Made Like Us

Introduction

Hebrews 2:1–18 ESV

1 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, 4 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. 5 For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 6 It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? 7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, 8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 9 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 that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 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.

An ongoing debate in this country’s sports world is who is greater player, Michael Jordan or LeBron James? Sports commentators have spent hours on air debating the question. For some of us, the answer depends on what year you were born. If you are a part of my generation the likelihood is that you’re going to lean toward MJ. We watched him win in college at UNC. We saw him take the NBA by storm and start to dominate against some of the best to ever play the game, Magic, Bird, Dominique. If you are of my children’s generation, you’re likely to say it’s LeBron. Here’s the deal. My generation is right and you young folk just need to respect your elders!

One of the changes that took place when Jordan came on the scene was the opportunity for players to become global stars, household names all around the world. Nike branded the Air Jordans and all of a sudden the money he makes off the court can exceed his basketball contract.

He made some memorable commercials. The 1989 Nike commercial with Spike Lee, “It’s gotta be the shoes.” But his most iconic commercial ad was in 1991 when Gatorade launched the, “Be Like Mike,” campaign. And Gatorade capitalized on his global status and the fact that everybody wanted to “be like Mike” in some way. His athletic ability, his wealth, his stardom. There was something about him that everyone would want to be true about them.

Every one of us at points and times in our lives want to be like someone. There’s somebody we want to emulate. Whether it’s a son or daughter who wants to be like their father or mother; or an athlete who wants to pattern their style of play after a professional they admire; or a businessperson who sees the success of an executive or business owner; or because we like the integrity and character traits we see in see in someone else; whatever the reason, there are people we aspire to be like. This is not necessarily a bad thing. In most cases, we’re setting our aim high. If we become like this person, we’ll be better than we are now. I doubt that there’s anyone in here whose goal is to actually become worse than they are now.

We saw last week from ch. 1 the Pastor honing in on the fact that Jesus is God. The Name Above All Names was, “Son.” The Son of God is glorious. The Son of God is exalted. The Son of God is worshipped. The Son of God is God. The Son of God is superior to everything. The Son sustains everything by the word of his power. The universe was created through him. The Son is the heir of everything. The angels worship him. His throne is eternal. He laid the foundation of the earth. The heavens are the work of his hands. His enemies are placed under his feet. The Son is Creator. The Son is King. The Son is sovereign.

And because all of this is true, there was nothing higher for the Son to aspire to. If the Son was going to be made like something other than what he was, it was going to be a step down—a big step down.

Wherever you find yourself in the life of faith this morning—whether you are contemplating the claims of the Christian faith, have recently come to embrace Christianity, or can hardly remember a time when you were not a Christian, what we are told in this chapter about Jesus’s incarnation—that God became human - is intended to move us to awe and wonder. The Pastor says in Hebrews 2:14 that since the children God gave to Jesus have a common humanity—they “share in flesh and blood”—Jesus joined himself to that same humanity. The Son of God took a step down in becoming human and we are meant to be blown away by it.

We’re going to look at three reasons from this passage about why Jesus was willing to be made like us—To Lead Us in Worship, To Liberate Us from Slavery, To Lend Us a Helping Hand. (lend help isn’t strong enough, but I needed a mnemonic device)

To Lead Us in Worship

He’s still riding the train of the Son’s superiority when he says in vv.5-9,

Hebrews 2:5–9 ESV

5 For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 6 It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? 7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, 8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 9 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 that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

Their pastor is pointing them beyond the reality that they see with their eyes. He’s talking to them in v. 5 about the world that’s to come because the world they’re in is jacked up. It’s messed up. Not only is the world messed up, but they’re messed up too. And he’s making the point that the world to come that he’s talking about is not just a future deal. When the Son came and took on human flesh, that was the beginning of the new world. It’s already here. The problem is that sin is still around. Evil is still around. Wickedness is still around. Lawlessness is still around.

