Latest / HBCWestminster / 10.6.21 Hebrews 2:5-18 Pastor Danny Gardner

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10.6.21 Hebrews 2:5-18 Pastor Danny Gardner · HBCWestminster

• 0:00
  All right, Hebrews chapter 2. Hebrews 2, our text tonight will be verses 5 to 18. It's through to the end of the chapter, Hebrews chapter 2. I'm going to read our text. If you're able to stand in honor of the reading of God's word, I would ask you to do that now. We'll read it. I'll pray. We'll jump in. Verse 5. For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come of which we are speaking. It's been testified somewhere, what is man, that you're mindful of him.
• 0:30
  or the son of man that you care for him. You made him for a little while lower than the angels. You've crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet. Now, putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him, but we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death. So by the grace of God, he might taste death for everyone.
• 0:59
  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. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers saying, I will tell of your name to my brothers. In the midst of the congregation, I will sing your praise. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, behold, I and the children God has given me.
• 1:24
  Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service to God to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
• 1:53
  For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. And Lord, I pray a blessing over the preaching of your word. Give us ears and hearts to receive the implanted word. May we receive it as it truly is, the words of God and not the word of man. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Thank you, church. Are you good at pressure situations? How do you respond when there's tension and strain?
• 2:23
  Maybe one way to know how you respond is to ask, have you ever been in a fight? Has that ever happened? You don't have to confess it here. But if you ever have, or if you've ever gotten close to a fight, how did you respond? I find that if there's ever a time of high stress, high tension, and especially if there's something that I think, oh, this might be leading toward a physical interaction, a physical altercation, I find that I get kind of twitchy and nervous.
• 2:49
  My adrenaline rushes. Everything gets a little bit jittery because this is just not my world. I mean, you know, I'm a pastor. You know, I'm not a swinger. The Lord didn't give me the body to be one of those kind of guys who just swings his fist and whatever. I won't knock anybody down if I try. You know, and so I just have avoided. I tend to avoid those kinds of things. I have a very good friend who was a Marine for many years and, in fact, was a Marine all over the world for a long, long time.
• 3:17
  He's an aerospace engineer now. He started a second career after being done with the Marines, but he was all over the place. He was in Afghanistan for a long time, Iraq. He was in Somalia, all over the Horn of Africa, was kind of stationed all over the place. And I found that because of his experience and training, he was just really good at those kinds of situations. He never got nervous. He never got jittery.
• 3:41
  He was significantly shorter than I am. He's about 5'6", maybe, but real stocky, kind of built like a bulldog, you know, a Marine. And so he and I decided that we were going to coach a little league team together. It was a little league team that my boys were on, my older boys were on. Pearson was probably in the third grade and Zach somewhere in kindergarten, something like that, like ages eight and five.
• 4:02
  And so I was the head coach. He was the assistant coach. We were going to coach these little kids together. You guys, it's little kids. It's like T-ball. You know what I mean? It's no pressure. You know, parents aren't supposed to be screaming at people. You know what I mean? It's T-ball. But nevertheless, baseball brings out something funny. Competition brings out something funny in parents. And so there was some heated exchanges and there was some yelling and there were some other things. And eventually the other coach that I'm coaching against got so angry that he came out of his dugout. I was coaching third base.
• 4:32
  My assistant and friend was coaching first base, and their dugout was on the first base side. So he comes screaming out of his dugout. He's mad at me for something. I didn't even know what was going on, but this guy is screaming at me from across the diamond. He is yelling at me, pointing at me, doing all of these other things, and he starts threatening me. Like, I'm going to find you after the game is over, and I'm going to do these things to you in the parking lot. And I'm like, what in the world? Like, they're eight.
• 4:59
  What are we doing? You know, it was such a joke. Like, I don't even get what's going on. I'm just standing there like, what is going on? My buddy coach in first base walks over to the guy and just real slow and casual like this, walks over and stands in front of the guy and looks up at him. And he says, do we have a problem?
• 5:19
  It was just like that. No twitchy, no adrenaline, nothing. Do we have a problem? And the guy looks at him. Yeah, we've got a problem. He's screaming. He says, listen, just turn back around and go back to your dugout. I don't want to mess you up in front of all of these people. It would be embarrassing. And he said, I will if I have to. But he said, I don't want to do this. This is just t-ball. Just go back, sit in the dugout. The guy turns back around and goes and sits back down. And I thought, that is a man. That is more man than me.
