Exalted through Suffering
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Reading: Hebrews 2:10-18
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.
11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers,
12 saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”
13 And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.”
14 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,
15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham.
17 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 of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Pray
ILL: Vectors in Math Class
The way a math teacher introduces a subject, then explains it is exactly the way the author of Hebrews is writing this letter. He has a lesson to teach us:
Jesus Christ Is Exalted because He Suffered
Jesus Christ Is Exalted because He Suffered
That seems to us a lot like vectors did to me when I first heard about them in my math class. To us, the idea that suffering leads to exalting is confusing. We might not grasp it. But, let’s hear this author out:
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.
There’s a lot to unpack in this verse, but notice what he wants us to get out of this “lesson.” He wants us to see a couple of things: (1) that Jesus’ suffering leads to his exaltation, and (2) that this is a proper thing for God to do.
Very quickly, let’s deal with the second - that this is appropriate on God’s part. God did it, so it’s appropriate! Whenever God does something, it’s the right thing for him to do. We do not have the liberty to doubt those actions God undertakes. He’s God, not us. He doesn’t have to answer to us. Because he is God, he and he alone determines what’s appropriate for him to do. Not us.
Some will say things like, “It’s not right that a loving God would allow evil in the world” or “I would never follow a God who would sacrifice his own Son/tell people to wipe out an enemy/kill someone just for touching a piece of furniture/etc.” The fact is, however, that God is God. He has every right to do whatever he wants, and because he chooses to do it, we can know for certain it is the right thing for him to do.
Now, that’s the easy part! Let’s look at the primary focus of this author. Jesus, he says, is made “perfect through suffering.” In other words, Jesus is exalted not in spite of his sufferings, and not only in the midst of his sufferings, but Jesus is exalted because of his sufferings.
So what proof does he have? How can the author of Hebrews show that this is true? How will he teach us, his readers, this lesson? He shows Jesus being exalted by his sufferings. I find four ways in particular. Look with me. First:
Christ’s Suffering Exalts Him as Our Companion
Christ’s Suffering Exalts Him as Our Companion
11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers,
12 saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”
13 And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.”
14 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,
Let’s lay out the argument here:
We share a common source with Christ. That source, of course, is God the Father. As proof, the author bids us consider Psalm 22:22:
22 I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
If you happen to know your Bible, you recognize Psalm 22. Just earlier, Savannah read from Psalm 23. “The Lord is My Shepherd, I shall not want...” That’s a beautiful song, isn’t it? But Psalm 22 is an ugly Psalm, at least the beginning is.
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
That’s the Psalm Jesus quotes on the cross! When David wrote this Psalm, he probably didn’t realize how much the Messiah would fit these words.
6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
8 “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
16 For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet—
17 I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me;
18 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.
And yet, upon calling to God, David is ready to proclaim God’s name before all of Israel.
Here we see Christ, hanging on that cross, ready to proclaim the Father to us. When Jesus utters those words (just four words in Aramaic - Eloi, Eloi, lama sabatchtani), he’s not just crying out to God or even merely quoting the beginning of that verse. He’s bringing to mind the entire Psalm. He’s fulfilling David’s words:
22 I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him.
Theres another proof in this passage. In verse 13, the author of Hebrews draws from Isaiah 8:17:
17 I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him.
In that day, Israel was opposing God. They were lying and cheating, trusting in Syria rather than in God. God would raise up Assyria to enact his judgment on Syria, and even on Judah itself. So God tells Isaiah not to follow their lead. Don’t trust in Syria or fear the things they fear. Instead, Isaiah says, I will trust in God.”
The third quote in Hebrews 2:13 comes from the next verse in Isaiah 8:18:
18 Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.
Isaiah recognizes that his own children were signs from God. They would show how God would make good on his word. Christ is the fulfillment of God’s word, the reason we trust in God and not in man. He is a living example of what trusting God looks like, and he identifies himself alongside us. He is not just our Savior, but he is also our companion. He walks with us, talks with us, lives among us. And that makes Christ greater than the angels, greater than all others who would claim to be the mediator between us and God. He is exalted because he suffered as one of us. He is exalted as our companion.
There another way Christ’s suffering exalts him:
Christ’s Suffering Exalts Him as Our Defender
Christ’s Suffering Exalts Him as Our Defender
The name Satan literally means “Accuser.” We stand before God accused. And rightly so. We are guilty. When Satan musters the accusations against us, he need not lie. We condemn ourselves by our sinfulness.
We need a defender who can remove the guilt from us. Christ is that defender. Look at the second half of verse 14:
14 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,
God’s perfect plan of salvation includes Christ conquering death. But he does so in an ingenious way. He attacks death “from the inside.” He destroys death by dying, then by rising from the dead. In the process, he not only conquers death but he also defends us against the one who hold’s death’s power: Satan. He mounts a great defense before the Judge on our behalf and forever destroys our accuser.
Death is, to be sure, a terrible punishment. It scares so many to doing all sorts of things against their will. It causes people to re-evaluate many decisions. Death can make someone radically alter the way they live, or it can make someone so depressed that they yearn for it.
But Christ has removed that stinger from the back side of death, and now because of Jesus death has no fearful sway over us. Yet Jesus obtains such a victory over death by dying. He doesn’t win by avoiding death or by “out-smarting” death. He died and was buried. His death leads us straight to an empty grave, straight to a resurrection life in which Christ is exalted as our perfect defender.
We can see the lesson already taking shape, but our instructor has more to teach us. A third way Christ’s suffering exalts him is:
Christ’s Suffering Exalts Him as Our Redeemer
Christ’s Suffering Exalts Him as Our Redeemer
15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham.
Christ’s Suffering Exalts Him as Our Perfect High Priest
Christ’s Suffering Exalts Him as Our Perfect High Priest
17 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 of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.