Christ Secures Victory
Notes
Transcript
Hook:
Hook:
It shouldn’t come to anyone’s surprise that the world is broken. Chief among the brokenness is mankind. For we are defeated beings. Having lost the glory, honor, and dominion that God gave us at creation. Human beings as a collective whole have fallen from our exalted position in the original creation. This morning we are going to dive into the glorious truth of what Christ has done to secure victory for us.
Recap:
Recap:
Remember family as we study through Hebrews together that the challenge as a church is to being studying through Hebrews together as a church. To be reading the letter, in its entirety, at least once a week.
To recap what we have already gone over:
Author unknown. Written before 70 A.D, probably between 64-67 A.D. The audience is never mentioned, but because of the contents it is safe to say the recipients are Jewish.
We are still in the first part of 6 sections that we have entitled “The Greater Revelation.” As we see the greatness of Christ.
We have already covered that Christ is greater than the prophets and also angels. In light of that we are not to ignore the great salvation that we have been given either.
And last week we talked about the glorious truth that not only was christ made lower than the angels, for a little while, but He did so to save you and me. For those who accept Jesus as Lord will, like Christ, be elevated above angels. One of the many blessings that boggle our minds.
After all the eternal sovereign of the universe should become man and identify Himself so closely with His creatures that He would call those that belong to Him, brothers and sisters...
Introduction:
Introduction:
As we made mention earlier it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that there is something wrong with mankind. As we briefly mentioned last week that man was suppose to be exalted in the original creation, ruling over the created world. But the opposite is true. Mankind is now enslaved by a corruptible world, being held in bondage.
As verse 15 points out: held in bondage to death and to the fear of death. But also the sufferings of this world, the sufferings of all kinds of trials and temptations such as disease, accidents, age, war, murder, abuse, adultery, greed, selfishness, neglect, loneliness, and emptiness.
There are nearly 19 million self-help books out there. Between 2013-2019 the market saw an 11% increase of these types of books in that span of 7 years. Going from 30,000 to over 85,000 books.
You see within ourselves, and left to ourselves, human beings are defeated beings. We are doomed to suffer all kinds of trials and temptations throughout our life, and then we are doomed to the ultimate fate for mankind… death.
This morning we get to see what Christ has done for us to redeem a race that had turned their back on the only true God. And it is twofold: Christ became our Deliverer and High Priest.
vv 14-16) Mankind’s Deliverer
vv 14-16) Mankind’s Deliverer
Those who consider the humiliation of the Son of Man to be shameful are now asked to consider some important blessings that flow from His passion. We are going to see five ways Christ became our great Deliverer.
[14]Jesus delivered man by willingly becoming a man.
How wild is that? Christ “partook” of human flesh; meaning He took part of the very same flesh and blood that human beings have. There is a difference though. Christ willingly partook of flesh, whereas a child had no say in the matter.
Everyone of us had no say in being partakers of flesh and blood. But Jesus Christ chose- He deliberately determined and purposed. Let’s dive into this a little deeper and see what the words in Greek have to say.
“The children share in flesh and blood.” The word “share” is koinonia: some of us might recognize that as a term used for fellowship. The word means to share, to be partners. What the author is wanting to get across is that we are partners of a common human nature.
The word used of Christ is entirely different: “He Himself likewise partook of the same things.” The word “partook” is metecho. The word means to hold with, so the idea is that Christ took hold of human nature and held human nature with man. Meaning He added human nature to His divine nature. The implication is that human nature was an addition to His divine nature.
Jesus loves you and I so much that He would pay the ultimate price to deliver us. He would humble Himself to such a degree that He would leave heaven above in order to come to earth and live as a Man.
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
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.
[14]Jesus delivered us by dying for us.
It comes as no shocker to anyone that, we will die (unless the Lord comes for us). And there is no escaping that fate. Death fills the world around us- and we will unfortunately will see the death of our coworkers, friends, neighbors, relatives, and family. Death is a byproduct of sin, and we are all sinners. Picture for a moment a perfect person though, free from sin. They would be perfect in morality, justice, and goodness- perfect in body, mind, and spirit… Never to die.
We are the exact opposite of that perfect person are we not?
We are imperfect, immoral, unjust, and bad; and because we are imperfect, having fallen short of God’s perfection, we die.
Family the point to see is this: we die because of sin. Death is the result of sin. If we are going to ever become perfect and live forever, sin and death have to be taken care of and removed. If sin and death can be removed, then we can live forever.
Jesus did just that, He died for us. Taking our sin and imperfection upon Himself and suffering death for us. The Perfect Man, the Ideal Person, died for us… All a person must do is really trust that Jesus died for them and submit to the rightful ruler.
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
[14]Jesus destroys the power of the devil, sin, and death.
The devil or also known as Satan has the power to tempt and entice mankind to sin. Being an angel that rebelled against God and taking 1/3 of the heaven host with him, his goal is to try and hurt God.
The devil works to get men to curse and reject God. To ignore and neglect God, or even to rebel even more and deny their Creator.
We know that the devil loves death and murder.
“I think death is the devil’s masterpiece. With the solitary exception of hell, death is certainly the most Satanic mischief that sin hath accomplished. Nothing ever delighted the heart of the devil so much as when he found that the threatening would be fulfilled, ‘In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.’” -Spurgeon
Christus Victor: Christ has broken the power of the devil over death. By taking man’s sin, guilt, shame, and judgement upon Himself and by dying for mankind. What a great salvation.
[15]Jesus has delivered men and women from the fear of death.
I believe the number one fear in our country according to certain studies was public speaking… But if we really peel back men’s heart and expose their darkest fear I believe it would be the fear of death. Death is so feared that most will simply not think about it; they push the thoughts of death out of their minds:
Wondering about the unknowns of death.