Tell me something I don’t know, right? They knew that the world was a messed up place. What the Pastor does is remind them that the world is so messed up because humanity has a worship problem. Look at what he does. He quotes from Psalm 8 in vv. 6-8a… “It has been testified somewhere…” I love that. It’s not that he doesn’t know where he’s quoting from… Just like he’s done in ch. 1, the key is not the location, chapter and verse, the key is that it’s God’s word and therefore has authority.

If you look at Psalm 8 you’ll see that the psalm starts with worship,

Psalm 8:1 ESV

1 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.

The psalmist is praising God for his majesty. But then, in the verses quoted in our text, he praises God in amazement for God’s interest in humanity, his care for humanity, the dominion and the dignity he’s given to humanity. The psalmist’s mind is going back to Genesis 1 when God created man and woman in his own image and gave them dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves on the earth. Humanity was created by God to rule over, and care for, and minister to God’s creation. And that fact blows the psalmist’s mind.

But do you see what the problem is? Here’s what the Pastor is dealing with in our text. If you look around you at everyday life, if you look at your own heart, you have ask the question, “Is the psalmist crazy?” Is he smoking something? What’s he talking about that humanity is crowned with glory and honor, that he has dominion over the work of God’s hands, that the whole creation is under his feet? You’ve got to be kidding. Humanity’s not ruling anything. At least not well. The psalmist is saying, “look at humanity,” but you and I still see death and devastation wreaking havoc in our world. Instead of the main line in the human story reflecting the glory of God, we seem to do the exact opposite.

We were created to adore God; to be devoted to him; to do everything in such a way that God is honored. That’s what worship is in its fullest sense, not just what we do on Sunday, but what we do everyday. The problem is that, although we were created for worship, because of sin we’re not naturally fit for worship. So, we need a Choir Director, so to speak, a Worship Leader who is qualified to make us fit for the very thing that we were created to do. Jesus came to lead us into a life of worship where the bent of our heart is to do all for the glory of God. So the Pastor says, we don’t see everything in subjection to humanity yet, but we see Jesus, who was made for a little while lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor.

His credentials, if you will, his qualifications to lead the choir in worship is the cross. Jesus earned his PhD in the school of suffering and so is close to their suffering. He’s crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. What is so powerful is that the Pastor says that it was fitting for God to do this, to make the found of our salvation perfect through suffering.

That is why, it says in v. 11, Jesus isn’t ashamed to call us brother and sister. He was made like us even though we’re busted and disgusted. He was made like us, taking a step down to lift us up to a life of worship and praise to God. In v. 12 he says here’s how we know that Jesus is not ashamed to call us brother. Back in Psalm 22:22, it was Jesus who said in v. 22, “I will tell of your name to my brothers. In the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”

If you look at Psalm 22, it tells the story of the Jesus’ suffering and his victory. The psalm begins with the suffering of his abandonment, but there is a turning point in v. 22 that the Pastor quotes here. What does he say that Jesus is doing? Jesus is calling his brothers and sisters to join with him in worshipping the Father.

Jesus says to the Father, “I will declare your name to my brothers.” He’s not silent. He is continually, by his Spirit, singing the praises of God’s goodness into our hearts. He is continually refocusing our attention off of the distractions and the false gods we put up on a pedestal, and singing into our hears about the only God worthy of worship.

To Liberate Us from Slavery

Jesus came to liberate us from slavery and that deliverance has two parts in our passage. He says in vv.14-15,

Hebrews 2:14–15 ESV

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.

The first part of our liberation is the destruction of the devil. Jesus didn’t come with a sword in his mouth, yet he came as a destroyer. He was made like us so that he could destroy the devil. Jesus understood clearly who Satan was, and he didn’t dismiss the devil or try to rationalize him away. Jesus says of the devil in John 8:44

John 8:44b (ESV)

44 …He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Why is it important for us to get that? Every lie is evidence of the effectiveness of the devil’s work. Why do we lie? We lie because we’d rather believe what the devil says than what God says. The big lie was, “you’ve gotta look out for number 1. You’ve got to protect your own interests. Don’t listen to God. He just wants to prevent you from being in control like he’s in control.” Every little individual lie stems from that big lie.

Every murder is evidence of the effectiveness of the devil’s work. And I’m not just talking about taking someone’s life physically.

