Subjection...Suffering...and Sanctification
Notes
Transcript
introduction
For a lot of people, the problem of unjust pain, suffering and death point to atheism. C.S. Lewis said “If God were good, He would wish to make His creatures perfectly happy, and if God were almighty, He would be able to do what He wished. But the creatures are not happy. Therefore God lacks either goodness, or power, or both.”
Is God unable to relieve suffering? If not, he’s impotent. Is he unwilling to relieve it? If not, then he’s not good. Is he unaware of our suffering? If so, then he’s ignorant. If these things were so, then he wouldn’t be worth our worship.
From a secular vantage point that rejects God’s story of creation, fall, redemption and restoration, the problem of pain is a major challenge to a belief in the existence in God.
But there is a story that has a beginning, middle and end. You and I-and all humanity throughout history-have been a part of this story. This story has a happy ending, in which every loose end is resolved, the villains are vanquished, and the heroes stand victorious. Therefore, the real problem with pain results from not knowing where we are in the story.
(Talk about the runs in the academy and knowing where we were going)
What the readers in the first century, as well as us, need is perspective. We need perspective when we face the tsunamis of suffering in this life. We need to keep in perspective where we are in this timeline and have faith the the author and hero of this story is going to bring the world to a good and glorious end. That’s what the rest of Hebrews chapter 2 provides....perspective.
The author begins with talking about angels in the first chapter. He then adds a strong parenthetical warning about guarding our faith and not being drifters. He returns back to the discussion of angels, specifically their relationship to humanity.
The beginning of the story in Genesis, God says humans were originally designed to exercise dominion over the created world. But after the fall, that original intention was suspended and humankind became subject to suffering and the effects of a cursed world.
Then the writer of Hebrews gives us a teaser of a future in which the Son of Man, Jesus, will lead the redeemed to realize their full potential in God’s plan. Christ will restore humanity what they lost in Adam.
Until that time, we are all stuck in a series of time characterized by suffering. But even during all this, God is working things together for our good. While we wait for his return and making things right, we can expect to suffer in the long, arduous and often painful process of sanctification.
Hebrews 2:5–8 (CSB)
For he has not subjected to angels the world to come that we are talking about. But someone somewhere has testified:
What is man that you remember him, or the son of man that you care for him? You made him lower than the angels for a short time; you crowned him with glory and honor and subjected everything under his feet.
For in subjecting everything to him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. As it is, we do not yet see everything subjected to him.
Reading Hebrews 1, we can read to the end, skip 2:1-4 and pick up at verse 5 without a break in thought. The author goes from saying the angels are ministering spirits who render service to those who inherit salvation, then refers to them again while speaking about a future world concerning which we are speaking. This connects the readers, not to the warning that is found in verses 1-4, but to the argument about Jesus being superior in the first chapter.
1-4 is parenthetical but is still very important. Like a referee on a field. He stops the game, addresses infractions and potential infractions and then continues the game.
As inheritors of the salvation accomplished by Christ, we have a higher calling than angels.
For he has not subjected to angels the world to come that we are talking about.
God never gave dominion to the angels, but humans. This responsibility resides with his unique image bearers. In Genesis, it describes the specific plan and purpose God had for humankind in their pre-fall condition.
Genesis 1:27–30 (CSB)
So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female.
God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.” God also said, “Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This will be food for you, for all the wildlife of the earth, for every bird of the sky, and for every creature that crawls on the earth—everything having the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.
Before the fall in chapter 3, Adam and Eve had been placed on the path toward realizing this high calling. Even though they started out in the garden of Eden, were limited in number and had a lot of work ahead of them, they were pure and intelligent, equipped to carry out the labor of perfect submission to God.
Had they remained obedient, they would have continued to cultivate and keep the garden, fulfilling their roles to fill and subdue the earth. This intention is described in Psalm 8.
Psalm 8:3–8 (CSB)
When I observe your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you set in place, what is a human being that you remember him, a son of man that you look after him?
You made him little less than God and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all the sheep and oxen, as well as the animals in the wild, the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea that pass through the currents of the seas.
Can you imagine King David walking out at night and staring out into the sky at the limitless depths of space and the billions of stars? All of this being held together by our creator? David must have been thinking about the creation and the responsibility that was given to us.