• 5:47
  I was so impressed. I come up to him afterward. The game is over. And he had forgotten about it. But that's all I can think about. This is the greatest thing I've ever seen. And I said, what in the world? I said, can I ask you a question? Because I said, in situations like that, I get kind of jittery and tense and nervous. What are you thinking about? In a situation like that, what are you thinking about? And he said, well, I was thinking about how I was going to hit him in his five squishy spots. Like, I can come up with three.
• 6:25
  I don't even know where the five squishy spots are. Like, what do they teach you guys? Like, there's five of them? Like, I don't, you know what? My dad taught me to aim for a couple of them, but like, I don't. Five squishy spots. I was so impressed how in a high pressure situation, he just remained calm. Do you ever, when you consider the humiliation of Christ, and that's what we're talking about tonight. You guys, we just read that text, how he took on flesh and blood.
• 6:52
  and then not only took on flesh and blood, but partook in the same things that we do, that he was tempted in the same ways, that he suffered in the same ways. Ultimately, he was crucified. He was crucified. And when you think about the second person of the Trinity, Jesus.
• 7:08
  Becoming a person, I mean the incarnate God taking on flesh and then being humiliated and mocked and spit upon and beaten and then hung on a cross like a criminal. Does it ever cause some kind of like tension in you? Like wait, this isn't right. And if you were standing there that day.
• 7:31
  If you were the one who was in the garden and here come the soldiers and they're going to go take him away, what would your response have been? Confusion? Would you have gotten a little bit jittery? Can you imagine the apostle Peter, right? Getting a little bit like, this is about to go down. I don't know what to do. I'm a fisherman. I don't know what to do. And can you imagine him just, I mean, just getting angry and nervous and this isn't right and I'm not going to stand for it and raking out your sword and chopping a guy's ears off?
• 8:03
  Like I can see it. Like that makes sense to me. And then Jesus saying, wait, what are you doing? What are you doing? Peter, do you have any idea? You're not standing in the will of God. You're standing in the way of God. And I have to be honest with myself sometimes and ask that question. Do I ever stand in the way of God rather than in?
• 8:29
  The will of God, and to this point, the author of Hebrews has consistently upheld the exalted status of the Son of God. I've been challenging you every Wednesday until now to consider Jesus. To consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession. I said that that word consider is not merely just a fleeting glance, like you're just going to glance at him and keep on going. You're not just going to think about him for a few minutes. Consider means to ponder fully. To ponder fully until a full realization is reached.
• 8:57
  to consider Jesus. And in tonight's passage, the subject shifts to Christ's humiliation rather than exaltation. Tonight is the opposite. It's like, well, yes, he is exalted and he is supreme and he is better than all things and superior to all things. And yet tonight we're going to see that he became lower than all things in becoming a man. And last time we met last Wednesday, the author issued a warning. And this is where we ended last week.
• 9:25
  to those who had heard the gospel many times, that we should pay closer attention to it in order that we not drift away from its truths. And the remainder of chapter 2, our study this evening, is an explanation of how that gospel came to be.
• 9:40
  To be Christ, the climax of revelation and the claimant of creation and the creator of the universe and the perfect copy of God's image and the carrier of all things and the cleanser of mankind. Christ, the one who was given a greater name than angels, receives greater fame than angels and makes a greater claim than angels, we find was for a little while subjected to the limitations of a human body. Not only that, he was subjected to trials.
• 10:12
  It'd be one thing if he became a man but was like supreme ruler of the earth and carried around and fed with a golden spoon. I mean, that would still be humiliating, but he didn't even do that. He didn't come as the best among us, right? He came as the worst at not only that, but he was also subjected, we find, to temptation. The devil was just allowed to have his way.
• 10:40
  And so we're going to notice this tension, and it's meant to create a tension. He's just talked about how great Jesus is, and now he's going to say, yeah, but he also became the worst. And so we're going to notice first, verses 5 to 9, kind of this strain that we feel in the humiliation of Christ. Notice verses 5 to 9 form a transitionary paragraph from the heavenly position of Christ in chapter 1.
