WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:10.880 was tempted. He is able to help those who are being tempted. So, Jesus is totally committed 00:00:10.880 --> 00:00:20.519 to His family. I read a story this week, the testimony, I guess, of a Christian mom 00:00:20.519 --> 00:00:28.760 who adopted two orphan girls when they were in sort of middle primary years. And it was a very 00:00:28.760 --> 00:00:35.760 honest account of some of the difficulties. She said that as parents, they were in a fierce battle 00:00:35.760 --> 00:00:45.659 for their hearts. These kids had already seen things and learned certain behaviors in early years, 00:00:46.359 --> 00:00:54.600 and they needed to learn to trust and to be guided by these new parents who wanted to love them and 00:00:54.600 --> 00:01:04.540 show them a better way. This mom said adoption is a brutally honest teacher in their experience, 00:01:04.540 --> 00:01:10.939 not so much about competent caregiving, but about how little we know our own darkness, and mostly 00:01:10.939 --> 00:01:18.599 about the amazing journey God undertook to bring us into His family. So, she was reflecting on her own 00:01:18.599 --> 00:01:25.099 family experience and thinking about the gospel and thinking about all that God does for His people 00:01:25.099 --> 00:01:32.599 in our darkness and sin. And she reflected on the hard days and the difficult days as a family, 00:01:32.759 --> 00:01:38.659 and it sounds like there were and probably are many. And she said this, she said, 00:01:38.739 --> 00:01:46.039 what holds us together is not our children's performance. What holds us together is that we 00:01:46.040 --> 00:01:53.000 committed to love them before they even realized that they were ours. In adoption, the relationship 00:01:53.000 --> 00:02:01.900 starts and is sustained by the ones who start it. That would be the important truth. 00:02:03.040 --> 00:02:10.240 The Bible says adoption is so crucial to our understanding of the gospel, God's gift to us. John 00:02:10.240 --> 00:02:15.879 Murray, a Scottish theologian, says adoption is the apex, the high point of grace and privilege. 00:02:16.039 --> 00:02:21.859 And I think here the author to the Hebrews is inviting us to look at it from God's point of 00:02:21.859 --> 00:02:30.099 view. What was the cost to God in adopting people into His family? So, we're invited to see in a 00:02:30.099 --> 00:02:37.899 variety of ways the costly journey of Jesus to save His people. We are reminded of the eternal commitment 00:02:37.900 --> 00:02:44.879 of God to call His people into His family, and we are certainly reminded of the grace of God that both 00:02:44.879 --> 00:02:53.500 starts and sustains the relationship between God and His people. You probably saw that the section is full of 00:02:53.500 --> 00:03:00.620 family language. Verse 10, in bringing many sons and daughters to glory. Verse 11, Jesus is not ashamed to call 00:03:00.620 --> 00:03:08.360 them brothers and sisters. Verse 14, since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity. 00:03:09.379 --> 00:03:18.319 So, it's emphasizing both that Jesus became one of us to save us, but it's also emphasizing that He did all 00:03:18.319 --> 00:03:25.620 that to make His people children of God, to give us that privilege of being in God's family. 00:03:28.699 --> 00:03:36.939 If we remember our context, why is this letter being written? There is a fierce battle for these 00:03:36.939 --> 00:03:42.680 people's hearts going on. There's a fierce battle for our hearts going on. In the context here, it was 00:03:42.680 --> 00:03:49.460 suffering in opposition making them wonder, should we stick with Jesus or should we go back to the old 00:03:49.460 --> 00:03:56.159 ways? Perhaps we recognize something of that battle in our own lives. And what this section does is it 00:03:56.159 --> 00:04:05.300 calls us again to trust Jesus our Savior, to worship the God who sustains faith, who sustains His family of 00:04:05.300 --> 00:04:14.660 faith? Ultimately, God would want our hearts to be one, to be captivated, to be captured by seeing once again 00:04:14.660 --> 00:04:21.879 the commitment of Jesus our Savior to redeem us and bring us home. So, we're going to see four ways in 00:04:21.879 --> 00:04:30.819 which Jesus is committed. I'm going to do it before my voice breaks up, I hope. Verse 10, Jesus is committed 00:04:30.819 --> 00:04:38.240 to suffering for His family. It's a lovely verse because it shows us the Father's heart. 