God Who Lives For You, The

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God Who Lives For You, The

By Rowland Croucher and others ⋅ January 5, 2003 ⋅ Post a comment

Clergy/Leaders’ Mail-list No. 2-070 (Expository Sermon)

THE GOD WHO LIVES FOR YOU (Hebrews 2:10-18)

by Rod Benson

We all experience tough times. No one escapes or avoids the pitfalls and pain of human life. And we all need someone to lean on during those times. It may be a trusted friend, a parent or brother or sister, or someone who has been there for us in the past, such as a pastor or counsellor.

Or it may be God. There are times when no one else understands your circumstances, or you find it impossible to share your inner world with others. Those are the times when you prove God and find him to be merciful and faithful.

Nineteenth century Scottish preacher Alexander Maclaren said, “Those who know the path to God can find it in the dark.” One of the great blessings of Christian experience is that our God is not a distant, impersonal deity but a personal, relational friend to those who believe.

In Jesus Christ we not only see God’s character fully expressed but we have a companion in life who understands what it’s like to be human, and who can empathise with us in our grief and joy, our pain and happiness, our angst and optimism, our human condition.

GOOD AND BAD NEWS

Part of God’s eternal purpose and plan was to fill heaven with people, “bringing many sons to glory” (verse 10a). The future glory of the people of God is secured and assured by the present glorification of Jesus Christ. If Jesus is in glory today, we shall soon be like him.

But the tragic truth is that sin and death profoundly and permanently separate most of the world’s people from God’s presence and from their glorious inheritance as heirs of God. The numbers of those who are lost are hard to grasp. The world’s population apparently exceeded six billion late last year, and births far outweigh deaths. Every week there are 2.63 million births, and only 1.02 million deaths. That’s 261 births every minute compared to 101 deaths.

The Good News is that God planned for Jesus to be the “author of our salvation,” our founder and leader, our pioneer and champion, the one who made a new beginning, inaugurated a new creation, and formed a new community (verse 10b). The bad news is the means by which our salvation was made possible: through the suffering – and death – of our pioneering champion.

Jesus came to our world to share our humanity. He became one of us so that we could share his life. He suffered so that we could share his glory. He died so that we could be released from the fear of death. He came not only to share our humanity, but to transform it! And in doing so, far from detracting from his moral and regal stature, his act of humility and self-sacrifice demonstrated his true greatness.

TRUE AND FALSE PATHS

This is God’s way to save us! As we learned last week, “Jesus . . . suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9). All other supposed paths to salvation are ultimately false, foolish, fruitless and hopeless. Jesus Christ alone is the way to God, the way to eternal life, and the way to true fulfilment and joy in life.

In saying that Jesus was “made perfect through suffering,” (verse 10c), the author is not suggesting that Jesus became less than morally perfect in becoming a human person. Rather, Jesus proved himself fully qualified to save and sanctify us through what he encountered and endured during his three decades of earthly existence in first-century Palestine.

Others have encountered somewhat similar benefits resulting from harrowing experiences. British media commentator Malcolm Muggeridge revealed that:

“Contrary to what might be expected, I look back on experiences that at the time seemed especially desolating and painful with particular satisfaction. Indeed, I can say with complete truthfulness that everything I have learned in my 75 years in this world, everything that has truly enhanced and enlightened my experience, has been through affliction and not through happiness.” Verses 11-13 contain three Old Testament quotations supporting the claim that Jesus identified with us in his incarnation (Psalm 22:22; Isaiah 8:17 and 8:18). Each quote is a personal affirmation (“I will . . . “), given a messianic dimension.

Although fully God, Jesus became “of the same family” (verse 11b) as you and me. He joined Adam’s family tree, identifying with us, wholeheartedly committing himself to us and to his mission of saving us.

Why did Jesus assume human form? Why did he suffer and die for us? The author of this letter gives six reasons.

SIX REASONS WHY JESUS BECAME HUMAN

First, Jesus became a man to destroy the devil (verse 14b). Satan gained his power over us when he seduced Adam and Eve to rebel against God, and ever since that time men and women have defied and ignored their Creator.

