Okay, I'd like you to turn this
week to Hebrews chapter 2 and our text is from verse 5 to verse
12. So the epistle to the Hebrews
chapter 2 and verse 5 down to verse 12. Now we saw a couple
of weeks ago when we started looking at Hebrews chapter 1
that the one we call Savior The Lord Jesus Christ is God, Almighty
God. And you say, well, this is an
academic thing. Some people think he's God, some
people don't think he's God, but he's still their savior,
that's all right. No, it absolutely matters. You see, what you need
is a salvation that is effectual. Effectual means it works, means
it does the job. You know, when you get a check,
from somebody and you go and pay it into the bank you don't
want it to be counterfeit you want it to work you go down to
the bank you want it to work and you pay it in and you want
it to end up as real money in your account you're not happy
if somebody gives you a faulty cheque it's going to be like
that with salvation the salvation that the scriptures speak of
is salvation as this epistle chapter 7 verse 25 says is to
the uttermost Jesus Christ is able to save to the uttermost
but the one who is our saviour is God and why must he be God? If he's going to save a multitude
which no man can number because that's what the elect of God
are called in the scriptures, a multitude which no man can
number of every tribe and tongue and kindred, if he's going to
satisfy justice so that God might remain just as he must if he's
to be God and yet justify a multitude that no man can number Only the
infinite God can do that. Only the infinite God. Impossible
any other way. He can't be a lesser God. He
must be infinite God. And we saw him in chapter 1 of
Hebrews, better than the angels. Oh, how these people, these Hebrews,
had revered the angels, and many do today. But he's so much better
than the angels. And he's not that man of sorrows
anymore. despised of men, acquainted with
grief, spat upon, crown of thorns on his head, treated so spitefully
and murderously and treacherously. He's not that one who was dragged
to the cross of Calvary to die that shameful death. That shameful
death. Cursed is anyone who hangs on
a tree, says the scriptures, and he was nailed to that tree
of wood, that wooden cross. for the sins of his people but
he's not there now he's glorified he's enthroned on high he's so
much better than the angels the one who is our savior is our
God he's exalted he's reigning on high he's omnipotent he's
heir of all things which means he's sovereign over everything
and he speaks our God has spoken God who at sundry times and in
divers manners spake unto the fathers by the prophets hath
in these last days spoken unto us by his son whom he has appointed
heir of all things by whom he made the worlds he's our God
and our creator the one who manifests God to us show us the father
and that will suffice said Philip and Jesus the man then said Philip
have I been so long with you and you have not known me he
who has seen me has seen the father and then last week We
saw that brief interlude of those first four verses of chapter
two, that we're dealing with serious things, eternal things. We're dealing with aspects of
sin and of God's holiness and of his judgment, of salvation
and of glory to come. And these are things about which
we better pay attention. because you know the record of
the Old Testament is the word spoken by angels was steadfast
and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of
reward so therefore seeing how serious these things are and
seeing how great is our God who is our Savior how shall we escape
asks Paul I state my case it's Paul that wrote this as far as
I'm concerned how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation
you know it's appointed to man to die once and then the judgment
how shall we escape we must all stand before the judgment seat
of Christ how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation
you see this is the dilemma I am human so are you, made in the
image of God I don't know if you've watched any of Stephen
Fry's new series on language I'm fascinated with language,
I love I wish I was more competent with languages but you know he
has no time for any spiritualisation at all nevertheless he is absolutely
awestruck at the difference between the highest ape and the lowest
human being because he says there's this wonderful wonderful thing
of language the psalmist said I am fearfully and wonderfully
made you know man in his professing himself to be wise all the time
becomes a fool in the eyes of God he who sits in the heavens
laughs them to scorn in their atheistic nonsense when all the
evidence all around screams out screams out about God but this
is it I am human I'm made in the image of God fearfully and
wonderfully made but fatally flawed because I'm a sinner and
I'm mortal I know I'm going to die I know that when I die I
face judgment. I know that when I face judgment,
Cliff was talking earlier about the true conviction of sin, which
the true child of God has. You know that you're guilty.
