WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.299 chapter 2. If you're looking in one of the Pew Bibles, it's found on page 1002. 00:00:08.640 --> 00:00:13.939 We're doing a series in the book of Hebrews this fall. This morning's passage is really the gateway 00:00:13.939 --> 00:00:19.920 into the next several chapters of Hebrews. It introduces several themes which will be developed 00:00:19.920 --> 00:00:24.640 in more depth as we continue on. So let me say from the start, I won't be able to cover 00:00:24.640 --> 00:00:29.000 every important concept in this passage in the depth that it really deserves. 00:00:29.000 --> 00:00:37.320 But if you keep coming, we will dig into these things more. And it's like mining in the ground. 00:00:37.480 --> 00:00:42.519 I have no experience doing that. That was just a random analogy that came to mind. But I'm sure 00:00:42.519 --> 00:00:47.500 if you dig deeper and deeper, you see more and more of what's there and get more and more of that out 00:00:47.500 --> 00:00:55.240 of it. That'll be the idea. All right. Hebrews chapter 2, verses 10 through 18. Let's read together. 00:00:55.240 --> 00:01:04.280 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, 00:01:05.079 --> 00:01:10.680 should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those 00:01:10.680 --> 00:01:17.060 who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 00:01:17.060 --> 00:01:22.980 saying, I will tell of your name to my brothers. In the midst of the congregation, I will sing your 00:01:22.980 --> 00:01:31.540 praise. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, behold, I and the children God has given 00:01:31.540 --> 00:01:37.760 me. Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same 00:01:37.760 --> 00:01:44.260 things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is the devil, 00:01:44.260 --> 00:01:51.740 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is 00:01:51.740 --> 00:01:58.939 not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his 00:01:58.939 --> 00:02:06.620 brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of 00:02:06.620 --> 00:02:12.840 God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, 00:02:12.840 --> 00:02:20.060 he is able to help those who are being tempted. On several occasions, people have asked me the 00:02:20.060 --> 00:02:27.900 following question. If God is really there, why doesn't he make it more obvious? Why doesn't God 00:02:27.900 --> 00:02:37.780 write a message in the sky for all to see God exists or I'm here? Why doesn't God come and appear to us 00:02:37.780 --> 00:02:45.020 in person, sort of like Morgan Freeman and Bruce Almighty? It would remove doubt and uncertainty. 00:02:45.939 --> 00:02:52.139 It would put an end to inconclusive philosophical arguments. It would establish a common understanding 00:02:52.139 --> 00:02:59.139 for all people on earth, not just for the followers of one particular religion. Well, of course, 00:02:59.219 --> 00:03:05.219 Christianity does say that God did come to earth as a man 2,000 years ago, and this man, Jesus, 00:03:05.219 --> 00:03:11.860 died on a cross so our sins could be forgiven. But you might say, well, how can I base my faith 00:03:11.860 --> 00:03:19.039 on something that happened so long ago? If God is God, why can't he just wave his hand and say, 00:03:19.639 --> 00:03:26.419 I know you're not perfect, but it's okay. You're all cool. Why does the Christian faith need to be so 00:03:26.419 --> 00:03:35.459 complicated and historical and bloody? A man crucified? Why isn't it more obvious? 00:03:37.039 --> 00:03:43.079 Now, you know, it's not only skeptics who ask this question. Sometimes Christians ask a very similar 00:03:43.079 --> 00:03:50.219 question. The book of Hebrews was written to Christians facing suffering who were tempted to give up, 00:03:50.219 --> 00:03:57.319 and they were asking something like, if God is really there, if Jesus is Lord, why isn't it more 00:03:57.319 --> 00:04:05.620 obvious? Why can't I feel God's presence? Why don't I see him changing our situation? 00:04:07.060 --> 00:04:13.759 I constantly feel pain, exhaustion, maybe even guilt for not being a good enough Christian. 00:04:13.759 --> 00:04:20.379 Maybe when you look at your neighbors who aren't religious, you think, well, maybe they're not quite 00:04:20.379 --> 00:04:26.480 as introspective, but at least they seem happy, able to enjoy life most of the time. Is it really 00:04:26.480 --> 00:04:35.980 worth it to follow Jesus when he seems so far away, when it doesn't seem obvious? Well, whether you're 00:04:35.980 --> 00:04:41.980 skeptical or whether you're suffering or both, the passage that we're looking at this morning 00:04:41.980 --> 00:04:51.100 addresses this question. And what it says is that what God has done in sending his son Jesus to live 00:04:51.100 --> 00:04:57.840 as a human being and suffer and die is not what we would have expected or imagined. In that sense, 00:04:57.879 --> 00:05:04.000 it's not obvious. And in fact, Christianity is the only religion in the world that makes this claim. 00:05:04.759 --> 00:05:11.960 No other religion says that the one God who made the world became a human being and suffered and died. 00:05:11.980 --> 00:05:21.100 on behalf of his creatures. It's a uniquely Christian belief. But strange and unexpected as it may be, 00:05:22.100 --> 00:05:26.680 the writer of Hebrews wants us to see that what God has done in Jesus Christ is both fitting 00:05:26.680 --> 00:05:36.180 and necessary. Verse 10, he says it was fitting that God would make Jesus perfect through suffering. 00:05:36.180 --> 00:05:43.319 Now, there's a very interesting word, fitting. He's saying it's not arbitrary. It's not some bizarre, 00:05:43.900 --> 00:05:51.500 random story. But rather, it's appropriate, given the nature of God. It's the missing piece that makes 00:05:51.500 --> 00:05:58.600 the rest of the Bible fit together. It's profoundly beautiful in a way that nothing else that we can 00:05:58.600 --> 00:06:07.740 imagine is. You know, mathematicians talk about elegance. Say that a proof or a theorem is elegant 00:06:07.740 --> 00:06:16.480 rather than clumsy or deep rather than trivial. It's a similar idea here that he's saying this is 00:06:16.480 --> 00:06:23.120 fitting what Jesus has done. Now, but he also says in verse 17, he says it's necessary. He says Jesus had 00:06:23.120 --> 00:06:31.819 to be made like us in every respect. That this is exactly what we desperately need as human beings. 