If you’ve been with us this summer, we’ve already seen this emphasized by John in 1 John,

1 John 3:12 ESV

12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.

1 John 3:15 ESV

15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

So, John said in v.8 of that chapter

1 John 3:8b (ESV)

8 … The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

The cross of Jesus Christ was the destruction of the devil. As Jesus hung his head and died, the devil’s power over death was nullified for all of the children that God has given him. Death was crushed to death. Satan had persuaded mankind to abandon the life God promised for death. And there’s no way out of the realm of death except through the One who came to destroy death.

Jesus’s destruction of the devil was at the same time the liberation of slaves from bondage. Rescuing slaves was the whole point of his operation. There’s a comma at the end of v. 14, not a period. He partook of flesh and blood to destroy the devil,

Hebrews 2:15 ESV

15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.

There is a stream of theology referred to as “liberation theology.” Liberation theology says that the whole point of Jesus’ message was freedom; freedom from political oppression; freedom from institutions and those in positions of power who use that power to enslave others and benefit themselves. In other words, the whole point of Jesus’ teaching is physical freedom—power for the powerless.

Let me try to make it practical for you. Do you think that if you have a self-centered boss at work that Jesus came to free you from that situation? Do you think that if you have a professor or teacher at school who seems to play favorites, and treats students unfairly, that Jesus came to free you from having to deal with teachers like that? Do you think that Jesus came to free you from having to be under the authority of people with bad intentions? That’s liberation theology. It’s true up to a point, but it doesn’t encompass the full liberation that the gospel is concerned with.

Yes, Jesus is a just and righteous King who is concerned with justice. We saw that last week in chapter 1 of this book when we focused on Hebrews 1:8, where the Father says to Son from Psalm 45,

Hebrews 1:8 ESV

8 But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.

We dare not limit the liberation Christ brings in his incarnation, ministry, and resurrection to a disembodied message of spiritual freedom. Justice and righteousness reign in God’s kingdom. So we’re right to care about justice. At the same time, no nation on earth is the kingdom of God. The slavery that the Pastor is dealing with in v. 15 is not physical slavery or political oppression. He describes it as lifelong slavery that is dominated by the fear of death.

And that phrase, “fear of death” is significant. He could’ve said that Jesus was made like us to liberate us from death, which is true. Jesus gives his people eternal life, which means that they’re free from death. But the Pastor says that Jesus came to liberate us from the fear of death. It is a liberation from the fear that is associated with the experience of death. And this has implication especially when we find ourselves on the receiving end of injustice in this life.

Everyone who is born eventually dies. We don’t know when it’s going to happen, how it’s going to happen, or what the circumstances will be. But we know it’s unavoidable. We express the fear of death in different ways. Sometimes people are so literally petrified that they won’t go anywhere or do anything that’s in the least bit risky. Sometimes we ignore the reality of it or avoid thinking about it by trying to make our lives as comfortable or as busy as possible right now. Some of us say, “I’m going to stare death in the face. It’s not going to get the best of me.” We stick our chest out in defiance and do the riskiest things. Death is not just something at the end of the telescope. It rules in our minds and lives right now, permeating everything.

The Pastor is saying that Christ was made like us to free us from this fear. We may still have to face intense suffering because of our faith in Jesus, but we need to be reminded that for the Christian there is no fear in dying. We can live a life of faith in Christ liberated from this fear! Do you know that liberty? Are you still stuck in slavery to the fear of death; trying to avoid thinking about it; trying to numb yourself with pleasure and comfort; instead of knowing the freedom of life in Christ?

To Lend A Helping Hand

The challenge is that even if we know that liberty we can waiver back and forth into fear when life gets hard. That’s why the third reason we see in this text is so beautiful. Jesus was made like us to lead us in worship, to liberate us from slaver, and to lend a helping hand.

The Pastor says in v. 16,

Hebrews 2:16 ESV

16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham.

Earlier we saw that Jesus is qualified to lead us in praise because of the suffering of death. He’s qualified because he was made perfect through suffering. Now we find out that he’s qualified to help us because he’s become our merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God.