• 11:05
  Exalted, supreme, superior now to the earthly ministry of Christ in chapter 2. And the quotation that we're going to read is from Psalm 8, which is interesting because we've been singing Psalm 8, right? That's the song we introduced a few weeks ago. We've been singing on Wednesdays and Sundays. It speaks both to the exaltation of the sun, but in connection to the subjection of the sun. It's a seeming dichotomy that creates tension in the passage. And look at verse 5.
• 11:33
  It says it wasn't to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we're speaking. It's been testified somewhere. I think that's kind of funny that he just says somewhere. Well, it's Psalm 8. What is man that you're mindful of him? Or the son of man that you care for him? You made him, in reference to Jesus, for a little while lower than the angels. You've crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet.
• 11:57
  Now I'm putting everything in subjection to him. He left nothing outside his control. And if that's where it stopped, you'd say, okay, if that's true, there is nothing outside of his control. Then I got some questions because there seemed to be a whole lot of things that seem out of his control, right? There seemed like there's a whole bunch of rebels on this planet.
• 12:21
  who want nothing to do with the goodness of God and nothing to do with his kindness and want nothing to do with his salvation or forgiveness. They have no interest in worshiping the God of the universe. They are rebelling against him daily in their hearts and minds. Right? That's how it seems. And so if you said, okay, in putting everything, verse 8 says, in subjection to Christ, he left nothing outside of his control. You say, well, then what gives? Because it seems like things are out of his control. But look at how verse 8 ends. At present.
• 12:50
  We don't yet see it that way. We don't yet see everything in subjection to him. So is everything in subjection to Christ? Yes. But at present, it sure doesn't seem like it is. There's this tension formed between what we know, that Christ is on his throne, that he is exalted, that he is right now at the right hand of the Father, exalted in heaven.
• 13:20
  making intercession for us. So there's a tension between what we know and then what we see. What do we see? Suffering, evil, sickness, disease, wickedness, rebellion. And then we know that all things truly are in subjection to Christ, yet we don't necessarily see it this way right now. And the author's use of Psalm 8 here, I think, is strategic.
• 13:48
  Because of his use of the last week's toothbrush verse. You guys remember the toothbrush verses from last week? Right? The last of the seven toothbrush verses you can find in chapter 1 and verse 13. To which of the angels has he ever said, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet?
• 14:06
  So that was from Psalm 110. That was the last toothbrush verse in reference to Christ. And now here he pits it against Psalm 8. Now in Psalm 8, in the latter of the two, the author argues that all things are currently in full submission to Christ. But to a Hebrew church, and remember we talked about what this church was enduring. They had lost property. They had lost station. They had lost jobs. They had lost spouses and family.
• 14:33
  They had lost friends and neighbors. They had been rejected. When they chose Christ as the fulfillment of their Old Testament faith, they were absolutely rejected. They were cast out. And so this little Hebrew church was wildly persecuted in a community that hated them, in a city that hated them, right? They were in Rome and then in an empire which was wholeheartedly against them.
• 14:59
  And so they've got a Hebrew church here that is being ravaged by that Roman empire. That statement, all things are in subjection to Christ right now, presently, would seem absurd. Can you imagine being a member of that intensely persecuted church? And just thinking, you know what, if Christ is on his throne right now, then why are we being persecuted? Why are we being rejected? I mean, if he's on his throne right now, why aren't we winning? Shouldn't we be winning?
• 15:31
  Why are we being persecuted by powers that they say are already placed under the subjection of the sun, they might ask. You know, it's like those people who I think are very well-meaning in the moment, but they're like kind of awkward and they don't really know what to say. And so they'll just say, those kind of blurt out during your time of real genuine loss and grief where your heart has been broken. And they'll say something like, well, you know, all things work for good. You're like, well, you know what?
• 16:01
  It doesn't feel very good. I mean, I know that to be true. Right now, this stinks. That's not what I want to hear right now. Can you imagine the Hebrew author coming along and just saying, well, you know, all things work for good. I mean, I'm sorry you lost your job, and I'm sorry you lost your house, and I'm sorry you lost your wife, and I'm sorry that none of your kids want anything to do with you, but you know, all things work for good. Like, that's not what I want to hear right now. Turn to the left, if you would. Go to Acts 14 with me.