00:06:32.939 --> 00:06:36.699 So if you're skeptical, I especially want you to see that the work of Jesus is fitting. 00:06:38.180 --> 00:06:43.060 And if you're suffering, I especially want you to see that the work of Jesus is necessary. That it's 00:06:43.060 --> 00:06:50.840 exactly what you and I need as we face the trials of our lives. Now, we've been in the book of Hebrews 00:06:50.839 --> 00:06:59.500 for a month now. And so far, Hebrews has emphasized Jesus' divine nature. In chapter 1 and the first 00:06:59.500 --> 00:07:04.019 half of chapter 2, chapter 1 verses 1 through 4, says Jesus is the one through whom the world was 00:07:04.019 --> 00:07:12.319 created, the radiance of the glory of God, the exact imprint of his nature. Verse 5 through 14, 00:07:12.659 --> 00:07:18.500 he continues, Jesus is greater than the angels because he's God's one and only son who will reign 00:07:18.500 --> 00:07:25.579 forever, whose ears will have no end. And chapter 2 verse 3, he says Jesus is the Lord God himself. 00:07:27.439 --> 00:07:34.300 But then beginning at chapter 2 verse 9, the writer of Hebrews makes a shift to emphasize Jesus' human 00:07:34.300 --> 00:07:45.839 nature. Verse 9, if you look back at the page before, he says, we see him. We see Jesus, greater than the 00:07:45.839 --> 00:07:52.219 angels, who for a little while, who for a little while was made lower than the angels. And then he 00:07:52.219 --> 00:08:00.419 says, the one through whom the world was brought to life tasted death. So the question follows naturally. 00:08:00.599 --> 00:08:07.099 Why would the eternal Son of God become human even to the point of suffering and death? Why would he 00:08:07.100 --> 00:08:16.340 lower himself in that way? Now the answer is throughout this passage, but especially in verse 10, he says Jesus 00:08:16.340 --> 00:08:25.160 did this in order to bring many people, many sons and daughters to glory. So first we'll look at why this is 00:08:25.160 --> 00:08:31.420 fitting in verse 10 through 13, and then we'll look at why this is necessary in verse 14 through 18. So first, why was 00:08:31.420 --> 00:08:38.360 this fitting what God did? And we can see three reasons. First, it was fitting with God's original 00:08:38.360 --> 00:08:46.300 intent for human beings. We saw last week in verse 5 through 9 that God made us to rule the world 00:08:46.300 --> 00:08:54.120 gloriously, to take care of the world under God's authority. The problem was we didn't want to be under 00:08:54.120 --> 00:09:01.360 God's authority. And so as a result, we don't rule the world very well. Our bodies are constantly afflicted 00:09:01.360 --> 00:09:09.620 by sickness and suffering and ultimately death. We don't ultimately control our bodies. Nations are 00:09:09.620 --> 00:09:17.240 troubled by corruption and fear and government shutdowns. We struggle to rule one another well. 00:09:18.399 --> 00:09:25.320 And even deep in our own souls, we feel shame and fear. But you see, from the very beginning, God intended 00:09:25.320 --> 00:09:30.139 for human beings to reflect his glory, to rule and care for the world as his representatives. 00:09:30.139 --> 00:09:35.919 He said, be fruitful and multiply and fill the world with life. And God's committed to achieving 00:09:35.919 --> 00:09:43.419 that original purpose. You might say, well, what did God, how could God do that? That's his purpose, 00:09:43.759 --> 00:09:48.100 but then we refuse to be under his authority, so we mess everything up. Well, he could have just 00:09:48.100 --> 00:09:55.039 scrapped the whole thing and started fresh. But he didn't decide to do that. He sent his son 00:09:55.039 --> 00:10:02.599 to become one of us, to join himself to us in order to restore us to right relationship with God, 00:10:02.659 --> 00:10:09.279 to bear the image of God as we had always been intended to be. Verse 10 says, Jesus is the founder 00:10:09.279 --> 00:10:15.879 of our salvation. It's a fascinating word if you look into it. In some contexts, that word simply refers 00:10:15.879 --> 00:10:22.779 to a leader or ruler. So sometimes it's translated ruler or prince. But it can also refer to the initiator, 00:10:22.779 --> 00:10:28.759 the initiator of a movement, such as the founder of a kingdom or the originator of an art form, 00:10:29.220 --> 00:10:34.959 whose example is imitated by all who follow. And in this context, it means both of those. 00:10:35.779 --> 00:10:42.399 Jesus is the champion, the founder, the pioneer of our salvation. He blazes a trail where no one had 00:10:42.399 --> 00:10:48.779 gone before. But he doesn't just blaze a trail and leave us in the dust. He brings us along with him. 00:10:48.779 --> 00:10:55.559 He leads us so that we might share one day in his glory, the glory that God had always designed for 00:10:55.559 --> 00:11:02.679 human beings to display. So you see, God's plan was fitting with his original intent for human beings. 00:11:03.679 --> 00:11:08.620 And second, it was fitting with God's prior revelation in the Old Testament. The author of 00:11:08.620 --> 00:11:16.839 Hebrews quotes two Old Testament passages in verse 12 and 13. And in verse 12, he quotes from Psalm 22. 00:11:16.840 --> 00:11:26.879 Now, Psalm 22 is divided into two halves. And the first half is the cry of a man suffering terribly. 00:11:27.740 --> 00:11:38.240 It begins by saying, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? And it goes on. I am a worm and not a man, 00:11:39.000 --> 00:11:45.660 scorned and despised. All who see me mock me. My bones are out of joint. My tongue sticks to my jaws. 00:11:45.659 --> 00:11:51.779 They have pierced my hands and feet. I can count all my bones. And yet, despite his suffering, 00:11:51.919 --> 00:12:00.240 this man in the psalm entrusts himself to God. Jesus himself quoted this psalm when he hung on the 00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:07.419 cross. Now, as a side note, if you read Psalm 22 today, and if you had no idea where it came from 00:12:07.419 --> 00:12:13.599 or who wrote it, you might think that it was written by a Christian, reflecting poetically 00:12:13.599 --> 00:12:21.019 on the meaning of Jesus' death, looking back at it. But actually, it was written 900 years before 00:12:21.019 --> 00:12:29.519 Jesus existed by King David. Centuries before the practice of crucifixion was invented, 00:12:29.519 --> 00:12:38.699 which it seems to vividly describe. My hands and feet pierced. I can count all my bones. 