Wondering what lies beyond death.
Wondering if there is a life after death.
Not wanting to leave this world and life.
Not wanting to leave loved ones.
Not wanting to leave their possessions.
The fear of death rules as a tyrant over humanity. Some try to make peace with death by calling it their friend. But it is a real enemy and for the unbeliever should be feared:
28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Scripture also says that death and judgement are terrible for the sinner: it would be better to enter life being blind and without hands and feet than to die and have to face judgement
7 “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! 8 And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.
But for the Christians we should have no fear of death. What i mean is that death is not our friend. It is a defeated enemy that now serves God’s purpose in the believers life.
10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,
[16]Jesus has delivered us from the bondage of the flesh.
The word “he helps” in my translation or “he took” means: to take; to lay hold of; to take by the hand. This tells us a most wonderful truth: Jesus Christ did not only take hold of man’s nature, He took hold of our hand. Taking us by the hand and delivering us. The picture is that of love and sweet tender care, of His delivering us out of the bondage of the flesh and of human nature.
35 You have given me the shield of your salvation,
and your right hand supported me,
and your gentleness made me great.
vv 17-18) Mankind’s High Priest
vv 17-18) Mankind’s High Priest
Jesus became our great High Priest. this was the very reason He was made like man, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest. It was appropriate that Jesus was constrained and moved to be a man in order to sympathize and feel for us. He wanted to go through all the trials and temptations of man, to experience all of life as man experiences it.
Why? Why would anyone especially the Son of God who existed in the glory of perfection, want to go through all the pain and suffering of life? These 2 verse paint a very clear picture.
[17]Jesus became the great High Priest so that He could be merciful to man.
We are in desperate need of mercy. Mercy is our only hope of ever living with God. Mercy meaning not getting what we rightfully deserve. You see unless God loves mankind so much that HE will just pour out His mercy upon us, man is lost and doomed forever. Jesus Christ was made like man so that He could be a merciful High Priest.
[17]Jesus became High Priest so that He could be faithful to God.
God loves men, women, and children… Loves them with an eternal love; therefore, He willed that Christ come to earth and deliver them from sin, death, and judgement to come.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
And Christ was faithful… He came to earth so that He might be a faithful High Priest to God for mankind.
[17] Jesus became the High Priest so that He could make propitiation for our sins.
Many of you probably know that one of my favorite words in scripture is this word propitiation… It means to sacrifice or to make a covering, satisfaction, payment, or appeasement for sin.
It was, of course, the task of the High Priest to offer up the animal sacrifice for the sins of the people. This is the picture being painted of Christ. But note one distinct difference: Jesus Christ Himself is the propitiation for man’s sin.
It was not His teachings, power, example, or the life He lived that made Christ the propitiation. It was His blood: His sacrifice, His death, His sufferings, His cross that caused God to accept Jesus as the propitiation. It is the blood of Christ that God accepts as the:
The sacrifice for our sins.
The covering for our sins
The satisfaction for our sins
The payment for the penalty of our sins.
The appeasement of His wrath against sin.
Something incredible happened when Christ died for us:
The righteousness of God was satisfied.
The perfection of God was satisfied.
And the justice of God was satisfied.
My favorite example of propitiation is of an astronaut reentering earth’s atmosphere.
10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
[18] Jesus became the High Priest so that He could aid us when we face the trials and temptations of life.
What an incredible word for help here. It literally means to help, aid, relieve, or to assist. But as this connotation of being eager to help that one runs to the cry of a person. Christ has heard your cry in all your suffering and pain, trial and temptation. And to realize that He has ran to your aid and brought deliverance also. He has become the perfect High Priest. He needed to do this in order to experience every situation, condition, trial of man. He experienced the most humiliating experiences imaginable too:
Being born
Being born to an unwed mother
Being born in a stable, under some really bad conditions
Being considered a bastard child
Being born to poor parents
Having his life threatened as a baby
Having His earthly father pass away in His youth
Being the oldest having to support His mother and siblings
Having no home, not even a place to lay His head
Being hated and opposed by the religionists
Being charged with demon possession
Being opposed by His own family
He was rejected, hated, and opposed by His listeners
Betrayed by a close friend
Being left alone, rejected, and forsaken by all of His friends
Charged for treason by the people who should be worshiping Him
Being executed on the cross, the worst possible death...
And Jesus suffered so much more, but the point is that in each of these experiences His sufferings reached the depth of humiliation. Christ stooped to the lowest point of human experience in ever condition in order to become the perfect sympathizer.
No person will ever come close to the depth of suffering and humiliation He bore. Yet in that He succors- every person who comes to Him no matter their condition, trial, or temptation.
Application:
Application:
So what is our application? We really do serve a God who can not only sympathize with what we are going through but can also provide really help. Lasting help. Lasting change. There is never going to be anything greater than Jesus. And no one else is worthy of our worship and adoration.
24 The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
I Surrender All
I Surrender All
Verse 1
All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him
In His presence daily live
Chorus 1
I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Savior
I surrender all
Verse 2
All to Jesus I surrender
Humbly at His feet I bow
Worldly pleasures all forsaken
Take me Jesus take me now
Verse 3
All to Jesus I surrender
Make me Savior wholly Thine
Let me feel the Holy Spirit
Truly know that Thou art mine
Verse 4
All to Jesus I surrender
Lord I give myself to Thee
Fill me with Thy love and power
Let Thy blessing fall on me
Verse 5
All to Jesus I surrender
Now I feel the sacred flame
O the joy of full salvation
Glory glory to His name