• 16:32
  Acts 14. Look at this in the life of Paul. Acts 14 and verse 19. Paul is on one of his missionary journeys. He comes along. There's different, Iconium, Lystra, Thyatira, some of these different cities that he's traveling between and he's planting churches. He's winning converts, making disciples, planting churches, appointing elders. And look at verse 19.
• 16:53
  But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, so they're actually following him. So they've run him off from different cities, and now they're following him to the next city, trying to cause problems. And having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him outside of the city, supposing that he was dead. And some commentaries even think that he was dead. There are some who think that he really did die, that God rose him from the dead. But they suppose he was dead. They drag him out of the city. They stone him to death.
• 17:23
  But when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up. It's the same wording as being resurrected. He rose up, entered the city. On the next day, he went on with Barnabas to Derbe, a different town. When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples. Now, let me ask you. If you had gone door to door and you start preaching the gospel and the people get so mad that they start ripping the bricks off of their house and throwing them at you. And you end up in the middle of the street underneath a pile of bricks.
• 17:54
  Okay? And somehow you survive. You push your way through the bricks. You go to the next town. You begin to preach. Would you really honestly consider going back to that other town? Or would you be like, you know what? This is pearls before swine. This is one of those pearls before swine scenarios. I'm shaking the dust. Like I'm kicking the dust off my feet. I'm not going back there. They don't deserve it. I preach the gospel. Lord, my hands are clean. My conscience is clean. I'm done. That's not what the Apostle Paul does. He goes back.
• 18:24
  He says they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch. They went back to those towns, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith and saying that through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God. I have struggled with that verse. I've struggled with that one for years. I've struggled with that one. Through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God. And I've thought before, Lord, my life's pretty easy.
• 18:49
  If I get to the kingdom of God by struggling through many tribulations, I don't know if I'm going to make it because it's just not that hard. It's just not been that hard. I mean, I grew up in a Christian home and I was always in the church and I always, you know, I got baptized and people applauded. Nobody shot at me. They applauded when I got baptized and they prayed for me and I've had men and women come alongside me and encourage me and strengthen me. And I thought, man, my life has been pretty easy. What do I do with that verse? Verse 23, and when they had appointed elders for them in every church,
• 19:20
  With prayer and fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. Now, let me tell you, let me ask. The apostle Paul goes to the city. He preaches the good news. They stone him, maybe to death, maybe within an inch of his life. They certainly think that he's dead. He gets back up. He goes back into the same town. He starts winning converts. He has this little church. And then he says, okay, I'm going to go to the next town. Who wants to be the new pastor of the church? Would you do it?
• 19:53
  There's no way, you guys. You're sitting on your hands. Don't make eye contact with him. Hopefully he doesn't see me. I am not doing that job. It's the time of year we're actually taking nominations for our board. It's our time of year where we do board nominations. And convincing guys to serve on our board sometimes is difficult. Nobody's throwing bricks at them. Like, I don't know if I would be a board member or whatever. I'm like, man, can you imagine trying to recruit?
• 20:25
  For that town, they appointed elders in every church. Now, we go back to Hebrews. You come to this text and you say, okay, none of that makes sense were it not for the very end of verse 8. None of that would make sense. It's just not how we see it. It's not how the world works. I mean, Jesus isn't kicking in doors and taking over.
• 20:55
  And we say, well, what gives? You say, okay, at present, we don't yet see everything in subjection to him. And so what the Lord is saying there is right now, right now, things are not going necessary. They're not out of control. They're not out of the will of God by any means. He's absolutely sovereign. But there must be some meaning, some reason for the suffering that both Christ endured and that we will endure. And that's exactly what he's going to talk about. Is all in subjection to Christ or?
• 21:24
  Should we anticipate a future subjection? According to Hebrews, it's both. Notice what George Guthrie says. The reign of Christ and the reality of the Christian experience have begun, but will not be fully actualized until a final consummation at the end of the age. The Son's rule is already a reality. That reality, however, must be confessed by faith until we see its full impact at the end of the age. And so is the rule of Christ right now? Yes. Is the rule of Christ not yet?
• 21:51
  Yes. And it's this now kind of not yet tension that we must understand in order to be full of joy in the Christian life. If you don't understand this tension, it will be tough to have joy. Revelation 6 says this, when he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, O sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long? What a great question. How long before you will judge and avenge our blood?