00:04:39.480 --> 00:04:46.839 The Father's desire is to bring many sons and daughters to glory. In verse 9, which we thought 00:04:46.839 --> 00:04:55.339 about two weeks ago now, there was the idea that Jesus tasted death for His people, but now He is crowned 00:04:55.339 --> 00:05:02.839 with glory and honor in heaven. And what we're discovering now is that Jesus the Son shares that 00:05:02.839 --> 00:05:11.899 glory with His children, with His brothers and sisters. Perhaps that raises the question in our 00:05:11.899 --> 00:05:19.099 mind, well, how can people like us, we know our own hearts, our lives, how can sinful, rebellious, wayward 00:05:19.100 --> 00:05:28.040 people like us enjoy and share glory with Jesus and honor in heaven? That's why the author reminds us 00:05:28.040 --> 00:05:35.580 of the Father's plan. And notice that he says it was a fitting plan, a plan that fits with the character 00:05:35.580 --> 00:05:41.820 and purposes of God, a plan when we think about the cross that shows both the holiness of God, the 00:05:41.820 --> 00:05:47.500 perfect justice of God, but also His love and His grace and His mercy. Now, what is the plan? 00:05:47.500 --> 00:05:55.500 The plan is that Jesus, the pioneer of salvation, would suffer death for the sake of His people. 00:05:57.120 --> 00:06:02.600 Here is Jesus the pioneer. He is the trailblazer. He is the one that opens the way to God. He is the 00:06:02.600 --> 00:06:09.279 only one who can open the way back to God. And for Him to do that, He needs to go on a journey. 00:06:10.480 --> 00:06:15.399 And that journey involves Him suffering death for the salvation of sinners. 00:06:15.399 --> 00:06:21.459 And it's remarkable as we recognize the fact that so many people look at the cross and think it's 00:06:21.459 --> 00:06:27.979 folly. When God looks at the cross, He says it's fitting. It's fitting because it demonstrates His 00:06:27.979 --> 00:06:33.679 holiness and justice. But He does deal with sin. He cannot sweep it under the carpet, but it shows His 00:06:33.679 --> 00:06:41.539 love because He sends His own Son. And Jesus is willing to come and pay the penalty, take the price, 00:06:41.540 --> 00:06:49.160 face the judgment that His people deserve, so that we might know love and forgiveness and eternal life. 00:06:51.360 --> 00:06:56.160 Later in Hebrews chapter 12 verse 2, there's that famous verse, Jesus, for the joy that was set before 00:06:56.160 --> 00:07:02.740 Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame. And because Jesus was willing to endure the cross, 00:07:02.820 --> 00:07:07.000 to scorn its shame, because of the glory that was set before Him, knowing that it would bring 00:07:07.000 --> 00:07:15.439 His family to glory, that's the basis for our hope and our joy, isn't it? Because of Jesus' commitment 00:07:15.439 --> 00:07:23.899 to make that journey to the cross, we can have hope of our eternal reward. 00:07:26.100 --> 00:07:33.259 You've perhaps been reading or at least seeing some of the interviews that have been going on with 00:07:33.259 --> 00:07:38.759 Olympic medalists as they've been making their way back to the country. One that was particularly 00:07:38.759 --> 00:07:43.240 interesting to me was the guy Tom Dean, the swimmer who won a couple of gold medals. 00:07:43.959 --> 00:07:48.399 And in the interview that he was giving, he said, well, if I won two, my mum deserves three. 00:07:49.480 --> 00:07:54.339 And he went on to explain that for years, his mum has got up at five o'clock in the morning 00:07:54.339 --> 00:08:01.639 and driven him for hours to his swimming practice before then heading back to London for her job in the 00:08:01.639 --> 00:08:05.939 city. And she was doing that for the last eight years while being a single parent with other 00:08:05.939 --> 00:08:11.899 children, other responsibilities. And so, here is a Tom Dean gold medalist, and he's recognizing 00:08:11.899 --> 00:08:22.800 the sacrifice of that journey day after day. Of course, it's rewarded with those gold medals. But 00:08:22.800 --> 00:08:31.120 in a much greater way, don't we see the cross of Jesus as the journey of ultimate costly 00:08:31.120 --> 00:08:38.460 sacrifice? Not just a little bit of time, a little bit of energy, but giving his own life. 00:08:39.879 --> 00:08:44.720 Knowing that for him beyond it, there was glory, knowing that it would bring many sons and daughters 00:08:44.720 --> 00:08:49.639 to glory. That's the reward for all who trust in Jesus. 00:08:52.519 --> 00:08:59.440 The people that received the letter of the Hebrews, they were discouraged and they were doubting. 00:08:59.440 --> 00:09:07.980 Maybe today we are discouraged and we are doubting. What should we learn? We should learn once again to 00:09:07.980 --> 00:09:16.120 look to Jesus, shouldn't we? To see once again his commitment to suffer for the salvation of his people. 