Jesus, Our Brother

Introduction

Good morning please open in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 2 verse 10-18 that is Hebrews 2:10-18. That is on page 941 if you are using one of the Bible’s spread through the chairs this morning.When we think of Jesus I am sure many things come to our minds. His lordship over this world, his glory and grandeur, his death and resurrection, he status as the Son of God. But do you ever stop to consider that Jesus is your brother. That Jesus, in becoming human, can sympathize with our weakness, can relate to our suffering, and can help us when we are tempted? Jesus calls you brother, and he is not ashamed to do so! As we study this text this morning may we be overwhelmed with the brotherly affection of our Savior. Let’s Read Hebrews 2:10-18.

Jesus Our Perfect Brother v. 10

Hebrews 2:10 “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.”

EX: In v. 9 we are told JC died for everyone, v. 10 we read that was fitting. It is right for Christ to die.

ILL: Vera “I don’t like that Jesus had to die.” She gets, I don’t like that part of the story either. Yet, God tells us that Jesus was made perfect through suffering. We read that it is fitting that God the father for who and by whom all things exist… should make the found of their salvation perfect through suffering.

Arg: Isn’t Jesus already perfect? Typically mean moral perfection and that is correct. But here I believe the writer is referring the completion or perfection of the predestined work of God. God had already willed that Christ would die for sin, Isaiah 53:10 “Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;… and in order for Jesus to be perfect he had to actually live out the plan of God the Father. In doing the Father’s will, Jesus completed his destiny, he was made perfect through suffering.

EX: In particular he was perfected in his role as the founder of our salvation. And as the founder of our salvation he would serve the Father as the instrument in which the father, who created all things, would bring many sons to glory. The death of Christ was essential to this mission of God. In order for God the Father to redeem many sons for Himself, the Son had to die in their place. Jesus knows this is true. In Mark 8-10 he predicts his suffering and death 3 times. Mark 8:31–33 “And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”” Mark 9:30–32 “They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.” and Mark 10:32–34 “And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.””

Jesus knew that his death was inevitable, it had to happen. Thus it is fitting that the Father would make the Son perfect through suffering.

T/S- Why? Perfect brother dies so the imperfect brothers might live. Jesus died for those who be brought into the family through faith in his sacrificial death. And in bringing brought into the family, Jesus would call us brother.

Jesus Calls Us Brother v. 11-13

Hebrews 2:11 “For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers,”

EX: It is fitting that Christ suffers because through it he becomes the founder of our salvation. In that the one who sanctifies are those who are sanctified all have one source. Literally rendered “All of one” Glory and mystery of the Incarnation is that Jesus becomes fully man. v.14 “partook of the same things” referring to flesh and blood. And through his death and resurrection when we place our faith in Him we are united with him. In that we become co-inheritors with Christ. We are in Him, united to Jesus. We are not gods… But we are elevated from sinner to son through the Son’s life and death. How are we of the same source as Christ? We are both human, and we in Christ and through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit Christ is in us. Christ is the source of our sanctification. What makes you holy, not your works but the work of Christ. The sanctifier and the sanctified are all of one in that we in Christ and Christ is in us.

And because we are of Christ through our unification with him he is not ashamed to call us brothers.

ILL: There are two kinds of brothers… the brothers who become astronauts, millionaires , who help impoverished kids, etc. The brothers we all want people to know are our brothers. And then there are the brothers that are… let’s just not astronauts or philanthropists. They are a bit less and maybe it would be embarrassing for people to know that ‘that guy” is your brother. And when we look at the Bible and look us and Jesus we all know what kind of brother Jesus is… and what kind of sibling we are.

EX: Hebrews 2:12–13 “saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.”” The author of Hebrews quotes from Psalm 22:22 which a psalm about Jesus’ death on the cross, but the psalm ends with the Messiah praising God and calling for others to praise him as well. And Isaiah 8:17-18 in chapter 7 of Isaiah he prophesies about the invasion of Assyria but a child will be born whose name will be Immanuel. In chapter 8 he talks about children that Isaiah had who were signs of the Lord Almighty. Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” These text suggest that God’s people and the Messiah will suffer, but through the suffering they will have victory and see the faithfulness of God. Out text this morning makes clear that Christ, suffered and died. It was necessary. But through it, he brings many sons to glory. Through the suffering Jesus redeems you, and therefore doesn’t hide you. We need to understand who he is presenting you too: the Father.

ILL: He doesn’t treat you like a geeky brother who kicks out of the car a few blocks away from school so no one sees you together. Instead, he calls you brother in front of the whole congregation he so Behold, or Look at me and the other children of God. He is not ashamed.