• 22:19
  On those who dwell on the earth. How long do we have to wait for justice? Maybe you feel the same way. Revelation 20 and verse 4. I saw thrones and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus for the word of God.
• 22:34
  Those who had not worshipped the beast or its image had not received its mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. And so there were even tribulation martyrs who had been beheaded because they refused to worship the devil. But at the end of time, it says they reign with Christ. There will be a day when it all makes sense. Again, George Guthrie, the New Testament fosters the position that the kingdom has been established.
• 23:01
  Its effect is set in motion, but its full realization is postponed until the second coming of Christ. Church, do you ever find yourself caught in that tension? Do you ever battle against the seeming silence of God? When God gives no answer to the family who prays desperately for the healing of a loved one? Or when children are born with deformities? Or when children are not born at all? When praying for provision or housing or work?
• 23:32
  Maybe when you're entangled in sin, you're begging the Lord for deliverance. And listen, church, I know that some of you right now, because I've spoken to you, are up against it. You just feel like, man, I'm up against a wall. I don't know what to do. Parenting is hard. It's hard. Marriages sometimes are hard. You're really fighting, fighting to stay together. Or you're in real jeopardy of losing your jobs because of mandates, because of other things. Like, I don't know what to do.
• 24:04
  Let me give you this real piece of encouragement. Real encouragement. Hebrews 9. So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time. He will, church. Not to deal with sin. He's already done that. But to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. And church, let me encourage you to eagerly wait for him. It will not be this way forever.
• 24:33
  That's what they told the Hebrews. That's exactly what he said. It's not going to be this way forever. You have something to look forward to. Eagerly wait for him. J.C. Ryle says it this way. I love this quote. It's a long one. We'll go through it together. There's a glorious dwelling place provided by Jesus Christ for all his believing people. Amen? There is a glorious dwelling place, church. That's a real place. Don't forget the heaven's not real. Don't forget. Don't forget the heaven is real. Don't act like heaven's not real.
• 25:04
  That's what I always say. I'm like, wait. Yeah, don't forget, heaven is a real place. The world that now is, is not your rest, your pilgrims, your strangers here. Heaven is your home. There will be a place in heaven for all sinners who have fled to Christ by faith and trusted in him. For the least as well as the greatest, Abraham took care to provide for all his children. God takes care to provide for his.
• 25:30
  None will be disinherited. None will be cast out. None will be cut off. Each shall stand in his lot and have a portion in the day when the Lord brings many sons to glory. In our Father's house are many mansions. And reader, I want you to go to heaven.
• 25:46
  After this life is over, I want heaven to be very full. I want you to be one of its inhabitants. Listen to me for a few moments while I tell you something about the manner of that place. You want to know what heaven is like? Here he says is a little description. I can tell you a little of the blessedness of heaven, but not all. A mortal man can explain the full nature of the inheritance of the saints in light. Who can describe the glory which is yet to be revealed and given to the children of God? Words fail.
• 26:13
  Language falls short. Mind cannot conceive fully. Tongue cannot express perfectly the things which are comprised in the glory yet to come upon the sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty. In other words, it's too good to even talk about. It will be joy inexpressible. Better, better than you can imagine. Do you ever try to let your imagination run? What will heaven be like? I can remember a day when Zach was maybe six years old.
• 26:44
  where my dad had died not long before that. Zach was really little. He must have been younger than six because we were talking about that my dad had died and gone to heaven. And so Zach must have been preschool age, maybe three or four. And Zach asked me, because my dad loved ice cream, he probably would have been a decent athlete. If not, if not for pralines and cream ice cream from Baskin and Robbins. I think that ruined his athletic career.
• 27:12
  But he just, he loved it. You guys, he ate it. He loved it. He'd eat it. I one time saw him sit down and eat a half gallon of it by himself. He ate the whole thing. You know, one of those big tubs? He ate the whole thing. My dad had died. He had gone to heaven. He didn't die from ice cream, okay? So don't worry about that. But he had died. You know, we talked about heaven. And the encouragement that I had gotten when my pastor was kind of encouraging me, because it was a big loss, you know. My dad was one of my best friends. I've told you before, he's the best man at my wedding.