Hebrews 2:17 ESV

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.

Jesus’ death on the cross was the defeat of the devil. It was also meant freedom for his brothers and sisters from the fear of death. But he didn’t stay dead. He rose from the dead and is seated at the right hand of the Father. And what’s he doing there? He’s interceding for his people. He was made like us to intercede for us as a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God. Just because you’re a Christian doesn’t mean that you won’t have to fight fear, depression, anxiety, stress. What does Jesus do when fear grips his brother’s heart? What does Jesus do when his sister is overcome with anxiety? As the merciful and faithful High Priest, he has the Father’s ear. He says, “Father, that’s my brother who’s struggling with fear because his circumstances have become more important at this moment than your promises. Comfort him with your Holy Spirit. Remind him of my sacrifice and your love so that he can live by that and not by fear.” “Father, that’s my sister who’s anxious over many things because her eyes are only seeing the difficulties. Comfort her with Holy Spirit. Refocus her eyes to see your glory.”

He’s qualified to do that because the second part of the verse says that he made propitiation for the sins of the people. Literally, he wiped out the sins of the people. The prophet Isaiah put it this way,

Isaiah 53:11–12 ESV

11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

If he was going to make intercession for the transgressors - that’s us - it was necessary, it was unavoidable for him to be made like us in every respect. He had to be a true human being if he was going to be a true priest. You may not be concerned with sin, but God is. The Pastor seems to mention sin with more frequency than any other NT writer. There’s only one chapter in the whole letter where the word sin doesn’t appear. That’s chapter 6, and there it’s implied. God was determined to have worshippers. To have worshippers he had to deal the sins of the people. Jesus was made to like us to deal with sin fully and finally, and he now makes intercession for the transgressors as our Great High Priest.

Almost one thousand years ago Anselm of Canterbury put it this way,

“[T]he debt was so great that, while man alone owed it, only God could pay it, so that the same person must be both man and God.”

As our high priest he helps us in our temptations.

Hebrews 2:18 ESV

18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

It is surely not angels that Jesus helps (v.16), but he helps the offspring of Abraham. The word translated “help” literally means to be concerned with. Not “concerned” in the way that we’re often concerned. “That situation concerns me,” but I’m not going to do anything about it. The sense here is being concerned to the point of taking hold of something in order to make it your own. His concern is for those who God promised to give him. He takes a step down so that he can have our full experience.

One Beyonce’s songs from her I Am…Sasha Fierce album is “If I Were A Boy.” In the song she’s bemoaning the fact that she doesn’t understand how men can act like they do. She knows what it’s like to be a woman so she says,

If I were a boy I think I could understand how it feels to love a girl.

I swear I’d be a better man.

I’d listen to her because I know how it hurts when you lose the one you wanted

‘cause he’s taken you for granted, and everything you had got destroyed.

The implication is that the only way for men to do right is if they understand what it’s like to be a woman. But she knows it’s just a wish. It’s not reality. It can’t happen. But the Pastor says that it has happened. God’s concern for humanity was so deep that he became human to help us. He says, in that Jesus has suffered when tempted, he’s able to help those who are being tempted.

The particular help that he gives us is the strength to resist the temptation to drift away from the faith. What he says here is connect to what he said in v. 1 of this chapter… Jesus resisted temptation every day of his life. He was tempted by the devil in the wilderness for 40 days at the beginning of his ministry. The temptation was, you don’t have to go through the cross. There’s an easier way to get to glory. The Pharisees and leaders were plotting to kill him, but he resisted the temptation to call down fire from heaven to destroy them. He chose at every step to obey his Father’s will and continue on the road of suffering so that he could help you as you suffer and are tempted to throw in the towel and say, “I’m tired of this following Jesus stuff. I’m going to look for an easier way.”

The Pastor says, “No. Don’t you understand that he went through what he went through precisely so that he could help you go through this?” Whatever this is!

Jesus was made like us for our benefit; to lead us in praise of God, to liberate us from the fear of death, to lend a helping hand as we go through trials temptations. He will bring us to glory. What a friend we have in Jesus.