And if y'all would open up your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 2, verses 5 through 18, it's on page 1188 of your Pew Bible.
If you're new to Christ the King Church, we typically preach expositional sermons, which means we are preaching through books at a time, and we've just started preaching through the book of Hebrews.
Hear God's Word.
Verse 5, chapter 2,
For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking.
It has been testified somewhere,
What is man that you are mindful of him, or the son of man that you care for him?
You made him for a little while lower than the angels.
You have crowned him with glory and honor, 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, 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.
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 being sanctified, 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.
Amen.
Has anybody been to London?
I see those hands.
I have not.
I want to be there.
There is a lot of people in the tube, the subway system of London.
There is tiled into the platform on the subway stations three words.
Mind the gap.
There's this gap between the platform station and the train that comes in.
And it says mind the gap because you don't want to fall into the gap.
You want to step onto the train.
And so you have mind the gap.
So say the Brits.
I think Americans would say don't fall in.
When it comes to the book of Hebrews, mind the gap means don't fall away.
The book of Hebrews is one long exhortation to hold fast to Jesus.
And we've got a gap to mind.
It's not the gap in London subway stations.
A little distance between a platform and a train.
It's the gap of time between Christ's first coming and his second coming.
His first coming, Jesus lived a sinless, perfect life.
He died on the cross for our sins.
He was raised from the dead, ascended on high.
And now he is exalted at the right hand of God, seated on his throne, carrying out his purposes.
That is his first coming.
And his second coming is when he returns to make all things right as the judge of all.
So we're living in between his first coming and his second coming.
We're in a gap.
We're living in the already but not yet.
And when you're living in the gap, you can lose sight of things.
Up until this point in the book of Hebrews, the author of Hebrews has been emphasizing that Jesus is totally God.
His divine nature.
He is the radiance of the glory of God.
He is the exact imprint of his nature.
And not only is he emphasizing the deity of Jesus, the Son, but he also aims us.
He shows us where he is right now.
He is, in verse chapter 1, verse 3, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high.
In verse 8, but of the Son, he says, your throne, O God, is forever and ever in heaven.
Verse 13, surely at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.
Not only is he God, he is exalted, reigning on high.
But here we are.
In between his first coming and his second coming.
And even though he's on high and we know that.
It doesn't feel like it sometimes, does it?
When you're looking at this world and you're like, that's not subjected to his reign right now.
That's not subjected to his reign right now.
This world can be such an utter mess.
And so here we are, living in the gap.
We know he's on high, but things don't look like it.
And that can give rise to some discouragement.
Even start to subtly question, like, is this true?
Is this worth it?
Do we press on?
How do we mind the gap?
And this morning, in Hebrews 2, 5 through 18, we're given three ways to mind the gap.
So that we don't drift, but draw near.
We draw near to Jesus.
We, first, we remember his cross and crown.
Second, we remember that his suffering has made us his siblings.
And third, we remember he helps us as our high priest.
And when we mind these things, when we remember these things, we're minding the gap.
And it protects us from drift and helps us to draw near to the one who tasted death for us.
So let's look at these three ways we are to mind the gap.
We're all living in the gap.
In between his first coming and second coming.
So we remember his cross and his crown.
Up until this point, as I've mentioned, the emphasis has been on the divine nature of Jesus.
That he's fully, fully God.
And as totally God, he's enthroned on high right now.
Exalted, surrounded by myriads of angels.
Our brothers and sisters in the faith are with him in his presence.
And the writer of Hebrews has been making the point that Jesus is God and exalted by comparing him to angels.
And to showing us that he's superior to angels.
And these extended quotations from the Old Testament, chapter 1.
We're going to see more here in chapter 2.
They're to show us that Jesus is greater.
But in this chapter, the author not only helps us to see the divine nature of Jesus and his exaltation.
He shows us the humanity of the Son.
That he was fully man.
And that he was humiliated.
His humiliation.
He suffered.
He endured the cross.
He died as a man.
Who experienced everything that we experienced for 33 years, yet without sin.
In verses 5 through 9, what we have is a quoting of Psalm 8.
And then in verses, at the second half of 8 and into 9,
you have the writer of Hebrews showing how Jesus has fulfilled Psalm 8.
And what we're going to see is his cross and his crown.
Psalm 8 is a psalm about God giving dominion to mankind in order for mankind to represent God on earth.
To be fruitful and multiply.
To be his vice regents.
But we blew it.
Instead of making it about God, we make it about ourselves.
And so in steps Jesus as the perfect man.