APP: He is not ashamed of you, because he doesn’t make you cool… he makes you holy. He sanctifies you. What is the source of that sanctification… He is! Therefore, you can confess your sins to others instead of hiding them in shame. Jesus presents you to the Father as holy, and he is not ashamed of you.

T/S- Makes us children of God through his sanctifying work by tasting death for everyone as the founder of our salvation, made perfect through suffering, and he will defeat the devil and deliver you from slavery.

Our Brother Defeats Death v. 14-16

Hebrews 2:14–16 “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. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham.”

EX: John 1:12 “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,” When we read of those who are the offspring of Abraham the children that God has given Jesus we are not reading of just Jewish people nor are we reading of every individual, but rather we are reading of those who have received Jesus. And because these are children of God , the Son of God has become like them. He, like them, and has taken on flesh and blood and our weakness, yet without sin. There is not part of our experience that Jesus does not relate to. He is our comrade in this life, a true brother who had experience what we experience, including our suffering and weakness.

This is necessary, it is necessary that he would become man, because he had to die. Only in his death could he 1) defeat the devil and 2) free us from the fear of death, which subjects us to slavery.

The devil, is the who has the power of death. Now, he cannot kill you or anyone. God alone gives and takes life. Rather, the devil is the agent of death because he is John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy… 1 Peter 5:8 “… Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” and He Revelation 12:10 “…, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.” He hates all that is light and wants to destroy us through temptation. He tempts and accuses those who fail, he schemes and plots to kill us. But he is God’s devil. Cannot make too much or too little of him. He can only tempt with that which entices you. And this passage makes clear that in the death of Jesus he, the devil, is defeated! Colossians 2:14–15 “by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” Jesus had to die in order to defeat Satan, a defeat that will be completed at the end of age when he is cast into the lake of fire to be tormented day and night forever and ever.

And in that defeat he set free those who through the fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. Death is scary. If you are not confident of what happens to you after you die, then you cannot live in peace. You are destined to live in fear and be a lifelong slave to that fear. We fear death for two reasons. Either we fear what will happen to us if we die, or we fear what will happen to those we leave behind should we die. Will my kids grow up fatherless, will Brittany we able to pay the bills, will anyone teach my sons how to be men, who will protect my daughter, take care of my wife when she’s old..

Jesus has defeated the devil and death. If you fear what will happen to you, then place your trust in Jesus today and know that he has defeated death. He died, so that you might live for eternity with him. And if your fear what will happen to others then know there is nothing to fear. Regardless if you have answers to those questions or not. God is the God who laid down his life for you, he will not let you down. You can rest in the knowledge that he will care for those you love. He has proven that he will die for them. He has called all of those that trust in him his brothers and sisters including your wife, your kids, your friends. Death is not be feared for the Christian because we serve the one who has conquered death.

T/S- Our brother Christ Jesus has defeated the devil and death, and we conclude with this final point. He is a good brother.

Our Brother is Good v. 17-18

Hebrews 2:17–18 “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. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

He became like us in every respect, (Flesh and blood) and our weaknesses. He grew hungry, tired, he had to use the restroom. His family thought we was crazy, his friends abandoned him when he needed them most, he was sinned against by the community that was supposed to accept him, there people you loved him only for what he could give to them, he lied about in his false trials, and endured the pain of his passion through beatings, humiliation, and crucifixion. There are no sorrows that you experience, that Jesus is not familiar with.

And in his experience of our pain, when he became man, he become a merciful and faithful high priest. The High Priest in Israel once a year would offer a sacrifice for the sins of the people. It was a sacrifice meant to atone for their sins or propitiate God. That is satisfy God’s wrath. There has been a lot of academic debate about this word, propitiation because many see the need for God to have something sacrificed to him as barbaric. Why would God need a human sacrifice?

I don’t have time to get into all of that today, but we must see that the God of the Bible is just and as a just God must punish sin. And he does not regret the exercise of justice. God punishes evil, and does so with vigor because it is right. But the Son, as our faithful high priest, faithful to God and the satisfaction of God’s justice, willing offered up his life in order to appease God’s wrath. He tasted death for everyone to quench the demand of God’s justice for his brothers and sisters.

In Christ, the great God that punishes sin draws near to sinners and offers them help. He has suffered when tempted, and therefore is able to help those who are being tempted. Your brother this morning is merciful, faithful, and is able to help you. He is good.

Conclusion

Will you come to Jesus? If you don’t know Christ or if you are still trying to figure all of this out I want to help you. I am happy to chat with you this morning after the service we can set up a time to meet so you can learn more. If someone brought you this morning, they would be happy to chat with you. What will your next step with Jesus be? Do you need to be baptized, join the church, maybe just start reading the Bible with another Christian friend. In Christ, you have an older brother who is able to help.