SERMON MANUSCRIPT
The Lord Jesus Christ is a person of paradox. There are realities about him that aren’t immediately and obviously comprehensible to creatures like us.
For example, he’s the uncreated Creator who took on a created nature, the infinite wrapped in the finite. He’s the sustainer of all things that subjected himself to that which he sustains. He’s the immortal One “who lives forever and ever” (Rev 4:9) who became mortal and died a pathetic death. Christ is a person of paradox.
So, it’s unsurprising that many of his greatest lessons shared that quality. He said, “Power is perfected in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9), “My burden is light” (Matt 11:30), “Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it” (Mark 8:35), and “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last” (Mark 9:35).
But what may be the most significant paradoxical lesson coming from our paradoxical Lord is found in Mark 10 when he said to his disciples, “but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all” (10:43–44). And then, amazingly, he applies this to himself: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (10:45). the Messiah magnified through sacrifice? The Almighty set above all by dying for all? How does that work?
Hebrews 2 explores that paradox by showcasing its paragon, the one who uniquely and perfectly exemplifies its truthfulness—Jesus Christ. The author of this letter has been proving that the Son is greater than the angels. Chapter 1 explained that it’s because of his unique position, future reception, eternal dominion, and victorious exaltation.
Chapter 2 adds another reason: his temporary humiliation—he’s lifted high because he became low. When God the Son took on flesh, condescending from heaven to suffer and die at the hands of the people he came to save, he showed how greatness comes through servitude, how power is found in subjugation, honour in dishonour, glory through suffering, and life from death.
The incarnation, the Son’s temporary humiliation, paradoxically proves he’s greater than the angels. And the passage we’re looking at this morning gives eight reasons why that’s so; eight beautiful things that were accomplished because God took on flesh; eight realities that fuel our celebration of the Son who suffered.
JESUS EMPOWERED OUR PURPOSE
First, in his temporary humiliation, Jesus empowered our purpose. In other words, he accomplished what humanity was supposed to accomplish and made it possible that one day we still will.
[2:5] As capable and powerful as angels may be, God didn’t give them the privilege and responsibility to ruling “the world to come.” And what’s this world to come? It’s the one concerning which he’s been speaking in chapter 1. It’s Messiah’s coming kingdom, when the angels worship him as he returns (1:6) to sit on David’s throne, reigning forever with righteousness (1:8) over his enemies (1:13) in a new creation (1:12).
If angelswon’t rule that world, who will? [2:6–8] Who’s supposed to rule? Humanity! Psalm 8, the passage quoted, looks back to Genesis 1, when God told people to: “Fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over [it].” That that was our assignment amazes the psalmist: “Lord, who are we that you would give us, not angels, this honour?”
Humanity’s original purpose was to bring glory to God by ruling his creation on his behalf. But we blew it. All things were subjected to humanity but, verse 8, “now we do not yet see all things subjected to [humanity].” We were to rule but, because of sin, we aren’t yet doing our job. But we will. How? Jesus!
[2:9a] Jesus, like humanity, was “made for a little while lower than the angels” and “crowned with glory and honour.” But then he did something we didn’t: he obeyed! In the Garden of Eden, free from suffering and death, humanity disobeyed God. In the Garden of Gethsemane, facing suffering and death, Jesus obeyed God. The first Adam failed; the last Adam did not.
And, because of that, he will rule over God’s creation, doing what we were supposed to do, and, because we are in Christ by faith, we will reign with him. [Rev 5:9–10] There is coming a day when, because of Jesus and his temporary humiliation, our purpose will be fulfilled.
Our world is confused, often considering humanity a cancer on this planet rather than the original and future rulers of it. That doesn’t mean we can do whatever we want to that which is not ultimately ours, but it does mean that creation is for us and not the other way around. We worship the God of creation and not creation as god.
JESUS DIED OUR DEATH
In becoming human, Jesus empowered our purpose. Second, he died our death. [2:9b] The cost for humanity’s disobedience wasn’t only the loss of ruling privilege, but it was—and is—death. “The wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23a). This includes physical death—the separation of our material and immaterial selves—and spiritual death—the separation of our whole selves from God.
And before that separation can be remedied, the penalty must be paid. So, God the Son, took on flesh and offered his life as payment to God on behalf of humanity’s sin. The incarnation allowed Jesus, not only to die but to identify with the people for whom he came to die.
One pastor from years ago said it this way: “For the essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for man. Man asserts himself against God and puts himself where only God deserves to be; God sacrifices himself for man and puts himself where only man deserves to be. Man claims prerogatives which belong to God alone; God accepts penalties which belongs to man alone” (Keller, The Prodigal God, 156).
If you can hear me, know this: the loving God of the universe sent his Son to die for you, a rebel. [Rom 5:6–7] Jesus, the only human who didn’t deserve it, became human to taste death for we who did.
JESUS SECURED OUR GLORY
Third, Jesus secured our glory. [2:10–13] God created all, owns all, and uses all to accomplish what he desires and, one thing he desires is to share his eternal glory with us. But how can he do that when we so obviously don’t deserve it? He had to come and get us.
The engagement ring I bought for my wife so I could trick her into marrying me came from the World Trade Centre in Dallas. A friend had a friend who worked on one of the upper floors of that building selling fine jewelry wholesale but he said he would make an exception for a lovestruck-and-broke student like me.