The result was suffering, hardship, war, misery and death. Given what we know of death, and its implications, I find it intriguing how Hollywood has chosen to portray “Death,” personified in a suave and almost innocent light by Brad Pitt, in the new movie, Meet Joe Black. The truth is that death is our enemy, but that Jesus has won the battle and disarmed death, the devil is vanquished, his power is annulled, and we are set free (see 1 Cor 15:54-57).

Second, Jesus became a man to free us from death (verse 15). Ironically, the death of Jesus releases us from fear of our own death. We may choose to reject God and manufacture our own reality, but such a reality is ultimately empty. Jesus has gained something beyond value by his death: he has been given “the power of an indestructible life” (Hebrews 7:16), and he imparts that power and life to his followers.

Third, Jesus became a man to atone for our sins (verse 17b). His voluntary, sacrificial death turns away God’s wrath at our sin, and makes possible a reconciliation with God, restoring our broken relationship with him. This is the centrepiece, if you will, of the saving work of Jesus Christ.

Fourth, Jesus became a man to serve as our high priest (verse 17a). As F.F. Bruce says, “A high priest who has actually, and not merely in symbolism, removed his people’s sins . . . is a high priest worth having.”

In the Old Testament, a high priest represented God to the people, and represented the people before God. He was to be holy, totally dedicated to the service of God, and the one through whom all the people would be redeemed and made holy. The high priest’s ministry culminated in the annual Day of Atonement when the people were symbolically cleansed and forgiven their sins.

Only in Hebrews is the term “high priest” applied to Jesus. We will meet the concept in great detail later in the letter, but here we find two enduring qualities of the high priestly work of Jesus on our behalf.

He is “merciful and faithful” (verse 17) – perhaps implying his mercy toward us, and his faithfulness toward God as an effective high priest. The thought of faithfulness is developed in Hebrews 3:1 to 4:14, and the idea of mercy and compassion is developed in Hebrews 4:15 to 5:10.

Fifth, Jesus became a man to make us holy (verse 11). Jesus alone, through the ministry of his Spirit in our hearts, shapes us into a people characterised by holiness, fitting us to enter God’s presence.

Later in his letter, the author notes that, by one sacrifice, Jesus “has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (10:14); and further on he reminds his readers that Jesus “suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood” (13:12). Jesus is able to make us holy – to sanctify us – because, far more than any high priest that preceded him, he is fully and absolutely consecrated to God. As a result, we may have complete confidence in him.

Finally, Jesus became a man to bring us to glory (verse 10). We return to the point at which we began: God’s eternal purpose to fill heaven with redeemed people.

Humanists used to assert that the end of all being is the happiness of man; true believers affirm that the end of all being is the glory of God. Yet God graciously reaches down and draws us to himself, offering us his home, imparting to us his life, and sharing with us his glory.

Jesus submitted to God’s will and became a man – learning and growing, rejoicing and weeping, working and resting, and ultimately suffering and dying in pursuit of his life mission. Was it worth it? Is it relevant to us today? Those labelled as ‘Generation X’ are generally not concerned about truth but relevance. They don’t ask, “Is it true?” but “Is it relevant?”

Jesus’ incarnation, and life experience, and especially his sufferings, death, resurrection, exaltation and present work as our great high priest are not only true but relevant; and not only relevant but personal!

WE NEED JESUS TODAY

Yes, through his incarnation, and by his death, and now in the power of indestructible life, Jesus destroyed the devil, freed us from fear of death, atoned for our sins, proved himself a merciful and faithful high priest, makes us holy, and brings us to glory!

As a result, here and now, Jesus can – and will – help you. The God who died for you is the God who lives for you. His incarnation, encounter with sin, and experience of death uniquely equipped him to save us and to help us.

You and I need his salvation, and his continuing ministry in our lives. Have you asked him to save you? Do you need his help today? His saving work is completed, and he has sat down at God’s right hand, but his priestly work continues, and he waits for you to share with him your need.

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You can contact Rev Rod Benson by e-mail at <>. To subscribe direct to his weekly sermons, e-mail him with “subscribe” in the subject.