But then he would look around at the world as it was...broken. He would be reminded that Paradise had been infested with thorns and thistles.
The author of Hebrews grasps at both the glory of God’s original creation and the tragedy of humanity’s lost dominion. Though everything had been subjected to Adam, the current situation looks bleak.
William Barclay talks about what should have been and what actually is:
“Men and women were meant to have dominion over everything—but they have not. They are creatures who are frustrated by their circumstances, defeated by their temptations and surrounded by their own weaknesses. The ones who should be free are bound; the ones who should be rulers are slaves.”
The fall was an utter disaster, plunging humanity into chaos, confusion, defeat and death. Humanity suffered loss in every way imaginable-intellectually, psychologically, morally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
By eating the fruit from the forbidden tree, Adam and Eve were tricked by one of the lowliest creatures who had convinced them they would become like God. Instead of going towards triumph, they became victims of the creation they were meant to rule over.
With all of this, let’s not lose sight of where the author is headed in the argument. “As it is, we do not yet see everything subjected to him.”
YET....Remember that in verse 5, it starts to look towards the future.
For he has not subjected to angels the world to come that we are talking about.
-the world to come....not yet...
God still has glorious plans for restoring rule over creation to humanity. This is where Jesus enters the story.
But we do see Jesus—made lower than the angels for a short time so that by God’s grace he might taste death for everyone—crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death.
For in bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was entirely appropriate that God—for whom and through whom all things exist—should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
Would you say the world is subject to our authority? Sin has robbed us of our supreme position. We have fallen because of Adam. Since we are all from him genetically, he acted in our place. Since both he and Eve fell, so did his children and their descendants. Now we look around and see the results of the tragedy. I think we can all agree this is not they way it’s supposed to be.
That being said, we still have a drive to conquer the world. Think about it. We climb the highest mountain, why? Because it’s there. We launch rockets into space to walk on the moon. We have mapped every bay in every peninsula, every island, river and wasteland to satisfy a hardwired curiosity. We dive deeper and deeper in the depths of the ocean just to see what’s there. We have a built in drive that tells us to exercise dominion. The desire is still there after all this time, but we can’t do it all. We have the desire but not the ability. That’s been damaged.
Although we fail most of the time, in the middle of all this, we see Jesus. He turns our attention away from our condition to renew our hope in the day this will all be fixed and restored to where it should be. Even though the son was God over all, he was made lower.
But we do see Jesus—made lower than the angels for a short time so that by God’s grace he might taste death for everyone—crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death.
He took on our humble state and our place in this fallen world.
Philippians 2:7 (CSB)
Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man,
Not only that, he suffered on the cross
he humbled himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death—
even to death on a cross.
But we do see Jesus—made lower than the angels for a short time so that by God’s grace he might taste death for everyone—crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death.
This wasn’t done for his sins, but that by God’s grace he might taste death for everyone.
He did this for you and me. Then after enduring all of this, he rose from the dead immortal and victorious and was crowned with glory and honor.
What Adam had lost, Christ regained, but not for himself. On the cross, Christ went from frailty to perfection and thus became the author of salvation and brought many sons to glory.
For in bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was entirely appropriate that God—for whom and through whom all things exist—should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
When we are aligned with Christ in faith and united with him by the Spirit, we begin to regain what we lost in Adam. Christ became like us so that we can become more like him.
By doing this, we are given a new perspective on the ideal...the actual... and the possible.
The ideal-what we should be-like Adam and Even before the Fall.
We experience the actual every day-what we are, divested of glory and honor that we once had, subject to defeat and death and separated from the presence of God.
In Christ we see the possible-what we can and will be, conformed to Christ practically in this life, but perfectly after our resurrection and restoration in the world to come.
Hebrews 2:11–18 (CSB)
For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying:
I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters; I will sing hymns to you in the congregation.
Again, I will trust in him. And again, Here I am with the children God gave me.
Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through his death he might destroy the one holding the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. For it is clear that he does not reach out to help angels, but to help Abraham’s offspring. Therefore, he had to be like his brothers and sisters in every way, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in matters pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. For since he himself has suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.
Humanity was designed to rule this world as God’s image-bearing representatives. That changed when sin entered the story. After losing this responsibility, we humans found ourselves in dire need of renewal but unable to accomplish it on our own. When Christ stepped in and tasted death for everyone, he changed the trajectory from a downward direction.
