Back in Hebrews chapter 2, verses
6 through 9 that we read a moment ago are a quote from Psalm 8. Psalm 8 verses 1 through 4. In
both places, David in the 8th Psalm, the apostle here in Hebrews,
give as the background of man's littleness God's greatness in
comparison. God's greatness is the backdrop. And with that in mind, considering
the greatness of God, and that nothing rather more can compass
the mind or thoughts of a man anything greater than that is
their God. God. just the fact that God had no
beginning. I don't need to go further than
that, Lord. Just considering that fact alone, that he had
no beginning, that's enough for me to say, that's beyond my grasp. That's more than I can contemplate
or rather understand. And against the backdrop of God's
greatness, the question is asked, what is man? What is man? In comparison to the great and
glorious eternal everlasting God, the self-existent God, what
is man? A creature of a span, a vapor
that exists for a little while then vanishes away. What is man
in the light of the glorious God? And I'm sure you're aware
that throughout the epistle to the Hebrews, one word occurs
over and over again, and that's the word better. Better. In comparison to Christ, he's
always better. Whether you compare him to the
earthly priest, their sacrifices, the priesthood, the result of
that priesthood, the promises are all better in the person
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Look what the writer says in
verse 9. But we see Jesus. But we see
Jesus. It doesn't get much better than
that, does it? Not in this world. Not in this
world. If we see Jesus, if we've been
enabled by the gift of God's grace, that is faith, to embrace
His Son, To know Him, we are indeed a blessed people. And
Christ Himself said that. In Luke's Gospel chapter 10,
you're familiar with this as well. He has sent out 70 disciples. These are above the 12. These
are 70 other disciples at this time. Our Lord sent out to preach
and to teach and to cast out devils. And they return. And they're just overjoyed. They're
overjoyed and they say, even the devils are subject unto us
through thy name. And our Lord said in verse 20
of Luke 10, notwithstanding in this rejoice not that the spirits
are subject unto you, but rather rejoice because your names are
written in heaven. Isn't that something? Isn't that
something? Your names written in heaven. In the Lamb's Book of Life, your
name's there. And Jesus rejoiced in that. He
didn't have a problem with that. And no one that knows him has
a problem either. In verse 21, in that hour, Jesus
rejoiced in spirit and said, I thank thee, O Father. I don't
blame you, I thank you. I bow to your sovereignty, I
rejoice in your sovereignty. I thank thee, O Father, Lord
of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the
wise and the prudent and has revealed them unto babes, what
is man. Even so, Father, for so it seemed
good in thy sight. All things are delivered to me
of my Father, and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father. And who the Father is, save the
Son, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. Then he tells them that's exactly
what God had done for them. After stating that plainly, no
man can know who God is, no man can know who the Son of God is,
except God the Son and God the Father revealed themselves to
them. And then he turned unto his disciples,
verse 23, if you're a believer in Christ, he's speaking to you.
He turns to you and I tonight and says to you and I privately,
not to the world, this is not for the world, but for those
the Father gave Christ out of the world, he says to them, blessed
are the eyes which see the things that you see. Remember what we
read a moment ago in Hebrews 2 and 9, but we see Jesus. Blessed are the eyes which see
the things that you see. You are blessed beyond description. You're blessed beyond all other
earthly men regardless of what other distinction other men may
hold in this world. You're blessed beyond them because
you know who the Son of God is. Verse 24, he says as much. For I tell you that many prophets
and kings have desired to see those things which you see and
have not seen them. and to hear those things which
you hear and have not heard them." Oh, but we see Jesus. The world looks at the rich,
and the famous, the somebodies, the upper crust, is that what
they're called? The elite of society, the celebrities,
the famous, and they point at them and say, oh, aren't they
blessed? Aren't they blessed? and they
look at somebody like myself and say, who's he? That's a nobody,
Mike. Nobody. Nobody even takes notice
of, but I'll tell you what, by the grace of God, I am a blessed
man, so blessed, as a matter of fact, by God Almighty himself. He has done for me, as Mary said
in the house of Elizabeth, God has done for me, the Almighty
God has done for me great things. Great things. He's revealed himself
to me. Notice here back in Hebrews chapter
2, the writer says, now we see not all things. We see not all
things put under him. Yes, that's so. There's much
that we don't see. There's much that we don't yet
understand, but the apostle seems to be content that it should
be so, because he gives this reason, this reason. Yes, it's true. We don't see
everything yet. We don't see as we shall see
or know as we shall know, oh, but, but we're comforted in this. We see Jesus. If I could acquire all knowledge, have so many degrees, someone
once said that I would be known as Dr. Fahrenheit. If I could
acquire all knowledge and yet not know Him, what would it profit
me? What would it be worth, Lester?
