Motto Text AM 2005 He is able...
He is able…
He is able to help …to deal gently…to save completely…
Hebrews 2:18; 5:2; 7:25
Our Motto Texts for 2005, morning and evening, combine a series of statements about God’s power, and an obligation on individual members.
In these passages from Hebrews I have linked together three sources of power. Two relate explicitly to Jesus – and one implicitly by application from the high priest, about whom the author speaks:
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18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
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Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. 3 This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.
Because you may feel uncomfortable in some measure with the second passage – I remind you that it comes immediately after a similar statement about Jesus Himself – but expressing His power in a negative way:
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15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.
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24 but because Jesus lives for ever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
So we have three great statements about the POWER OF CHRIST:-
He is able to HELP
He is able to DEAL GENTLY
He is able to SAVE COMPLETELY
I want to illustrate those three statements with incidents from the life and ministry of the Lord:
HELP To Simon Peter about to be sifted as wheat LUKE 22 28-34
DEAL GENTLY To the woman brought into the temple JOHN 8
And
SAVE COMPLETELY To the penitent thief LUKE 23 39-43
I hope that you will take away those great statements and apply them to the variety of situations that 2005 will bring.
(This evening I want to turn to the verses in 1 Peter and consider the application of that divine power to the individual Christian sharing gifts within the fellowship and the wider world.)
He is able to help Hebrews 2,18
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18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
The context is clearly that of trial and testing and temptation. We see this in many incidents in His life, but I want to choose the words of Jesus at the Last Supper to Simon Peter
LUKE 22
28 You are those who have stood by me in my trials. 29 And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
33 But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the cock crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”
It is the precious nature of our Lord that, at the time of His darkest hours, He speaks to Simon to warn him and to reassure him.
Jesus has indeed endured temptation – early in the Gospel record we have the account of it – and because of that HE IS ABLE TO HELP those who face similar trials.
À The Lord knows
À The Lord prays
À The Lord is triumphant
He is able to help!
THE LORD KNOWS
31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. 32
34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the cock crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”
Because He has passed that way Himself HE IS ABLE
He understands the forces at work in the world.
Had we confronted Him with the tsunami disaster that has dominated our thoughts for the last week He would have understood; understood the wildly differing reactions to such a calamity. He KNOWS that forces for evil – whether natural or spiritual are at work in the world.
How often we are tempted to think that because He does not prevent such things He cares not, or does not know? He warns Simon that Satan has him in his sights.
And, when Simon retorts, as Simon will, that HE would not fail Him – He tells him again, but this time in detail and in words that will haunt Peter for a while – that before cock crow it will all have been a total disaster!
THE LORD PRAYS
But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail.
That is a crucial aspect of Hebrews’ writing – the intercession of the Great High Priest.
Here it is a prayer already accomplished!
But He prays continuously for us.
He prays – HE IS ABLE TO HELP
THE LORD IS TRIUMPHANT
But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
There can be no doubt about it – even though the fulfilment of the promise straddles the darkest hours in the Saviour’s experience – and the dark hours of Peter’s denials too – that YOUR FAITH WILL NOT FAIL
And such promise carries a singular purpose (about which more from Peter’s own words this evening) STRENGTHEN YOUR BROTHERS.
He is ABLE TO HELP
He is able to deal gently Hebrews 5,2 & 4,15
Here we have reflected Christ’s own teaching about His Shepherd activity and Shepherd Heart.
(Mt 11,29 Isa 40,11 2Cor 10,1 Gal 6,1)
But I want to illustrate the words, applied to the earthly high priest and fulfilled in Jesus:
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Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness.
This ability of the Lord to deal gently with sinners is amply demonstrated in several instances – but I have chosen the woman brought to Jesus in the temple:
JOHN 8
8 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered round him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no-one condemned you?”
11 “No-one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
We have to try and recapture the awful sense of impending disaster that the woman felt as she becomes a pawn in their argument about sin and punishment.
He is able to DEAL GENTLY
À He understands the full extent of sin and judgement
À He intervenes in the judgement itself
À He directs her into a new life
He is able to DEAL GENTLY
HE UNDERSTANDS THE FULL EXTENT OF SIN AND JUDGEMENT
Unlike the high priests who served in the tabernacle Jesus has a COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING of human sin and guilt.
The terrified woman is guilty – everyone knows that – but ONLY JESUS is in a real position to respond! He could have passed a similar judgement to that which the Law required – instead he stooped and wrote in the sand.
Here – in the presence of proven guilt – the Lord of glory seems idly preoccupied.
It is pure speculation to consider what He wrote – it isn’t important, or John would have told us - but against the back-drop of shouting critics and spectators Jesus deals GENTLY.
He knows she has sinned - He also knows that each of her accusers has sinned as well. He looks into every heart – for “He knows what is in the heart of man” – and yours and mine too.
He is ABLE TO DEAL GENTLY
HE INTERVENES IN THE JUDGEMENT ITSELF
7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.
His challenge demonstrates how He places Himself between the woman who has sinned and is worthy of punishment – and those who would apply the punishment.
Once again He stoops and writes in the sand – and one by one they go.
Here is a GENTLE but PROFOUND reminder of the way the Lamb of God Himself will interpose Himself between the sinner and the judgment.
He is able to DEAL GENTLY
And finally –
HE DIRECTS HER INTO A NEW LIFE
10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no-one condemned you?”
11 “No-one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.
It comes down to that : ONLY JESUS and THE WOMAN
ONLY JESUS and ME
He is able to DEAL GENTLY
He is able to SAVE COMPLETELY Hebrews 7:24
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24 but because Jesus lives for ever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
In the greatest of all the statements the writer links Christ’s power to save to the uttermost with His CONSTANT INTERCESSION
This was hinted at earlier. He has offered the sacrifice – Himself, and God has raised Him from the dead – and He ever lives to intercede.
I illustrate this with the last narrative – the penitent thief.
LUKE 23
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43 Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”
He is ABLE TO SAVE COMPLETELY
À Who come
À Who confess
À Who share His kingdom
No one can doubt the extreme circumstances of the thief on the cross – he is a few hours away from the real judgement.
He knows better than any other human there the cost of Jesus’ saving power
Hebrews says :
“he is able to save completely those who come to God through him,
And the dying thief fulfils the conditions:
HE COMES
Not physically of course – but he makes a leap of faith in addressing Jesus
HE CONFESSES
“punished justly…Jesus remember me..”
HE SHARES HIS KINGDOM
“, today you will be with me in paradise”
He is ABLE TO SAVE COMPLETELY
The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away. (W. Cowper)
I commend to you the Lord Jesus who is:
ABLE TO HELP
ABLE TO DEAL GENTLY
ABLE TO SAVE COMPLETELY
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a The Greek is plural.