God’s Great Rescue Plan
Notes
Transcript
// INTRO
// INTRO
Turn in your bibles to Hebrews Chapter 2.
RECAP
In Chapter 1 we saw the author use angels as a baseline and then go on to show that Jesus is superior to the angels.
The author shows that Jesus is fully God and in charge of all.
In chapter 1 we see the following portraits of Jesus:
Prophet
Son of God
Radiance of the Glory of God
The Exact Imprint of God’s Nature
All Powerful
The Atonement for Sin
The Honored Heir
Superior to Angels
The Christ (The Anointed One)
Chapter 2
In Chapter 2 the author is going to continue on, but flip to the other side of the angels, to humanity.
We are going to see how Jesus is not only fully God but also fully man. And anything short of the fullness of either will leave us without salvation and damned to death in Hell.
Today we are going to look at, “GOD’S GREAT RESCUE PLAN”
Pray
DON’T DRIFT FROM SALVATION
DON’T DRIFT FROM SALVATION
[Hebrews 2.1-4]
13 And to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? 1 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.
Angels
Angels
Angels are playing the role of ministering spirits.
Who are they ministering to?
“…those who are to inherit salvation.”
Pay Closer Attention
Pay Closer Attention
The author continues on into Hebrews 2:1 “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.”
In Chapter 1 the author quotes over seven scriptures from the Old Testament in regards to the supremacy of Jesus.
These scriptures would’ve been scriptures that the audience was familiar with, many of which they would have had memorized.
The author is trying to connect their knowledge with the greater picture.
The Word & Spirit vs. the Flesh
The Word & Spirit vs. the Flesh
When we stop taking in, pondering, meditating, and studying the word of God, our nature is to drift away from it.
11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever. 30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. 31 The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.
34 Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
You cannot live a life that is wishy washy, two faced, double-minded.
If you do nothing, your flesh will always win.
The Reliability of the Law
The Reliability of the Law
Hebrews 2:2–4 (ESV)
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.
The Message Declared By Angels
The Message Declared By Angels
This is the Law of Moses
In Moses’ final blessing over Israel (Deut 33) he mentions that the Lord came to his people from Mt. Sinai and he came from the ten thousands of holy ones and flaming fire at his right hand.
So the author is saying, The Law that was the active covenant up to Jesus was proven to be true.
Retribution
misthapŏdŏsia, mis-thap-od-os-ee´-ah; requital (either good or bad)
Salvation
sōtēria, so-tay-ree´-ah; rescue, deliver, health, save, saving
Under the Law of Moses we see that God promised to punish the unrighteous to the third and fourth generation. But for the righteous he would bless to 1000 generations!
This means that God would much rather be blessing you!
What’s Your Escape Plan?
What’s Your Escape Plan?
I love the question the author poses to us…how are you going to escape the retribution if you neglect this salvation?
While you work up that plan, let’s look at that great plan of Salvation.
THE GREAT PLAN OF SALVATION
THE GREAT PLAN OF SALVATION
Jesus spoke about it first (pointing back to Heb 1.2 where Jesus is the great messenger and the message of the Lord.
Those that heard the message, testified about it.
Miracles, Signs, Wonders, and Gifts have also been used to testify of the salvation of the Lord.
All these things are for the edification (encouragement) of the church body.
1 Corinthians 14:12 “12 So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.”
1 Corinthians 14:19 “19 Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.”
The heart matters more than the thing.
Way back in the garden, as God issued a curse in response to the disobedience of Adam and Eve, he also issued a rescue plan.
The seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent. (Gen 3.15)
JESUS, FULLY MAN
JESUS, FULLY MAN
Hebrews 2:5–8 (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.” …
Verses 6-8 is a direct quote from Psalm 8.
Turn over to Psalm 8, briefly.
Psalm 8 Structure
Psalm 8 Structure
Genre: Hebrew Poem of Praise
Structure: Chiasm (Parallelism)
Title: How Majestic is Your Name
To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of David.