If I could understand all prophecy, all prophecy, and if I don't
see Jesus as the center of all prophecy, as the origin of it
all, and as the consummation of it all, and the fulfillment
of it all, what does it matter? If in this life I may be taken
little notice of, as I've said, and I am, but if I'm known by
God, If He knows me, Lord, that's all that matters. That's all
that matters. And He said that, didn't He?
He said, I know my sheep. Oh, how He knows us. How He knows
us. That's more than just being acquainted
or having a knowledge of. Oh, that's being intimately known
by the Son of God. He knows all about me. He knows
my weakness, He knows my frailties, He's known me from eternity,
and He's loved me with an everlasting love. But we see Jesus. That knowledge, that fact surpasses
everything else. This is what we measure everything
else by. This is how we evaluate every
earthly possession. every other relationship in comparison
to this one, Jesus Christ himself. Ask Moses. Turn, if you will,
in Hebrews to chapter 11. We read here in Hebrews 11 that
Moses considered suffering with Christ greater riches than all
the treasures in Egypt." In Hebrews 11 verse 23, or I'm sorry, verse
24. By faith Moses, when he was come
to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to
enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Moses was a strange
man, wasn't he? He was among those strangers
and pilgrims. He was among those God had called
out, God had revealed himself to. Moses, by faith, looked beyond
the temporary. Everything in Egypt was temporary. Everything Moses could see in
the house of Pharaoh, all of his riches, all of his gold,
it was all temporary and Moses looked beyond that. He looked
beyond the temporary and he saw the eternal by faith. He looked
past Egypt's wealth and saw a different kind of riches. He saw the true
riches. Moses, don't you, don't you,
see that you could be in line to be Pharaoh's successor? Moses,
don't you realize, being Pharaoh's daughter, you're in line to inherit
all this? One day it's all gonna be yours,
all this wealth, and all this power, all this prestige. People will be bowing at your
feet, Moses. And Moses said, no. Look, in
comparison to what he looked at by faith, look what it says
in verse 26, "...exteeming the reproach of Christ's greater
riches." Greater riches. than the treasures in Egypt,
for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. He looked beyond
the day. By faith he forsook Egypt, not
fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing him
who is invisible." Moses would answer that he would rather be
in that army, not Pharaoh's army. but in that army, marching under
the banner of Jesus Christ, the captain of our salvation. And every child of God sees in
Christ greater riches in having him experience his grace. Remember what Paul said in Ephesians
2. At one time you were without
God, having no hope, without Christ, without God in the world. Didn't know him, didn't want
to know him. That was our state by nature. Aren't you so thankful? that
now, looking back upon those days of darkness and spiritual
ignorance, before Christ came to you, revealed himself to you,
and he became precious to you. Do you that believe Peter wrote,
he's precious? The word is, he's the preciousness. He's preciousness itself. And
aren't you so thankful that nothing can take him away from you? Nothing
can take him away. Don't you know as we sang a moment
ago, that soul that Jesus has fled for repose, he will not
desert to expose. He won't do it. I am his and
he is mine forever. Nothing can change that, not
even myself. Not even myself. Oh, aren't you
so thankful that now by the grace of God, but we see Jesus and
we see in him a greater riches, the riches of his amazing grace. Being in his kingdom, the kingdom
of God's own dear son, a joint heir with him in his father's
house. I can imagine that day after
Moses led those hundreds of thousands through the Red Sea that God
had parted on his way to the Promised Land and when they stood
on the other side of the sea and they looked back, here they all are, hundreds of
thousands Not one lost. Not one. Not one. But they turn
and look back from whence they had come, the waters come back
into place, and Pharaoh and all of his mighty army, that great
power, are floating in the ocean, dead. Drown. Moses, which is the greater
riches? Aren't you glad, Moses, that
God called you out of darkness into his marvelous light? The
riches of Jesus Christ far surpass anything, anything that you would
have had in Egypt. Remember Christ's words to his
Father and our Father. Look, if you will, here back
in Hebrews 2 verse 13. This is God the Son speaking
to God the Father. The second sentence says, and
again behold, I and the children which God had given me. He speaks of an eternal union. These are the words of the captain
of our salvation. Father, I and the children, just
like none were lost that crossed the Red Sea, Christ in that day
In that day, when he brings all that the Father gave him to glory,
when they're all gathered around the throne of God, this will be his claim. This will be the boast of our
glorious Redeemer. Behold, my soul, this is worth
beholding, I and the children which God had given me. It sounds like he won the victory,
doesn't it? It sounds like he won. Behold,
I. Now we could well stop there. Indeed, consider, if we just
consider him alone. Stop there. Don't go beyond I,
that is, Jesus Christ, because there's none like him. None other
can say. None other can say, not prophet,
not priest, not angel. No, only he can say, I've trod
the winepress alone. and of the people there was none
with me." Only he can say. Only of him can it be said. Look
in chapter 1 of Hebrews at verse 1. Of who else could it be speaking? God, who at sundry times and
in divers matters, spake in times passed unto the fathers by the
prophets, had in these last days spoken unto us by his Son. Blessed are your ears for they
hear. Hath spoken unto us by his Son,
whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made
the worlds. The world was made by him. And
now the writer describes Christ to us, who being the brightness
of his glory, that is God's glory, and the express image of his
person, That's who he is. Now, we could pitch tent there
for a while very easily, couldn't we? So, the express image of
his person, if you've seen me, you've seen the Father. I and
the Father are one, the express image of his person. And now,
what has he done? This glorious, unique individual,
this man who is himself God, upholding all things by the word
of His power, when He had," don't you just love this, when He had
by Himself, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at
the right hand of the Majesty on high. Yes, indeed, we could
stop simply with those words, Behold I. I, there is none like
him. But when he speaks to his father
in our text, he doesn't speak only of himself, does he? It
doesn't stop with I. Oh, and this deserves even another
behold. Behold I and the children. I and the children which thou
hath given me. It speaks of that eternal union
that exists between Christ and his church. Can he be the bridegroom
without his bride? Can he be the head of the church
without the church's body? How can he be the great shepherd
of the sheep without his sheep? It's always I and the children. Little children, he said, that
night in John 13, before he went to the garden and was betrayed
and arrested and crucified. He said, little children, a little
while I'm with you and you shall see me no more. But little children,
isn't that comforting? He refers to his own as little
children. He's responsible for them. And
that's what he told the father, I and the little children, that
that was given me. And he told them, I'll not leave
you comfortless. I won't leave you as orphans.
I'll come to you. I'll come to you. Their union
with him is an everlasting union. An everlasting union. When did
the father give them to the son? When did that take place? Did
it take place when they believed? Oh no, oh no. They were given
to the Son in that everlasting covenant of grace that we'll
speak of in a moment before the world ever was. That's the teaching
of the book. We were chosen in Him when? When
we believed? No. We were chosen in Him before
the foundation of the world. We were given to the Son by God
the Father. Remember what he said in his
high priestly prayer. Father, they were yours, and
you gave them to me. And I've kept them that you gave
to me. And I've revealed those you gave
me. I revealed you to them. Yes,
this union of Christ and his children is a living, loving,
lasting union, ever-living, everlastingly loved and everlastingly joined
to him. It stretches from eternity to
eternity. One when he died, one when he
arose, one, I and the children, when he triumphed over his foes,
one, when in heaven he took his seat, And angels sing all hell's
defeat. One with Him. One with Him. What a blessed, blessed union. Jesus Christ the same yesterday,
today, and forever. I am the Lord. I am the Lord. So naturally it follows. I am
the Lord. I change not. He need not change. He need not change. He's perfect
in every way. I change not. Is there not great
comfort in that? That's written in stone. Jesus
Christ the same. No, we can do better than that.