The ultimate representative of humanity.
Because he's totally God and totally man.
And so what we see in verse 7 from Psalm 8, we read this.
You, God, made him for a little while lower than the angels.
Psalm 8.
Would you now look at verse 9?
But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus.
Do you see what's going on there?
Psalm 8 fulfilled in Jesus.
How did Jesus fulfill that?
How was he for a little while made lower than the angels?
Jesus walked the earth for 33 years.
The son of God took on human flesh.
Merry Christmas.
Happy incarnation.
And he walked this planet for 33 years.
Just a little while.
Made lower than the angels.
We're getting at the humanity of Jesus.
His humiliation in the Philippians 2, 3 through 11 cents.
He became a servant.
He took on flesh.
And he died.
He suffered death.
Because he was a human being.
And his death isn't like our deaths.
His death accomplished something.
He tasted death for us.
For everyone who's living in the gap who would believe.
The death is a way of talking about the cross.
Jesus endured the cross.
Totally God.
Totally man.
Tasting death for us as fulfillment of Psalm 8 as our representative.
The second half of verse 7 says,
You have crowned him with glory and honor.
And if you look at the rest of verse 9, it says,
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.
So not only was Jesus humiliated, became a man, suffered death, cross.
He also, following the cross, was exalted.
Raised to the right hand.
Crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death for us.
He had to experience his cross in order for him to be crowned king on high.
It's his exaltation.
So in this passage, in Psalm 8, we're seeing both his cross, humiliation, and his crown.
His exaltation.
He is totally God and totally man.
It's necessary.
He tasted death for us.
And then comes the gap.
Verse 8, we're Psalm 8.
Putting everything in subjection under his feet.
We now go into the explanation.
The writer says,
Now in putting everything in subjection to him,
and I believe the him is Jesus in this passage, in this verse.
He, God, the Father, left nothing outside his, the Son's, control.
And at present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.
We're living in the gap.
We're living in between his death, resurrection, ascension, and exalted crowning, and his return.
It doesn't look like everything is subjection to him because it's not.
But he is on high.
So what do you do?
When you're looking at this world and you just want to despair?
Look at the end of verse 8.
We do not yet see everything in subjection to him.
When we see everything not in subjection to him, what do we do?
Look at verse 9.
We see him.
We set our eyes on Jesus.
We set our eyes on the cross and the crown of our king.
And we realize that, hey, even though it may not feel like things are subjected to him, yet he is raining on high.
And we are one day closer to when all things will be subjected to him.
When his inaugurated reign culminates in fullness of peace on a new heavens and a new earth.
So when we're living in the gap, you know how you mind the gap?
You remember his cross and his crown.
You see things for the way they are, but you remember he's exalted on high.
Cross, suffer death, crown, exalted on high.
Enthroned on high.
Which brings us to the second way we mind the gap.
We remember his suffering made us his siblings.
This is an extraordinary passage.
When you woke up this morning, were you thinking about what Jesus is speaking over you?
You may not know it if you're watching CNN or Fox on a regular basis.
But Jesus is at work right now in the gap.
He's on his throne.
He's carrying out his father's purposes and will.
And when you are living in the gap and you're discouraged by what you see,
you need to remember he suffered to make you his brother and his sister.
In verse 10 we read this.
This is verses 10 through 13.
For it was fitting that he, God the Father, for whom and by whom all things exist,
in bringing many sons to glory, bringing many sinners into salvation,
should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.
It was God's Father's will that God the Son would suffer to make us sons and daughters.
It's extraordinary.
Now you might be reading that and you're like,
hold on a second, Pastor Mike.
Should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.
Time out.
I thought Jesus was perfect.
I thought that Jesus was morally perfect in character and conduct 24-7,
365 days a year for his 33 years.
That little while he lived lower than the angels.
I thought he was perfect.
I thought he satisfied God's commands fully in the life he lived.
And he did.
He did.
Every thought, every word, every feeling, every act,
fully pleasing to God all the time.
He was on the planet.
Still is now.
So what is being talked about here?
If it's not his character, what are we talking about?
We're talking about his mission.
We're talking about his founding of salvation.
His accomplishing of our salvation.
In order for him to accomplish our salvation,
as the founder of our salvation,
he needed to suffer.
In order for him to suffer,
he needed to be fully human.
He had to die.
He had to suffer death.
He had to taste death for everyone who would believe in him.
It was only through the suffering of the Son
that God would bring many sons to glory.
He would bring many sons.
He would gather many sinners
and adopt them into the family of faith.