We now find ourselves in between the accomplished work of Christ and the “until”. This is when everything will be subject to Jesus; we, who will one day partake of glory with Jesus, are still subject to suffering. Even so, the person and work of Christ puts our suffering into perspective.
Since he went through suffering as we do, he can fully identify himself with fallen humanity.
Even though he was morally innocent, he took on mortal flesh.
Even though he is deserving of glory and honor, he lived among the inglorious and dishonored.
Even though he was worthy of life, he suffered death.
Hebrews 2:11–12 (CSB)
For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying:
I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters; I will sing hymns to you in the congregation.
This points out that God accomplished our sanctification by becoming our brother-the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one father.
More OT scripture is applied to Christ and his identification with us.
I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters;
I will praise you in the assembly.
This was the very psalm, the 22nd Psalm, Jesus applied to his sufferings on the cross.
The next psalms recount the kinds of sufferings the righteous innocently suffer in the fallen world.
My God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
by night, yet I have no rest.
But you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
Our ancestors trusted in you;
they trusted, and you rescued them.
They cried to you and were set free;
they trusted in you and were not disgraced.
But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by mankind and despised by people.
Everyone who sees me mocks me;
they sneer and shake their heads:
“He relies on the Lord;
let him save him;
let the Lord rescue him,
since he takes pleasure in him.”
It was you who brought me out of the womb,
making me secure at my mother’s breast.
I was given over to you at birth;
you have been my God from my mother’s womb.
Don’t be far from me, because distress is near
and there’s no one to help.
Many bulls surround me;
strong ones of Bashan encircle me.
They open their mouths against me—
lions, mauling and roaring.
I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are disjointed;
my heart is like wax,
melting within me.
My strength is dried up like baked clay;
my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.
You put me into the dust of death.
For dogs have surrounded me;
a gang of evildoers has closed in on me;
they pierced my hands and my feet.
I can count all my bones;
people look and stare at me.
They divided my garments among themselves,
and they cast lots for my clothing.
As a result, they can feel abandoned by God.
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Why are you so far from my deliverance
and from my words of groaning?
and that He is far off
Psalm 22:19 (CSB)
But you, Lord, don’t be far away.
My strength, come quickly to help me.
and they are in desperate need of deliverance
Rescue my life from the sword,
my only life from the power of these dogs.
Save me from the lion’s mouth,
from the horns of wild oxen.
You answered me!
It seems to me that this last line should be the beginning of the next verse.
This has a specific prophetic fulfillment in his sufferings on the cross but it isn’t only about lament and anguish.
It’s also a psalm that expresses the sufferer’s faith that God will deliver.
I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters;
I will praise you in the assembly.
You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
All you descendants of Israel, revere him!
For he has not despised or abhorred
the torment of the oppressed.
He did not hide his face from him
but listened when he cried to him for help.
I will give praise in the great assembly
because of you;
I will fulfill my vows
before those who fear you.
The humble will eat and be satisfied;
those who seek the Lord will praise him.
May your hearts live forever!
All the ends of the earth will remember
and turn to the Lord.
All the families of the nations
will bow down before you,
for kingship belongs to the Lord;
he rules the nations.
All who prosper on earth will eat and bow down;
all those who go down to the dust
will kneel before him—
even the one who cannot preserve his life.
Their descendants will serve him;
the next generation will be told about the Lord.
They will come and declare his righteousness;
to a people yet to be born
they will declare what he has done.
The writer then immediately quotes a passage that speaks of both trust in God and an association between the speaker and his followers that were given to him by God.
I will wait for the Lord,
who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob.
I will wait for him.
Here I am with the children the Lord has given me to be signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of Armies who dwells on Mount Zion.
By applying these words to the messiah, the author is creating a parallel and applying it to the situation that his audience is in.
Isaiah had a glimpse of the future restoration of Israel, but he knew that in the meantime he had to be patient and wait for the LORD and look eagerly for him.
God had called him and his children (those who joined Isaiah in following God) to be lights of testimony in their dark world.
The same is true of Christ and his spiritual children
Again, I will trust in him. And again, Here I am with the children God gave me.
Christ became like us, living in this “in between” time. He went through hardships, sufferings, loss, temptation and even death. He also felt abandoned by God, but trusted in him through the suffering and became a testimony to this fallen world.