00:12:40.879 --> 00:12:45.740 It's striking how vividly it describes what Jesus endured, even though it was written hundreds of 00:12:45.740 --> 00:12:50.159 years beforehand. But then it's even more striking if you read the second half of the psalm, because 00:12:50.159 --> 00:12:56.919 the second half of the psalm is a confident proclamation of victory. And it begins with these 00:12:56.919 --> 00:13:02.559 words that Hebrews quotes right here. I will tell of your name to my brothers. In the midst of the 00:13:02.559 --> 00:13:09.459 congregation, I will praise you. And he goes on to say, for God has not despised the suffering of 00:13:09.459 --> 00:13:15.719 the afflicted, but has heard when he cried out to him. And then it ends by saying, this shall be told 00:13:15.719 --> 00:13:23.799 to the coming generation. They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has 00:13:23.799 --> 00:13:33.479 done it. Accomplished. Finished. Again, it perfectly describes what Jesus did on the cross, 00:13:34.099 --> 00:13:39.559 what he achieved in his resurrection. But the point of Hebrews quoting it here is he's saying, 00:13:39.639 --> 00:13:49.039 Jesus did all that for you and me, for his brothers and sisters, because he claims us. He says, 00:13:49.039 --> 00:13:56.179 I will tell of your name to my brothers, my brothers and sisters. That all that Jesus did and all that 00:13:56.179 --> 00:14:02.759 he went through was for us. Through his faithfulness, even to death, Jesus has made a way for us to enter 00:14:02.759 --> 00:14:08.759 into the presence of God with him. That's also the point of the two quotations in verse 13. 00:14:10.019 --> 00:14:11.819 Those two quotations are from the book of Isaiah. 00:14:11.820 --> 00:14:17.360 Isaiah. And there's an interesting background. If you look at Isaiah chapter 8, I don't have time 00:14:17.360 --> 00:14:22.120 to explain it all now. What I'm going to do is I'm going to write a blog post. I don't have a blog, 00:14:22.240 --> 00:14:25.780 but I'm going to send it out with the church email this week. So if you're on the email list, 00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:32.280 you'll get my explanation of verse 13 and how he's quoting Isaiah and why it fits. If you're not on the 00:14:32.280 --> 00:14:36.300 email list, fill out one of those welcome cards and check, put my name on the email list and we'll take 00:14:36.299 --> 00:14:42.959 care of it. But the first one, the first one of these quotations, Jesus is saying that Jesus trusted 00:14:42.959 --> 00:14:49.199 God completely. He was faithful even unto death. And then the second one means that Jesus did that 00:14:49.199 --> 00:14:56.539 for us, to bring us into God's presence with him. Now, Pastor Nick will go into these themes more next 00:14:56.539 --> 00:15:01.719 week about Jesus' faithfulness. That's the theme of the passage next week. So again, these themes will 00:15:01.720 --> 00:15:07.420 be developed as we go further. But we see this was fitting. What God did in Jesus, it was fitting 00:15:07.420 --> 00:15:11.980 with his original purpose for human beings. It was fitting with his prior revelation in the Old 00:15:11.980 --> 00:15:19.120 Testament. And finally, it was fitting with God's intent to establish a lasting bond with his people. 00:15:20.680 --> 00:15:27.160 You know, suffering together creates a bond between people, unlike almost anything else. 00:15:27.159 --> 00:15:33.539 I've never served in the military, but people who have tell me that the experience of being in combat 00:15:33.539 --> 00:15:42.860 binds you to your fellow soldiers like almost nothing else. You're facing all kinds of dangers 00:15:42.860 --> 00:15:50.980 and discomforts beyond what you would ever normally experience, but you don't turn tail and run. 00:15:51.419 --> 00:15:55.579 And you don't give up because you're a unit. You're in it together. 00:15:55.580 --> 00:16:02.160 You have a mission. You live and maybe even die to accomplish that mission together. 00:16:04.379 --> 00:16:11.600 Or if you're a mother, the experience of nurturing a child inside your very own body 00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:19.440 for nine whole months through sleepless nights, morning sickness, afternoon deliriousness, 00:16:19.440 --> 00:16:26.180 finally going through labor and giving birth, it establishes a bond between you and that child 00:16:26.180 --> 00:16:35.340 like nothing else. Or if you want to take an analogy, an engineering analogy, think of the steel girders 00:16:35.340 --> 00:16:41.520 that hold up the new Q bridge on I-95 that many of you drove across to get here this morning. 00:16:41.519 --> 00:16:50.179 Each section is made of multiple steel plates that have been welded together under an extremely hot flame, 00:16:50.500 --> 00:16:55.879 3,100 degrees Celsius. That means 5,600 degrees Fahrenheit. 00:16:55.879 --> 00:17:03.960 That heat would normally obliterate you right away. Right? Under that intense heat. 00:17:04.759 --> 00:17:10.740 They're welded together so that they can withstand 50 to 100 years worth of hurricanes, 00:17:11.119 --> 00:17:17.299 blizzards, blazing hot sun, and 150,000 vehicles driving over you every single day. 00:17:17.299 --> 00:17:23.599 And they're not going to break. Because they've been through the most intense fire possible. 00:17:24.659 --> 00:17:28.359 They've been welded together so that nothing can ever tear them apart. 00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:38.200 When Jesus Christ died on the cross, he faced the most intense fire imaginable. 00:17:38.200 --> 00:17:41.140 And he did not break. 00:17:42.080 --> 00:17:43.799 He joined himself to us. 00:17:45.559 --> 00:17:47.880 And he has united himself to us. 00:17:48.700 --> 00:17:53.140 And established an unbreakable bond through his suffering and death. 00:17:54.519 --> 00:17:58.120 That's why it says in verse 10, Jesus was made perfect through suffering. 00:17:58.900 --> 00:18:03.080 It doesn't mean he was morally imperfect and needed purification. 00:18:03.079 --> 00:18:05.899 It means that Jesus completed his purpose. 00:18:06.899 --> 00:18:07.859 To be made perfect. 00:18:08.779 --> 00:18:10.059 It can mean to be made complete. 00:18:10.500 --> 00:18:11.799 Or to reach your goal. 00:18:14.179 --> 00:18:16.079 The whole reason Jesus came to earth. 00:18:17.740 --> 00:18:21.500 The thing that all four Gospels lead up to and climax in. 00:18:22.599 --> 00:18:25.419 Is his suffering, death, and resurrection. 00:18:26.439 --> 00:18:30.619 You see, it wasn't just being born as a baby that made Jesus our brother. 