Jesus had to suffer.
That's why in verse 11 we read,
for he who sanctifies,
Jesus,
and those who are sanctified,
us,
all have one source,
God the Father.
It's his will.
We all share one heavenly Father.
We are one family.
Jesus suffered to make us his siblings.
And so when Jesus says this,
verse 11,
that's why he's not ashamed to call them brothers.
The author of Hebrews is talking about Jesus
and the way he thinks about you and me.
He's not ashamed to call you brother and sister.
It's amazing.
It's an understatement.
Intentionally.
He delights in calling you brother and sister
because of what he's done for you
to make you his brother and sister.
For the joy set before him,
he endured the cross
and that joy being gathering
and bringing in the sons of glory
in restoration and reconciliation
to the Father,
our salvation.
He delights in what his death has accomplished.
I don't know what you were thinking
when he woke up this morning.
I don't know what you were thinking.
What happens if you wake up tomorrow morning
and the first thought that comes to your mind
is that the son who suffered cross
and was exalted crown,
he's not ashamed of you.
He delights in you.
In order to make that point,
the writer of Hebrews then quotes
two Old Testament passages.
And what's extraordinary about these two
Old Testament passages
is that the writer of Hebrews,
he puts them in the mouth of Jesus.
speaking of you and me.
Look at verse 11 again.
That is why he's not ashamed
to call them brothers,
saying,
so the author of Hebrews is saying,
it's like what he's about to say
is Jesus speaking of you and me.
And the first thing he says
is a quote from Psalm 22, 22.
And you know Psalm 22
because when Jesus was on the cross
and when he cried out,
my God, my God,
why have you forsaken me?
That's Psalm 22, 1.
And Psalm 22, 1 through 21
is a psalm about a righteous man
suffering for God.
And then in verse 22,
the psalm pivots
and it goes from humiliation
to exaltation and vindication.
And it's in verse 22
that the writer of Hebrews
puts it in the mouth of Jesus
about you and me.
Jesus is the I.
I will tell of your,
God the Father,
your name to my brothers,
us.
In the midst of the congregation,
I will sing your praise.
The congregation is the heavenly gathering
of God's blood bought.
But it's Hebrews 12, 22 through 24.
Right now, Jesus is in heaven
and he's boasting of what he's done
and saying,
God the Father,
I told your name to my brothers and sisters
who are all around our throne right now.
It's delight.
It's joy.
It's not ashamed of you.
It's amazing that he's saying this.
I was convinced that
many of you needed to hear that this morning.
He's not ashamed of you.
In the heavenly congregation,
he's delighting in you.
What he's done for you
to bring you to glory.
It doesn't stop there.
Because then we have another quote
from Isaiah chapter 8,
17 and 18.
Again, the writer of Hebrews
is putting these words in the mouth of Jesus.
Jesus is fulfilling these.
And he says,
I, Jesus, will put my trust in him.
Isaiah 8,
Isaiah's been experiencing some hardship
and he is saying,
I will put my trust in him
and all these children that you've given me.
We're going to put our trust in you too.
And now,
the writer of Hebrews
is saying,
Jesus is speaking that
in fulfillment regarding us.
Remember when Jesus
was in the Garden of Gethsemane
and he says,
not my will,
but your will be done.
In the midst of suffering,
he put his trust in his Father.
That's what he's saying.
That's what he's getting at.
Jesus suffered faithfully
to make you sons and daughters unto glory.
And then again,
he says,
behold, I and the children
God has given me.
He's saying that of us.
He's saying,
I trust God
and these brothers and sisters
that I tasted death for,
they are going to trust you too.
We're all going to trust you.
Do you know this is a picture of
solidarity.
His suffering has made us
his siblings
and we're not going to drift away
in the gap.
We're going to draw near
and hold fast
and stand firm in the gap.
at the risk of diminishing
the significance of this.
Remember that movie,
High School Musical?
Zac Efron at the end
with his dynamic white outfit.
We're all in this together.
That's what this is getting at.
We're all in this together
because Christ's suffering
as a man
has made us his siblings.
He's not ashamed of you.
Not ashamed.
So when you're in the gap
and you're seeing this world
yet to be subjected to him
and you may just start thinking
maybe it's time to check out.
Maybe just to find an easier way.
Nobody really needs to know
that I'm a follower of Jesus.
Remember,
his suffering has made you his siblings.
He was faithful in his sufferings
and so we must be faithful
in our sufferings
for him in the gap.
We're all in this together.
He's not ashamed of you.