00:09:16.900 --> 00:09:26.200 To know that we can trust him. We can trust him to keep us no matter what. So, Jesus is committed to 00:09:26.200 --> 00:09:32.120 suffering for his family. But we see another aspect of Jesus' commitment. We see Jesus is committed to 00:09:32.120 --> 00:09:39.500 solidarity with his family. In verses 11 to 13, he's committed to standing with his family. The focus 00:09:39.500 --> 00:09:48.140 in these verses is just how strongly Jesus identifies with his own people, with his church. 00:09:48.139 --> 00:09:57.519 That they are a part of his family. That Jesus can say that he is not ashamed to call them brothers and 00:09:57.519 --> 00:10:05.679 sisters. Bear in mind that Jesus is being presented as, in verse 11, the one who makes people holy. 00:10:06.980 --> 00:10:12.360 Here we're being reminded that Jesus is the Son of God, that in and of himself he is totally pure 00:10:12.360 --> 00:10:18.700 and perfect. He is in a different moral category to any of us. But Jesus has also been made holy. He's 00:10:18.700 --> 00:10:27.379 been set apart by his Father for his mission, for his mission to save people from sin. His work 00:10:27.379 --> 00:10:39.159 is to make people holy. To set others apart as belonging to God. To set the church apart as God's 00:10:39.159 --> 00:10:45.360 possession is God's people. That's why the Christians in the New Testament are often described as saints, 00:10:45.779 --> 00:10:53.679 sanctified, set apart, holy ones. And here is this reminder that Jesus has bound himself to his church 00:10:53.679 --> 00:11:01.860 in his mission. And to make that point clear, the author to the Hebrews goes back, as he so often does, 00:11:02.319 --> 00:11:07.899 goes back to the Old Testament. He brings us three different quotes from the Old Testament to draw 00:11:07.899 --> 00:11:14.840 this out. So, in verse 12, he quotes from the end of Psalm 22. He says, 00:11:15.579 --> 00:11:22.500 I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters. In the assembly, I will sing your praises. 00:11:23.399 --> 00:11:30.620 Psalm 22 was one of those psalms that was, for a long time, read and sung messianically, sung 00:11:30.620 --> 00:11:38.419 anticipating God's Messiah, God's Savior coming. This king who would identify with his people, who would 00:11:38.419 --> 00:11:44.299 suffer and die for his people, but beyond that, who would know deliverance and victory and triumph. 00:11:45.879 --> 00:11:53.060 That's why we sang those different sections, to see that movement. And here, the author to the 00:11:53.059 --> 00:12:00.819 Hebrews draws on that sense of victory. Here is King Jesus, and he's leading his spiritual family 00:12:00.819 --> 00:12:10.799 in worship of God, in trust of God. And then, in verse 13, we see a couple of different quotes from 00:12:10.799 --> 00:12:17.279 Isaiah chapter 8. Again, I will put my trust in him. That was from verse 17. And again, he says, 00:12:17.279 --> 00:12:23.980 here am I in the children God has given me. That was from verse 18. So, verse 17 there is saying, 00:12:24.079 --> 00:12:30.500 you know, those were Isaiah's words, I will put my trust in God. But here, they're being put into 00:12:30.500 --> 00:12:38.679 the mouth of Jesus. Here is Jesus saying, as the Son of God, I will trust my Father. Jesus is the model 00:12:38.679 --> 00:12:46.079 of what absolute trust in God looks like. And isn't that what we see when we read the Gospels? Jesus 00:12:46.080 --> 00:12:54.060 trusting His Father's Word, His Father's ways, His Father's will. And then, in verse 18, 00:12:55.080 --> 00:13:00.560 here am I in the children God has given me. In its original context, this is Isaiah saying, 00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:09.879 me and my sons, we are on mission for God. We are bringing a message from God. Together, 00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:15.379 Isaiah is linked with his sons in serving God. And now here, as it's applied to Jesus, 00:13:15.379 --> 00:13:22.200 again, it's getting that message across that we are united with Him. He is united with His spiritual 00:13:22.200 --> 00:13:30.939 sons and daughters, that the church together with Jesus are called to serve God, to trust God, 00:13:30.939 --> 00:13:39.080 and to live for God. So, Jesus stands with His family in solidarity. 00:13:39.080 --> 00:13:47.520 And that takes us to that really powerful, wonderful, I think, statement at the end of verse 11. 00:13:48.540 --> 00:13:53.920 So, Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. 00:13:55.940 --> 00:13:59.480 I don't know if many of you want, I don't even know if it's still on, but the TV show, 00:13:59.580 --> 00:14:05.860 Who Do You Think You Are?, in which celebrities would discover something of their family tree. And there 00:14:05.860 --> 00:14:12.000 were a few episodes that really stuck out in the public imagination because celebrities discovered 00:14:12.000 --> 00:14:21.519 really surprising things from their family tree. Perhaps most famously, Ainsley Harriet, the TV chef, 00:14:21.600 --> 00:14:28.019 he discovered that back in the 18th century, his family in Jamaica had kept slaves. 