00:18:30.619 --> 00:18:34.719 It was in his faithfulness to the point of death that he sealed the deal. 00:18:35.879 --> 00:18:38.479 And now nothing can tear us apart from him. 00:18:39.339 --> 00:18:42.719 No suffering that we face can compare with the suffering that he endured. 00:18:44.500 --> 00:18:46.259 Our bond with Jesus is secure. 00:18:48.979 --> 00:18:54.059 Whatever runs over us, he will hold on to us. 00:18:54.879 --> 00:18:58.639 Do you see how fitting it is that Jesus became human? 00:18:58.640 --> 00:19:00.640 He and suffered and died. 00:19:00.940 --> 00:19:06.660 Do you see how much more profound and life-changing that is than spray-painting a message in the sky? 00:19:07.440 --> 00:19:09.780 Or showing up on the front doorstep just to say, 00:19:09.900 --> 00:19:13.020 Hey, by the way, I really do exist, just in case you wondered. 00:19:14.840 --> 00:19:16.820 Now you might say, but that was 2,000 years ago. 00:19:17.520 --> 00:19:18.980 It seems so far away. 00:19:21.280 --> 00:19:23.820 We can never really be sure what happened back then. 00:19:23.819 --> 00:19:27.179 Why couldn't Jesus come to earth now, in our lifetime? 00:19:28.259 --> 00:19:31.159 So I could see him personally, or at least see him on TV. 00:19:33.960 --> 00:19:35.980 But if that's your question, let me ask you. 00:19:36.899 --> 00:19:39.919 Do you see how self-centered that request is? 00:19:41.220 --> 00:19:46.419 Part of the very nature of being human is living in a physical body. 00:19:46.420 --> 00:19:51.120 Which means being restricted in time and space. 00:19:51.720 --> 00:19:53.640 Restricted to one lifetime. 00:19:54.400 --> 00:19:55.940 In one part of world history. 00:19:58.080 --> 00:20:03.620 If Jesus appeared in every generation, on every continent, he would not have become human. 00:20:05.220 --> 00:20:08.720 We would have only seen temporary manifestations. 00:20:09.420 --> 00:20:10.840 Each one of them incomplete. 00:20:10.839 --> 00:20:18.819 If he became human, he must have lived only once on this earth. 00:20:19.319 --> 00:20:20.879 Like all the rest of us. 00:20:21.639 --> 00:20:26.459 And experienced, like all the rest of us, that finite limitation. 00:20:27.699 --> 00:20:30.859 Of only living once in this world. 00:20:32.659 --> 00:20:35.599 And yet in Jesus' one single life, 2,000 years ago, 00:20:35.599 --> 00:20:40.379 he forever altered the relationship between human beings and God. 00:20:40.839 --> 00:20:43.299 He took on all that was ours. 00:20:44.599 --> 00:20:48.059 Our finiteness, our suffering, and even our death. 00:20:48.759 --> 00:20:50.879 So that we might have all that was his. 00:20:51.959 --> 00:20:52.839 His glory. 00:20:53.819 --> 00:20:54.419 His life. 00:20:55.000 --> 00:20:55.519 Everlasting. 00:20:57.619 --> 00:20:59.039 One writer put it this way. 00:20:59.819 --> 00:21:03.159 He said, when the creator visited his creation to dwell in it, 00:21:03.160 --> 00:21:13.420 it was not as a star that he came, nor as a lightning bolt, nor as a white whale, or a holy book, or spirit only, but as a man. 00:21:14.380 --> 00:21:23.140 And not as many people, not a series of prophets or divine manifestations, but as one individual, the Messiah, the Holy One of God. 00:21:23.140 --> 00:21:29.580 Could the Lord ever be said to have been truly human if he had not restricted himself to one single lifetime, 00:21:30.120 --> 00:21:32.020 just as he restricted the rest of us? 00:21:32.560 --> 00:21:37.520 Yet in that one unique life, in Jesus, the centerpiece of the human race, 00:21:38.100 --> 00:21:44.680 the wild tangent of all the frayed and decrepit flesh of this fallen old world, 00:21:44.680 --> 00:21:47.360 touches perfectly the circle of eternity, 00:21:48.019 --> 00:21:52.000 and is gathered with amazing mercy into it. 00:21:53.519 --> 00:21:54.340 Jesus became, 00:21:55.920 --> 00:21:57.220 united himself with us, 00:21:57.640 --> 00:21:58.220 and suffered 00:21:58.220 --> 00:22:00.120 that we might be brought 00:22:00.120 --> 00:22:01.500 into his glory. 00:22:02.560 --> 00:22:03.200 So it's fitting 00:22:03.200 --> 00:22:04.500 that he did so. 00:22:05.140 --> 00:22:06.240 That's the first thing that we see. 00:22:06.320 --> 00:22:08.140 But it's not only fitting, it's also necessary. 00:22:08.860 --> 00:22:09.539 It's exactly 00:22:09.539 --> 00:22:11.660 what we, as human beings, 00:22:11.660 --> 00:22:13.200 really need. 00:22:13.200 --> 00:22:16.460 In verse 14 through 18, 00:22:16.980 --> 00:22:18.759 it shows us three things that Jesus did 00:22:18.759 --> 00:22:21.160 that we really need. 00:22:22.420 --> 00:22:22.799 First, 00:22:23.759 --> 00:22:24.980 in verse 14 and 15, 00:22:25.519 --> 00:22:26.559 it says that he defeated 00:22:26.559 --> 00:22:27.559 the devil. 00:22:29.779 --> 00:22:32.039 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, 00:22:33.019 --> 00:22:35.420 he himself likewise partook of the same things, 00:22:35.840 --> 00:22:37.620 that through death he might destroy 00:22:37.620 --> 00:22:39.160 or make powerless 00:22:39.160 --> 00:22:41.559 the one who has the power of death. 00:22:41.559 --> 00:22:41.619 death. 00:22:42.440 --> 00:22:43.279 That is the devil. 00:22:44.099 --> 00:22:44.839 Now you might ask, 00:22:44.940 --> 00:22:45.619 how does the devil 00:22:45.619 --> 00:22:46.819 have the power of death? 00:22:47.899 --> 00:22:49.480 There's no other passage in the Bible 00:22:49.480 --> 00:22:50.519 that describes it 00:22:50.519 --> 00:22:52.059 quite like that. 00:22:52.919 --> 00:22:54.659 But the devil is described elsewhere 00:22:54.659 --> 00:22:55.179 in the Bible 00:22:55.179 --> 00:22:56.079 as the accuser. 00:22:57.019 --> 00:22:57.319 In fact, 00:22:57.379 --> 00:22:58.980 that's exactly what the Hebrew word 00:22:58.980 --> 00:22:59.960 Satan means. 00:23:00.179 --> 00:23:00.619 Accuser. 00:23:00.879 --> 00:23:01.319 Adversary. 00:23:01.919 --> 00:23:03.019 He's like a prosecutor 00:23:03.019 --> 00:23:04.559 in the heavenly court, 00:23:05.379 --> 00:23:06.899 constantly bringing charges 00:23:06.899 --> 00:23:08.179 against people 00:23:08.180 --> 00:23:09.799 and trying to get them punished. 00:23:10.860 --> 00:23:11.660 One picture of this 00:23:11.660 --> 00:23:12.759 is in Zechariah 3, 00:23:13.279 --> 00:23:14.620 if you want to see a picture of this. 00:23:15.240 --> 00:23:15.940 Now his motives, 00:23:16.080 --> 00:23:16.700 Satan's motives, 00:23:16.820 --> 00:23:17.560 are not righteous. 