Sunday Morning Service (Hebrews 2:5-8)

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Hebrews 2:5-18

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“Why Did Jesus Become A Man?” • 11.19.17 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service

Intro

- The first section of Hebrews leaned heavily upon the superiority of Christ to the Prophets and to the Angels by reason of His being.

- Christ is greater than any Prophet or angel because He is God! He is God's present communication (v.2), the express Image impress of the Father (v.3)

- He alone upholds all things by His Word and He alone effected the forgiveness of our sins. (v.3) God the Father calls Jesus "God" and commands the angels to worship and serve Him. (v.5,6)

- As God, there is little to be ashamed of. However, as a man, Jesus had come from the wrong side of Israel, from the home of a working class man and laid to rest after a shameful death!

- The author is tasked with answering this question: "Why was Christ's humanity necessary?" He lays out three arguments for us to consider in relation to this question. "Jesus became a man"

I. To Fulfill Mankind's Destiny (v.5-9)

Text

• Hebrews 2:5-8a : "For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. But one testified in a certain place, saying: 'What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You take care of him? You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.'" : History is moving toward a time when God will reign through Christ upon the Earth. We believe this to be the "Millenium." A thousand years of God's rule upon the Earth.

- At Christ's ascension, the Disciples asked if the time was right to establish the Kingdom. (Acts 1:7) They believed it to be something to expect. In our text here, expectation remains.

- When the Kingdom comes, Angels will be there, but not in authority. As we have seen, they exist to worship Christ and serve those that will inherit salvation.

- Our author explains from scripture, playfully referring to a passage that any good Jewish person would know. Psalm 8 was written by King David. Verses 4-6 are his concentration.

- Imagine David, not as a King, but as a shepherd boy, sitting in a quiet field at night. The stars reveal the glory and magnificence of God. In the midst of his thoughts, he is struck by this reality.

- God attends to and is thoughtful toward mankind! What a concept! God cares about little, seemingly insignificant man! He concerns Himself with their affairs! He acts on their behalf!

- David is referring to mankind in the widest, most general terms. We are a little lower, less in rank, than the angels. Perhaps an understatement.

- In truth, mankind is inferior to angels by virtually any assesment! Mankind is limited, vulnerable and weak. But we are created in God's image and have been given the right to rule.

- The author agrees with the record of Genesis. God has placed man above all the rest of His creation as the co-regent over His creation. Everything is under His domain.

- Evolutionary theory teaches that mankind is simply an extension of the Animal Kingdom and it is only by chance that we have "evolved" to become the most sophisticated among Earth's elite.

- The Bible teaches the exact opposite. Because men have been created in the image of God, they maintain the highest place above creation, a position given to them by God!

- All things are under the feet of mankind. To some degree, that also applies to the angels, who are set apart to serve those that will inherit salvation. (Hebrews 1:14)

- The author moves from the general truth of his proposition to the specific motivation of God in the work of the incarnation. Verse 8.

• Hebrews 2:8b,9 : "For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone." : All is supposed to be put in subjection to mankind, but that isn't what we see. That isn't our present reality. In fact, what we do see is oppression and pain!

- Primary in the Jewish world was the struggle to exist under Rome's rule. But look around today. The creation is not at peace. Where is all of the fulfillment? That is a difficult truth to deal with.

- Scripture, especially prophecy, reports what will be as though it is. David, in this case, sees a picture that is complete in the future, but not now.

- That is consistent admission for the Christian to make. We are living now on the hope of promises that are yet to be fulfilled.

- That is a tension in scripture that we cannot avoid, but that we also need not be ashamed to defend. We measure what we don't see by committing to what we do see! "But we see Jesus!"

- Mankind abdicated his reign when he disobeyed God in the garden of Eden! Adam, man's federal representative, failed to obey God and the Earth was subjected to a fallen condition.

- That is why Jesus came, who was made a little lower than the angels. He took on human flesh in order that He might become our new federal representative!

- He has come to succeed under duress where Adam once failed in perfect conditions!

- We see Jesus, the Man, who suffered the worst fate of Mankind after the Fall: Death! When Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, the people of God saw Jesus crowned!

- That was His coronation event! Today, with the eyes of faith, we see Christ seated at the right hand of the Father, no longer suffering the shame of His humanity, but in the glory of His divinity!

- He is the One, according to God's grace, that has tasted death for everyone! In this way, Jesus reverses Adam's fall.

- Adam's disobedience allowed every man to taste death. Christ's obedience issues in Him tasting death for everyone.

