Hebrews - 4th Sunday of Advent

Introduction

Immanuel: The Captain of Our Salvation

Have you ever heard your teacher or perhaps a parent say, “there are no dumb questions.”? I’ve taught high school students for over 15 years not and I can assure you, there are many dumb questions.

I think most parents will confirm this for me. We certainly don’t want to stifle the curiosity of our youth, and if I’m honest I think most of the ridiculous questions I’ve been asked, the student knew it was a dumb question they were just seeking to get a laugh.

The writer of Hebrews in this passage doesn't’ question God, but it certainly appears as though he’s weighing the merits of God’s plan for salvation.

Is it wrong to question God? I think it’s quite natural for us to question God, didn’t Mary herself question God’s plan when the angel visited her?

How could she be pregnant?

Why would God choose me?

I think many of us have our own questions when it comes to the Christmas story.

- Why was he born as a baby?

Why did he need to

- Why did he experience youth and all that comes with it - learning, growing, correction from those in authority? Into to adulthood, was it necessary that Jesus form relationships, face rejection, feel pain - both physical and emotional?

why did he need to come as a man at all?

Each Christmas we remember the birth of Jesus, but do we fully understand why God’s plan for the world included this most unusual story of God being born into humanity.

That is the question we tackle this morning: Why did God need to become Immanuel - God with us.

Let’s pray.

Our study of Hebrews thus far has emphasized Jesus’ divine nature. You will remember in Hebrews 1:3

Hebrews 1:3 (ESV)

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

Jesus is the exact representation of God. And he ‘upholds’ the universe which implies that he is active. He is actively at work in maintaining the created world.

As we move into Hebrews 2, the writers shifts his focus from Jesus’ divinity, to Jesus’ humanity.

Point 1

Jesus came to fulfill God’s original plan.

Hebrews 2:5–8 ESV

For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, 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.

I have to admit that when I first read this passage in my study for this morning I was struck by, what appeared to me to be the writers complete misunderstanding of what it means to be human.

When I think about humanity, ‘glorious’ is not the first adjective that comes to mind. No, I would describe humanity quite differently.

It’s true that we often do seek to glorify ourselves, but truly what do these accomplishments look like to God?

We recently had the Olympics, and if I were to point to an event where we seek glory, this may be the pinnacle. I think for most of us the Olympics tends to be the time we care about a sport we didn’t care for at all the previous 4 years.

I do not watch sprinting, but every 4 years I do tend to find myself watching the 100m sprints, which arguably is the prime time Olympic event. When I watch the sprints - I’m impressed. Usain Bolt can do something I can’t even dream of doing. I remember as kid jumping up and cheering when Donovan Bailey won his Olympic gold. We are impressed. I wonder what God thins of these spectacles. I don’t think he frowns on this - I mean the people who get to this point are incredibly self-disciplined and push themselves to the very limit of what it means to be human - but I don’t we could say he’s impressed.

What about one of the Olympics newest sports - break dancing. Is he impressed?

Perhaps you’d like something more Christmas themed. If we were to not go to the Olympics for the peak of human accomplishment, we might go to the Guinness Book of World Records, where we’d find that the record for the longest amount of time inside a snow globe is 30 minutes and 45 seconds.

I think it’s safe to say that God is not impressed with the way that we seek glory.

This passage quotes Psalm chapter 8.

The writer of Hebrews is reminding his readers that God’s original plan, beginning with Adam and Eve, was to have his created beings establish their rule over the world and in so doing would glorify their creator. In our original created order, we were not to glorify ourselves, but glorify God.

He points out the obvious paradox that God, creator of the heavens, would be mindful of man.

It almost appears in this Psalm that David forgets man’s fall. That he forgets man’s long history of rejecting God and his creating order. That he neglects man’s desire to go against God’s created order and serve only himself.

Psalm 8:5–6 (ESV)

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,

David is not saying God ‘had given,’ but ‘You have given.’ It continues. We are today still given dominion. We are still crowned with glory and honour. The glory we’re given is given to us by God - only God bestows glory.

Hebrews 2:8–9 (ESV)

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. 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.

While we have been given dominion over the earth, we recognize that God’s perfect created order has not yet been established. We don’t have perfect dominion.

