Useful Bible Studies > Hebrews Commentary > chapter 2
If God’s Son had become an angel (special servant of God), then he would still be more important than any person. But he would have been unable to achieve God’s purpose. An angel could not save God’s people.
God’s plan was to save men, women and children. So Jesus had to become a man, too. But he could not be born into any family or nation whatever. He had to become a Jew, that is, a descendant of Abraham. A descendant is a later member of someone’s family.
There are three reasons why Christ had to be Abraham’s descendant:
(1) God had made important promises to Abraham and his descendant. He promised to save his people and to establish a close relationship with them (Luke 1:71-75; Genesis 12:2-3; Genesis 13:15-16; Genesis 15:4-5). God did not carry out completely his promise to Abraham during his life (Hebrews 11:13). So the promises were for Abraham’s descendant, who had to belong to Abraham’s family.
(2) Abraham became God’s friend because Abraham trusted God (Isaiah 41:8; Galatians 3:6). So all who trust God have a relationship with Abraham. Because they trust God, they become Abraham’s descendants (Galatians 3:29). Christ did not come to save everyone. He only saves those people who trust God (Hebrews 11:6). Because he came to save Abraham’s descendants, Christ too had to belong to Abraham’s family.
(3) Because Christ became a descendant of Abraham, people from every family and every nation can benefit from Christ’s work. That is what God promised to Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3). And, together, the people whom Christ has saved are a new nation: the people of God (Galatians 3:28; 1 Peter 2:9).
Next part: Priests and brothers (Hebrews 2:17)
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© 2014, Keith Simons.