The Weekly is a highlight of the work the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission is doing to strengthen you and our churches for God’s glory.

5 reasons for the fear-destroying death of Christ

Hebrews 2:10-18 explains Hebrews 2:9, which states that Jesus tasted death for everyone. Specifically, this passage answers the question, “Why did Jesus taste death for everyone?” And there are at least five answers to that question found in verses 10-18, which should give us hope when we face trials like the coronavirus pandemic.

First, Jesus tasted death to be made perfect through suffering (v. 10). 

What does it mean to say that Jesus was “made perfect through suffering?” 

Those familiar with Scripture are probably thinking, “Jesus is already perfect. He is without sin. How could he be made any more perfect than he is?” And, of course, Jesus is sinless. He is morally perfect. But moral perfection is not what this passage is referring to. Instead, the focus is on Jesus’ obedience as the incarnate Son of God. 

In a very real sense, while Jesus was perfectly holy from the time of his conception by the Holy Spirit, Jesus needed to be tested and tried in his humanity. His obedience as a man needed to be brought to completion, fulfillment, or perfection, as this verse states. This becomes clearer when we read verse 18, which states that Jesus can help us in our temptation, because he himself was also tempted. He understands our temptation because he was tempted too, but he did not arrive on earth with such understanding from the perspective of a human being. 

When the Son of God took on flesh and became a man, whom we call Jesus, God experienced something that he had never experienced before, namely, a man. There were experiences and sufferings that Jesus had to endure to be able to fulfill his role as our Great High Priest, and these were things that he had not yet experienced as the Son of God before his incarnation. So, Jesus tasted death. He endured suffering in order to be made perfectly fit for his role as a sympathetic and merciful High Priest.

This Week at the ERLC

• Trillia Newbell was on The World and Everything in It talking about healthcare workers as heroes. 

• Dan Darling wrote an article at Made to Flourish about remembering the working poor. 

• Travis Wussow is quoted in a Christianity Today article about large gatherings and religious liberty.

• Russell Moore is quoted in Baptist Press about the Paycheck Protection Plan and in Christianity Today. He is also on Lauren Green’s podcast talking about church and state authority.

Helpful Resources On COVID-19

• Keep up with the ERLC’s latest resources on coronavirus at ERLC.com/COVID19
   
• Keep up with the latest CDC news and resources at coronavirus.gov
   
• From The White House | Coronavirus Guidelines for All Americans

What You Need to Read

• Alex Ward with What Holy Week reminds us of in the midst of a pandemic

Life in the midst of the coronavirus has caused every day to blur together. If the liturgy for Passover were written today, the opening question would not be “Why is tonight different from all other nights.” Instead, we would say, “Why is this day just like every other day?” Every day is filled with social distancing, a blending of one moment into the next with no end in sight, and an interminable supply of news fit to induce anxiety. Yet, this week, of all weeks, should provide us with hope and a reminder that this is not like all days and this is not like every week.

• Chelsea Patterson Sobolik with How the coronavirus is affecting vulnerable children and how Christians can help

The coronavirus is affecting the most vulnerable among us in profound ways—children and youth currently living in unsafe and abusive homes, those in foster care, and children awaiting adoption. Domestically and abroad, vulnerable children are suffering the impacts of the coronavirus, and Christians must be ready to stand in the gap for them.

• Stephen Grcevich with How churches can promote mental health through the coronavirus pandemic

While the attention of the government and our healthcare system has appropriately been focused on "flattening the curve" of critically ill people overwhelming our intensive care units and emergency rooms, the available research strongly suggests the mental health system may be facing a larger and longer lasting second wave of need as a result of the steps taken to control COVID-19. What might the church do during this time to stem the tide and mitigate their suffering?

News From Capitol Hill

• This week, the ERLC policy team continued our work engaging in the economic relief efforts from the federal government in Washington to small businesses, nonprofits, and churches affected by the coronavirus pandemic disruption.
  
  Last weekend, the administration published a final set of rules and guidance to provide clear answers for faith-based organizations deciding whether to move forward with an SBA 7(a) loan. Travis Wussow, ERLC's vice president of public policy and general counsel, wrote an explainer summarizing the key parts of these documents from the Small Business Administration (SBA). All of the government documents Wussow references are linked at the bottom of his article. Read more here: Religious freedom and the SBA Paycheck Protection Program
  
  ​Helping churches understand the Paycheck Protection Program is a top priority of the ERLC during this moment of national crisis. We produced a variety of resources to help, many of which were referenced in last week’s newsletter. For your reference, here are links:
   

  • Do SBA-backed loans violate the separation of church and state? by Russell Moore

  • Economic relief for churches and nonprofits amidst the COVID-19 crisis by the ERLC Policy Team in Washington, D.C.

  • Explainer: How your church can receive a forgivable COVID-19 loan by the ERLC Staff

• In other advocacy news this week, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of a Texas executive order challenged by the abortion industry. This is a welcome court ruling as Russell Moore joined with a coalition of other pro-life leaders in March urging public health officials to prevent abortion during the coronavirus pandemic. "Life is sacred in every season, but that should be especially obvious in the midst of a public health crisis," Moore told Baptist Press in written comments. "We must take every measure necessary to prevent the spread of the virus, and that includes stopping Planned Parenthood from exploiting vulnerable communities in danger now from a potentially deadly virus on top of their already violent actions."
  
  Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed an executive order postponing all nonessential medical procedures until April 21, which included abortions. The abortion industry challenged and won at the District Court level, which the Fifth Circuit overturned this week. Travis Wussow said the ruling was “the right decision.” He continued, “The abortion industry has once again showed its disregard for human life, that even during a global pandemic, it places its profit motive before any other consideration. We are thankful their operations are halted for now. This moment demands that we work to save as many lives as possible.”

Featured Podcasts

From The Public Square

Supreme Court won't hear Catholic Church challenge to ban on religious advertising
Richard Wolf, USA TODAY

The case, brought by the Archdiocese of Washington against the District of Columbia region's mass transit system, would have been the latest example of religious freedom appeals heard by the conservative-leaning court.

Porn warning labels bill becomes Utah law amid controversy
Lindsay Whitehurst, Associated Press

Pornography will have to come with a warning label in Utah after Gov. Gary Herbert allowed the measure to become law over protest from the adult-entertainment industry.

SBC ethicists applaud guide to protect disabled, elderly
Tom Strode, Baptist Press

Southern Baptist ethicists Russell Moore and C. Ben Mitchell expressed gratitude at the federal government's warning against unlawful discrimination in care for the disabled and other vulnerable patients during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Paycheck Protection Plan draws feedback from pastors, ethicists
Diana Chandler, Baptist Press

Some pastors have theological and ethical concerns with the loan, which is administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration.