Let's start together to the letter to Hebrews and chapter 2, and we can read at verse number 14.
! Hebrews chapter 2 at verse 14.
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 life long.
Slavery, and so on.
Now, once this evening to continue the study that we're doing and looking at the benefits of the cross of Jesus Christ,
and we are doing so because unless we understand what the cross means, then we're not going to appreciate the importance of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And as we read this letter itself, it reminds us of the way in which people were losing their way,
some were close to losing their faith, some were close to abandoning their faith because of what they were suffering,
and when the writer reads to them to address these difficulties,
he focuses primarily in the first half of the letter on the passion and work of the Lord Jesus.
So, in focusing on the passion and work of the Lord Jesus as the answer to our problems,
it's following the pattern that we see from time to time in the Word of God.
And as we look at this chapter itself, it reminds us that there is a context and that there is a goal,
and we see from verse 5 of this chapter that the writer is talking about the world to come,
and it's important for us to grasp that at the very outset.
We are in this world, but there is a world to come,
and the significance of Jesus is to be found in understanding this world and understanding the world to come,
and the only connection that we have between the two or the only way from this world into the world to come
that's described here is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We read on further in the letter, and we understand something else about this people.
They were immature, and as we read at the end of chapter 5 and into chapter 6,
we understand that the writer could not speak to them of the depths and the riches of the Lord Jesus
because they were immature in their faith.
They were struggling with their faith because of the world around them,
and they were struggling also in their faith because they hadn't reached a mature understanding of the Lord Jesus.
And that again is instructive for us as we look this evening at this passage
and continue to think of the benefits of the cross of the Lord Jesus.
And we have seen the benefit of reconciliation.
We have seen the benefit of redemption.
We have seen the benefit of propitiation.
And tonight we want to look at the cross of Christ and the message of deliverance.
First of all, I want us to see that there is a reality we must learn to fear.
And in verse 14 we have that reality that through death,
it's a solemn thing to speak about death.
We have it throughout the Word of God.
Death is the end of our lives in this world.
It's when our hearts start, stops beating.
It's when our organs fail.
It's when there appears to be nothing.
And the writer in Ecclesiastes speaks of the way in which
the dust returns to the earth as it was,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
Death is the end of our visible lives here in this world.
And at the beginning of our service this evening,
I wanted to think for some time on the solemn issue of our death.
And if we're going to think about death in a biblical way,
we want to see there are three elements to death as the Bible brings it before us.
And the first of these is that death is physical.
There is that separation of body and soul.
It is physical in the sense that there is a tearing apart of the creation of God
in the sense in which body and soul are separated.
And such is the awfulness of death, physical,
that it is tearing apart the very thing that God has created in all of its beauty.
Death is physical.
We know that.
We see that.
And we need to remember the reality of death as physical.
Death is also penal.
The wages of sin is death.
Why is there death in the world?
Because of Adam's sin,
described by Paul in Romans 5.
Sin came into the world,
and death entered because of sin,
and death came upon all because all have sinned.
Death is penal.
It's a penalty of our covenant breaking.
And thirdly,
death is eternal.
It's described in the book of Revelation as the second death.
death.
It's described as the second death in the lake of fire.
We saw in the chapter we read this morning
the way in which Jesus himself speaks about eternal death.
The fiery furnace
where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.
It's eternal.
It's permanent.
And when the Bible speaks about death,
the focus on death
is on the eternal aspect of it.
That it's a death that goes on
forever beyond the scene of time.
It's a reality.
And we know it's there.
And it's so easy for us to live our lives
as if this awful reality of death
did not exist.
It comes close to us in our homes.
And we become more aware of
its destructive power
as it affects us emotionally.
But it's too easy for us
to forget
and to go on living.
How should we respond?
How should we react?
To this reality of death.
Here the writer makes that clear.
That
those who
fear death
were subject to lifelong
slavery.
There is
a fear
and a phobia
that there is
a sense in which
all our emotions
and the whole of our beings
are in a sense to be
terror stricken
with
an awful thought
of what death means.
