Untitled Sermon (4)

Introduction:

1. The suffering of Jesus. The salvation through Jesus. The kingdom reign with Jesus. The humanity of Jesus. The suffering of Jesus. The Kingdom reign of Jesus. Three very important theological understandings, all based upon one important truth. The humanity of Jesus. If Jesus was not a man then he could not suffer, he could not provide salvation, and there would be no earth to come where Jesus would reign and all those saved would reign with him. Called the kingdom. You do know there is a coming kingdom, and Jesus is the king?

2. Within that there is a lot for you and I to grasp. Concerning the humanity of Jesus. And there are important questions that come to mind, why did God become a man? Why did he suffer and die? What will the end of the age look like with Jesus as a man?

a. And you will see to a greater degree your purpose, How Jesus fulfilled what you and I have failed. And you will see God’s great love for you in Jesus! Not in a squirming, mushing kind of way. But in a real, deep, wow kind of way. If you pay attention and decide right now to engage your mind and your heart! You will see Jesus in a greater more significant way when you leave this building. That’s my prayer tonight, that you and I see Jesus!

#1 Demonstrates #1 Humiliation of Jesus (Incarnation)

1. When I say humiliation, I do not mean that he was made fun of, or ashamed. When we say humiliation, we say it in a negative, undeserving, it shouldn’t have happened kind of way. Humiliation in it’s truest sense means degrading. Being made lower than what you really are. In this case, Jesus is the highest in power, authority, rank, and position. He is God! And to allow himself to be born as a man would be degradation, simply meaning, he is putting himself lower. Lower than what? Verse 7 which is quoted from Psalm 8, says “lower than the angels.”

2. Jesus is made lower, how so? The spiritual God becomes a physical man. The infinite God stuffs himself into finite man. The one who is outside of time, because he created and transcends time, in the fullness of time, allowed himself to be conceived and born into humanity. He willingly stepped into a lower status than the angels.

a. Now before we keep going, we need some Biblical Theology. Hebrews 2:5 is going to force us into it.

b. The argument from Hebrews 1:4-14 is that Jesus is greater than the angels. I know you have heard this a thousand times but you need to be reminded. He is superior to the angels, angels whom the Jewish people worshipped. Jesus is greater! They are simply His messengers, His servants. They surround the throne, but Jesus sits on the throne.

c. In chapter 2:1-4 there is a pause from the argument where the author, in this case, the Holy Spirit, calls for a response from the readers not to neglect such a great salvation. If Jesus is much greater than the angels, then he is not one to plug your ears for, or be careless towards. He demands and requires your full surrender to him because He is greater than anything.

d. In verse 5 the author goes back to the angel argument, that Jesus is superior to them. And he takes the reader back to Genesis 1. Look at verse 5, “For he has not subjected to angels the world to come that we are talking about.”

3. Now what is he saying? Turn to Gen 1. God creates all of creation, and within the physical realm, the earth and all that is in it, God appoints man over it. To rule it, and subdue it. To be king over it essentially. Look at Gen 1:26-28. All things concerning the earth are given over to men to rule, subdue, and exercise dominion over! That word “rule” or “dominion” means to control, or reign. It carries the idea of Kingship.

a. As we can see from Genesis 1, who was given the authority to rule and reign over the earth? Mankind. It wasn’t angels, or some other beast of the field. Not the lion, or the dinosaur, it was and is man! That’s God’s created and mandated order for creation, to be ruled by man. Which is an astounding this to consider, and that is why David says in Hebrews 2:6-7, He is thinking about Gen 1 and creation and he is blown away! What is man that you would think of him, be mindful of him, and crown him with glory and honor to have all of the earth be subject to him? He is in awe!

b. APPLICATION!

c. Don’t miss this, David is speaking about mankind, and ultimately about Jesus Christ!