- In Adam's case, the effect was universal. In Christ's case, the blessings are available to all, but the effect is reserved for those that believe and repent.

- Christ necessarily took on human flesh to fulfill Mankind's destiny. Because He has already done this, the Kingdom which is coming is inevitable. ("Jesus became a Man to")

I. To Fulfill Mankind's Destiny (v.5-9)

II. To Provide A Basis For Our Unity (v.10-13)

• Hebrews 2:10-13 : "For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings." : Verse 10 in the NKJV obscures the meaning. Allow me to read it to you from the NLT.

• Hebrews 2:10 (NLT) : "God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation." : It was only right for God to do this. He is the One that brought everything into being and He is the One that deserves the direct benefit.

- If I may freely translate the idea, God gets to determine what is right based upon what gives Him the maximum amount of joy. Everything exists to serve that purpose.

- Consequently, when we as human beings are serving that purpose, we are living out of what brings Him the most joy. That begins with His choice to bring many children to glory.

- There is an entrance to heaven that is promised, which God has opened by the Son! But it is not the most simple path. In that way, it was only fitting, appropriate, to allow Jesus to suffer.

- He is after all, our divine huMAN. It would not have been right, fair, appropriate, for Jesus to take on humanity and not take on the full experience of humanity!

- He experienced sorrow, pain, betrayal and anger. Why? Because He is our leader!

- He is our Captain. The ESV uses the word "Founder," the NIV employs the term "Pioneer." Jesus Christ is the first to lead His people along this path toward salvation!

- Those that are following Him toward salvation are presently suffering. It is certainly not an easy road. The author tells us that Christ's role was complete through sufferings.

- These were not arbitrary actions, nor are they so in our lives. Our sufferings purify us and cause us to long for His deliverance. Suffering reminds us that we are not home yet.

- And in the case of suffering for choosing a godly life, we know from Christ's example that we are in good company! Allow me to further explain.

- Human life, our existence on this planet, will issue in all kinds of pain, physically, emotionally, spiritually. Some of this will come upon us through our genes. We will be subject to certain conditions.

- Some of us will reap what we have sown. Our younger lives and the foolish choices that accompany our youth, will often leave our bodies in poor shape for the long haul.

- Some of us will experience suffering through the treatment of others. There will be many that are victimized in this life. To some extent, this is not what the author is referring to.

- These are sufferings that come from the choices related to the sustaining of a godly life in Christ. This goes out to those that choose to live visibly upon that which cannot be seen presently!

- Christ's sufferings were productive. We'll note that ours will be as well! Verse 11.

• Hebrews 2:11-13 : "For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying: 'I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.' And again: 'I will put My trust in Him.' And again: 'Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.'" : The One who cleanses us, who is setting us apart, is God. Our suffering to remain in God's will unites us to Christ!

- As justified members, who will be glorified, we all have one source. We are of the same family. That work of sanctification, preparing us to enter into the Kingdom, is related to our suffering!

- This is why the Lord looks upon us as His brethren and that without shame! The word relates to the dsfigurement of the face. He doesn't make a face when thinking about us!

- Jesus doesn't shrink back or get red with embarassment when our names are brought up. Quite to the contrary, He longs to lead us in praise of the Father, according to Psalm 22:22.

- Jesus will proclaim the Name of the Father and, literally do so in the midst of the church! He will be our worship leader! Can you imagine that? What sort of people will He be leading?

- The author quotes from Isaiah 8:17,18. The scripture in question relates to the prophecy of Isaiah regarding the yet future Assyrian conquest of Israel.

- Isaiah's children will watch in horror as Israel falls to the mighty Assyrian Empire. In the midst of what they see, Isaiah tells all who will listen that there is still a refuge to be found in the Lord.

- Though many will be taken and caught in the snare that God was setting for them, for Isaiah's part, he will trust in the Lord along with the children that God had given to him.

- The writer of Hebrews understands that Isaiah stands in scripture as a picture of Christ! God has determined that the World, like ancient Israel, is headed for judgment.

- A world which rejects Christ, which forsakes God's Word, which denigrates His Spirit, can only expect their existence to be progressively doomed.

- Yet, it is Christ who calls His church to follow, to trust in this God who is allowing and is in fact, the source of this coming judgment. Those that hear that call are called out, the church!

