HEBREWS-JESUS IS BETTER: Every. Single. One.

 “Every. Single. One.” Hebrews 2:5-13 Last week we studied verses 1-4 of chapter 2. In the first chapter we saw that Jesus is higher than the Angels - that Jesus is worshiped by the angels as they’ve been commanded to do by God. These Hebrew people were drifting away from true worship of God in His church left in the wake of Christ, and so the book places them and places us in awe of Jesus. Last week, John Nicholas encouraged us in Hebrews 2:1-4 that we’re not to drift in this Christian life. So that we’ll come back, on the heels of chapter 1’s encouragement that Jesus is so magnificent, he’s to be worshipped. John reminded us of our working out our salvation in Philippians 2:12 and that our living is to be worthy of the Gospel in Philippians 1:27. As we continue in chapter 2 - we continue to be returned to an awe in Jesus that turns us back - if we’ve begun to drift. Maybe we’d ask, maybe you’d ask wait, even me. Maybe something in your life will expose your guilt, your crooked nature, something would come out of you or be exposed in you and you’d think - wait is salvation for me, is it available to me and this passage reminds you or perhaps tells you for the first time, that this salvation is for everyone, Every. Single. One. Hebrews 2:5–13 (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.” 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. This is a quotation from Psalm 8 - in verses 6-8. “What is man that you are mindful of him?” What am I, what are we (people) that you God are mindful of him (us)? This is what I always wonder when I think of salvation? I think this is the mature view - I think the immature view straps on a pair of sneakers and stomps its dirty feet and looks back to God, fists pressed in its side and asks “God why don't you care about us more” - when we when people become saved in Christ and come to know God more we ask what the Psalmist asks - (God, what is man, who am I who are we, that you care for us). You made Him (Jesus lower than the angles) temporarily, 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. 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. We are to see this temporary, “for a little while” suffering and positional change (made lower than the angels) God doesn’t avoid our broken condition and lives - but rather is present in it. He was present in Christ's life and is now present through the Holy Spirit and through Christ in us - the living Church, on earth. Why is God mindful of us in this way? I don’t know - but it’s amazing enough to make us anchor down, stop drifting, come back - this is the point of the text. Jesus was made perfect through suffering of death, why… so that the grace of God might taste death for everyone. Jesus death is sufficient for every soul on earth - we have to remember, that the penalty for sin is death. Before there was sin, there was no death. As such, when a sinless God, Jesus the God-man, died there was no sin in Him - and His death then is a substitutionary death, His taste of that death could be applied to anyone who would take the exchange and in Him would die and participate in the great exchange - His righteousness of my penalty. Salvation isn't a wage, in the since of our understanding of work, we do a thing for a time or working towards a goal - we’re compensated for our work. The exchange is our action for exchange of a product or a value. Salvation isn’t a work (2 Corinthians 5:21, John 1:29, Hebrews 12:2, Hebrews 10:2, Romans 3:10, Hebrews 3:23, Matthew 19:17, Isaiah 64:6… and so on) salvation is an exchange - when we clearly see God’s holiness in the word of God, and are illuminated and made able to see and understand that truth by the Holy spirit when we see the Gospel message that offers the great exchange - our guilt for His perfection, we repent believe in faith and are saved - this is salvation. And so when we see these words on the heels of the message that shows us Jesus position over angels, that Jesus is the alpha and omega, that he is the word of God, when we see that by God’s grace Jesus tasted death for every, single, one (that means yes you if you’re thinking (even me), Every. Single. One. then verse 10 makes since. It’s fitting for God to perfect Jesus as savior through suffering. He suffered a life of sinful temptation separated from direct presence with His father - subjected to creation to crooked law and corrupt government (we didn't invent this stuff - its part of what happens in a fallen world). It’s fitting that he did that, the huge mystery of why did God do this - why is it OK that God would suffer because it’s a one-time act that God allowed so that Jesus would taste death and we would have a way to Him - and so it was fitting according to God. This path to salvation makes the founder of salvation perfect for salvation. Here is what I think this means - it’s not that Jesus was imperfect, or there was a question of His perfection. Rather - I’ll submit to you that this passage says He’s perfect for our salvation because a) We can see that his commitment to our salvation was to the end b) His perfect life tasted death for us So, do you doubt that you could be saved, no this is for “Every. Single. One.” and His death sealed that fact. Jesus died so that salvation would be bought - do you doubt your ability to be bought, that’s a question of your value. If it’s true that Jesus life was perfection and it was available to (verse 9) taste death for everyone, then it’s available to you - that Jesus took His commitment to sacrifice for sin to the end and his perfect life died as sacrifice then as he said, it is finished, and it is available to Every. Single. One. This message should shock us to salvation, is that you this morning? This message should return us to obedience, is that you this morning? Romans 8:29 says: 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. In Jesus death - we become adopted as many sons into the family of God. Jesus becomes our brother - and he’s the firstborn of ‘many’. We’ll be adopted in when we enter (not as payment, but as grace). Would it fit, that our brother, the first born would come in with a pass go, possibly God sees fit that the God man would be made fit to bring in many sons through suffering. What do you say to someone who’s suffered uniquely on earth? It’s OK - come on into the family. We can say, that our brother brings us to our father and he too bears scars and understands your suffering as even I cannot. What do I say to the victim of sexual abuse to the bullied child who’s deeply hurt, don’t come into my arms, don’t be comforted by me - come to Jesus, the God man, as your big brother into your perfect family. Hebrews 4:15-16 speaks to this more directly, but for now let’s say God doesn’t wink at sin, He sees it as fitting to submit His son to all temptation all evil on this earth and welcome many sons through a savior who was obedient and made perfect, fittingly, as our savior so we’d see he cares, He desires us no matter our sin or the sins we’ve endured - it’s fitting that he is our savior lets stand in awe and welcome His salvation. 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.” Jesus in these first chapters of Hebrews is so tightly coupled to God, the writer needed the Hebrews to see who Jesus is so that they’d come back to God. In salvation “he who sanctified" (Jesus) and those who are sanctified (us), all have one source (God). That’s why Jesus isn’t ashamed to call us brothers - we’re a product of God’s own grace when we see the truth of salvation and in faith respond. Every. Single. One. Imagine the freedom in knowing the guilt of your sin against God is forgiven on a savior who is God, and for whom it is fitting for your guilt to be placed, upon who you can trust you sin to be placed, upon whom has suffered like you - not simply because He is God (which would be reason enough) but who was compassionate and who suffered deeply like you possibly and who also endured the trial and temptation of this life without disobedience to God - Church we can trust our salvation not because of the value or quantity of our work, but because of the value of Jesus life, who is God. And so yes, the life of God tasting death for all humanity is good enough for every single one - even you. This morning as we settle in to pray - I want to ask you in the next few moments to consider something. Have you seen the grace of God on display, fittingly, in Christ? Do you see that this life is perfect to save you and do you desire that salvation? I want to ask you to consider praying to God right now in these moments “God save me” and then I want you to take the card from your bulletin check I want to be baptized and put it in the offering place or hand it to an elder or Deacon after service. You can do it also from your phone online - but remember, Jesus salvation is for Every. Single. One - if you’ve doubted it stop. And if you’re a believer already this morning, remember the value of the life that lived for you - and that now lives in you - and come back to joy in your salvation, God is great! Every. Single. One. HEBREWS-JESUS IS BETTER “Every. Single. One.” Pastor John Weathersby Transcend Church 4 of 4 Sunday 2/4/2018