4. But what happens in Gen 3, mankind fails it’s mandated order! When God said rule and subdue, have control over the earth and all that is in it. He did not mean do it halfheartedly. It is God, it was to be done perfectly, as HE (GOD) intended. Adam and Eve, humanity, sinned and utterly lost their intended purpose over creation. No longer having dominion over creation. How?

a. Look back at verse 5 of Hebrews 2. “He has not subject to Angels the world to come” What I am going to try and do is show you, like Hebrews is trying to do, how God had a purpose for man to rule, but it was taken from them, and through Jesus he will restore it back once again. How was the dominion of man taken?

b. #1 There is a world to come! That word used there means “inhabited house”, It is referring to the world in the future tense. “He has not subjected, given dominion of the creation that will be inhabited, to angels. Meaning there will be a new earth, that God will make and there will be those who rule and reign over it.

c. APPLICATION: This isn’t all that there is! How do we know that? Because Romans 8:22 says, “For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains.”

i. Because of sin, even creation is corrupted. And all of creation is waiting to be made new, to be made incorruptible! And so even the creation is groaning, waiting for God to make everything new again.

ii. There is a world to come, and notice Hebrews again, it will not be subjected to the angels! Why? Because God’s intended purpose is to subject the coming kingdom, creation, to men! To fulfill his original plan that was corrupted by Adam and Eve by sin! Hang here with me! The original intention of creation was God created mankind, who had the image of God on them, to rule and reign over creation and bring God glory! But we failed, we sinned and the rule and dominion was taken from us!

iii. By who?

iv. If verse 5 says it is not (emphasis) “He has not” subjected to angels the world to come, what does that imply now? That the current world, is currently subjected to angels!

1. This makes sense, what is Satan? An angel. Who is the prince of the power of the air? (Eph 2:2) Satan. Who is the “ruler of this world”. (John 12:31” Satan. This does not mean that he is in total control, but that he does in a real and general sense have rule over the world and it’s system! How did that happen? He stole it from Adam and Eve. Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy. He is called the usurper, the thief. He has taken the intended purpose from man unto himself.

2. Eph 6:12, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.” This earth is in a constant battle with angels!

3. Who are those forces? Angels! You see right now, the great struggle spiritually, is over God’s Holy Angels, and the demons, fallen angels! In a real and literal sense, the current creation, the current earth is in subjection to angels. And there is a conflict happening spiritually that we can’t see.

d. That’s why Paul tells us to pray! And that our weapons are not swords and bows, but prayer and the word of God, the sword of the spirit! Because it is a spiritual conflict!

5. You say, Noah bring us full circle, how does this relate to Jesus being humiliated and conceived as a man? Don’t you see it? Jesus is the solution, he is the fulfilment of the original plan in Genesis! Romans calls Jesus the “Last Adam”. The first Adam in the garden failed to rule as God had commanded, but Jesus the last Adam has come to perfectly do what Adam failed to do! And Jesus is that man that will one day rule and reign in the coming creation! Jesus is the fulfillment of everything the OT pointed to! He is the one who has and will completely defeat Satan! He’s the hero!

a. And the only way that he could accomplish this was to be made into a man!

i. If God has subjected the world to come to man, then Jesus has to be a man in order to reign. That’s why in verse 6 it says that God made Him, temporarily lower than the angels. Not in value, but in the physical. You see the spiritual is higher than the physical. And God who is spirit, allowed himself to be made in the physical. That’s lower than the angels because he did something the angels can’t do, die. But only for a short time, and for a specific purpose!

6. Jesus was humbled to the point of being incarnated, born as a man. It goes further and it will become clearer so stay with me.

a. Humiliation of Jesus.

#2 Demands #2 Honor of Jesus (Fulfills the Dominion & is Crowned)

1. Jesus is worthy of honor and glory. Why? Not because he is God, even though that would be true. Look at verse 9, “because he suffered death.” Look at what verse 9 does for us. It teaches us that the OT can have two things it’s pointing to, but it is always ultimately pointing to one thing or one person, Jesus! Listen, this will help you read your Bible.

2. Psalm 8 is about mankind. That’s why you can read it and think like David, “What is man, that you remember him? Or that you care for him? And you made us lower than the angels, but only temporarily. Because the Bible says one day we will reign, and we will be made perfect, and even we will rule over angels! So it’s all temporary! This passage is speaking about us, those who are redeemed. But ultimately, it is speaking about Jesus!

3. Because he suffered death, he is worthy of glory and honor! To be magnified, and to have all of creation praise him and lift Him up!

4. Why is he to be honored? Because he is the source of our salvation!

a. Verse 10, For in bringing many sons and daughter to glory! That word for connects the proceeding verse, so, “Because he suffered death, he was able to bring many sons and daughter to glory READ THE REST”

b. How did his suffering bring people to glory, to salvation? He bears the weight of our sin, and becomes the substitute in our place to face the penalty for our sin against God. Two things.

i. He fulfilled everything that Adam and Eve were supposed to be, he fulfilled. He lived and obeyed, perfectly the laws and requirements of God! And by doing so accumulates righteousness, he pleases God with His life that He lived during His 33 years on earth. Racks up a record that you and I didn’t even come close to doing. He does that so that he can then transfer His righteousness to your account when you trust in him.

ii. Second, He could only provide salvation if he was “perfected through sufferings.”