When Adam sinned, he in effect forfeited his rule over creation. "G. K. Chesterton said, whatever else is or is not true, this one thing is certain—man is not what he was meant to be."

The greatest evidence of that is that we still face death - the ultimate enemy of man.

But while we may not see absolutely everything in subjection, we see Christ.

We see Jesus, who conquered death on the cross, and while we know that death is defeated, we await it’s final destruction at Christ’s second coming.

So, Jesus came in the form of a man, to reestablish God’s created order. Where the first Adam would fail, the second Adam, that is Jesus, would succeed.

Point 2

The writer now gets more specific. How would Jesus succeed? And again, another paradox. He would succeed in defeating death by tasting death.

Hebrews 2:9–10 ESV

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. 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.

Jesus became a man so that he would taste death.

I think there are a few points of clarification in verse 9: First, there are some translations that read, “he was made perfect through suffering,” which may lead us to believe that Jesus needed to suffer to be made perfect, as if he lacked something, or needed to be purified by suffering, but that is not the case. Jesus suffered because God saw it was fitting.

Also, who did Jesus taste death for? Everyone. I looked this up in a variety of translations: ESV - everyone, King James - Every man, CSB - everyone, NIV - everyone, Living Translation - everyone, Legacy Standard - everyone, NASB - everyone.

Jesus tasted death for everyone: 1 John 2:2

1 John 2:2 (ESV)

He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Jesus tasted death for everyone so we would not have to. A point he’s challenged on in the Gospel of John.

In John 8. He is arguing with the religious leaders about who He is.

John 8:51–58 ESV

Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

We may yet face physical death, but we know we face a defeated enemy for Jesus is the founder of our salvation as described in Hebrews 2:10.

I really like how the King James translates this passage referring to Jesus as the captain of our salvation.

Jesus leads us toward salvation as the one who has prepared the path to salvation. He’s the captain that goes before us.

A captain refers to a leader, but when I think about a captain I immediately think about a naval captain - the leader of a great ship. I don’t know why this is where my mind first wanders for I would be completely lost on a ship - one of the consequences of being born in Saskatchewan.

It was only a few months ago, I got really into learning about Horatio Nelson - one of England’s most famous admirals. He defeated Napoleon at the Nile and was killed at the famous Battle of Trafalgar.

Here is a painting of Nelson - this is called the Death of Nelson.

Nelson was ambitious and incredibly talented. What I found really interesting is learning about how he was first stationed on a military vessel at the age of 12. Sent off to war at sea at the age of 12.

In learning about Nelson I was exposed to many of the qualities necessary for a good captain.

A good captain encourages his men. And is not this what Jesus did? For even in his suffering, as he’s hanging on the cross, berated by those around him, even one of the criminals hanging beside him, he turns to the other criminal, the one who recognizes Jesus for who He really is, and Jesus encourages Him: “today you will be with me in paradise.” “Do not be afraid” is one of the most repeated phrases in Scripture. Like a good captain, Jesus encourages us.

A good captain leads the way. In being the captain of our salvation, Jesus goes first. He makes the path. Some leaders cry out, “Go!” Jesus says, “Come on,” biding us follow.

Charles Spurgeon said, “You shall never climb so high that you will not find the footprint of the Crucified there; nor shall you be called to descend even into the depths of the sea but you shall find that he has been there too, for he leads us always as the Captain of our salvation.”

Finally, there is a quality every captain must demand of his men. Submission.

Tim Keller says that the message of Christmas is the most counter-cultural message we could have because if Jesus comes into our life, he comes with authority.

I explained earlier that Jesus tasted death for everyone, and this is true. But if you want Him to grant you salvation, there must be submission to His headship.

A captain has authority.

Recognizing Jesus as the captain of our salvation means that we aren’t in control, an idea we are not often fond of. We fight against our desire to please ourselves. We seek to glorify ourselves. Only God can glorify and he glorifies us when we are in submission to him.

Let us make every effort to live lives worthy of the captain who calls us.

Point 3

Jesus tasted death, and this could only be done if he came in the form of a man. But we need to be reminded that he came to taste death to defeat it.

Hebrews 2:14–15 ESV

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

He became like us to experience death and deliver us from the bondage we experienced when we feared death.