Stone. Stone. As the ages roll on, we'll
eventually decay. Oh, but not this. Jesus Christ
is always the same. Written by the hand of the immutable
God. I change not. You can write unchanging
on every attribute of God. and find comfort in Him. His
love, His love, having loved His own which were in the world,
He loved them unto the end. I have loved thee with an everlasting
love, therefore with bands of love have I drawn thee. His power,
oh, is His power ever diminished? Remember when Jeremiah was in
the dungeon and he said, Lord, is anything too hard for you?
And God answered him, no. Is anything too hard for the
Lord? He's all-powerful. Father, you've
given me power over all flesh. over all flesh. Does that include
the flesh of my rebel sons and my rebel daughter? Does he have
power over them as well? Certainly he does. He has power
over all flesh. The king's heart is in the hand
of the Lord. He turneth it wherever so ever
he will. We're his forever. Nothing from
his love can sever. What about his blessed, blessed
presence? He says, I'm with you always,
always, even to the end of the world. His righteousness, like
every other attribute, unchanging, immutable, God had made him to
be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. His righteousness is an everlasting
righteousness. He brought in not a temporary
righteousness, but an everlasting righteousness. A righteousness
that satisfies the Holy Lord God all the time. Perfectly and
eternally, God is satisfied with the righteousness of His Son
and satisfied with us in the righteousness of God's own Son. One hymn writer put it this way.
I like this. I read this a couple of weeks
ago, but it's good enough to repeat. Just one verse. It says,
concerning the righteousness of Christ, you know in Scripture
it's referred to as a robe. clothed in his righteousness
alone. But it says, this spotless robe
the same appears. When ruined nature sinks in years. No age can change its glorious
hue. The robe of Christ is ever new. I like that. I like that. The robe of Christ is ever new. It's always perfect. It's always
spotless. It's always satisfying to the
Lord God. It always presents us perfectly
accepted before God Himself. What a robe. Secondly, when he
says, Behold I and the children which God hath given me, it not
only speaks of an eternal union between Christ and His own, but
he speaks of an eternal transaction. The covenant of grace is how
the scriptures refer to it. Thou has given me, thou being
God the Father, and I, of course, being God the Son. But there's
a third party mentioned there, the children, the children. Turn, if you will, let's look
at a couple of passages in scripture that speak of this in John's
Gospel chapter 10, John chapter 10. This is what our Lord is speaking
of or referring to when He says concerning His sheep that they'll
never perish in John chapter 10. He says at verse 28, you know
this verse very well, but our Lord is speaking and
He says concerning His sheep that hear His voice, that He
knows and they follow. He says, I give them eternal
life. and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand my father which gave them me gave them me I received
them from my father he gave them to me and he's greater than all
and no man is able to pluck them out of my father's hand turn
if you will to John chapter 17 we referred to this a moment
ago but let's read it together Just a verse or two in our Lord's
high priestly prayer. Of all the things he says that
he intercedes on behalf of his children to the Father for, all
these blessed things he asks and that he shall receive, he
never one time mentions our sins. Never mentions our sins. He's
about to put them away forever. But in John 17, look at verse
1. These words spake Jesus and lifted
up His eyes to heaven to His Father. And He said, Father,
the hour has come, the hour to redeem His people, the hour to
be made sin. glorify thy son that thy son
also may glorify thee as thou hast given him power over all
flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou and here
it is again as many as thou has given him given him verse six
I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me
out of the world. Thine they were, and thou gavest
them me, and they have kept my word. Verse 9, I pray for them,
I pray not for the world, but for them which which thou gavest
me, for they are thine. One more, verse 24. This is precious,
verse 24. Father, I will that they also
whom thou hast given me be with me where I am. I and the children. That they may behold my glory
which thou hast given me, for thou lovest me before the foundation
of the world. What he speaks of there, what
he's referring to, what he has an eye to, is the everlasting