A heart full of
a sense of
wanting to distance ourselves
from the reality of death.
death.
And wanting if it were
possible to
remove the whole
idea of death
from the whole
perspective of life
and from the experience
of humankind.
But the Bible
tells us
that a response
to the reality
of death
is to
fear it.
death.
And the writer
in this letter itself
reminds us
why we should
fear death.
In chapter 10
of verse 31
it is a fearful
thing
to fall into the hands
of
the living
God.
The fear
of death.
death.
And the more
you and I
in the
secularized
society in which
we live
the more
we're
sucked in
by its way
of thinking.
The more
the fear
of death
will be
lost to us.
And the more
we will remove
it from our
thinking.
And the more
we will
promote
things like
assisted
dying.
because we
fail to
appreciate
what death
is.
And we
initiate
we bring
a proposal
that's to be
brought into
the law of
the land
that is
aimed at
reducing the
suffering
of those
who are
dying.
And losing
sight of
the fact
that the
eternity
of suffering
in the
fire of
hell that
Jesus speaks
of is
unthinkable.
And we
need to
remind
ourselves
and remind
the society
in which
we live
that this
is the
reality of
death.
And that
without
faith in
the Lord
Jesus Christ
there is
eternal
suffering
beyond
life in
this world.
And that
is why
we ought
to fear.
And the
writer here
goes even
further than
that
through
because of
the fear
of death
they were
subject to
lifelong
slavery.
Death is
powerful.
Death
works like
a master.
Death
comes to
our door
and we
have no
control.
We cannot
resist.
We cannot
stop its
progress.
Subject
to
lifelong
slavery.
All the
days of
our lives.
This
should be
our
reaction,
our
response
to what
the Bible
describes
as death
and as
eternal
death.
And
sometimes
the whole
concept of
death is
like an
overcast
on
our
communities
because of
the solemnity
of it and
of the
tragedy of
it.
And we
want to
speak of
the reality
of death
sensitive to
all of
these things.
But the
Bible, and
God wants
us from
the Bible
to
understand
that
the
overcast
of the
skies
around us
is nothing
less
than
eternal
death
because of
our sin
and because
of our
lostness.
The
reality
that we
must learn
to fear.
Secondly,
there is
a relationship
that we
must learn
to appreciate.
And the
relationship
that we
must learn
to appreciate
is,
again in
verse 14,
since
there were
children
share in
flesh and
blood,
he himself
likewise
partook of
the same
things.
people
and the
picture that
we have
here is
oppression
outside of
the human
race,
looking down
on the
predicament of
the human
race,
and looking
down on the
predicament and
seeing that
humankind is
lost and
trapped in
death and
in sin
because of
rebellion
against God.
And that
external
passion that
is looking
down on
humankind in
that way is
no one less
than God
himself and
is here no
one less
than the
Lord Jesus
himself.
and if we
look more
closely at
the way in
which the
Lord himself
is looking
down on
the predicament
of humankind,
we notice
something that's
really important.
And the
important thing
is that God
is looking
down on
a particular
people amongst
the mass of
humankind.
And read
through these
verses.
And time
after time
we are
coming face
to face
with children.
We are
coming face
to face
with the
offspring of
Abraham.
We are
coming face
to face
with quotations
from the
Old Testament.
I will
tell your
name to
my
brothers.
I will
put my
trust in
him.
Behold,
I and
the
children
God has
given to
me.
What does
this tell
us about
God's
relationship
with
humankind?
These words
remind us
that as we
read the
words in
verse number
13 coming
from Isaiah
chapter 8,
we understand
that there is
what the
Bible calls
a remnant,
that there is
a chosen
people.
And God
in this
image that we
have here,
external to
the experience
of humankind,
God's
looking down
on children.
He is
looking down
on his
family.
He is
looking down
on the
offspring of
Abraham.
He is
looking down
on those
whom he
has chosen,
not the
physical
descendants of
Abraham,
but those
whom he
has chosen
from before
the world
was,
and he
sees that
they have
flesh and
blood.
