"For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering." - Hebrews 2:10

Text: Hebrews 2:10, Hebrews 12:2

The author of the book of Hebrews gives Jesus an interesting title: the Founder of Our Salvation. The word we translate as "Founder" here is the Greek word archegos. Archegos is only used four times in the New Testament, twice in the Book of Acts (Acts 3:15, Acts 5:31) and twice in the Book of Hebrews (Hebrews 2:10, Hebrews 12:2); further, it is always used as a title for Jesus. Sometimes it is translated as founder (ESV), sometimes as pioneer (NIV), author (NASB), or even captain (KJV), and from these translations we can get a better sense of the word. The Archegos leads people and make the way for them.

Adam and Jesus

"Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven." - I Corinthians 15:45-49

In some ways, the story of the Bible is the tale of two men. They are both leaders and pioneers for humanity (archegos). The first man was Adam. He was the head of our race and the perfect representative of humanity. He was created holy and righteous after God's own image, and he was called to lead his family in a life of obedience. He sinned and failed. This world was broken by his sin, and Adam and all of his progeny came under the curse of God. The guilt of his sin passed to all of his descendents. He was exiled from the Garden. He was estranged from God, and so was all of humanity to come after him.

Forging Through the Wilderness

"Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water." - Hebrews 10:19-23

The second man is Jesus, the second representative, the second pioneer. Sin now infects us from conception (Psalm 51:5), so while the first man was created of the dust, to be a proper representative of our race the second man had to be born into the world. He entered into the world ravaged by sin, suffered the misery of this life under the curse, and lived the life of perfect and perpetual obedience to which Adam had been called. All of this, at every stage of human maturity. Then on the cross Christ bore judgment for our sin. He died. In so He doing defeated that ancient serpent who tempted Adam so long ago, and in His resurrection He put Death to death (Isaiah 25:8, I Corinthians 15:54-55, Revelation 20:14). He did all of this for God's glory and our salvation, and so that He might open the path into God's presence.

Hallelujah! Praise the Pioneer of Our Salvation!