I’ve been reflecting on Hebrews 2 and 4 lately, and what they tell us about the goodness of God in becoming one of us.

Hebrews 2:17 says, “Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God.” Jesus lived under the curse and was subject to human sufferings. He sympathizes with our weaknesses and became subject to them—including the exhaustion, the weariness, the sadness. Jesus knows what it’s like to have loud cries and tears (Hebrews 5:7). This is a God we can fully trust! This is a God who understands our suffering not just because He’s omniscient, but because He’s come down and experienced it (and gone through a worse form of suffering than any of us will ever face).

Tim Keller writes in Hidden Christmas, “If God has really been born in a manger, then we have something that no other religion even claims to have. It’s a God who truly understands you, from the inside of your experience.”

When you’re tempted to doubt the God you believe in, think of the God who became one of us. If we contemplate that this Christmas, it will be a very rich Christmas, even as we face heartache, disappointment, and suffering.

I share more reflections on Hebrews and Jesus, the God-man, in this video:

For more on Jesus, see Randy’s books Face to Face with Jesus and It’s All About Jesus.