• 27:43
  my pastor just kept saying, he kept saying, you want to explain it to your three-year-old son? Talk about heaven all the time. All the time, just talk about heaven. It's a real place. So talk about it like it's a real place. It's a real place. Talk about it all the time. And so we did. I just started talking to him about heaven. He asked me one time, Dad, do you think there's ice cream in heaven? Do you think there's ice cream in heaven? I was like, well, if there is, you know, Papa's ruining that place. He's going to put him out of business.
• 28:10
  Can you imagine? You eat as much ice cream as you want, you never get fat. It's a great place. If there is. When you let your mind drift toward heavenly things and you imagine what will heaven be like, I can imagine some pretty awesome things. Our imaginations are incredible, right? You can imagine some pretty incredible things, can you not? Yet Ephesians chapter 3 says he can do above what you can even imagine.
• 28:41
  Your imagination can't even contain what it will be like when you go. I mean, that first day that you go, maybe you know people who are already there. They're just waiting for us. It's better than you can even imagine. So when J.C. Ryle says, it's better, I mean, I can't even explain it to you. Joy inexpressible. He says this, oh, it is indeed a true saying of the Apostle John. It does not yet appear what shall be, what we shall be. Better than you can even hope for.
• 29:09
  Now, beloved church, I know it seems as though some things are out of control, but don't forget our final destination. Don't forget there will be a day. You notice second, the suffering, the suffering that Christ felt in his humiliation. Look at verse nine. He says, but we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels. So he went from that exalted place all the way down. We just talked about that he's better than angels. Now verse nine says, but when he took on flesh, he became worse than the angels.
• 29:37
  namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God, he might taste death for everyone. Verse 10, 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. Now, the fact that the creator and sustainer of the universe, what we just talked about, was confined to a virgin's womb is an astonishing fact. I don't know how that works. It's unparalleled.
• 30:09
  In the minds of humanity, there is nothing crazier than that. That was the craziest event in human history. But what the author of Hebrews implies regarding the purpose of that confinement goes even beyond that. Jesus gave a lot of reasons for his coming.
• 30:26
  Right? He said to seek and to save the lost. He said to testify to the truth. He said, I came to give my life as a ransom for many. But now Hebrews states plainly that Christ's reason for his humiliation was because of the suffering of death. He came to suffer. I know that none of us seeks suffering. None of us wants to suffer. None of us would choose to suffer. But are we, church, so much above our Lord that our purpose,
• 30:57
  would be different than his? If his purpose was to suffer, then are we his servants any higher than him? Would not our purpose maybe be to suffer as well? But look at this promise from Romans chapter 8 and verse 18. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time aren't even worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. So the suffering that we feel right now, no matter how bad it gets, he says, you won't even remember it.
• 31:22
  One day, first Peter chapter four and verse 12, beloved, don't be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you, but rejoice in so far as you share Christ's sufferings that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. And you'll notice verse 10 says it was even fitting that he would do that. It was fitting that he would suffer.
• 31:46
  The text not only says that Christ came to earth for the purpose of suffering, but the suffering was actually a fitting act for him to perform. And you say, well, why? Why would God choose to come and suffer? You know, when we think of God as a father, we consider his love and his compassion. Sometimes I think we forget or we fail to consider that that father smashed his own son. He did something, I think.
• 32:23
  that you and I would never be willing to do. Again, my son, Zach, sitting over there, you know, 16 years old now, but when he was just a little tiny squirt, you know, holding his hand, walking through the mall one day, you know, he's this tall and I've got his little hand, you know, and we're walking through and I don't remember why Hallie was not with us. Hallie and Pierce and Chase was long to be born, but...
• 32:45
  Hallie and Pearson were somewhere else. They were looking at something. But I got this little tiny Zach. He had little blonde hair. He was so, so, so cute. All the ladies at church just went googly over him. We were doing college ministry. They just loved little squirt. And so we're walking through the mall one day. And he always asked me these most random questions. Very deep thinker. He still is. Very, very intelligent. Very deep thinker. And he just asked me one time, Daddy, would you ever sell me? I'm like, I don't know. How much?