In his book, The Denial of Death, Earnest Becker said, “The idea of death, the fear of it, haunts the human animal like nothing else.”

We face a defeated enemy. We may fear dying, but we do not fear death.

2 Corinthians 4:17 says,

2 Corinthians 4:17 (ESV)

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,

Death is defeated and the glory that Jesus is leading us toward far outweighs any temporary affliction we may face.

Point 4

So, Jesus came to reestablish God’s created order. Where the first Adam failed, the second Adam succeeds.

Jesus came as a man to taste death.

Jesus came as a man to taste death, so that he could defeat death.

Naturally the question many may have: Why Jesus?

Hebrews 2:17 ESV

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.

By His partaking of a human nature, Christ demonstrated His mercy to mankind and His faithfulness to God by satisfying God’s requirement for sin and thus obtaining for His people full forgiveness.

Jesus satisfies God’s requirement for sin. Sin is a barrier between man and God. Jesus, who did not sin, became the perfect high priest, the only one that could make propitiation for our sin. That is appeasing God’s righteous wrath toward sin and reconciling us to him.

Romans 8:3–4 (ESV)

For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

We all devote ourselves to something: an idea or way of living. For some it’s the understanding that there is only the natural world - we live and die and that’s it. For others, it may be another religious principle apart from Biblical truth. I’m going to argue that for most of our society it’s a devotion to consumerism - material things. Obviously this can be a distraction for all of us during this season. And a distraction is exactly what it is for this things have no power to bring us lasting happiness or to save us - they are a distraction. But, I think we like to distract ourselves.

We distract ourselves until the truth of life and death can’t be avoided.

This is the purpose of the book of Hebrews. To warn us about being distracted by things that don’t matter. It’s a warning not to neglect our faith.

Hebrews 2:1 ESV

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

This is what pastor Daryl was referring to last week. This drifting away that we must be wary of. We get distracted and drift away until we’re jolted back into the reality, the truth, of life and death and we’re aren’t prepared.

But the truth of life and death meets the truth that only Jesus has the power to save us from death for he fulfilled God’s eternal plan, he tasted death himself, and not only did he taste death, he defeated it. And it is only Jesus who could do this great work.

Conclusion

The purpose of Christmas, I would argue is to reflect on God’s perfect plan for salvation.

Those who correctly understood God’s redemptive plan from Genesis, through the prophets, saw the birth of Jesus and exclaimed, “It’s happening! This is what we’ve been waiting for.”

Jesus, we learn in this passage, is the captain of our salvation.

As the captain of salvation he came to fulfill God’s perfect plan, he tasted death, he conquered death, and he makes atonement for us as the perfect high priest.

Every good captain is with his men, encouraging them forward, standing side by side, and when Jesus took on humanity, this is what he was doing.

Hebrews 2:18 ESV

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

He suffered. He was tempted, just as we face the pain and temptations of life.

So don’t neglect your salvation. This Christmas let the story of Jesus’ birth remind you how precious your salvation is. And to those that have not made a commitment to Christ, don’t neglect the opportunities Christ affords to you. Make it today.

How precious is your salvation to you?

In 1912 John Harper and his 6 year old daughter were travelling on the Titanic. When the ship struck an iceberg, Harper raced to get his young daughter to a lifeboat. Once placing her safely in a boat he ran back on to the ship running up to each person asking them the same question over and over. Are you saved? Are you saved? He could be heard shouting: “Women, children and the unsaved to the lifeboats.”

When the ship began to finally slip under the water, he put on his life jacket and jumped into the frigid ocean. As he was moving through the water doing his best to stay warm, he met a man clinging desperately to a piece of debris. He asked the man, this same question: Are you saved? The man said he wasn’t, so Harper slipped off his life jacket and gave it to the man explaining to him, “you need this more than I do.” A short time later, Harper fell unconscious and sank into the sea.

A year later survivors of the Titanic disaster met in a small Ontario town for a reunion. Each of the attendees were asked to introduce themselves. One man stood and when he was asked who he was, he replied: “I’m the last convert of John Harper.

How precious is your salvation to you? Do you believe John Harper was scared to die - I believe it’s likely. But I can guarantee you he did not fear death.

So, this Christmas season, let us recognize Jesus as the author, the leader, the pioneer, the captain of our salvation and submit to his desires for us.