Captain of Our Salvation

Welcome

“Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” (Matthew 28:1–9, ESV)

Christ is risen!

The Father, the risen Son, and the Holy Spirit, also bid you greetings and welcome this morning.

Announcements

Prayer on Tuesday

†CALL TO WORSHIP Hebrews 11:6

Pastor Austin Prince

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6, ESV)

Minister: We are here to worship God!

Congregation: We come in faith, because without faith it is impossible to please him. We come seeking an audience with God, because he is a rewarder of those who seek him.

†PRAYER OF ADORATION AND INVOCATION

O God, our resurrection and life, the promise of new life in Christ is like cool, sweet water in a dry and thirsty land. We have gathered as believers and as those seeking your truth, which is truth. Guide our worship this hour; speak to us, touching not just our intellects but also our affections–the yearnings of the soul. We bring our daily concerns and our eternal questions. Send your Holy Spirit to us that we may be welcomed into your presence. By His work in us today may you shed light upon our walk and unite us forever with you.

†OPENING HYMN OF PRAISE #360

“Christ the Lord is Risen Today”

†CONFESSION OF SIN & ASSURANCE OF PARDON

based on I Tim. 1:15; I Pet. 2:24

“Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the Lord, for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.” (Jeremiah 2:12–13, ESV)

Minister: Let us confess our sins to our Holy God:

Congregation: Eternal God, you do not change. You have revealed yourself to us in your word. You call us to worship in spirit and in truth. We confess that we often worship not your true self, but who we wish you to be. We often ask you to bless what we do, rather than seeking to do what you bless. We seek concessions when we should be seeking guidance. Forgive us, O God.

Forgive us for selfish and half-hearted worship; worship that tries to shape you into what we want, rather than shaping us into what you want us to be. You have drawn near. Help us to meet you here. Give us love and reverence for you, bowing before your unspeakable majesty, and living for you now and ever, in Christ. Amen.

Minister: This saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, that we might be dead to sin, and alive to all that is good.

CONTINUAL READING OF SCRIPTURE Numbers 11:1-17

Steven Hoffer, Elder

THE OFFERING OF TITHES AND OUR GIFTS

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYERS

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

†HYMN OF PREPARATION #444

“Come to the Waters”

SERMON Hebrews 2:10-18 // The Captain of Our Salvation

PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION

As we now give attention to your word, open our eyes, that we might behold wonderful things from your law through our Lord Jesus Christ.

TEXT Hebrews 2:10-18

Hebrews 2:10–18 ESV

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

AFTER SCRIPTURE

Teach me your way, O Lord and I will walk in your truth. Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.

Intro

Do you think that God understands you? Over the past few weeks we have been looking at the supremacy of Jesus. Hebrews one paints this portrait of Christ who is Holy and exalted — He created all things, He upholds the universe in sovereign power, and sits at the right hand of God.

But does that supremacy mean that he is aloof to what your life is like? Sure, He might know about cosmic evils and atonement and how to deal with the problems of evil. He carries the large concepts that we can’t even fathom. That’s helpful. I’m glad that God is in control of those things, putting things to right that are beyond my vision and experience. But does He have any idea of what it’s like to sit at the bedside as a loved one decays and dies? Does He know what betrayal or abandonment is like? How about fatigue, disappointment, or physical strain? Has he come up close to sin and tasted just how miserable is makes us? Has He ever felt the weight of the curse? Of death and murder and rape and hate?

Does He have any idea what this is like? He never sinned, how would He know what our life is like?

Setup

We’ve seen Jesus’ divinity in Hebrews—His supremacy as the Son of God, the exact imprint of God’s nature. Without this truth, we drift toward false “strong gods,” seeking familiar or immediate strength.

But as we wrap up chapter two, it’s to the humanity of Jesus that we must turn our focus. We must see that the divine Lord is the same Lord who is gentle and lowly. We must see that He is awesome, but we must also see that He is accessible.