There is
frailty.
He sees
failing.
He sees
death.
He sees
hopelessness.
The whole
environment
of humankind
as God
looks down
upon it
is one
of doom
and darkness
and one
that
looms
forward
to
eternal
destruction.
And that
whole
external
assessment,
if we can
call it
that,
is where
we see
the wonder
of the
relationship
into which
God has
come with
his people,
those whom
he has
come to
save.
And
because
children,
she and
flesh and
bird,
he
himself,
who is
the he
himself?
Who is the
writer referring
to?
No one
less
than
himself.
The center
of the
gospel,
the center
of our
salvation,
the one
described at
the beginning
of this
letter,
as the one
who is the
radiance of
the glory
of God,
who is the
express image
of his
person,
the exact
imprint of
his nature,
the one
whose throne
is forever
and ever.
He
himself,
the son
of God
looking down
on your
lostness
and mine,
and because
of the
predicament in
which we find
ourselves in
our lostness
and under
the shadow
of death,
he
partook of
the same
things.
the wonder
of the
son of
God
becoming
man,
the wonder
of the
son of
God
taking
our
human
frailty
and our
human
nature,
taking it
to himself,
the wonder
of the
son of
God
entering
into the
experience
of this
world,
to walk
its path
with us,
to walk
alongside
us,
to share
our griefs
and our
sorrows,
and in
particular
to come
alongside
us and
to be
able to
suffer,
to go
through the
death that
is the
penalty due
to us
for our
sin.
The
relationship
that we
must learn
to appreciate.
there is
the sense
through these
verses
of the
importance
and of
the
necessity.
There is
no salvation
for lost
humankind
unless this
great step
takes place.
and we
may speak
of the
birth of
Jesus.
We may
speak of
Jesus in
the manger,
Jesus on
the breast
of his
mother,
Jesus growing
up as a
12-year-old
in the
temple.
We may
speak about
the boy
Jesus and
the man
Jesus and
the preacher
Jesus,
but who
is he?
He is
himself.
He is
the son
of God.
come down
into
our world.
The son
of God
described
for us
by Paul
in Philippians
chapter 2.
The person
who was
in the
form of
God
did not
count
equality
with God
a thing
to be
grasped.
He
emptied
himself.
He
took the
form of
a servant
and being
found in
human form.
He humbled
himself
and became
obedient
to death.
How much
do you
and I
tonight
appreciate
who Jesus
is?
It's the
greatest wonder
that we have
in the
Bible.
It's the
greatest wonder
that we
can hear
over in
this world
God.
The son
of God
who sits
on the
throne
of the
universe
came to
be an
infant
in his
mother's
arms
in
Bethlehem.
Learning
to appreciate.
And as we
read through
the Gospels
we have a
story
and it's
so easy
for us
to hear
the story
to hear
about his
miracles
to hear
about the
things that
he said
and to
lose sight
of who
he
actually
is.
And
tonight as we
think of the
reality of
death
which we
must fear
if there is
hope for us
we need to
think of
the relationship
of the
son of
God
with us
and learn
to appreciate
the marvel
of his
coming into
the world
and walking
the face
of this
earth
with us.