00:23:18.360 --> 00:23:19.240 He's also described 00:23:19.240 --> 00:23:20.100 as a deceiver 00:23:20.100 --> 00:23:21.160 and a liar. 00:23:22.140 --> 00:23:22.880 He's sort of like 00:23:22.880 --> 00:23:23.920 a shady drug dealer 00:23:23.920 --> 00:23:25.960 who entices people 00:23:25.960 --> 00:23:27.860 with promises of easy money 00:23:27.860 --> 00:23:29.580 and then a few months later 00:23:29.580 --> 00:23:31.060 turns them into the police 00:23:31.060 --> 00:23:33.500 when he has no more use for them. 00:23:33.500 --> 00:23:35.319 You see, 00:23:35.380 --> 00:23:35.980 the problem is 00:23:35.980 --> 00:23:37.039 even though his motives 00:23:37.039 --> 00:23:37.680 are twisted, 00:23:38.960 --> 00:23:39.279 many, 00:23:40.579 --> 00:23:41.319 though not all, 00:23:41.579 --> 00:23:42.740 of the devil's accusations 00:23:42.740 --> 00:23:43.559 against us 00:23:43.559 --> 00:23:44.099 are true. 00:23:44.700 --> 00:23:45.779 Because we have 00:23:45.779 --> 00:23:46.339 all 00:23:46.339 --> 00:23:48.019 broken God's law. 00:23:48.900 --> 00:23:49.640 We have all 00:23:49.640 --> 00:23:50.160 participated 00:23:50.160 --> 00:23:51.960 in the system 00:23:51.960 --> 00:23:52.799 of evil. 00:23:54.200 --> 00:23:54.819 When you and I 00:23:54.819 --> 00:23:55.759 stand before the judgment 00:23:55.759 --> 00:23:56.380 seat of God, 00:23:56.480 --> 00:23:57.880 we are guilty 00:23:57.880 --> 00:23:59.339 of sin. 00:24:00.559 --> 00:24:01.680 And the wages of sin 00:24:01.680 --> 00:24:02.160 is death. 00:24:02.160 --> 00:24:03.740 So in that sense, 00:24:03.800 --> 00:24:05.080 the devil has the power of death 00:24:05.080 --> 00:24:07.180 because he's the accuser. 00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:09.420 And when we stand before God, 00:24:09.800 --> 00:24:11.019 we are not righteous. 00:24:12.200 --> 00:24:13.240 But it says that Jesus, 00:24:13.420 --> 00:24:14.560 through his death on the cross, 00:24:15.040 --> 00:24:15.620 has become 00:24:15.620 --> 00:24:17.019 our great advocate, 00:24:18.019 --> 00:24:19.040 our defense lawyer. 00:24:21.040 --> 00:24:21.700 Verse 17 says, 00:24:21.759 --> 00:24:22.380 he's a merciful 00:24:22.380 --> 00:24:23.500 and faithful 00:24:23.500 --> 00:24:24.960 high priest 00:24:24.960 --> 00:24:26.920 who made propitiation 00:24:26.920 --> 00:24:27.600 for our sins. 00:24:27.700 --> 00:24:28.340 That word means 00:24:28.340 --> 00:24:29.400 he made an atoning 00:24:29.400 --> 00:24:30.540 sacrifice. 00:24:32.160 --> 00:24:33.720 to cleanse us 00:24:33.720 --> 00:24:34.779 and take 00:24:34.779 --> 00:24:35.680 the judgment 00:24:35.680 --> 00:24:36.980 that we deserved. 00:24:37.779 --> 00:24:38.320 And so for all 00:24:38.320 --> 00:24:39.080 who turn to Jesus 00:24:39.080 --> 00:24:40.700 and take refuge in him, 00:24:40.900 --> 00:24:41.400 the devil 00:24:41.400 --> 00:24:42.900 is rendered powerless. 00:24:43.040 --> 00:24:43.660 The accuser 00:24:43.660 --> 00:24:45.300 is silenced. 00:24:45.800 --> 00:24:46.880 So let me urge you, 00:24:46.920 --> 00:24:47.580 if you haven't turned 00:24:47.580 --> 00:24:48.519 to Jesus in faith, 00:24:48.800 --> 00:24:49.680 turn to him today. 00:24:50.840 --> 00:24:52.060 The accuser loves 00:24:52.060 --> 00:24:52.640 to steal 00:24:52.640 --> 00:24:53.400 and kill 00:24:53.400 --> 00:24:54.060 and destroy. 00:24:54.840 --> 00:24:56.080 But Jesus loves 00:24:56.080 --> 00:24:57.080 to redeem 00:24:57.080 --> 00:24:58.279 and restore 00:24:58.279 --> 00:24:59.360 and bring abundant, 00:24:59.500 --> 00:25:00.380 overflowing life. 00:25:00.380 --> 00:25:02.360 You know, 00:25:02.400 --> 00:25:02.860 maybe you 00:25:02.860 --> 00:25:04.160 are keenly aware 00:25:04.160 --> 00:25:05.840 of your sin. 00:25:06.580 --> 00:25:07.240 Maybe you don't need 00:25:07.240 --> 00:25:08.420 the devil to remind you of it. 00:25:09.300 --> 00:25:09.980 You know it deep 00:25:09.980 --> 00:25:10.620 in your own heart. 00:25:12.400 --> 00:25:13.300 And because of that, 00:25:13.360 --> 00:25:13.740 you live 00:25:13.740 --> 00:25:14.660 in shame 00:25:14.660 --> 00:25:16.140 and in hiding 00:25:16.140 --> 00:25:17.980 or even with thoughts 00:25:17.980 --> 00:25:18.500 of despair. 00:25:19.980 --> 00:25:21.300 But in the atoning death 00:25:21.300 --> 00:25:22.160 of Jesus Christ, 00:25:23.060 --> 00:25:24.320 the accuser 00:25:24.320 --> 00:25:24.980 has been rendered 00:25:24.980 --> 00:25:25.680 powerless. 00:25:25.680 --> 00:25:28.840 you may think 00:25:28.840 --> 00:25:29.380 in your mind 00:25:29.380 --> 00:25:29.980 over and over 00:25:29.980 --> 00:25:30.680 all the reasons 00:25:30.680 --> 00:25:31.600 that God shouldn't 00:25:31.600 --> 00:25:32.320 love you 00:25:32.320 --> 00:25:32.960 and shouldn't 00:25:32.960 --> 00:25:34.019 do good to you 00:25:34.019 --> 00:25:35.640 and why you don't 00:25:35.640 --> 00:25:36.279 deserve it. 00:25:36.279 --> 00:25:37.299 But that is not 00:25:37.299 --> 00:25:38.640 the last word. 00:25:39.279 --> 00:25:40.200 Jesus Christ 00:25:40.200 --> 00:25:41.700 stands 00:25:41.700 --> 00:25:43.420 as your advocate 00:25:43.420 --> 00:25:44.840 before God the Father. 00:25:45.460 --> 00:25:46.259 And he has never 00:25:46.259 --> 00:25:47.580 lost a case. 00:25:47.660 --> 00:25:48.299 He's the best 00:25:48.299 --> 00:25:49.259 defense lawyer 00:25:49.259 --> 00:25:50.200 in the world. 00:25:50.200 --> 00:25:51.920 And he's come 00:25:51.920 --> 00:25:52.440 not just 00:25:52.440 --> 00:25:53.559 to acquit us, 00:25:53.779 --> 00:25:54.539 but to bring us 00:25:54.539 --> 00:25:55.980 fullness of life. 00:25:58.360 --> 00:25:59.319 And so when our sin 00:25:59.319 --> 00:25:59.860 is exposed, 00:26:00.180 --> 00:26:00.759 when we see 00:26:00.759 --> 00:26:01.940 the reality 00:26:01.940 --> 00:26:02.539 of our sin, 00:26:03.740 --> 00:26:04.279 God is not 00:26:04.279 --> 00:26:04.799 driving us 00:26:04.799 --> 00:26:05.420 to despair 00:26:05.420 --> 00:26:06.819 or to run away 00:26:06.819 --> 00:26:07.279 and hide 00:26:07.279 --> 00:26:08.779 or to make excuses 00:26:08.779 --> 00:26:09.700 and try to justify 00:26:09.700 --> 00:26:10.200 ourselves, 00:26:10.759 --> 00:26:11.720 but to turn to him. 00:26:13.000 --> 00:26:14.080 To turn to the one 00:26:14.080 --> 00:26:15.880 who bore the penalty 00:26:15.880 --> 00:26:16.539 for us 00:26:16.539 --> 00:26:18.559 and to receive again 00:26:18.559 --> 00:26:20.059 his word. 00:26:20.200 --> 00:26:20.900 of pardon 00:26:20.900 --> 00:26:23.559 and his strength 00:26:23.559 --> 00:26:24.240 to live 00:26:24.240 --> 00:26:26.080 in righteousness 00:26:26.080 --> 00:26:27.140 and walk in the light. 