We must see what the humanity of Jesus does for you. Why it matters.

Outline: Jesus’ Humanity

He is not ashamed to call us brothers vv.10-13

Through death He has taken away the fear of death vv.14-16

He is able to help with our temptation vv.17-18

He is not ashamed to call us brothers vv.10-13

“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. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 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.”” (Hebrews 2:10–13, ESV)

The text says Jesus is the founder of our salvation. The KJV uses the word captain. He is the captain of our salvation. The idea is that He is the one that leads the way. He is the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Him. But who is this captain? He isn’t someone that we can’t follow because he has no credibility and no relatability. He literally has skin in the game. The captain of our salvation is Christ, Emmanuel — God with us. The word who became flesh and dwelt among us. He is like us in every respect. And he is not ashamed to call us brothers.

Quoting Psalm 22, which Jesus references on the cross as He dies, He says, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”

Not only is there a joy on our behalf that we receive the grace and the love and the forgiveness of God, but there is also rejoicing on the behalf of Christ, who sings praises to the Father and brings us along with Him.

He isn’t ashamed of us. He is glad to redeem us. Jesus tells the parables of the pearl of great price and the lost sheep and the lost son to demonstrate how much joy there is in heaven when we turn from our sin. Later in Hebrews it says that it was for the joy that was set before Him that Christ endured the cross.

You may think that your life is just a constant tangle of sins and messiness, but He isn’t ashamed of you. He isn’t trying to dodge you or avoid eye contact with you because you are shameful or annoying or weak or hopeless.

In our sins, yes, those are not looked in with any kind of joy from Christ. But to those who are being sanctified. To those who are holding onto Him in faith, those who are being worked on and renovated (all of us), your life isn’t too tawdry for Him.

You can think that your sin is just so heavy and so morose that God is barely abiding you. You can think that God’s grace is of course good, but you are under a slog of depravity. That the Christian life is just a hard and long tangle of sin and disappointment.

Christ would have you cheer up. He is with you. He is for you. Christ is the captain who has navigated these waters before, but that captain is also your brother. He isn’t going to leave you behind. He is happy that you are justified but He is also happy that you are being sanctified. He isn’t ashamed of that. He isn’t ashamed of you.

As John Owen says it, you have been brothered by Christ.

He knows your frame because He has shared your frame. He knows the weight you carry but he isn’t embarrassed by that or indifferent or irritated.

Summary Statement:

In His humanity, you have been brothered by Christ. The Son who sits at the right hand of the Father is also the one who gladly reaches a hand out to you. Take hold of it and follow Him.

Through death He has taken away the fear of death vv.14-16

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

The curse of sin is death. The payment and wages of sin is death. And that payment must be made by a man. Since we are flesh and blood, he himself partook of the same.

Fully man he made the payment of death as a man. Fully God he payed for all of Abraham’s sons in full.

Think of the phrase willing and able. In Christ’s divinity, He is willing. In His humanity, He is able.

Christ’s humanity is your substitute. Christ in your place. Your brother’s life for yours.

It is our mouths that have spoken wickedness, but his was the mouth that was struck. It was in our shame that we tried to cloak and cover ourselves, but He was the one who was stripped naked. It was our feet that wonder, but His were pinned down to a cross. It was our head that would wear a crown of pride, but it was His that was adorned with a crown of thorns and mockery. He embodied the horrors of sin and bore them all the way to death, buried them in the grave, and then came up whole again. He is our captain who paves the way.

Satan’s power over death isn’t that he has control over life and death. Christ’s payment on the cross was not a payment to Satan, as some have speculated.

We fear death for many reasons. It’s the unknown. It’s sad to lose those we love. But the binding fear, the thing that makes it so scary, is that we deserve it.

That’s what Satan’s power is concerning death. It’s accusation. Death itself is one thing — it’s a consequence of sin, but the real sting of death is sin itself.

Death brings on judgment.

But Christ has taken that sting away.