There's the
reality
there's the
relationship
and thirdly
there's the
rescue
that we
must not
fail
to embrace
and in the
rescue that
we have
in these
words
there are
two elements
to it
and the
first part
of the
rescue
is that
there is
a great
overthrow
that a
kingdom is
being demolished
and dismantled
and the
writer tells
us that
again in
verse number
14
that through
death he
might
destroy the
one who
has the
power of
death
that is
the devil
there is
someone with
power
and we
need to
reckon with
the power
of Satan
the power
of the
devil
and the
way in
which he
is organized
in his
kingdom
and standing
up against
the kingdom
of God
he has
a controlling
influence
and power
in his
own
kingdom
and determines
what happens
in his
own
kingdom
he is not
outside the
authority and
the sovereignty
of God
of course
but he
has
the power
of
death
and we
might well
ask
how does
he have
that power
what does
that mean
that the
son
that Satan
has the
power of
death
he has it
because in the
words of
Jesus
he was a
murderer from
the beginning
he tempted
Adam and
Eve into
sin
and through
that temptation
which they
embraced sin
death entered
into the
world
and all of
the controlling
influence
of the
devil
is with
regard to
sin and
death
and his
influence is
such that
eternal
death is
also under
his control
and influence
and power
in that sense
that he
dominates
and domineers
all those
who live
in separation
from God
the one
who has
the power
of death
and so
if we're
thinking about
the reality
of death
the death
that we
the reality
that we
must fear
then here
is something
else that we
must fear
with regard
to the reality
of death
that the
devil
the serpent
the deceiver
the accuser
of the
brethren
the person
who is the
enemy of
God
and the
enemy of
the people
of God
that he
is the
one
who has
the dominion
of death
in his
hands
under
the oversight
of God
himself
and it
is
that power
and that
dominion
that is
overthrown
that he
might
destroy
the one
who has
the power
of death
it's
robbing
someone
of power
and of
influence
we can
think of
dismantling
of taking
something
apart
systematically
the son
of God
has taken
apart
the kingdom
of Satan
he has
done that
systematically
he has
dismantled
everything
that Satan
builds
and that
Satan
controls
we can
think of
him
disempowering
Satan
and that's
what the
son of
God
has done
he has
worked in
such a
way as
to prevent
Satan
from having
the power
and the
influence
that he
had
previously
we can
think of
him
deactivating
the very
power of
the kingdom
of Satan
and that's
so important
for us to
come to
the gospel
and to
understand
that the
power that
Satan has
over death
is deactivated
it's removed
or its
effectiveness
is now
removed
and
ultimately
he is
overthrown
he is
removed
forcibly
from power
by the
person
more
powerful
than
himself
and how
has the
son of
God
achieved
this
he has
achieved
this
through
the
cross
itself
that
through
death
he might
destroy
the one
who has
the power
of death
the
son of
God
the
Lord
Jesus
as he
is suspended
on
Calvary's
cross
dying
for the
sins
of the
world
as he
endures
the penalty
due to
us
for our
sins
and that
penalty
is exhausted
and removed
as he
turns away
the wrath
of God
and our
sins
are forgiven
the
pillars
on which
the
kingdom
of
Satan
stand
and is
built
they are
vanished
and they
are removed
and there
is nothing
left but
the
tumbling
ruin
of his
kingdom
destroying
his
power
doesn't
mean to
say
destroying
himself
he
still
remains
there
but
his
power
his
kingdom
is
overthrown
and
that's
the
good
news
of
the
rescue
that
we
have
from
the
cross
that
the
death
which
we
fear
in
its
physical
aspect
in
its
penal
aspect
in
its
eternal
aspect
and
that
we
find
ourselves
subject
to
lifelong
slavery
because
of it
that
fear
is
taken
away
through
the
cross
of
the
Lord
Jesus
as the
late
principal
Don McLeod
said
in his
book
Christ
crucified
the
paradox
here
is
that
Christ
destroyed
the
devil
with
his
own
weapon
that
in
the
death
of
Christ
where
Satan
thought
he
was
having
the
victory
that
where
he
thought
he
had
victory
turned
out to
be
his
defeat
and
his
overthrow
who
rejoice
in
the
cross
of
Jesus
Christ
because
he
has
overthrown
Satan
he
has
crushed
his
head
he
has
defeated
him
and
he
has
emerged
victorious
the
rescue
and
the
overthrow
of
Satan
and
there
is
the
rescue
and
our
deliverance
and
deliver
verse 15
and
deliver
all
those
who
through
fear
of
death
were
subject
to
lifelong
slavery
a
change
that
comes
about
because
of what
Jesus
has
done
on
the
cross
taking
us
from
one
place
transferring
us
into
another
place
it's
breaking
our
existing
relationships
with
sin
and
with
death
and
it's
giving
us
a
new
relationship
with
the
God
against
whom
we
have
rebelled
it's
taking
us
from
the
kingdom
of
darkness
into
the
kingdom
of
God
it's
removing
that
fear
of
death
it's
setting
us
free
!