1. What in the world does that mean? Does it mean that the perfect Son of God was actually not perfect? No.

2. That word perfect means to complete. It means in order to complete the requirement for salvation, someone had to die, someone had to suffer. And that someone was Jesus Christ, The God who had never experienced suffering, allowed himself to suffer both physically and spiritually so that he could complete the requirement needed to pay for the sin debt of humanity!

iii. He had to be made like us and suffer like us but without sin!

c. Turn to Luke 2:52. Jesus is 12 years old, he goes to the Passover festival just like he did every year with his family. And Jesus spent most if not all his time in the temple with the teachers, verse 46 says with them and listening to them. Asking questions.

i. The teachers are blown away by his understanding and his answers 47 tells us. And his parents get there, taking a breathe of relief but a little upset because they had been searching for him for 4 days. 1 to travel and 3 searching.

ii. In verse 48 they say, “Son, why are you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

iii. “Why were you searching for me? He asked them. Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be in my Father’s house?”

1. Jesus was actually wondering why they were searching, he genuinely thought they would have known he was there. After all they knew he was the Son of God.

2. Verse 52 says, “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and favor with God and with people.”

3. Jesus grew! He learned! It wasn’t until he was 12 years old that he realized that he was the son of God!

4. Jesus was a man, he had to learn, study, grow, fall down, get up. He was like you and me! He had to learn like everybody else!

iv. And when Hebrews 2:10 says he was made “perfect through sufferings” That is a similar idea. He learned what suffering was! He had never experienced it, but he willingly learned it, by obedience, why? Verse 10 To bring many sons and daughters to glory! You and me!

d. A suffering unlike anyone has experienced, beyond that of our minds capability.

e. And because of that, he is worthy of all honor and to be crowned with glory!

f. This continues to show you God’s love for us in Jesus, we are also crowned with glory! Verse 11, Jesus calls us his brothers and sisters! Verse 12!

g. Verse 13 we are called the children of God!

1. Brought to glory! You see your primary purpose, it to publicly display the glory of God. It’s your purpose in creation, why you were created. And it’s your purpose in salvation, why you were saved, to be a son of Glory, a daughter of glory, making it known and elevating the magnificence of God through Jesus Christ!

2. I am not worthy to do that, I am not worthy to represent the Lord. Jesus Christ has made you worthy, he has given you the right to be called a son/daughter of the most high! You see verse 11 Jesus Christ has washed you clean, he has sanctified you, made you new and righteous, and so you are the sanctified, the clean, Holy, set apart not to do God’s work for God’s name. And both you and Jesus Christ your older brother have the same Father! So don’t be ashamed, Jesus has made you a child of God. Honor him with your life! Be a forever public display of God’s glory!

ii. We will be honored, and crowned with glory, and we will reign with Jesus in the new earth! Why? Because of what Jesus has done for us, and given to us!

iii. How could we deserve something like that? WE don’t! That’s the great love of God for us in Jesus! And the beauty of it, is that God became a man and suffered in our place to accomplish all of that! That’s why he is worthy to be honored!

5. Application: He is worthy to be honored with your life now because of it!

Humiliation of Jesus

Honor of Jesus

#3 Delivers #3 Help from Jesus (High Priest)

1. Verse 14. “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.”

2. There are two main reasons here that the Bible gives us as to why Jesus had to become a man.

i. #1. To pay for man’s sin. This is just a logical argument. It was mankind who sinned against God, therefore mankind must pay for their sin against God. That means that something else can’t pay for our sin, it must be a man. That’s why animals never fully did the job. This sacrifice must be like us! Having a body, being flesh and blood. He must be a real accurate representative for us!

ii. This used to be part of our judicial system. If you killed someone, murdered them. Then you must pay for that crime with your own life! Because the punishment must fit the crime, and you have taken the life of another unjustly, therefore you must have your life taken from you. WE can’t take your dog’s life, or you goldfish. It must be you!

iii. Jesus must be a man. And he did so to destroy the one holding the power of death, Satan! To free people who are held in slavery by the fear of death!

iv. SOAP BOX!