The slavishness of death is that Satan is an accuser and His accusations on us are right. He throws them in our face constantly as mockery and cruelty. So much of the schlock and sin that we embrace in this life is because we fear death. We act impulsively, we try to build up defenses of false beliefs and doubt and hardness towards God, because there is fear. We eat, drink, and are merry. Why? Because tomorrow we die. There is an immediacy, one might say panic, to live now and treat yourself while you can, because there is a dread of what is to come.

But in Christ that sting of death is broken. “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”” (Romans 8:15, ESV)

Perfect love has cast out fear. And what did love do? He became flesh and took on the cross, bearing our shame, identifying with us as brothers, and leading us through even death. In Christ, our fear is taken away. In his humanity, mankind can live free and boldly and joyfully and restfully, for our all has been made well; all has been made very well.

What are the things that you fear? Loss, abandonment, rejection, death? Where has Christ let you down and let you alone in those? What more would you have Him do for you? Look at Him who has come for us. Look at the lengths He has gone. Look and see where all of our fears have been buried with Christ and have been left in the grave.

Summary Statement:

In His humanity, Christ has taken away the sting of death and the slavery of fear.

He is able to help with our temptation vv.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.” (Hebrews 2:17–18, ESV)

Is Jesus able to help you now? You might say, great, he can help me in death; he can take that sting away one day. But what about today? What about tomorrow?

Can Jesus do anything about my struggles now?

And the answer is a resounding, yes. In His humanity, Jesus is able to sympathize with our weakness.

Has Jesus ever felt betrayal? Has Jesus ever felt fatigue? Has Jesus ever felt hunger or thirst? Has He ever carried the weight of temptation? Has He ever had any friends let him down? Has He ever faced false accusation, slander, or broken expectations? Yes.

Not only has he experienced these things, but He has faced these to a degree that we haven’t.

Think of it like someone testing the different strengths of iron bars. One bar is bent to the limit and it snaps and breaks. But another bar is bent all the way until it can’t bend anymore but it doesn’t break. It’s not at all that the two have nothing in common. But it’s the bar that didn’t break that experienced more strain and more stress.

Jesus is that iron bar. He is the one who knows exactly the strains that we face, but not only is He familiar with them, He knows them even more than we do. No one has had more pressure on them than Christ, and yet He didn’t break. He knows our frame and He knows it well.

So, in his humanity, he is able to sympathize with our weakness; he knows what you are going through and He knows the ins and outs of it more than you do. He has faced whatever trial you are facing and He knows it all the way down. He sympathizes, but it doesn’t just stop there.

He is also able to help you in your weakness. You can call out to him and he will understand, and he will lead you out of it. He is a merciful High Priest, but He is also a faithful High Priest.

When He was tempted in the wilderness, Jesus trusted the truth of the Father over the lies of Satan. When He was tempted in the garden, He taught us how to pray in despair and how to accept the will of God. He took up the cross and walked in faithfulness. And it was this obedience that led to glory. And as the captain of our salvation, as he helps us to walk away from lies and away from sin, as he helps us to carry a cross to faithfulness, this, too, is a path to glory — a shared glory that we come into with the Son and the Father.

Not just sympathy, but victory. Not just a listening ear, but a redeeming hand. In Christ, we have a faithful High Priest, someone who helps us to walk victoriously.

Imagine a heavy snow storm which traps a young boy at the home of a friend. There is three feet of snow that the boy can’t climb through. He’s trapped and can’t get home. That is, until his brother comes to get him. With his strong shoulders, he breaks through and plows a way. The younger brother is to follow his way back home. He isn’t just learning from his example and taught how to forge his own path. He isn’t just carried along vicariously — He is called to follow. The path is still difficult, but every step is a step that has been taken before. Every step forward is a step that He knows that he can make because His brother has gone before him. If He keeps in step with his brother, it can be done. The path has already been trod.