Without going through all of this, he couldn’t say that he understands what we are going through. He can’t say he knows how we feel.
But through his sufferings, we are enabled to identify with him.
My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death,
We are in this together until we see all things subject to Christ. And also through Christ-things will be subject to us who are identified with Him.
Jesus took on the flesh and bone that we have.
Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through his death he might destroy the one holding the power of death—that is, the devil—
By dying, he struck the devil a deathblow. Now it’s only a matter of time before Satan is completely vanquished by the second coming of the Son, when death itself is done away with.
For now, we who were once enslaved to the power of death have been freed from fear.
and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death.
We are reminded of death daily. It’s in the news and all around us. People die, either naturally or unnaturally and we who remain suffer through the loss. But we have to remember that the superiority of Jesus and what he did for us; defeating death, Satan and suffering, gives us hope and confidence to press on.
He doesn’t just give us hope, he gives us help.
For it is clear that he does not reach out to help angels, but to help Abraham’s offspring.
The Holy Spirit was sent to be a comforter and helper to those who are spiritually Abraham’s, those who belong to Christ.
Who are Abraham’s seed?
And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise.
Paul says we are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, an heir.
And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then God has made you an heir.
When the Spirit came into our hearts, this was a blessing only experienced by humanity-not angels.
For it is clear that he does not reach out to help angels, but to help Abraham’s offspring.
Jesus was made like us in all things.
Our fate; suffering and death became his fate.
Just as his fate; resurrection and glory will become our fate.
By this, he became our mediator, our high priest.
Therefore, he had to be like his brothers and sisters in every way, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in matters pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people.
When we suffer, he understands. When we fall to temptation, he doesn’t rub it in our faces. He has made a once-for-all propitiation for our sins.
What does this mean?
It’s an offering that turns away, or satisfies, divine wrath against sin. The price for sin has been paid.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus,
Through his intimate connection with believers, he was tempted in that which he has suffered.
For since he himself has suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.
What does this mean that he suffered when he was tempted? This was a question I had at 4am this morning and I had to look into it. I want to know what you guys think because maybe I am too dense to understand this.
Read the section from Spurgeon’s commentary.
It’s like swimming with children and teaching them to hold their breath under water. We can do it because we are older and know how to control ourselves unlike the child who struggles and gives up quickly. Likewise, Jesus endured not allowing himself to sin and suffering through it. He resisted until the end never sinning, but he suffered by not giving in to the temptation.
He steps into our own trials and temptations-not to condemn us, but to help us.
Whenever we are tempted, we can go to him and he will deliver us.
As we wait eagerly for that day when all things will be restored through Christ to the way they were meant to be, we can endure the trials and temptations of this life with the help of our faithful high priest—the one who is superior over suffering in His person and work.
end (length)
The people that the author of Hebrew wrote to, felt like homeless refugees wandering the streets of a war torn city. It was the purpose of the author to meet them in their ruined condition and put a blanket around them and a word of encouragement in their ears.
More than anything, they needed a reminder of hope to carry on. In order for us to have the same type of hope in the midst of suffering, we need to do a few things.
We need to focus fully on Christ. When we turn our focus away from a sad longing for the way things used to be and from the terrible reality of the way things are, we can draw hope and strength from the way things are going to be when Christ returns. We need to focus on Jesus in times of grief, loss, tragedy, doubt, loneliness, brokenness and despair. When we fix our eyes and thoughts on him, we can see the rays of light through the darkness.
We need to acknowledge Christ as Savior. Jesus alone is the author of our salvation which he wrote with his own blood. He is our Pioneer-the one who went through death leaving a trail for us. He defeated sin, death and the devil. He conquered the things that once conquered those who have put their trust in him. But before we can partake of the hope of perfection, we need to be united with the Pioneer of perfection. This is only done by faith.
We need to walk with Him towards perfection. As we accept Christ as our savior, we begin the path of sanctification. What is this? In his humanity, which began as mortal and was raised immortal, Christ has become what we hope to be one day. When we are resurrected, we will be perfected like him.
Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is.
Until then, even though we aren’t perfect, we can continue to grow in righteousness throughout our lives. As the proverb says (Prov. 10:28
The hope of the righteous is joy,
but the expectation of the wicked will perish.