He shed his blood
to unite you to himself
under God.
Now imagine waking up tomorrow morning
and the first thought
that comes into your mind
is that Jesus is not ashamed
to call you brother,
sister.
It's just another way of saying
I am for you
all the way to the end.
The third way
in which we mind the gap
is that verses 14 through 18
we remember his help
as our high priest.
He's willing to help.
Living in the gap
in between his first coming
and his second coming,
that's not easy.
We have a lot of needs.
He's got a lot of help.
He's able to help.
He is willing to help.
Look at all the help.
Verse 16,
for surely it's not angels
that he helps
but he helps the offspring
of Abraham.
Look at verse 18.
At the end,
he is able to help
those who are being tempted.
He offers help.
There's two ways
in this passage
in which
he helps us.
In the face of death
and in the face of temptation.
He is our help
in the face of death.
Verses 14 through 16.
In verse 14,
we have again
this teaching
that the son
was completely human
in all that he was
yet without sin.
Verse 14,
since therefore
the children share
in the flesh and blood,
he himself likewise
partook of the same things.
Jesus took on flesh
and blood
because the people
he needed to bring
to God in glory
were made of flesh
and blood.
But we get afraid
of death.
We're afraid
of our deaths.
We're afraid
of other people's deaths.
Part of living
in the gap
in between
his first coming
and second coming
is all this death.
It can wreak havoc
in people's lives.
And Jesus
tasted death
for us.
In fact,
the death he died
puts death
to death.
Let me help you
see that.
That through death,
verse 14,
he might destroy,
better yet,
dethrone
the one who has
the power of death
that is the devil.
The devil,
the enemy
of our souls,
who is not
God's equal.
Well,
he exercises
his power
over death
through deception
and lies.
The condemning
power of death
is sin.
It's the sting
of death,
1 Corinthians 15,
56.
And so what
the devil loves
to do
is to accuse
people
of their
sinfulness
in order
to rub
your face
in your death.
But the death
that Jesus died
killed sin.
It removes
sin.
He dethrones
the devil
and the devil's
power
to make
false accusations
about your sin
freeing you
from death.
Jesus dethroned
the devil
by removing
sin.
His death
was propitious.
The death
that Jesus died,
the death
that Jesus
tasted for
everyone who
believed,
bore all of
God's wrath,
all of it,
for all of your
sin,
so that there
was no more
wrath and you're
completely forgiven
of your sin.
So Jesus,
through his death,
removes this
thing of death
which is sin
and he totally
dethrones the
devil in doing
so.
We learn in Mark
3 as well
that Jesus,
speaking of the
devil,
Jesus describes
him as a
strong man
and he has
come to bind
the strong man
and plunder
his house.
Jesus is the
great redemptive
plunderer,
you and me,
bringing sons to
glory.
He came for us.
Revelation 13,
the devil is
kicked out of
heaven,
down to the
earth,
where he is
now,
awaiting the
second death.
death,
we know the
truth of the
devil.
He's been
dethroned by
the death of
Jesus and
therefore we've
been delivered
from the fear
of death.
We no longer
live,
Christian,
you no longer
need to live in
fear of death.
The sting has
been removed.
John Bunyan
talks about
death,
pictures it in
the pilgrim's
progress as a
final river that
must be crossed
and you will feel
it go up above
your head.
and then
instantaneously
you will be at
the gates of
glory.
Death doesn't
have the final
say.
Jesus does.
He holds the
keys to death,
Revelation 1.
He's the one who
said,
I am the
resurrection and
life.
Whoever dies,
yet shall he
live if he
believes in me.
He's dethroned
the devil.
He's delivered us
from the fear
of death.
Christ's death
has defeated
death.
Can I have an
amen?
Well, there's
another way he
helps.
He helps us in
the face of
temptation,
verses 17
through 18.
He's able to
help those who
are being
tempted,
verse 18.
And it begs
the question,
tempted to
what?
What kind of
temptation?
It could be the
temptation to fear
death,
but I think the
better explanation
is something that
he's just talked to
us about in
Hebrews 2,
1 through 4.
to not drift.
The temptation
is to drift,
to fall into
the gap,
to be
kind of
as an
exercise of
unbelief in
Jesus,
just to check
out and fall
away.
That's the
temptation.
And he can
help us when
tempted that
way.
And I'm
guessing everyone
in the room,
when you look at
this messed up
world, despite
all of its beauty
from time to
time, you can
be discouraged.
We have help
in time of
need.
In verse 17,
again, we have
another reference
to the Jesus
taking on
humanity.