Whatever wilderness that you are walking through, Jesus has already been there and made it through. Whatever fatigue, he has been there. Whatever person has let you down, he has been there. Whatever temptation that is breathing hot on your neck, he has been there and made it through. Whatever disappointment or persecution or loss, he he’s been there. Even through death, He has forged the path completely.

Obedience should be the glory of humanity. Now for the first time we see what we were supposed to be like. Jesus can fully sympathize because he understands temptation, but he can also fully save because he overcame temptation.

Summary Statement:

In His humanity, Christ knows your frame and weakness, but he also knows how to give you strength and to help you in your temptation. He knows the path ahead.

Conclusion

There are times in our frailty and despair that we look to Christ and think, what connection do I have with that exalted Christ? But this text demands that our attention is turned to the connection that He makes with us and take courage.

On this day we remember, the captain who has gone before us also knows the way out of the grave.

He will be your captain in this life, and He will be your captain on into glory and resurrection.

Jesus, the supreme Son of God, is also your brother, intimately acquainted with your struggles. In His humanity, He’s unashamed to call you family, bearing your shame and sin. Through His death, He breaks the sting of death, freeing you from fear’s grip. In your temptations, He sympathizes, having endured greater trials without breaking, and faithfully guides you to victory. The exalted Christ stoops to walk your path, leading you through every wilderness to glory. The grand strength and hope of Christ’s divinity is applied to you in His Humanity.

Hold fast—your captain knows your frame and will not leave you behind.

†PSALM OF RESPONSE #110A

“The LORD Said to My Lord”

THE MINISTRY OF THE LORD’S SUPPER

Minister: Lift up your hearts!

Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord.

Minister: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

Congregation: It is right for us to give thanks and praise!

CONFESSION OF FAITH

Nicene Creed p. 852

Congregation is seated.

INVITATION TO THE LORD’S TABLE

The Israelites in the Passover ate the unblemished, firstborn, male lamb with wine and unleavened bread. By this they were not only celebrating how God delivered them from the 10th plague in Egypt, they were having held out to them the greater substitution that was yet to come. Instead of sacrificing a lamb and putting its blood on the doorposts, God himself would offer up the blood of his own son to save them.

That meal provided the pattern for the one between Jesus and his disciples. Matthew records in his gospel:

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” 30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

All of this is the background for the meal set before us this morning. At the table our Lord sets we are united by faith with him by the Holy Spirit. In this mysterious working we receive, by faith, the same body that was born of Mary. The real Spiritual presence of Christ is present in the sacrament inasmuch as the Holy Spirit is able to unite us to Christ. It is therefore not a mere memorial or a pledge of our fidelity but is first and foremost a means of grace and a pledge of God’s faithfulness.

Don’t we long for some sign from God? Some sense of his presence? Some token of his having accepted us despite the weakness of our faith and obedience? Here, at this table, the holy one, whose mere voice sent terror into Israel’s bones, clothes himself in humility and gives himself to us.

This supper’s benefits are in substance the same as those communicated through preaching and baptism: Christ and all his benefits by faith. This means that the supper is itself a means of persevering grace. It does not give us an additional ingredient or a power not present in preaching, but supports those means as a perpetual ratification of God’s peace treaty with his people. Faith is created by the preached gospel and confirmed and strengthened by the sacraments. God works supernaturally through natural, created things.

Scripture teaches that such a supernatural supper is a thing that cannot be taken lightly. We are commanded to examine ourselves, individually and corporately, and to be certain that we believe and that we have discerned the body of our Lord rightly. This examination is good and right so long as we do not make the requirements for admission to this table any more stringent than did our Lord. Some have used Scripture’s exhortation to self-examination in a manner that actually undermines the very point of the sacrament, as if communion were a reward, and withholding a punishment, rather than each a means of grace.

This cup that we receive is a cup of forgiveness. In it we find the blood of Christ, which was shed for the remission of sins. By definition therefore it cannot be for anyone but sinners. “Jesus said that those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” The forgiveness of God is the medicine for poor, sick souls.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE ELEMENTS

//once all elements are received//

The Lord has prepared this table for all who love him and trust in him alone for their salvation. It is for those who belong to Christ through repentance, faith, baptism, and continuing union with his Church.