00:14:28.019 --> 00:14:37.840 That was a big shock, understandably, for him. But I wonder if we take it to our own lives, whether we 00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:49.259 can enter into that sense of families having skeletons in the closet, whether there's the black sheep in 00:14:49.259 --> 00:14:57.399 your family. Some of us may have been or may even still be the black sheep in our own family. It can often be 00:14:57.399 --> 00:15:03.519 that members of our family cause us discomfort or even a sense of shame. 00:15:06.159 --> 00:15:16.220 But here's the beauty of the gospel. It's that Jesus, who is God, and as God, he knows the very worst 00:15:16.220 --> 00:15:27.980 about us, our hearts, our thoughts, our actions, past, present, future, all laid bare before him. 00:15:28.779 --> 00:15:35.080 He knows those things that we are deeply ashamed of and we hope that nobody ever discovers about us. 00:15:35.920 --> 00:15:45.779 He knows the ways in which we have brought shame on our holy God. And yet, when our faith is in Jesus, 00:15:45.779 --> 00:15:57.579 he meets us with honor and not shame. We see in Jesus one who is committed to love and to welcome 00:15:57.579 --> 00:16:04.939 us. We see in our Father one of generous grace, one who never turns his back on us. 00:16:06.379 --> 00:16:11.259 Think about what Jesus is doing now for his church, right now for you. If you're a Christian, 00:16:11.259 --> 00:16:15.939 what's Jesus doing? He's praying for you and he's giving the Spirit to you. 00:16:17.580 --> 00:16:26.580 And Jesus is committed to bring his family home because he's committed to solidarity with his family. 00:16:27.939 --> 00:16:35.159 That becomes really important for at least some of us and some Christians in their own experiences. 00:16:35.159 --> 00:16:41.959 So again, this week, I came across a pastor in New York City by the name of Bernard Howard. 00:16:43.179 --> 00:16:51.819 And again, he was telling the story of growing up as a young Jewish man. And then in his teenage 00:16:51.819 --> 00:16:57.819 years, he became a follower of Jesus. And one of the first things that happened is he became a follower 00:16:57.820 --> 00:17:02.600 of Jesus in the Jewish community with a Jewish family as he was cut off by his grandmother. 00:17:03.980 --> 00:17:09.539 For years, she wouldn't speak to him. And that was true of other relatives and other friends also. 00:17:09.880 --> 00:17:15.640 And he understood, and perhaps we have come to understand that following Jesus means we will stick 00:17:15.640 --> 00:17:19.900 out. And sometimes that will lead to separation. 00:17:19.900 --> 00:17:27.840 And then this man, Bernard Howard, he then addressed the question, well, why go through that? Why face 00:17:27.840 --> 00:17:32.560 being isolated from your family? And he said, well, if Jesus is God's eternal King, 00:17:34.340 --> 00:17:38.900 and if we are to enjoy life in God's kingdom, to enjoy his perfect rule forever, 00:17:41.780 --> 00:17:47.380 then following Jesus is worth it regardless of cause, since he is who he says he is. 00:17:47.380 --> 00:17:52.960 And wonderfully for him, and perhaps for us as well, he discovered that while he experienced the loss 00:17:52.960 --> 00:18:01.580 of family, he knew the gain of another family, the Christian family, the church, and knowing Jesus. 00:18:02.620 --> 00:18:07.940 And who is Jesus? He's a friend who sticks closer than any brother. We discover in Jesus one who is 00:18:07.940 --> 00:18:15.780 perfectly loyal. He is loyal to God's plan of salvation. He never wavers. And Jesus is perfectly loyal to his 00:18:15.779 --> 00:18:23.240 church because we are his family. We're his brothers and sisters. And so, as we think about Jesus' loyalty 00:18:23.240 --> 00:18:29.859 to us, in response, are we ready to show some of that same loyalty to him as our Savior and Lord? 00:18:31.079 --> 00:18:37.420 Are we ready to stick with him, even if that means we stick out? Because Jesus is committed to solidarity 00:18:37.420 --> 00:18:46.060 with his family. Let's move from there to verses 14 and 15, and what we see there, again, wonderful truth, 00:18:46.180 --> 00:18:53.480 Jesus is committed to saving his family. So, for those of us who have been here, most of us have been 00:18:53.480 --> 00:18:59.060 here as we've gone through Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 1 very much focused on Jesus as the Son of God. 00:18:59.620 --> 00:19:06.720 But then Hebrews chapter 2 