00:26:28.120 --> 00:26:28.799 So first we see 00:26:28.799 --> 00:26:29.380 that Jesus has 00:26:29.380 --> 00:26:30.420 defeated the devil, 00:26:31.600 --> 00:26:32.259 the accuser. 00:26:33.700 --> 00:26:34.559 And second, 00:26:34.660 --> 00:26:35.100 we see that he 00:26:35.100 --> 00:26:35.960 delivered us 00:26:35.960 --> 00:26:37.860 from enslaving 00:26:37.860 --> 00:26:38.600 fear, 00:26:39.680 --> 00:26:40.580 the fear of death. 00:26:41.480 --> 00:26:42.160 Verse 15. 00:26:44.200 --> 00:26:44.880 Jesus came to 00:26:44.880 --> 00:26:45.900 deliver all those 00:26:45.900 --> 00:26:46.600 who through fear 00:26:46.600 --> 00:26:47.160 of death 00:26:47.160 --> 00:26:48.100 were subject 00:26:48.100 --> 00:26:49.580 to lifelong slavery. 00:26:50.200 --> 00:26:51.860 In the Old Testament, 00:26:51.980 --> 00:26:52.740 in the book of Exodus, 00:26:53.160 --> 00:26:53.759 God defeated 00:26:53.759 --> 00:26:54.360 the Pharaoh 00:26:54.360 --> 00:26:55.799 in Egypt 00:26:55.799 --> 00:26:56.960 who hated 00:26:56.960 --> 00:26:57.840 the people of Israel 00:26:57.840 --> 00:26:58.940 and wanted to kill them. 00:27:00.200 --> 00:27:01.380 And he delivered 00:27:01.380 --> 00:27:02.080 them 00:27:02.080 --> 00:27:03.940 from lifelong 00:27:03.940 --> 00:27:04.819 slavery. 00:27:05.519 --> 00:27:06.380 And in Jesus Christ, 00:27:06.460 --> 00:27:07.140 God has defeated 00:27:07.140 --> 00:27:08.240 Satan 00:27:08.240 --> 00:27:10.480 and he has delivered us 00:27:10.480 --> 00:27:11.819 from the enslaving 00:27:11.819 --> 00:27:12.620 fear 00:27:12.620 --> 00:27:13.539 of death. 00:27:13.539 --> 00:27:13.619 death. 00:27:15.420 --> 00:27:15.920 You know, 00:27:15.960 --> 00:27:16.859 we live in a society 00:27:16.859 --> 00:27:18.599 that increasingly 00:27:18.599 --> 00:27:19.659 has no idea 00:27:19.659 --> 00:27:20.299 what to do 00:27:20.299 --> 00:27:21.180 with death. 00:27:23.339 --> 00:27:24.440 For the most part, 00:27:24.599 --> 00:27:25.720 our response is 00:27:25.720 --> 00:27:27.519 run away from it. 00:27:28.379 --> 00:27:29.079 Avoid it 00:27:29.079 --> 00:27:30.339 as long as you can. 00:27:31.940 --> 00:27:32.899 We bury 00:27:32.899 --> 00:27:34.099 our fear of death 00:27:34.099 --> 00:27:36.279 under career ambitions 00:27:36.279 --> 00:27:38.139 or extreme sports 00:27:38.139 --> 00:27:38.920 or bucket lists 00:27:38.920 --> 00:27:40.619 or living vicariously 00:27:40.619 --> 00:27:41.720 through children 00:27:41.720 --> 00:27:42.599 and grandchildren. 00:27:43.440 --> 00:27:44.519 We try to suck 00:27:44.519 --> 00:27:45.359 as much as we can 00:27:45.359 --> 00:27:46.039 out of this life 00:27:46.039 --> 00:27:47.559 because it's all 00:27:47.559 --> 00:27:48.019 we've got. 00:27:48.619 --> 00:27:49.960 You only live once. 00:27:51.339 --> 00:27:52.440 But don't you see? 00:27:53.799 --> 00:27:54.619 That's just another 00:27:54.619 --> 00:27:56.359 form of slavery. 00:27:57.160 --> 00:27:58.000 We're restless, 00:27:59.220 --> 00:27:59.899 addicted to the 00:27:59.899 --> 00:28:00.619 present moment 00:28:00.619 --> 00:28:02.559 because we can't face 00:28:02.559 --> 00:28:03.119 the inevitable 00:28:03.119 --> 00:28:04.079 future. 00:28:06.059 --> 00:28:07.079 And even in the church, 00:28:08.079 --> 00:28:09.699 we rarely talk about 00:28:09.699 --> 00:28:11.359 preparing to die. 00:28:12.139 --> 00:28:13.059 In centuries past, 00:28:13.119 --> 00:28:13.639 it was common 00:28:13.639 --> 00:28:14.759 to hear whole sermons 00:28:14.759 --> 00:28:17.359 about how to prepare 00:28:17.359 --> 00:28:18.419 to die. 00:28:19.879 --> 00:28:20.239 Now, 00:28:20.359 --> 00:28:21.439 I've spent my whole life 00:28:21.439 --> 00:28:22.000 going to church 00:28:22.000 --> 00:28:22.599 every Sunday, 00:28:23.259 --> 00:28:24.059 almost every Sunday. 00:28:24.339 --> 00:28:24.959 I don't think 00:28:24.959 --> 00:28:26.139 I've ever heard a sermon 00:28:26.139 --> 00:28:27.059 where that was 00:28:27.059 --> 00:28:27.959 the primary application. 00:28:29.119 --> 00:28:29.299 Now, 00:28:29.319 --> 00:28:29.799 I haven't preached 00:28:29.799 --> 00:28:30.219 one either, 00:28:30.339 --> 00:28:31.019 so I guess I have 00:28:31.019 --> 00:28:32.559 some work cut out. 00:28:33.119 --> 00:28:34.899 The point is, 00:28:34.919 --> 00:28:35.459 we struggle 00:28:35.459 --> 00:28:36.739 to deal with death. 00:28:38.759 --> 00:28:39.739 And in some sense, 00:28:39.819 --> 00:28:40.539 rightfully so 00:28:40.539 --> 00:28:41.079 because death 00:28:41.079 --> 00:28:41.819 is not pretty. 00:28:43.000 --> 00:28:43.759 The Bible says 00:28:43.759 --> 00:28:44.619 that death is an enemy 00:28:44.619 --> 00:28:47.059 of God's good creation. 00:28:49.559 --> 00:28:50.539 Jesus didn't simply 00:28:50.539 --> 00:28:51.299 come to earth 00:28:51.299 --> 00:28:52.219 to teach us 00:28:52.219 --> 00:28:52.899 to make our peace 00:28:52.899 --> 00:28:53.439 with death 00:28:53.439 --> 00:28:54.819 and simply accept it 00:28:54.819 --> 00:28:55.359 as part of 00:28:55.359 --> 00:28:56.719 God's good 00:28:56.719 --> 00:28:57.639 and natural process. 00:28:59.000 --> 00:28:59.539 Jesus came 00:28:59.539 --> 00:29:00.799 and he tasted death 00:29:00.799 --> 00:29:02.079 in all its bitterness 00:29:02.079 --> 00:29:03.500 and fully experienced it 00:29:03.500 --> 00:29:04.679 and overcame it 00:29:04.679 --> 00:29:06.359 and conquered it 00:29:06.359 --> 00:29:07.439 in his resurrection. 00:29:07.859 --> 00:29:08.679 That's what he came 00:29:08.679 --> 00:29:09.319 to do 00:29:09.319 --> 00:29:11.199 to liberate us 00:29:11.199 --> 00:29:12.619 from its clutches. 00:29:14.419 --> 00:29:14.980 Yes, 00:29:15.059 --> 00:29:16.019 we all will 00:29:16.019 --> 00:29:17.460 physically die. 00:29:18.599 --> 00:29:19.879 But in Jesus Christ, 00:29:20.299 --> 00:29:21.599 we have a brother 00:29:21.599 --> 00:29:23.359 who has gone 00:29:23.359 --> 00:29:24.099 through death 00:29:24.099 --> 00:29:25.240 and come out 00:29:25.240 --> 00:29:26.019 the other side. 00:29:26.019 --> 00:29:28.960 so we need not 00:29:28.960 --> 00:29:29.440 live in fear 00:29:29.440 --> 00:29:29.920 of death. 00:29:31.879 --> 00:29:32.660 We need not 00:29:32.660 --> 00:29:34.059 run away from it 00:29:34.059 --> 00:29:35.039 frantically. 00:29:36.619 --> 00:29:37.579 We need not 00:29:37.579 --> 00:29:38.500 cringe 00:29:38.500 --> 00:29:40.639 before it 00:29:40.639 --> 00:29:42.980 because Jesus 00:29:42.980 --> 00:29:44.599 has delivered us 00:29:44.599 --> 00:29:46.400 from its grasp. 