- We are the children of God that have been given to Christ! We are His brothers and sisters and He has not lost one of us! In fact, we are joined to Him! "Jesus became a man"

I. To Fulfill Mankind's Destiny (v.5-9)

II. To Provide A Basis For Our Unity (v.10-13)

III. To Express Divine Sympathy (v.14-18)

• Hebrews 2:14-16 : "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham." : Christ took on human flesh because we are made of human flesh.

- He suffered in the same way that we suffer, so that His death might stand as a proper substitute, as a fully human representative, in the eyes of God.

- When He died, He effectively destroyed, rendered inoperable, the power of death.

- The author asserts that this power belonged to the Devil. Later, in John's epistle, the Apostle comments that Jesus came to destroy the work of the devil. (I John 3:8)

- In what way does the Devil have the power of death? We know that it is God who decrees when a life begins and when it ends. What did Christ destroy in relation to Satan's power? Fear!

- He died that He might release, deliver, free those that had spent their whole life enslaved by it's power! Consider that! How many today live in fear of their eventual death?

- What sorts of decisions are made from that motivation? How many will spend untold amounts of money to extend their life for another year or two? The believer never needs to fear death.

- None of us will be faulted for being concerned about our dying, but death is nothing to fear!

- That isn't something that Christ accomplished for the angelic host. They have no need!

- But that is what Christ did for the people of Israel. Why? Verse 17.

• Hebrews 2:17,18 : "Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted." : In order to help God's people, He had to become just like them!

- The power that Satan had been given through the Fall, He has crushed by being the human that submitted to God! Now, He can be a merciful and faithful High Priest!

- That is the balance that must be maintained. When dealing with people, a Priest had to learn to dispense God's mercy. He had to be full of mercy, but He also had to be completely reliable!

- How could Jesus be merciful toward us if He had never lived a life like us? He could have known about suffering, but He would never have known how to sympathize.

- Our High Priest, Jesus Christ is merciful because He knows what a broken heart feels like! At the same time, He is faithful in things pertaining to God!

- He will never allow His mercy to upend His faithfulness! He will be true to God's Word and will exist to make propitiation for the sins of the people!

- I know that many of us shy away from "big words." I encourage you to shed that attitude as soon as possible because the author of the Bible, the Holy Spirit, expects you to learn and grow!

- Propitiation, in the simplest terms, refers to a satisfying, appeasing payment. The Greek word refers to the cover of the Ark of the Covenant, called "The Mercy Seat."

- If you recall our studies in the book of Exodus, the Mercy Seat covered over the plate of manna, Aaron's rod that budded and the two tables of the Law that were stored in the Ark.

- Each of these items were directly related to the sin of Israel. Manna was produced when the people complained against God.

- The Ten commandments were re-written after the people of God bowed before the Golden Calf. Aaron's rod, his dead walking stick, flourished to life again when God's people rebelled.

- These items represent Israel's guilt that was ever before God, but they were covered by the Mercy Seat, so that when God looked down upon the case, all He saw was the basis for His mercy!

- It was on that Mercy seat that the blood of Atonement was sprinkled once a year by the High Priest who would offer it on behalf of the people of God!

- The blood of Jesus, once typified by the sacrificial lamb, remains God's sole satisfying payment for sin! There isn't another that is worthy, nor is there another that is necessary!

- This is Christ's faithfulness to God, not in making a sacrifice, but in being the Sacrifice!

- Note also the extend of His mercy toward His brethren! Because He has suffered. Because He has been tempted. He is able to aid those that are being tempted!

- This is a wonderfully profound statement. One Pastor put it like this: "He is able to run to our aid like a Parent who sees their child's distress." Can't you see that?

- Christ has the power to reach us and is quick to aid us when we call! Notice though: He is able to aid us. God's mercy is not in place to remove us from temptation.

- There will never come a time in your human life when you will be free from temptation.

- And it will never be that God will take you out of it permanently. But, for those that love Him and refuse to give in, He promises to run to your aid!

Conclusion
- Jesus took on human flesh to fulfill our destiny. He is the One who lived our lives, but He did so without sin, obediently following the Father to the point of the death of the cross!

- In His death, Jesus united us to Himself. He brought us along in His justifying act and is sanctifying us today, that He might glorify us with Himself tomorrow!

- While we wait, a condition that plagued the anxious first century Jewish reader, we can know the divine expression of sympathy, from our true Big Brother, who exists to aid us by His Holy Spirit!

- I'm perpetually in awe of the divinity of Christ. I pray that you will join me in greater thanksgiving for the sake of His humanity.