love
time
!
death
means
and
for
the
people
of
God
it
means
entrance
into
the
paradise
of
God
and
that
deliverance
ultimately
is
referred
to
in
verse
10
of
this
chapter
as
we
close
that in bringing many sons to glory
he is making
their saviour perfect through suffering
the founder of their salvation
perfect through suffering
that's the deliverance
taking
those whom he has chosen from
lost humankind
and bringing them into the paradise of God
taking many sons
many children
many
taking God's family
into the glory
the world to come in verse 5
the glory in verse 10
and the new heavens
and the new earth
that Revelation 21 speaks of
and that paradise
where we read that people will come out of great tribulation
in Revelation 7
and they will
enter into the new heavens
and the new earth
God himself will be present with them
as their God
they shall be his people
God will wipe away all tears
and death
shall be
no more
what a place
what a paradise
what a promise
and as we close this evening
what do you think yourself
what do you think of the rescue
of humankind by Jesus on the cross
what do you think of
the relationship of the son of God
with humankind
with yourself
what do you think of the reality of death
and can you
go home tonight
and say that you don't need to embrace
the Lord Jesus
say that you don't need the salvation that he offers
that you don't need the rescue
that he offers to you in the gospel
can you
possibly
go home
and say that
and I close with reading
the verses
at the beginning of
of this chapter
for since the message
declared by angels
proved to be reliable
and every transgression
or disobedience
received a just retribution
how shall we escape
if we neglect
such a great
salvation
there is no other
salvation
there is no escape
and the necessity tonight
is for you
and for me
to embrace this
founder of salvation
this deliverer of sinners
this victorious conqueror
on the cross
and to embrace him
and
to look
at death itself
and see it as
our gateway
to the paradise of God
and to the full enjoyment
of the blessing of God
throughout the endless ages
of eternity
to come
may God bless his word to us
we'll bow our heads in prayer
most gracious God
we seek to humble ourselves
before your word
the solemn nature of the truths
that you bring before us
in it
the solemn way in which
these
truths are impressed
upon our minds
help us
to receive them
as they are
help us not to
cloud over
their solemnity
help us
so we will not
forget the truths
that have been brought
before us
from my word
this evening
but give to us
a sense of our need
a sense of the
necessity of
embracing the salvation
that is ours
through faith
in
the Lord Jesus Christ
who loved us
and gave himself
for us
bless your word
to our hearts
we do pray
and watch over us
as we close this service
and as we go into
the remainder of this
your day
bless your word
and keep us
and may it be
the means of
informing your paths
each step that we take
in the week that is to come
as we
commit ourselves
to your care
hear our prayer
and accept us
we pray these things
for Jesus sake
Amen
the closing psalm is
psalm number 68
the Scottish Psalter
is on page 303
and at verse number 18
verses that describe to us
in a fitting way
something of what
we have been
considering together
from the letter
to Hebrews
psalm number 68
at verse 18
and we're singing down
to the verse mark 20
the tune is
Lingham
thou hast
O Lord
the most glorious
ascended up on high
and in triumph
victorious led
captive
captivity
we stand to sing
these words
to God's praise
to verse number 20
captive
Up on high, ascended up on high,
Handelschreier of Victorious Land.
Captive, captivity, captive, captivity,
captive, captivity, captive, captivity.
Thou hast received gifts for men
For such as did rebel
Yey, for them that caught the Lord
In midst of them I dwell
Blessed be the Lord who is to us
Of our salvation God
Who daily with his benefits
As plenteously doth Lord
He of salvation is the God
Who is our God most strong
And unto God
The Lord from death
The issues do belong
If you'll let me to go to the main door
After the benediction
Thank you
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
The love of God
The Father
And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
Be with you all
Now and forevermore
Amen