00:29:46.400 --> 00:29:49.820 Jesus has defeated 00:29:49.820 --> 00:29:51.460 the accuser. 00:29:52.220 --> 00:29:53.400 He's delivered us 00:29:53.400 --> 00:29:55.060 from enslaving fear 00:29:55.060 --> 00:29:55.640 of death. 00:29:56.800 --> 00:29:57.140 Finally, 00:29:57.220 --> 00:29:58.200 it says he helps us 00:29:58.200 --> 00:29:59.480 when we're tempted. 00:30:01.519 --> 00:30:02.240 Verse 16 says, 00:30:02.320 --> 00:30:03.220 Surely it's not angels 00:30:03.220 --> 00:30:03.880 that he helps, 00:30:04.320 --> 00:30:04.960 but he helps 00:30:04.960 --> 00:30:05.440 the offspring 00:30:05.440 --> 00:30:05.920 of Abraham. 00:30:07.480 --> 00:30:07.620 Now, 00:30:07.620 --> 00:30:08.160 sometimes when we 00:30:08.160 --> 00:30:09.320 think of help, 00:30:09.940 --> 00:30:10.900 we think of a weaker 00:30:10.900 --> 00:30:12.680 or more limited person 00:30:12.680 --> 00:30:14.060 offering assistance 00:30:14.059 --> 00:30:14.919 to a stronger, 00:30:15.240 --> 00:30:16.599 more powerful person. 00:30:17.179 --> 00:30:18.059 But that's not 00:30:18.059 --> 00:30:18.819 what this word 00:30:18.819 --> 00:30:19.599 means at all. 00:30:20.659 --> 00:30:22.259 It's a strong word. 00:30:23.279 --> 00:30:24.379 It means to take 00:30:24.379 --> 00:30:25.259 hold of someone 00:30:25.259 --> 00:30:26.720 or even to take 00:30:26.720 --> 00:30:27.619 up their cause. 00:30:28.240 --> 00:30:29.200 To be a strong 00:30:29.200 --> 00:30:29.779 helper. 00:30:31.259 --> 00:30:32.079 And Jesus has come 00:30:32.079 --> 00:30:32.839 alongside us 00:30:32.839 --> 00:30:33.419 and he has taken 00:30:33.419 --> 00:30:34.159 hold of us 00:30:34.159 --> 00:30:35.720 and he will not 00:30:35.720 --> 00:30:36.299 let us go. 00:30:37.019 --> 00:30:37.839 He has taken up 00:30:37.839 --> 00:30:38.519 our cause 00:30:38.519 --> 00:30:39.960 and he will not 00:30:39.960 --> 00:30:40.299 fail. 00:30:40.299 --> 00:30:44.139 You see, 00:30:44.539 --> 00:30:45.460 that's why we can 00:30:45.460 --> 00:30:46.799 hear the words 00:30:46.799 --> 00:30:47.259 that were read 00:30:47.259 --> 00:30:48.220 earlier in the service 00:30:48.220 --> 00:30:49.940 from Isaiah 41, 00:30:50.839 --> 00:30:51.299 which I think 00:30:51.299 --> 00:30:51.960 the writer of Hebrews 00:30:51.960 --> 00:30:52.919 is referencing here. 00:30:53.700 --> 00:30:54.099 But you, 00:30:55.000 --> 00:30:55.619 the offspring 00:30:55.619 --> 00:30:56.359 of Abraham, 00:30:56.539 --> 00:30:57.079 my friend, 00:30:58.440 --> 00:30:59.759 fear not, 00:31:00.440 --> 00:31:02.159 for I am with you. 00:31:03.139 --> 00:31:04.319 Be not dismayed, 00:31:04.579 --> 00:31:06.639 for I am your God. 00:31:07.220 --> 00:31:08.379 I will strengthen you. 00:31:08.380 --> 00:31:09.940 I will help you. 00:31:10.380 --> 00:31:11.440 I will uphold you 00:31:11.440 --> 00:31:12.740 with my righteous 00:31:12.740 --> 00:31:14.600 right hand. 00:31:16.220 --> 00:31:17.280 Jesus has taken 00:31:17.280 --> 00:31:18.100 hold of us 00:31:18.100 --> 00:31:19.440 and so he's able 00:31:19.440 --> 00:31:20.620 to help us 00:31:20.620 --> 00:31:22.480 whenever we are 00:31:22.480 --> 00:31:22.780 tempted, 00:31:23.540 --> 00:31:24.640 whenever we are 00:31:24.640 --> 00:31:25.040 tried, 00:31:25.880 --> 00:31:26.760 whenever we're 00:31:26.760 --> 00:31:27.640 going through the 00:31:27.640 --> 00:31:27.980 fire. 00:31:28.140 --> 00:31:28.880 Because he's not 00:31:28.880 --> 00:31:29.540 only won the 00:31:29.540 --> 00:31:30.320 decisive victory 00:31:30.320 --> 00:31:31.000 in the past, 00:31:31.260 --> 00:31:32.160 he is constantly 00:31:32.160 --> 00:31:33.080 available in the 00:31:33.080 --> 00:31:33.440 present. 00:31:35.840 --> 00:31:36.640 So if you're 00:31:36.640 --> 00:31:37.320 tempted to become 00:31:37.320 --> 00:31:37.620 bitter, 00:31:38.380 --> 00:31:39.520 look to the one 00:31:39.520 --> 00:31:40.060 who tasted 00:31:40.060 --> 00:31:41.520 death itself 00:31:41.520 --> 00:31:42.760 in all its 00:31:42.760 --> 00:31:43.060 bitterness. 00:31:44.140 --> 00:31:44.580 If you're 00:31:44.580 --> 00:31:45.440 tempted to despair, 00:31:45.560 --> 00:31:46.060 look to the one 00:31:46.060 --> 00:31:46.760 who has conquered 00:31:46.760 --> 00:31:48.380 death and the 00:31:48.380 --> 00:31:48.860 grave. 00:31:50.140 --> 00:31:50.800 If you're 00:31:50.800 --> 00:31:51.540 tempted to envy 00:31:51.540 --> 00:31:53.760 others who 00:31:53.760 --> 00:31:54.220 seem more 00:31:54.220 --> 00:31:54.740 successful, 00:31:55.600 --> 00:31:56.480 remember all 00:31:56.480 --> 00:31:57.360 the blessings 00:31:57.360 --> 00:31:58.180 that you have 00:31:58.180 --> 00:31:59.780 in Jesus Christ, 00:32:01.520 --> 00:32:03.880 the high priest, 00:32:04.980 --> 00:32:05.420 the founder 00:32:05.420 --> 00:32:06.720 of our salvation. 00:32:06.720 --> 00:32:06.779 temptation. 00:32:07.779 --> 00:32:08.000 You see, 00:32:08.059 --> 00:32:08.740 Jesus knows what 00:32:08.740 --> 00:32:10.120 it's like to 00:32:10.120 --> 00:32:10.799 face temptation. 00:32:12.000 --> 00:32:12.839 He's faced a 00:32:12.839 --> 00:32:14.180 hotter fire than 00:32:14.180 --> 00:32:15.220 any of us will 00:32:15.220 --> 00:32:15.920 have to go through 00:32:15.920 --> 00:32:16.819 on our own. 00:32:17.539 --> 00:32:17.920 And you know, 00:32:18.100 --> 00:32:18.940 we all give in to 00:32:18.940 --> 00:32:19.380 temptation. 00:32:20.440 --> 00:32:21.380 And so because we 00:32:21.380 --> 00:32:22.160 give in to temptation, 00:32:22.299 --> 00:32:22.960 we don't even know 00:32:22.960 --> 00:32:24.140 how strong it is. 00:32:25.539 --> 00:32:26.700 Sort of like a 00:32:26.700 --> 00:32:28.460 runner who starts 00:32:28.460 --> 00:32:29.000 out running a 00:32:29.000 --> 00:32:30.680 marathon and then 00:32:30.680 --> 00:32:31.339 he gives up after 00:32:31.339 --> 00:32:32.140 five miles. 00:32:33.140 --> 00:32:33.460 He says, 00:32:33.460 --> 00:32:35.660 boy, I'm 00:32:35.660 --> 00:32:36.200 exhausted. 00:32:37.380 --> 00:32:38.340 I'm so out of 00:32:38.340 --> 00:32:38.660 shape. 00:32:39.920 --> 00:32:40.319 I could only 00:32:40.319 --> 00:32:40.500 run. 00:32:41.400 --> 00:32:42.500 That was awful. 00:32:43.519 --> 00:32:44.240 You know the 00:32:44.240 --> 00:32:44.960 people who really 00:32:44.960 --> 00:32:45.660 know how hard it 00:32:45.660 --> 00:32:46.140 is to run a 00:32:46.140 --> 00:32:46.440 marathon? 