And you know that God's justice must condemn you. And there's
this enormous great burden. And the question that was posed,
probably one of the first things ever written that's contained
in our scriptures by Job, how can a man be just with God? how
can I have the righteousness of God or I can have my own self-righteousness
which is utterly worthless but how do I get that righteousness
of God that I must have remember Romans 3 now the righteousness
of God is revealed from heaven that's the thing we must have
the righteousness of God how do I have that holiness because
the script this very epistle later on chapter 12 somewhere
says that if I don't have that holiness I will not see God. I will not be accepted by God.
I will not be accepted into the presence of God. Holiness without
which no man shall see God. How do I get it? How can I be
freed from the guilt of sin? How can I, a sinner, be made
holy and declared sinless in the eyes of God's immutable,
unchangeable justice? God hasn't changed his mind.
Again in this epistle, if you read it, our God is a consuming
fire. It is a fearful thing to fall
into the hands of the living God. Our God is the same yesterday,
today, and forever. How can I be made holy? and declared sinless in the eyes
of a holy God whose justice will never ever change and you know
conviction of sin comes as a burden, you remember Pilgrim's Progress
that this is the first thing, pilgrims living in vanity fare
with all the world doing its thing all around and lightheartedly
going about their business yet he is reading a book and they're
saying to him don't read the book it's troubling you but as
he reads the book a burden is building on his back and he's
got this enormous great burden that's going to crush him down
to hell on his back and how is he going to get rid of this burden
where is he going to find relief from this burden and of course
the story goes on you discover that in yourself there's nothing
that you can do we sung in that hymn just before nothing in my
hand I bring nothing because I can't bring anything it's worthless
you imagine some gem in the jeweler's shop costing thousands and thousands
of pounds and only good currency you know bite the dollar good
good currency is it the real thing only that will pay for
it and you turn up with a pile of pebbles or whatever you think
it's worthless it's absolutely worthless it's nothing I can
do it's only that which God has done God has done. Jesus cried on the cross, it
is finished. So having told us of the exaltation
of God's Son in chapter 1, having reminded us of the need to take
this very seriously at the start of chapter 2, he then goes on
He then goes on, he says that the one who has purged his people's
sins, that's what Hebrews 1 verse 3 says, he's purged his people's
sins, he's scoured them and scrubbed them clean. There, there's some
hope, isn't there? This one has purged his people's
sins, he's scoured them clean. This one is God the Son. This
one is God manifested in the person of his Son. This is God
the Son, exalted, glorified, omnipotent, reigning, sovereign. But in order to make his people
holy and sinless, he's going to go on to tell us now that
he had to become a man. Our God had to become a man so
that he would make his people holy and sinless. Verse five,
for unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to
come whereof we speak. Let me paraphrase that. If you
think you're going to find out about eternal life, if you think
you're going to find the ticket to eternity and acceptance with
God through worship of angels, well, he hasn't put the worlds
to come in subjection to them. You won't find it there. There's
no point in revering angels to find salvation. That won't work. They're ministering spirits.
That's what they are. He's told us in chapter one.
They're ministering spirits doing the work of God. Now, where will
we find this holiness and this sinlessness that we must have?
in God's word it's all about all about man what is man? verse six that thou art mindful
of him or the son of man that thou visitest him it's about
man or specifically about a man it's specifically about a man
it's specifically about the man the Lord Jesus Christ now turn
back with me to Psalm 8 for a few moments as what we read earlier
because that's what's quoted next O Lord, our Lord, how excellent
is thy name in all the earth, who has set thy glory above the
heavens! Out of the mouth of babes and
sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies,
that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. When I
consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and
the stars, which thou hast ordained, what is man that thou art mindful
of him, and the son of man that thou visitest him? You've made
him a little lower than the angels and has crowned him with glory
and honor. You've made him to have dominion
over the works of your hands. You've put all things under his
feet, all sheep and oxen and so on. Oh Lord, how excellent
is thy name in all the earth. What are we going to make of
this? What's it about? Well, here's a clue, right? When
Jesus walked this earth, He said to the Pharisees, he said to
them in John 5, 39, I think it is, yes, 39, that's
right, he said, you search the scriptures, the Old Testament
scriptures, for in them you think that you have eternal life, everlasting
life. And in that, you're right, the
key to life is in the scriptures. And then he said this, this man,
Jesus, speaking to them in the temple, he said, these are they
which speak of me. And then when he was risen from
the dead, in Luke 24, and he was on the Emmaus road with those
two disciples who were sorrowful, and he was talking to them, what's
happened, you know, the one we thought was going to be the Saviour
of Israel, they've taken and crucified him, and they were
despondent, and he, Jesus, expounded to them, he said, oh fools and
slow of heart, and he expounded to them in all the scriptures,
beginning with the law and Moses, the things concerning himself. This book, these Psalms, these
Old Testament histories are about the Lord Jesus Christ. What about
him? They're about the way God makes a sinful people holy and
sinless in his sight. Holy and sinless. Saves his people
from the judgment to come. Declares them with a clean bill
of health regarding justice so that you go into eternity not
with any of your own righteousness in your hand but knowing this
Knowing this, that one has stood before the bar of God's justice
in your place, and has paid that penalty, and has earned that
righteousness, and has made you right with the living God. These
scriptures are about Christ. expounded in all the scriptures
the things concerning himself. So how do we interpret this?