So, I went and entering the building I saw guards and metal detectors everywhere. You couldn’t just wander around. Instead, this friend-of-a-friend was notified I had arrived and had to come down to get me, to identify me, to tell security that “he’s with me,” and to escort me up to the treasure I was looking for.
Sinners like us don’t belong on God’s top floor enjoying God’s treasures. But he wanted us to have access, so he came down to get us. Through his suffering Christ identified with us, unashamedly calling us “brethren,” saying “they’re with me,” and perfectly accomplishing the divine purpose of “bringing many sons to glory.”
If you are in Christ, your future glory is certain because Jesus’s glory is certain and he came down to get you, to identify with you, and share with you. He calls us brothers and sisters, inheritors of what rightly belongs to him alone. What grace!
JESUS DEFEATED OUR ENEMY
Fourth, in the incarnation, Jesus defeated our enemy. [2:14; 1 John 3:8] The Son took on humanity so that on behalf of humanity he might render the devil impotent.
Satan’s export is death. And while he foolishly thought that Jesus’s crucifixion was his victory it was actually his demise because, through death, Christ put death to death. It’s why we will one day declare, [1 Cor 15:54–57]. In his incarnation, Jesus defeated our enemy.
JESUS SILENCED OUR FEAR
Because Jesus defeated our enemy, number five, he also silenced our fear. [2:15] Humanity’s afraid of death because, whether we acknowledge it or not, our conscience bears witness that after death comes a just judgement that will not go well for those of us who fall short of God’s standard of holiness. Which is, all of us!
But, hang on: if death has been defeated and if “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” there’s no need for fear death, is there? The Bible teaches that, for those in Christ, who have believed in him and, thus, have life in his name, the moment we close our eyes in this world for the final time we open them in his presence and then await resurrection. [2 Cor 5:6–8] Jesus, in his humiliation, silenced our fear.
JESUS BECAME OUR PRIEST
Sixth, he became our priest. [2:16–17a] A priest represents humanity before divinity and the Son of God couldn’t do that unless he first was “made like his brethren in all things.”
Do you realize that when you pray you are speaking to God the Father through God the Son, your priest, a priest who can empathize with the human condition—with pain and temptation, weakness and neediness. Someone once wrote, “If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference; he is praying for me” (M’Cheyne, 138).
And he’s praying for you and me, interceding on our behalf as a knowing, loving, merciful, and faithful high priest. But to adequately represent us on high he had to first be made low.
JESUS REMOVED OUR PUNISHMENT
Seventh, Jesus removed our punishment. [2:17b] The Day of Atonement was the most significant day on Israel’s religious calendar under the Law. On that occasion the high priest would represent the inevitably guilty nation by entering God’s presence on earth and sprinkling blood on the mercy seat under which sat the broken law. By this act, God would forgive the trespasses of the people and removing their guilt. That’s what propitiation means: to make appeasement for wrongs and to turn away the just consequences of those wrongs.
The author of Hebrews is saying that that’s what Jesus did for us permanently. Our High Priest, representing his inescapably guilty people, entered God’s presence in heaven and sprinkled his own blood as the wrath-satisfying, sinner-cleansing agent it is.
Imagine a parent finds out that the child they love is in crippling debt to the mob. Having the resources, they pay it desiring nothing more than to free their beloved from the burden. But what would they think if they learned that, years after the debt had been settled, that child was still making payments? Slighted? Confused? Angry? Yes! “What are you doing!? Live in fearlessness and freedom! You owe nothing!”
And neither do believers. “As far as the east is from the west, so he has removed our transgressions from us.” You may not feel worthy of God’s forgiveness but God is worthy to forgive you. So get over yourself and don’t self-centeredly walk in guilt that has been removed. Instead, live in freedom from the burden of guilt and shame. In his humiliation, Jesus removed our punishment.
JESUS UNDERSTANDS OUR TEMPTATION
Eighth, in his humiliation, Jesus understands our temptation. [2:18] Because God cannot be tempted (Jas 1:13) nor put to the test (Matt 4:7) it was necessary for Jesus to become human so as to identify himself with tempted and tested humanity.
Now, he didn’t have a fallen nature like we do, but the world and the devil pressed in on our Lord greatly and that has become the foundation of his compassion. Our Saviour understands what it is to live in a sin-scarred world full of sin-stained people; he knows what it’s like to stand between the diverging roads of obedience and disobedience. Jesus understands our temptation.
The Son is greater than the angels. It’s true for many reasons, not the least of which is the paradoxical reality of his superiority is seen in his humility, his exaltation by way of incarnation. In his suffocating condescension, the Son empowered our purpose, died our death, secured our glory, defeated our enemy, silenced our fear, became our priest, removed our punishment, and understands our temptation.
How can we not be a people who celebrate the Son who suffered!? To have in our minds as we worship him, obey him, share him, and follow him, that his unsurpassed greatness is tethered to his unrivalled lowliness. That he’s awesome because, for a time, was spat on; that he’s to be revered because he was reviled.
Celebrate the Son who suffered—suffered for you and for me—and stay near him. Where else can we go? To whom else can we turn? On who else can we build our lives? There is none like him.
Josiah has served the Oakridge Bible Chapel family as one of its elders and one of its pastoral staff members since September 2018, before which he ministered as an associate pastor to a local congregation in the Canadian prairies. Josiah's desire is to be used by God to help equip the church for ministry, both while gathered (edification) and while scattered (evangelization). He is married to Patricia, and together they have five children—Jonah, Henry, Nathaniel, Josephine, and Benjamin.