Therefore, he
had to be made
like his
brothers in
every respect,
yet without sin.
Fully human.
Totally God,
totally man,
in one person.
And that
uniquely qualifies
him to be our
high priest.
This is the
first time in
the book of
Hebrews that
the writer of
Hebrews drops
high priest
language.
It's going to
show up 17
times in the
book.
It is the
unique contribution
of this book
of Hebrews
to the entire
New Testament
canon.
No other
writer in the
New Testament
talks about
Jesus as our
high priest.
It's only the
writer of Hebrews
and it is
glorious.
A high priest
is a go-between.
A go-between God
and a go-between
man.
And the high
priests of old
were sinners.
And so they
had to make
sacrifice for
themselves before
they could make
sacrifice for
men.
Not Jesus,
not the Son,
who's totally
God and totally
man.
He is the
perfect high
priest because
he's totally
God and
totally man.
It's amazing.
He's our
great high
priest.
And because
he's our
great high
priest, he
made propitiation
for the sins
of us as
people.
Not only is
he the
living,
exalted
high priest,
he himself
was also
the once
and for
all
sacrifice
for our
sins.
Cross,
crown.
That one-time
sacrifice that
our high
priest made
satisfied all
of God's
wrath for
your sin.
So that there
was no more
been forgiven
in full.
he's not
ashamed to
call you
brothers,
sisters.
He gave his
life for you.
And you know
what?
He gets us.
We have a
high priest who
gets us.
Verse 18,
for because he
himself has
suffered when
tempted.
He gets us.
For 33 years,
he lived on this
planet and
experienced everything
that we experience
yet without sin.
He gets us.
And that's why
he's so effective
at helping us
even when we're
being tempted
to drift
in the gap.
what do we do?
What do you do
when you realize
I'm being tempted
right now?
Either I'm
living in fear
of my own death
or the death
of somebody else
or I'm just
wondering if this
whole thing is
worth it.
What do you do?
You go to the
one who can
help.
You don't
turn from
Jesus in
those moments.
You don't
drift from
him.
You turn
to Jesus
in those
moments
and you
draw near
to him
in those
moments.
That's
where you
will find
help.
In the
very one
that you're
wondering
is worth
it,
you turn
to him
and you're
just honest.
Oh God,
I'm
fearing my
death today.
Oh God,
I'm
wondering if
I should
just operate
an excavator
for the rest
of my
life.
He
turned
to Jesus.
If you
would just
let your
eyes scroll
over to
chapter 4
verses 15
and 16.
For we
do not
have a
high priest
who is
unable to
sympathize
with our
weaknesses
but one
who in
every
respect
has been
tempted
as we
are
yet
without
sin
let us
then
with
confidence
propitiation
draw near
to the
throne
of grace
that we
may receive
mercy
and find
grace
to help
in time
between
his first
coming
and his
second
coming
when things
don't look
subjected
to him.
Time of
need.
Be honest
with him
brother.
Be honest
with him
sister.
He's not
ashamed
of you.
We're
living in
between the
first coming
and the
second coming
of Jesus.
We know
all things
have been
subjected
to him
but it
doesn't look
like it.
It doesn't
feel like
it.
We've got
to mind
the gap.
in order
to
mind
the gap
and avoid
drift
and avoid
falling
away
into
the gap
we look
to Jesus.
We remember
his cross
and his crown
we remember
his suffering
made us
his siblings
and we
remember
his help
as our
high priest
all throughout
this passage
in each section
there's a
suffering
reference.
death.
And the
only way
he could
suffer death
was by
being fully
human.
And so
we mind
the gap
by remembering
that Jesus
is totally
God
totally man
he is
on his
throne
and we
are one
day closer
to him
bringing
all things
together.
what a
savior
what a
king
what a
high
priest
what a
hope
let's
pray.
Thank you
Jesus
for becoming
a man
for
suffering
the way
you did
for us.
Thank you
for enduring
the cross
to make
us your
brothers and
sisters
to bring
many sons
and daughters
to glory.
Thank you
God that
you have
not left
us in the
gap by
ourselves
but the
Holy Spirit
is with us
drawing our
gaze to
Jesus again
and again.
Lord Jesus
thank you so
much for
being our
living help
in time of
need and we
know it.
God
would you
unite us?
would you
bring solidarity
to us
among us
around
our
crucified
and
exalted
king
Jesus
and that
we would
hold fast
to him
all the way
to the
end
because you
are so
worthy.
it's in
your name
we pray
Jesus
amen.
Amen.