covenant of God's grace. Turn, if you will, to Hebrews
chapter 13, the last chapter of Hebrews. The writer speaks
of that here in closing his epistle. Hebrews chapter 13 verse 20. Now the God of peace that brought
again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that great shepherd
of the sheep, through, according to, because of, the blood of
the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work
to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in
his sight, through Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever and
ever. Amen. That covenant that we just
read of there, and in John 17, and in John 10, and throughout
Scripture, was that everlasting covenant that Father and Son
entered into before the world was. When God entrusted His chosen
into the hands of Jesus Christ, and Christ became responsible
for all those that the Father gave Him. And it was because
of them and for them that were given unto Him by the Father
that He became responsible for that in the fullness of time
He came into this world. He came here on purpose. He came
for His own. He lived and He died for the
children that the Father gave Him. He came on purpose for this
purpose, to save His people from their sins. When the fullness
of the time was come, God sent forth His Son. He didn't come
on a second thought. This was all according to that
everlasting covenant of grace. God sent forth his Son made of
a woman, made under the law to redeem them that were under the
law. To redeem them that were under
the law. Preachers talk about a hypothetical
redemption. They talk about a pig in the
poke redemption. It's just thrown out there and
if somebody picks it up and makes use of it, then it'll do someone
some good, otherwise it was all for nothing. There's nothing in the Word of
God, there's nothing even remotely identified with that. No, the
redemption of Jesus Christ was a successful redemption. He redeemed
his people from their sins. He didn't make redemption possible. What does that mean? What does
that mean? Making redemption possible? No
comfort in that. And if so, what does it yet depend
on? If he didn't accomplish it then,
it'll never be accomplished. Oh no. No, it was done then. Paul in writing to the church
at Galatia says, He hath obtained, or rather, we have obtained redemption
through Him. He hath redeemed us to God by
His own blood. He hath redeemed us past tense. Are you still in Hebrews? Look
at chapter 9. In every place. Do a study. Do
a study on the word redemption. Old Testament New. And you'll
never find anywhere where it speaks of it being anything other
than an accomplished thing. Something that was accomplished.
When Jesus Christ hung His, or rather before He expired upon
the cross, He said, it is finished. He put away all the sins of His
people. He didn't attempt to do it. He
didn't attempt to put away sin. He put away sin. He didn't attempt
to bring in righteousness. He brought in righteousness.
He didn't attempt to redeem or make redemption possible. He
then and there, glory to His name, redeemed all of His people
forever. This is exactly what we read
here in Hebrews chapter 9. Look at verse 11. But Christ, but Christ, not like
those animal sacrifices that were just pictures and types,
but Christ being come a high priest of good things to come,
by a greater, so much greater, and more perfect tabernacle in
the body that God had prepared him, I come to do thy will, O
God. Flesh of our flesh may liken
to his brethren, that tabernacle. The Word was made flesh and tabernacled
among us, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building,
neither by the blood of goats and calves. They could never
take away sin, but by His own blood, by His own blood. He entered in once into the holy
place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. And that's why he says, Father,
I and the children, all that you've given me, I bring back
to you. Can you imagine him standing
before God the Father in that day? When time shall be no more,
And He lays everything aside, all that He created. It served
its purpose. He stands before God the Father,
the Father who entrusted the souls, the eternal salvation
of all His elect into the hands of the Great Shepherd to redeem,
to preserve, to bring to glory, and saying, Father, I and the
children you gave me, that you made me to be sin for, I lost
none except one. Except one. Horrible. Horrible. That means he failed. That means he failed. That means
he didn't accomplish what he came to accomplish. That means
he couldn't keep all of his sheep. That means Satan shall have the
victory, but it'll never be. Father, I, and the children. All the children, every one of
