household, Christ as a son
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  over his God's own house, whose house we are if we hold fast
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  that confidence, that rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
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  Furthermore, Hebrews portrays Jesus as an atoning elder
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  brother, similar to the concept of an Israelite Kinsmen Redeemer
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  or Goel in ancient Israel. A kinsmen Redeemer was the
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  family member responsible for buying back other family members
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  out of slavery. Jesus's role as brother stands
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  within the same conceptual framework to the older Israelite
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  Jewish kinsman Redeemer concept. Likewise, as noted by Benjamin
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  Spackman, seeing God as our kinsman Redeemer was an
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  important aspect of ancient Israelite belief, and to claim
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  God as Redeemer, or to call upon him for redemption was to claim
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  kinship through a covenant relationship with him.
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  In redeeming his many brothers and sisters from death and hell,
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  Jesus opens the path for the whole divine family to become
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  like him. This is especially clear from
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  the outset of the epistle in bringing many sons unto glory.
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  Jesus, the captain of their salvation, was made perfect
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  through sufferings for both. He that sanctifieth and he who
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  are sanctified are all of one for which 'cause he is not
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  ashamed to call them brethren. Furthermore, this glory is
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  closely reflected with the salvation of the Lord mentioned
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  in Hebrews chapter 2, verse three, leading Bowen to observe
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  that the action of God leading many into glory, contains temple
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  echoes, especially when it is considered that those being LED
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  Agaganta into glory are the Saints themselves.
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  Another clear reference to the temple begins with Hebrews
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  chapter 2, verses 10 and 11. In descriptions of Jesus having
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  been made perfect, the Greek text uses a form of the word
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  teleosis. While this word is often
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  translated as perfect in the King James Version, in the
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  ancient Greco Roman world it often connoted becoming
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  initiated in religious contexts. Therefore, Bowen notes that
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  translating this word as perfect or even complete is insufficient
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  in capturing and conveying its nuances.
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  Indeed, the word teleosis had an important ritual dimension, and
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  no one could be perfect or complete without first receiving
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  all the necessary initiations, rites, or ordinances and
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  mysteries pertaining thereto. When disciples were fully
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  initiated into these rites, they had entered a state of
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  purification that makes one fit to perform temple functions.
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  Jesus, having been faithfully initiated into the divine realm,
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  was then able to serve as the great High Priest of the
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  heavenly temple, performing an infinite and eternal sacrifice
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  once for all. As we are sanctified by Christ,
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  He makes it possible for each of us to be fully initiated and to
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  receive all the covenants and ordinances that are needed for
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  us to enjoy the presence of the Father once more.
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  As noted by Bowen, Hebrews's overriding point is that the
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  sons and daughters are to follow the Son, even if through unjust
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  suffering, into the same glory. Even in the most difficult
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  moments in our lives, suffering can be a vicarious priestly
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  activity that has the potential to help us be more like Jesus,
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  who completed his mission and his personal preparation to
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  receive once more and this time fully the glory of the Father.
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  Through his atoning sacrifice, Jesus, our elder brother in a
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  real divine family, became fully mortal so that He could sanctify
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  us and He remains ever willing to help his brothers and sisters
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  return to Him being like Him, for we shall see Him as He is
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  when we understand how Jesus's life and mission could be
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  described in a close familial role.
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  As the author of Hebrews did, we can better understand the nature
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  of God's love for us rather than being a distant being.
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  Heavenly Father is our actual Father who wants us to become
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  like Him. Similarly, Jesus is our loving
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  brother who wants to help us succeed along this path.
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  As Bowen observed, when we understand that we are sons and
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  daughters of God, as well as brothers and sisters of a divine
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  Son, we are able to see ourselves within a divine plan,
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  undergoing the process of perfection or full initiation
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  teleosis that our brother has already faithfully completed and
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  who is actively helping us along the covenant path.
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  Indeed, as we faithfully come to Him, we are sanctified through
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  His atonement, empowering us to more fully keep our covenants
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  with Him. Furthermore, Hebrews indicates
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  that Jesus's brothers and sisters could also be made like
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  him through the priestly service.
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  While this service can take many forms in the Church, the fullest
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  meaning of the word teleosis would signify that temple
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  service is a key aspect to this. Indeed, for Latter Day Saints
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  today, this has implications for all those who receive the full
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  blessings of the Melchizedek Priesthood blessings made
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  available today in the Holy Temple.
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  Thank you for listening to this presentation from Scripture
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  Central. For more information, please
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  visit scripturecentral.org.