“O taste and see that the LORD is good; happy are those who take refuge in him.”

[motion to partake]

PRAYER

†OUR RESPONSE #234

Tune: The God of Abraham Praise

The whole triumphant host gives thanks to God on high;

“Hail, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!” they ever cry.

Hail, Abraham’s God and mine! I join the heav’nly lays;

all might and majesty are thine, and endless praise.

†BENEDICTION: GOD’S BLESSING FOR HIS PEOPLE

Christians, go in hope and His peace. “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” (Jude 24–25, ESV)

Grace Notes Reflection

Hebrews 1 highlights Jesus' divinity, while Hebrews 2 has demanded that we focus upon His humanity. It may be that we marvel at Christ's majesty but perhaps we sometimes feel discouraged, too, confused at how He could relate to us in the difficulties of our lives. This week's text addresses those concerns, presenting Jesus as the Captain of our salvation. He guides us through life, death, and beyond, not only as our leader but as our brother. He understands our weaknesses, knows our challenges more deeply than we do, yet remains unashamed of us. Faithful Himself, Jesus has secured our eternal salvation and lived a victorious life. And through Him, we have hope and comfort for both the future and the present—the ability to live faithfully now, following the path of our brother who leads the way.

Are there any areas of your life that you think are too shameful for you to be called Christ’s brother? Do you think that Christ is annoyed or repelled by you? He knows your frame — come to Him and find rest. He identifies with you. Our text this week says that He sings to the Father a rejoicing at your sanctification.

Where may fear have a grip on you? Do you do anything impulsively because you fear a loss of experience? Christ has taken away the dark cloud of death and removed the sting of judgement. Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you live.

Are there any temptations that you feel are just too strong to ignore or too powerful to combat? Christ has plowed the path before you. As a man, He has walked through all the temptations that you will have and defeated them. Know this for sure: There is an available step before you of faithfulness, and you can take that step because He has prepared the way. You really can do this through Christ who strengthens you.

Sermon Reflection: Jesus, Our Captain and Brother

Hebrews 1 highlights Jesus' divinity, while Hebrews 2 has demanded that we focus upon His humanity. It may be that we marvel at Christ's majesty but perhaps we sometimes feel discouraged, too, confused at how He could relate to us in the difficulties of our lives. This week's text addresses those concerns, presenting Jesus as the Captain of our salvation. He guides us through life, death, and beyond, not only as our leader but as our brother. He understands our weaknesses, knows our challenges more deeply than we do, yet remains unashamed of us. Faithful Himself, Jesus has secured our eternal salvation and lived a victorious life. And through Him, we have hope and comfort for both the future and the present—the ability to live faithfully now, following the path of our brother who leads the way.

Reflection Questions

This week’s text challenges us to reflect on our relationship with Jesus, our Captain and brother:

Do you feel unworthy of Christ’s love? Are there areas of your life you think are too shameful for Jesus to embrace you as His sibling? Scripture assures us that Jesus knows our frame—our struggles and frailties—and He is not repelled or annoyed. Instead, He invites us to come to Him for rest, rejoicing in our sanctification as He sings praises to the Father (Hebrews 2:12).

Where does fear hold you captive? Do you act impulsively, driven by a fear of missing out or losing something precious? Jesus has defeated the power of death and removed the sting of judgment. Because of Him, we can live with joy and confidence, knowing that “tomorrow we live” in His victory.

Are you overwhelmed by temptation? Do you feel that some temptations are too strong to resist? Take heart: Jesus, fully human, faced every temptation we encounter and overcame them all. He has blazed a trail of faithfulness before you. As a man, He has walked through all the temptations that you will have and defeated them. Know this for sure: There is an available step before you of faithfulness, and you can take that step because He has prepared the way.