the children, they're all here. And Paul in Ephesians 5 says,
they're all before the throne of God without a spot, without
a blemish, or any such thing. My soul, what a glorious Savior. In John chapter 6, he said, I
came down from heaven for this purpose. I came to do the will
of my Father. And this is the will of my Father
which is sent to me. Of all which he hath given me,
I should lose none. That's the captain of our salvation,
Mike. You were in the military. You
know something about who's in charge. Who's in charge of our
salvation? The captain is. Who's responsible
to bring all his to glory? The captain is. Who's going to
provide everything they need? All the grace, all the mercy,
all the righteousness? The captain is. And who's going
to get the credit? The captain is. Worthy is the
lamb that was slain. Father, I and the children. I
and the children. I lost none. What a day that
will be. I've said this before. But I'm
sure, I'm sure that when Moses stood on the other side of the
Red Sea that day and saw their enemies destroyed and all those thousands standing
with him safe and secure, it must have been a joy and comfort
to his heart. I mean, he looked and said, They're all here. They're all
here. My soul, what a God. What a God. Moses, I tell you what, let's
sing a song to Him. Right now, all join in. I'll
lead the song, but let's sing a song to our great God. And
that's what he did in chapter 15. And this is what, among other
things, he said in that psalm. Thou and thy mercy has led forth
the people. This is verse 13 of Exodus 15.
Thou, O God, in thy mercy has led forth the people which thou
has redeemed. Thou has guided them in thy strength
unto thy holy habitation. And you know that's just a picture
of the work of our Lord Jesus Christ. And then look in verse
17. Thou shalt bring them in. Don't
you like that? Thou shalt bring them in. All
of them. All of them. and plant them in
the mountain of thine inheritance in the place, O Lord, which thou
hast made for thee to dwell in." Father, we read it a moment ago.
Father, I will also that those whom thou hast given me be with
me where I am that they may behold my glory, that they should see
me and be with me and see me face to face. Thou shalt bring
them in which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the
sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands had established." The third
part he mentioned here, and we'll bring this to a close, in our
text are the children. There's God the Father that gave
them to the Son. There's the Son who brings them
back to the Father. And then there's the children.
What did they do? What did they do? Can they take
any credit? No. No, they don't have nothing
that they didn't receive. They were lost and the great
shepherd went out seeking for them. They were lost and he found
them. They were helpless and he saved
them. They were weak sheep And he picked
them up in his mighty arms and he carried them all the way to
glory. And he said, Father, I and the children that thou hast given
me, I've lost none. What will the children do? Oh, they're going to sing like they
never sang before. and they won't miss a note. They
won't miss a note. They'll sing, worthy is the Lamb. He hath redeemed us with his
own blood. The children will see him, will
see him who loved them and gave himself for them and presents
them back to God without a spot. But we see Jesus. We see Jesus. Yes, and when it pleased God
to reveal his son in me, I saw him by faith. And I followed
him here because he leads his dear children along, and I've
heard him speak many times to my doubtful, fearing heart and
say, Larry, don't be afraid of the storm. It's me. Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. Yes, we see Jesus, but not like
we're going to. Not like we're going to. Sandy
had cataract surgery. I dropped over and visited her
and Mike the other evening and I noticed right away she wasn't
wearing her glasses. She said she didn't need them.
Didn't need them. Must be nice. Now we see through
a glass darkly, but when The captain of our salvation brings
us all the children to be with him in glory. I'm going to see
perfect. I'm going to see perfect. I'm
going to love him with an unsinning heart. I can't do that now, but
I will then. Faith will give way to sight
One hymn writer put it this way, he said, only faintly now I see
him, with the dark being veiled between, but a blessed day is
coming when his glory shall be seen. Face to face with Christ
my Savior, face to face what shall it be, when with rapture
I behold him, Jesus Christ who died for me. Father, I and the
children that thou hast given me, I lost none. Amen. Amen. God bless you.