3. #2 To be a merciful and sympathetic high priest.

a. “Merciful”, Concerned about people in their need. Sympathetic.

b. You know in life, the people whom you most connect with, and who you feel closer to, are the ones you have the most common interests or experiences with. You could get the same advice from two different people. But if you have a common experience from one person over the other, you’re more likely to listen to the one you relate to.

i. For example, my coach would have speakers come speak to the football team every Friday. It would be a real dumb thing to have a chef come to speak to the football team about cooking. That’ll really hype us up. No! Give us someone who played sports, like us! Or endured a struggle maybe in the military, or something that connects a little bit to football which in every sense is a fight. Much safer than war, but there is aggression and physicality. Doesn’t always have to be football, but someone we can relate to, so that when he delivers a hopeful line, or strong challenge, like don’t give up! it means more! Why? Because he knows what I am experiencing! He understands that I want to quit!

ii. I have friends that are blessed and don’t have separated parents. And they don’t understand the pressure of going home to visit. They say how was your vacation? Stressful, it wasn’t a vacation, I need another! But you went to Texas to see your family? Yeah but we had to see 85 different people, all in different places, and some of them complained because we didn’t stay long enough, or weren’t clear enough about where we would be. And people were upset, felt hurt, and it was just a lot!

iii. Okay.

iv. But when I speak to someone who comes from a divorced family, you get the struggle, because you’ve experienced it.

c. Listen, the reason that Jesus Christ had to take on flesh, had to become a man, was because if he didn’t, he could not be a merciful, compassionate, understanding, faithful, and sympathetic high priest. The high priest was the one who represented you before the Lord. Listen, how can Jesus represent you, pray for you, encourage you, if he doesn’t understand the suffering you have?

4. And it’s crystal clear that he desires to help you, and relate to you, how? Verse 16, Because he does not reach out to help angels, but Abraham’s offspring, that’s humanity! You!

a. Think of the shock to the Jewish audience who thought so highly of angels, even worshipped them. And the Holy Spirit says, Jesus didn’t come to help angels! No! The demons will be all cast into Hell! No, Jesus came to help you! How do you know? What is the proof? He was born as a man! It’s clear he loves humanity, otherwise he would have come as an angel! But no, for he became part of humanity in order to suffer with them, and for them, to pay for their sins, and bring them to glory!

5. What did Jesus experience?

a. Growth. From baby to adult, learning everything that you and I have had to learn. He went to school, he read books, he grew.

b. Family struggles. His father died when he was a young man, and I am sure he had to help pull the load for the family. If you’re the oldest sibling, Jesus completely understands. If you have lost a loved one, Jesus understands!

c. He knew hard work, sweat and toil just to earn a living. He was a carpenter. I’m sure with that, he learned that people might want to take advantage of you, pay you less, rip you off, back out of a deal.

d. He learned and experienced betrayal from friends, close friends.

e. He learned exhaustion, staying up all night tired, praying, only to see the sunlight and begin healing and preaching.

f. He learned family drama, they didn’t believe in him, thought he was crazy.

g. He learned and experienced sorrow, grieving and crying over Jerusalem that was lost, and death at the tomb of Lazarus. He lived among the sinful, the lame, and the blind. The poor and the rich. The religious zealots and the prostitutes, and all in between.

h. He experienced being alone, beaten, ridiculed, made fun of, put to shame.

i. He experienced embarrassment, naked before everyone on a cross.

j. He experienced death, something you and I have not yet experienced yet.

k. And if I didn’t say something you can relate to, here’s this. He carried all of your sins, and not just your sins, but the whole worlds sins on his actual body, bearing the shame and guilt, and the weight of it, to be crushed and punished spiritually by God the Father!

6. All to pay for your sin, bring you to glory, and to be a faithful and merciful high priest.

a. When you pray to Jesus, think about Him, read His word. He isn’t some far away God. He came right up next to you, and lived like you have lived, only without sin, but yet bore the weight of all sin.

7. His humanity delivers help to the sinner, help to the saint, help to the child of God. He understands.

8. When you are tempted, he also was tempted. He can help you. Look to Jesus!

a. You may not see everything in the world yet in His subjection, it may look like He is not in control. You may not see what God is doing, or how He is working! It may be difficult to own your sin, trust in Jesus, repent. You may not see it all yet, but you do see Jesus! Look at Jesus, and all the things of this world will fade away in the light of His glory, honor, and grace.

b. RESPOND