• 33:18
  Maybe. When you're screaming in the middle of the night, I wouldn't just, I'd give you away. Well, no, Zach, of course not. I would never. I would never sell you. And then he said, he was like three, you know, so he doesn't know these huge numbers yet. He said, what about for $100? Zach, I mean, it's like the biggest thing you could think, $100, you know, to a three-year-old. Zach, no, I would not even for $100. No. What about for $1,000? No.
• 33:48
  Not even for a thousand dollars. Nope. He said, dad, what about all the money in the whole world? What about all the money in the whole world? Would you ever sell me? I said, Zach, you know, and I got down real low with him, you know, and he's this tall. So I get down like this and I'm talking to him. And I said, Zach, even for all the money in the whole world, even for all the money, if somebody offered me everything in the world, I still wouldn't sell you.
• 34:15
  I still wouldn't. I love you so much. I love you more than anything else in the world. I wouldn't trade you for anything. I wouldn't sell you for anything. I wouldn't give you away for anything, right? And now my, you know, dad brain is kind of spinning. I'm like, wait, this is a good opportunity to share the gospel with my little boy. You know, because unfortunately our three sons were born unregenerate.
• 34:37
  None of them knew the Lord upon, you know, being born. And so I'm like, I could, this is a gospel opportunity. So I'm getting a little jittery and I'm getting a little excited. Like Zach, did you know, did you know that God sent his son? God did give his son away. God gave his son away. Can you believe that? Like what kind of dad would give his son away?
• 35:01
  What? He gave his son away? Yes, he gave his son away because he loves you so much. He loves you so much that our Heavenly Father was willing to do to his son what I would never do to mine. He was willing to give his own son because he loved us so much. Isn't that great news? You know, I'm talking to him and I'm like, man, I'm getting excited because I think he's getting it.
• 35:29
  He's understanding it, you know? And so I'm getting excited. I'm like, I'm getting ready to have this real gospel conversation. I'm anticipating him falling on his knees and, you know, praying to the Lord. I said, Zach, isn't that great news? He says, yeah. And he looked up at me. He says, can we get some ice cream? I was this close. You know, I was so close. Isaiah 53 in verse 5. He was wounded for our transgression, crushed for our iniquities. He said, why?
• 36:02
  Why? And the key is found right here in verse 10. Look what it says. It was fitting that he for whom and by whom all things exist. In doing what? Bringing, do you guys see it? Bringing many sons to glory should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. Why would he do that? In order for us to be saved. He loves us so much. And I notice third, the sympathy that Christ feels because of his humiliation. What does it say? And for this one, we're going to have to be quick. I'm out of time.
• 36:33
  But look at verse 11. Now that he has suffered, he's become like us. Now he has suffered like we do, been tempted like we are. Notice what it says. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. So in other words, Christ's humiliation means that we are related to him. It continues, that's why he's not ashamed to call us brothers. We're all part of the same family. We've all been through it together.
• 37:00
  Verse 12, saying, I will tell of your name to my brothers. In the midst of the congregation, I will sing your praise. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, behold, I and the children God has given me. We are all related to Christ because of his sympathy. But notice also his humiliation means that we can be rescued by Christ. Look at verse 14. Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood.
• 37:23
  He himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. Because he became a man, he can save man. We can be rescued by him. And notice third, Christ's humiliation means that we can be reconciled through him.
• 37:45
  Verse 16, for surely it's not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore, he had to be made like his brothers in every respect so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God to make propitiation. We talked about that word on Sunday for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he's able to help those who are being tempted. John Phillips has said this. He has entered fully into human life. His great heart beats for the sons.
• 38:15
  of man and church. Don't forget that the Lord's heart beats for you. The next time you're struggling with the seeming silence of God, the next time you really do experience loss because things seem to be out of control. The next time you've got that tension and strain, remember that that strain, that humiliation accomplished a great deal. It means that death would be tasted by the Lord. It means
• 38:44
  That he would be developed into perfection. Proved to be perfect. That he would destroy the one who has the power of death. That he would deliver the ones who are bound by slavery. That he would become a merciful and faithful high priest. And help we who are also suffering. And Lord I pray. I pray that we would be reminded of this truth. Every time we suffer. Every time things are hard. Every time Lord we feel that strain. May we remember what we have to look forward to. Perfection. Righteousness. Even the crown of righteousness.
• 39:16
  And Lord, I pray that we would eagerly await a Savior from there, and it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.