focuses much more on Jesus as fully human. And there's a mystery there, 00:19:06.720 --> 00:19:10.980 isn't there? Jesus fully God and Jesus fully man. But it's a mystery that we need to understand 00:19:10.980 --> 00:19:18.380 the gospel. And here we see it being worked out in this way. Verse 14 of Hebrews 2, 00:19:18.920 --> 00:19:26.019 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity, so that by his death he 00:19:26.019 --> 00:19:31.440 might break the power of him who holds the power of death, that is the devil, and free those who all 00:19:31.440 --> 00:19:40.940 their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. So, there's a picture here that people 00:19:40.940 --> 00:19:51.420 outside of Jesus, we are held as slaves, slaves to the power of death and to the fear of death. 00:19:53.000 --> 00:19:57.680 We might think of it as slavery, we might think of it as a hostage situation, but one in which there is 00:19:57.680 --> 00:20:06.160 no freedom, where there is constant threat and where there is ongoing fear. Now, notice that the text 00:20:06.160 --> 00:20:15.500 tells us that the devil holds the power of death. And it's important for us to understand that that's 00:20:15.500 --> 00:20:21.680 not ultimate power because that belongs to God, but we do know from the Bible that what does the devil 00:20:21.680 --> 00:20:29.200 do? He influences people away from God and towards sin. And we know from the Bible that the wages of sin 00:20:29.200 --> 00:20:36.299 is death. So, the devil holds the power of death as he would seek to draw us away from faith and trust 00:20:36.299 --> 00:20:44.200 and obedience towards disobedience and walking away from God and into continued slavery. 00:20:44.200 --> 00:20:57.680 And with that comes, verse 15, the fear of death. And isn't that our ultimate fear as people? 00:20:58.740 --> 00:21:07.940 For as much as modern life would distract us, so we're always busy and always living in lots of 00:21:07.940 --> 00:21:14.380 little moments and we maybe don't always think about sort of the big questions. And even as much as 00:21:14.380 --> 00:21:22.740 modern life so often shelters us from death, because so often people don't die in their own homes 00:21:22.740 --> 00:21:30.220 surrounded by family like it used to happen. People die perhaps in hospitals or hospices more often. 00:21:31.380 --> 00:21:35.900 And even as we recognize within the medical community and within scientific community that 00:21:35.900 --> 00:21:39.280 some even think that it's possible to defeat in some way death. 00:21:41.580 --> 00:21:46.100 Still, death remains both our great enemy and our great fear. 00:21:48.560 --> 00:21:56.519 Robert Neill, back in the 70s, wrote a book called The Art of Dying. And he talked about the things that 00:21:56.519 --> 00:22:04.780 people typically fear. Now, we fear often the loss of control associated with 00:22:04.779 --> 00:22:12.420 death and death and dying. Losing control of our body perhaps. Losing control of important decisions 00:22:12.420 --> 00:22:19.700 which are passed on to loved ones. For many, there is the fear of life ending with a sense of 00:22:19.700 --> 00:22:29.180 incompleteness, failure, things left undone. Perhaps for most, and the most pressing fear is that fear of 00:22:29.180 --> 00:22:36.860 separation from loved ones. I think we could add to his list that the fear of the unknown, we simply do 00:22:36.860 --> 00:22:44.560 not know what it is like. And here we're also reminded that without Christ there is that fear 00:22:44.560 --> 00:22:50.500 that gnaws on people of condemnation when we face God and His judgment. 00:22:50.500 --> 00:22:58.460 The Bible is an honest book. Christianity is an honest faith, and it recognizes that this fear is 00:22:58.460 --> 00:23:04.759 real. And it facing up to the reality of the power of death and the fear of death becomes really 00:23:04.759 --> 00:23:11.640 important for then appreciating for us the good news of the gospel. Why did Jesus come? 00:23:11.640 --> 00:23:22.560 Now, we discover that the only way to have the power of death broken is by Jesus dying in our place. And 00:23:22.560 --> 00:23:31.560 the only way for Jesus to die is for Him to take on full humanity. Jesus became one of us to die for 00:23:31.560 --> 00:23:39.440 us because that's the only way for the power of death and the fear of death to be broken. The only way for 00:23:39.440 --> 00:23:51.960 us to be released from that slavery is for Jesus to come and to take our place. Jesus, by His resurrection, 00:23:51.960 --> 00:24:04.180 has, as it were, defanged death. The poison of death is removed. When our faith is in Jesus, 00:24:04.180 --> 00:24:14.380 death has been defanged. Perhaps on TV, maybe some of us even in person have seen snake charmers working. 