00:32:48.100 --> 00:32:48.680 It's people who 00:32:48.680 --> 00:32:49.460 started by running 00:32:49.460 --> 00:32:50.819 five miles and 00:32:50.819 --> 00:32:51.340 then they've kept 00:32:51.340 --> 00:32:52.380 on training and 00:32:52.380 --> 00:32:53.220 training and 00:32:53.220 --> 00:32:54.079 training and 00:32:54.079 --> 00:32:55.059 training until 00:32:55.059 --> 00:32:55.940 they run all 00:32:55.940 --> 00:32:56.279 26. 00:32:58.279 --> 00:32:59.160 Only they know 00:32:59.160 --> 00:32:59.720 how hard it 00:32:59.720 --> 00:33:00.380 really is. 00:33:00.380 --> 00:33:02.860 You see, we 00:33:02.860 --> 00:33:04.340 all give in when 00:33:04.340 --> 00:33:05.040 we face temptation 00:33:05.040 --> 00:33:05.660 at some point. 00:33:07.620 --> 00:33:08.520 Jesus never gave 00:33:08.520 --> 00:33:08.660 in. 00:33:12.760 --> 00:33:14.620 He ran the race 00:33:14.620 --> 00:33:15.160 to the end. 00:33:16.380 --> 00:33:16.860 He was made 00:33:16.860 --> 00:33:17.280 perfect. 00:33:18.140 --> 00:33:18.700 He achieved his 00:33:18.700 --> 00:33:19.240 goal through his 00:33:19.240 --> 00:33:20.660 suffering so that 00:33:20.660 --> 00:33:22.740 we too might be 00:33:22.740 --> 00:33:24.740 made mature and 00:33:24.740 --> 00:33:26.200 complete through the 00:33:26.200 --> 00:33:26.840 sufferings that we 00:33:26.840 --> 00:33:27.220 face. 00:33:28.080 --> 00:33:28.580 And to know that 00:33:28.580 --> 00:33:30.120 we're not alone when 00:33:30.119 --> 00:33:30.699 we face them. 00:33:32.219 --> 00:33:32.679 So let me 00:33:32.679 --> 00:33:35.099 conclude with 00:33:35.099 --> 00:33:35.619 some words from 00:33:35.619 --> 00:33:36.119 later on in 00:33:36.119 --> 00:33:37.899 Hebrews where it 00:33:37.899 --> 00:33:38.459 says, let us lay 00:33:38.459 --> 00:33:39.399 aside every weight 00:33:39.399 --> 00:33:41.379 and the sin which 00:33:41.379 --> 00:33:42.299 clings so closely 00:33:42.299 --> 00:33:43.619 and let us run 00:33:43.619 --> 00:33:45.359 with endurance the 00:33:45.359 --> 00:33:46.019 race that is set 00:33:46.019 --> 00:33:46.679 before us, 00:33:47.319 --> 00:33:48.639 looking to Jesus, 00:33:49.219 --> 00:33:51.119 the founder and 00:33:51.119 --> 00:33:53.199 perfecter of our 00:33:53.199 --> 00:33:55.099 faith, who for the 00:33:55.099 --> 00:33:55.759 joy that was set 00:33:55.759 --> 00:33:57.119 before him endured 00:33:57.119 --> 00:33:57.719 the cross, 00:33:57.720 --> 00:33:59.799 despising the shame 00:33:59.799 --> 00:34:01.299 and is seated at 00:34:01.299 --> 00:34:02.400 the right hand of 00:34:02.400 --> 00:34:03.120 the throne of God. 00:34:04.059 --> 00:34:06.180 Consider him so 00:34:06.180 --> 00:34:06.860 that you may not 00:34:06.860 --> 00:34:08.679 grow weary or 00:34:08.679 --> 00:34:09.280 faint hearted. 00:34:10.059 --> 00:34:10.860 Let us pray. 00:34:10.860 --> 00:34:20.760 Lord Jesus, we thank 00:34:20.760 --> 00:34:23.000 you that as the 00:34:23.000 --> 00:34:24.740 eternal, glorious 00:34:24.740 --> 00:34:27.019 Son of God, the 00:34:27.019 --> 00:34:29.160 King over all that 00:34:29.160 --> 00:34:33.420 you created, that 00:34:33.420 --> 00:34:35.480 you did not shy 00:34:35.480 --> 00:34:37.019 away, that you did 00:34:37.019 --> 00:34:38.860 not hold back from 00:34:38.860 --> 00:34:40.099 from identifying 00:34:40.099 --> 00:34:41.420 with us, but that 00:34:41.420 --> 00:34:42.720 you were made like 00:34:42.720 --> 00:34:44.480 us in every respect 00:34:44.480 --> 00:34:46.860 so that you might 00:34:46.860 --> 00:34:49.019 call us brothers and 00:34:49.019 --> 00:34:50.140 sisters in your 00:34:50.140 --> 00:34:50.519 family. 00:34:52.240 --> 00:34:53.460 Lord, that we might 00:34:53.460 --> 00:34:55.380 have a faithful and 00:34:55.380 --> 00:34:56.640 merciful high priest, 00:34:56.740 --> 00:34:58.140 a companion in our 00:34:58.140 --> 00:35:00.740 sufferings, and a 00:35:00.740 --> 00:35:02.099 perfect advocate before 00:35:02.099 --> 00:35:02.900 the throne of God. 00:35:02.900 --> 00:35:06.420 Lord, we pray that 00:35:06.420 --> 00:35:06.880 we would look to 00:35:06.880 --> 00:35:07.079 him. 00:35:08.880 --> 00:35:09.400 Lord, would you 00:35:09.400 --> 00:35:10.700 strengthen us to 00:35:10.700 --> 00:35:11.340 face whatever 00:35:11.340 --> 00:35:12.180 adversity that we 00:35:12.180 --> 00:35:14.260 might, that might 00:35:14.260 --> 00:35:17.059 come, knowing that 00:35:17.059 --> 00:35:17.960 you are the founder 00:35:17.960 --> 00:35:19.940 and perfecter of our 00:35:19.940 --> 00:35:20.840 faith, that you have 00:35:20.840 --> 00:35:21.840 taken hold of us, 00:35:23.300 --> 00:35:24.900 that you have welded 00:35:25.720 --> 00:35:30.519 yourself to us in an 00:35:30.519 --> 00:35:31.400 unbreakable bond. 00:35:32.519 --> 00:35:33.480 We thank you. 00:35:34.380 --> 00:35:34.659 Amen. 00:35:41.880 --> 00:35:43.820 This morning we come 00:35:43.820 --> 00:35:44.579 to the Lord's table 00:35:44.579 --> 00:35:48.039 where we look back 00:35:48.039 --> 00:35:49.920 and remember what 00:35:49.920 --> 00:35:50.579 Jesus did to 00:35:50.579 --> 00:35:51.340 establish this 00:35:51.340 --> 00:35:52.759 unbreakable bond. 00:35:53.759 --> 00:35:54.800 As we'll read in a 00:35:54.800 --> 00:35:55.900 minute, Jesus said, 00:35:56.059 --> 00:35:56.539 this is the new 00:35:56.539 --> 00:35:58.119 covenant in my blood. 00:35:58.119 --> 00:36:00.880 This is the bond that 00:36:00.880 --> 00:36:02.099 I'm establishing with 00:36:02.099 --> 00:36:04.559 you through my death. 00:36:08.179 --> 00:36:09.259 So we look back to 00:36:09.259 --> 00:36:10.099 what Jesus has done. 00:36:10.900 --> 00:36:11.940 We look forward to 00:36:11.940 --> 00:36:12.539 the day that he'll 00:36:12.539 --> 00:36:14.420 come again in glory. 00:36:15.279 --> 00:36:15.960 And in the meantime, 00:36:16.119 --> 00:36:17.319 he is able to help 00:36:17.319 --> 00:36:19.039 us in our weakness, 00:36:19.739 --> 00:36:20.779 in our temptation, 00:36:21.380 --> 00:36:22.199 in our trial. 00:36:23.960 --> 00:36:25.039 So as we share in the 00:36:25.039 --> 00:36:25.739 bread and cup today, 00:36:25.819 --> 00:36:27.339 let's look back and 00:36:27.339 --> 00:36:27.940 praise him. 00:36:28.119 --> 00:36:30.559 for his achievement 00:36:30.559 --> 00:36:31.279 on the cross. 00:36:32.779 --> 00:36:33.839 And let's come and 00:36:33.839 --> 00:36:34.579 receive his help. 00:36:34.639 --> 00:36:36.219 As we take the bread 00:36:36.219 --> 00:36:36.759 and the cup, 00:36:37.779 --> 00:36:38.940 we're invited to 00:36:38.940 --> 00:36:41.019 cling to him. 00:36:41.019 --> 00:36:41.079 Amen. 00:36:41.079 --> 00:36:41.119 Amen. 00:36:41.119 --> 00:36:41.219 Amen.