O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?
Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet,
all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
A - Benediction (vs 1)
B - God’s Rule (vs 2-3)
C - Man’s Unworthiness (vs 4)
C - Man’s Worthiness (vs 5)
B - Man’s Rule (vs 6-8) <<
A - Benediction (vs 9)
The section quoted by our author in Hebrews is about Man’s Rule.
This understanding comes directly from the creation of man.
Genesis 1:28 “And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.””
Genesis 2:15 “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”
Genesis 2:20 “The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him.”
God created man in His image, then gave his creation over to man for managing. Sounds like the talents and minas.
If you remember, Chiasm’s have a middle point that the poem is trying to make.
The point of Psalm 8 is that man goes from being unworthy to worthy, by God.
That is the gospel.
Our sin. Forgiven.
Our shame. Removed.
Our ashes. Made into beauty.
Our unworthiness. Made worthy.
Back in Hebrews
Remember, the author is working to prove the full humanity of Jesus in chapter 2. Chapter 1 was all about his deity.
If we look at how the author is laying out chapter 1 into 2, we see that for Jesus to be fully man, he made an incredible sacrifice. It was and is nothing short of a downgrade and demotion.
Yet, this move shows us what selfless true love looks like!
Everything in Subjection to Him
Everything in Subjection to Him
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.
Although we can’t see everything under his subjection, there is an appointed time when the sky is going to split, the trumpet will sound, and he will come riding in as our victorious king!
He will put an end to the evil and darkness once and for all.
We will feast and celebrate with him for all eternity!
Glory Through Suffering
Glory Through Suffering
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.
How was Jesus crowned in glory?
Through suffering.
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.
Now for Jesus’ suffering to matter in regards to us, he HAD to be fully man.
A Better Plan
A Better Plan
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.”
This whole thing begs a question: does this show a weakness in God? Couldn’t God come up a better plan?
Absolutely! After all, this whole thing is God’s system.
Yet, the author pens the answer beautifully, “it was fitting”
Jesus, being perfect and superior to all creation, willingly put all that down, became a man, and took on our guilt, shame, iniquity, sin and atoned for it all, by his own blood!
“…he who sanctifies (Jesus) and those who are sanctified (us) all have one source (the Father).”
[Heb 2.14-18] Jesus CHOSE to become fully man so that he could fully redeem mankind.
Delivered from Fear of Death
Delivered from Fear of Death
15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
One of the many things that Jesus saved us from is the fear of death.
8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
2 Cor 5.1-10, teaches about our Heavenly Dwelling Place.
If you do have a fear of death, it would be good to address those things with the Lord and see what He has to say about it.
There may be some simple and practical steps for you to take that will rid the fear from you.
could be a conversation with your spouse
could be writing out your Will
could be reconciling with someone in your life
OUR PERFECT HIGH PREIST
OUR PERFECT HIGH PREIST
17 So it is evident that it was essential that He be made like His brethren in every respect, in order that He might become a merciful (sympathetic) and faithful High Priest in the things related to God, to make atonement and propitiation for the people’s sins. 18 For because He Himself [in His humanity] has suffered in being tempted (tested and tried), He is able [immediately] to run to the cry of (assist, relieve) those who are being tempted and tested and tried [and who therefore are being exposed to suffering].
Jesus has to be made like us so that he could stand before the Father as us and represent us.
If Jesus is not fully God and fully man, this doesn’t work.
He must be both!
He is both!
And because he is fully man, he has walked through all aspect of life as a human and he understands us.
He is able to help and wants to help us when we go through times of temptation.
Looking back at the beginning of chapter 2, the temptation to defocus and drift.
CALL FOR SALVATION
CALL FOR SALVATION
if you are not living right, living a life of wrong doing, get your life right with God now.
There is no other way to find salvation except through Jesus Christ.
1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