00:24:14.960 --> 00:24:20.440 Or maybe we've been to places where snake handling happens, and that can be a really scary thing to 00:24:20.440 --> 00:24:25.860 watch, a scary thing to do. But often, especially if it's snake handling, we're told, well, don't worry, 00:24:25.940 --> 00:24:32.700 they've been defanged. The poison has been removed. They could bite, but that bite would not be harmful 00:24:32.700 --> 00:24:43.380 or destructive. The same is true for the believer because Jesus has defanged death. Now, how does the 00:24:43.380 --> 00:24:55.259 commitment of Jesus to die to save us help us to face death? Well, it says to us we don't need to fear 00:24:55.259 --> 00:25:04.339 the loss of control because as Christians, we're invited to give control to Jesus as Lord and Master each 00:25:04.339 --> 00:25:11.640 and every day, to entrust ourselves to Jesus in our lives and with our death. 00:25:13.539 --> 00:25:20.960 We don't need to fear incompleteness because we understand by faith that death is not the 00:25:20.960 --> 00:25:29.640 end for us. Rather, it is the entry into eternal life. And the Bible tells us in so many ways that 00:25:29.640 --> 00:25:36.000 as people, regardless of who we are and what we've accomplished, we are complete, truly complete, when we 00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:47.539 know God by faith in Jesus. As Christians, we don't need to live with the dread fear of separation. 00:25:47.539 --> 00:25:56.819 Remember those wonderful words of Jesus in John 14 to disciples who were troubled by Jesus' own 00:25:56.819 --> 00:26:03.759 impending death. He said, don't let your hearts be troubled. He talked about his father's house. He said, 00:26:04.079 --> 00:26:09.099 I'm going there to prepare a place for you, and if I go, I'll certainly come back and take you to be with 00:26:09.099 --> 00:26:17.359 me that you might be where I am. Jesus will bring all his people to his father's house, and we will 00:26:17.359 --> 00:26:27.439 share that house with all those we have loved who also had their faith in Jesus. We'll be together 00:26:27.439 --> 00:26:32.519 forever with the family of Christ, with our friends and family who we have known and loved in this life. 00:26:32.519 --> 00:26:37.859 We will know and love them for eternity and worship our Savior together. 00:26:40.779 --> 00:26:48.180 When our faith is in Jesus, we don't need to fear the unknown, because Jesus has gone into death, 00:26:48.240 --> 00:26:54.259 has gone through death, has gone ahead of us into resurrection life, and he invites us to look to him 00:26:54.259 --> 00:27:05.000 and to understand that he walks with us daily until he takes us home. So, Jesus is committed to saving his 00:27:05.000 --> 00:27:16.379 family, and Jesus finally is committed to serving his family. Verse 16 reminds us again of a theme that 00:27:16.379 --> 00:27:24.079 the author has been addressing previously, the dignity that belongs to people and to the people of God. 00:27:24.079 --> 00:27:29.819 When he says, for surely it's not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants, the family of faith, 00:27:30.220 --> 00:27:41.539 Jesus became one of us, not one of the angels. Jesus came to stand with people and to save his people. 00:27:41.639 --> 00:27:49.679 That's not a privilege that belongs to the angels. And we're told here that Jesus became one of us 00:27:49.680 --> 00:27:55.740 in order to serve us. Two ways in which he does that. Verse 17, 00:27:56.140 --> 00:27:59.680 for this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, 00:28:00.500 --> 00:28:05.180 in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, 00:28:06.019 --> 00:28:12.820 and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. So, here we get a description of the kind 00:28:12.819 --> 00:28:19.039 priest that Jesus is. He is a merciful high priest who responds to his people's needs. 00:28:20.159 --> 00:28:29.099 He is a faithful high priest, faithful to his task, his task of representing his people before God. 00:28:31.159 --> 00:28:39.599 As high priest, he makes atonement for the sins of his people. I like the way Mike Kruger, 00:28:39.599 --> 00:28:45.579 in his short commentary book on Hebrews, puts it, he says, I think about a sponge. 00:28:46.759 --> 00:28:52.119 What does a sponge do when it's placed in some water? It absorbs it, doesn't it? 00:28:53.480 --> 00:29:01.619 And Kruger says, Jesus is like a sponge. There at the cross, he soaks up all God's anger 00:29:01.619 --> 00:29:11.539 at the sins of his people. He soaks up God's judgment due to his people, so that to trust in Jesus 00:29:11.539 --> 00:29:18.399 means there is no anger left for us. There is no judgment left for us, 00:29:18.399 --> 00:29:26.879 because Jesus has absorbed it for us. He is our great high priest, and he is the one who 00:29:26.880 --> 00:29:33.120 is also our great sacrifice. He offers not an animal, but he offers himself. Here's another 00:29:33.120 --> 00:29:39.540 reason why he's better than the old ways that these people are tempted to go back to. It's not 00:29:39.540 --> 00:29:45.160 just an animal, he offers himself that perfect, complete, once-for-all, effective sacrifice. 00:29:47.700 --> 00:29:54.320 So, Jesus serves us as our high priest, but Jesus also serves by helping us when we are tempted. It's 00:29:54.319 --> 00:30:00.059 there in verse 18, isn't it? Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help 00:30:00.059 --> 00:30:08.119 those who are being tempted. So, again, here is Jesus, and Jesus is fully human, and as being fully 00:30:08.119 --> 00:30:15.019 human, he also knew temptation. We read the Gospels, and we find Jesus being tempted by the devil towards 00:30:15.019 --> 00:30:23.579 seeking personal glory, towards gaining wealth and power in kingdoms, and perhaps especially 00:30:23.579 --> 00:30:31.900 tempted towards glory without suffering, to a crown without the need of the cross. 00:30:33.759 --> 00:30:41.619 But the good news is that unlike us, Jesus never gave in to temptation. Jesus never sinned when he faced 00:30:41.619 --> 00:30:47.619 temptation. And now that Jesus has completed his work, he doesn't stand to the side and say, 00:30:47.699 --> 00:30:54.500 well, I did it. Now it's time for my brothers and sisters to get on with their own spiritual battles. 00:30:54.659 --> 00:31:00.259 Rather, what does it say? It says he draws near to help his family. He draws near to help his brothers 00:31:00.259 --> 00:31:11.039 and sisters as we face our temptations. It's a wonderful theme that will sort of reappear in chapter 4 and 00:31:11.039 --> 00:31:19.339 onwards. But it's a reminder to us of something that we understand instinctively. When someone suffers, 00:31:19.339 --> 00:31:30.199 and they want someone to talk to, typically they will seek out a fellow sufferer. It's a really helpful 00:31:30.199 --> 00:31:37.139 book called Companions in Suffering. Someone who will be able to understand their situation. 00:31:38.139 --> 00:31:46.119 Someone who can offer real comfort and real support. Now here's what the author is saying to us. 00:31:46.119 --> 00:31:51.599 We can never say of Jesus, or never say to Jesus, Jesus, you would never understand my trouble. 00:31:53.500 --> 00:32:01.119 Jesus, you would never understand my temptation. Rather, we're told that he is able to help those 00:32:01.119 --> 00:32:06.719 who are being tempted because he himself suffered when he was tempted. Remember, Jesus has gone through 00:32:06.719 --> 00:32:14.979 so much more, and yet without sin. And so he is ready and willing to help us, to help us to persevere, 00:32:14.980 --> 00:32:24.339 to help us keep faith when we are tempted. So the author to the Hebrews is really saying to us here 00:32:24.339 --> 00:32:33.299 that the commitment of Jesus to his church is vital for the Christian life. 00:32:34.640 --> 00:32:38.539 We cannot do it by ourselves, and we're not asked to do it by ourselves. Rather, 00:32:38.539 --> 00:32:47.240 that we are invited to look to and to trust in Jesus. Remember, we began with that story of the 00:32:47.240 --> 00:32:54.879 mum who adopted those orphan girls, and she said, what holds us together is that we committed to love 00:32:54.879 --> 00:33:03.579 them before they even realized they were ours. And that's a truth that we can apply to God and apply 00:33:03.579 --> 00:33:10.240 to Jesus. There are times, and maybe this is one of them, when we feel like these Hebrew Christians. 00:33:11.980 --> 00:33:16.759 Through following Jesus, it brings trouble. I'm following Jesus, but I'm suffering. 00:33:18.379 --> 00:33:24.319 I'm following Jesus, but I'm sticking out, and it's hard, and I quite like to give up. I'm not sure I 00:33:24.319 --> 00:33:31.279 want to be adopted in God's family if it's like this. Well, the author says, here is our hope. 00:33:31.279 --> 00:33:40.720 Our hope rests in God's commitment to love us, his eternal commitment to love us even before we were 00:33:40.720 --> 00:33:51.660 born. Our hope rests in Jesus' commitment to love, to save, to keep his children. Our hope rests in God's 00:33:51.660 --> 00:34:00.720 grace that starts that relationship between his people and himself, and in that grace that sustains us 00:34:00.720 --> 00:34:09.199 from now till eternity. So again, the author is saying to us, we need to look away from ourselves, 00:34:10.159 --> 00:34:19.720 and we need to look to Jesus. We need to learn and relearn to trust him, and to worship him for his 00:34:19.719 --> 00:34:27.219 saving commitment towards us. Let's pray, and let's thank God for Jesus. 00:34:30.219 --> 00:34:40.299 Lord our God, thank you that in so many ways we are invited to see your commitment to your church, 00:34:41.439 --> 00:34:48.980 that you are a father who loves your children, that you will never abandon your children, 00:34:48.980 --> 00:34:58.280 that you sent your son Jesus on that rescue mission, to bring many sons and daughters to glory. 00:34:59.480 --> 00:35:05.300 We thank you for this wonderful truth that Jesus is not ashamed of his people, 00:35:06.300 --> 00:35:09.240 even if sometimes we feel ashamed of ourselves. 00:35:09.239 --> 00:35:19.039 We thank you for that never-ending, never-failing love of God that we come to know in Jesus. 00:35:21.199 --> 00:35:29.639 Thank you that he was willing to become one of us, knowing that that would mean him dying as the 00:35:29.639 --> 00:35:37.579 only way to forgive our sin, to bring us back to God. Thank you that that was a mission that gave him joy. 00:35:37.579 --> 00:35:43.900 Lord, when we feel discouraged or we have doubts, when we have fears, when we're sticking out and 00:35:43.900 --> 00:35:50.779 we're facing opposition, please will you help us look to Jesus. Please will you help us to persevere 00:35:50.780 --> 00:35:58.620 our faith and faith and knowing that you always stick with us. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. 00:36:01.500 --> 00:36:07.860 Now, as we close, let's sing together the wonderful modern hymn, Christ, 00:36:07.860 --> 00:36:12.100 our hope in life and death. And let's stand to sing together. 00:36:20.780 --> 00:36:39.500 What is our hope in life and death? Christ alone, Christ alone. 00:36:39.500 --> 00:36:49.059 What is our only confidence? That our souls to him belong. 00:36:49.059 --> 00:36:58.480 Who holds our days within his hand? What comes apart from his command? 00:36:58.480 --> 00:37:08.820 And what will keep us to the end? The love of Christ in which we stand. 00:37:08.820 --> 00:37:27.800 Oh, sing hallelujah, our hope springs eternal. Oh, sing hallelujah, now and ever we confess. 00:37:27.800 --> 00:37:31.960 Christ our hope in life and death. 00:37:31.960 --> 00:37:38.960 Christ our hope in life and death. 00:37:38.960 --> 00:37:48.059 What truth can come, the troubled soul? God is good. God is good. 00:37:48.059 --> 00:37:57.420 Where is his grace and goodness known? In our great Redeemer's blood. 00:37:57.420 --> 00:37:58.420 God is good. 00:37:58.420 --> 00:38:06.980 Who holds our faith when fears rise? Who stands above the stormy trial? 00:38:06.980 --> 00:38:17.940 Who sends the waves that bring us nigh unto the shore, the rock of Christ? 00:38:17.940 --> 00:38:23.720 O sing hallelujah 00:38:23.720 --> 00:38:28.220 Our hope springs eternal 00:38:28.220 --> 00:38:32.740 O sing hallelujah 00:38:32.740 --> 00:38:36.460 Now and ever we confess 00:38:36.460 --> 00:38:40.960 Christ our hope in life and death 00:38:40.960 --> 00:38:51.980 Unto the grave what shall we sing 00:38:51.980 --> 00:38:56.699 Christ he lives, Christ he lives 00:38:56.699 --> 00:39:01.639 And what reward will heaven bring 00:39:01.639 --> 00:39:05.659 Everlasting life within 00:39:05.659 --> 00:39:10.920 There we will rise to meet the Lord 00:39:10.920 --> 00:39:15.519 Then sin and death will be destroyed 00:39:15.519 --> 00:39:20.420 And we will feast in endless joy 00:39:20.420 --> 00:39:25.900 When Christ is ours forevermore 00:39:25.900 --> 00:39:31.880 O sing hallelujah 00:39:31.880 --> 00:39:36.280 Our hope springs eternal 00:39:36.280 --> 00:39:40.780 O sing hallelujah 00:39:40.780 --> 00:39:44.620 Now and ever we confess 00:39:44.620 --> 00:39:48.600 Christ our hope in life and death 00:39:48.600 --> 00:39:52.440 Now and ever we confess 00:39:52.440 --> 00:39:57.340 Christ our hope in life and death 00:39:57.340 --> 00:40:09.480 Let's close with a prayer based on those wonderful words at the end of Romans 8 00:40:09.480 --> 00:40:13.820 Lord God will you give to each one of us 00:40:13.820 --> 00:40:15.820 The faith that is convinced 00:40:15.820 --> 00:40:18.400 That neither death nor life 00:40:18.400 --> 00:40:20.460 Neither angels nor demons 00:40:20.460 --> 00:40:23.360 Neither the present nor the future 00:40:23.360 --> 00:40:25.639 Nor any powers 00:40:25.639 --> 00:40:27.780 Neither height nor depth 00:40:27.780 --> 00:40:30.700 Nor anything else in all creation 00:40:30.700 --> 00:40:33.460 Will be able to separate us 00:40:33.460 --> 00:40:36.920 From the love of God that's in Christ Jesus our Lord 00:40:36.920 --> 00:40:38.000 Amen 00:40:38.000 --> 00:40:38.099 Amen 00:40:39.340 --> 00:40:42.440 Amen 00:40:42.440 --> 00:40:58.679 Amen 00:40:58.679 --> 00:41:28.659 Thank you.