How do we interpret this? Now, when I was a young man and
I lived in a village which had nearly all boys, all the families
had boys, so there were hardly any girls in the village and
two miles away there was the little village of home. Don't
worry, Christine didn't come from there, she came from somewhere
else. But all the families there seemed to have had girls, so
especially I remember when it was autumn nights and it was
getting dark early and The boys of Burton would go looking for
love down in the village of home for the girls down there. And
I remember walking those dark lanes, those two miles. those
of you that are city dwellers and have never known anything
other than streetlights you can't appreciate this you know when
on a really dark night when there's no stars or anything you put
your hand out and you can't see your hand in front of you it's
that dark right it was that kind of darkness but I remember those
nights walking along and looking up at the stars and if you've
got absolutely no light pollution which there wasn't then you know
I'm getting on a bit it was a long time ago they couldn't afford
streetlights not ones that were really effective like they are
today and I used to think Wow, look at that. When I consider,
see I didn't know this psalm, but I was doing this. When I
consider the heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and
the stars which you have ordained, what are we? Gosh, look at us,
what are we? And that's right, that's true,
that is what this is saying. When I think about the fearful
wonderfulness of what God has made, And I look at the fatal
flaw in man of the sin and the corruption and the degradation. We had a train journey yesterday
morning through some of the most beautiful countryside in the
whole of the British Isles and we're looking out of the window
at several scenes of the monarch of the glen you know that painting
of the great big stag as we're going across ran at moore and
it was cloudy but clear and these wonderful herds of deer magnificent
and in the same train carriage as us were 12 Scottish football
supporters going to the match in Glasgow who at 10 o'clock
in the morning were already blind drunk and making an enormous
great racket and what was outside was just completely passing them
by of utter irrelevance. It was really quite a contrast. These things can make you think,
but is that what this is really about? I think not. Where does Christ come into this?
Well, we're told in Hebrews. Now turn back to Hebrews. Hebrews
chapter 2. Hebrews chapter 2. You see, in
Hebrews chapter 2, verses 6 to 8, Psalm 8 is quoted but it's
interpreted as speaking of not man in general but the man, Christ
Jesus, God incarnate. It's talking about how do we
get right with God? How do we become saved? Not through
angels, but what is man that they aren't mindful of him? Or
the son of man that you visit him? Who's he talking about? Yes, we're made lower than the
angels in that we die and we're mortal. Yes, in that respect,
we're made lower than the angels, What's he really talking about?
Ah, look at the start of verse 9. But we see Jesus. He's talking
about the Lord Jesus Christ. He's talking about the Son of
Man. You know, Jesus loved to use that name for himself in
his earthly ministry. More than the Son of God, the
Son of Man came to do. The Son of Man. He used that
expression over and over again. Am I over-spiritualizing this
by saying that this is about Jesus? You see, there would be
lots of orthodox theologians would accuse us of over-spiritualizing
the Scriptures. Oh, you're reading too much into
it. Just read it at face value for what it is. You're reading
far too much into it. No, we need to seek to be true.
We need to seek to be true to the Scripture. And we need to
interpret the Old Testament which this is a quote from in the way
that the New Testament interprets it this is interpreted here Psalm
8 is interpreted as speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ of God
incarnate that means God in human flesh God in the flesh Paul tells
us that the man that he's talking about here is the God man He
tells us that he's God the Son, becoming the man, Christ Jesus. You know, Paul wrote to Timothy,
he says there's one mediator between God and man. the man
he's already told us that he's God enthroned and glorified and
reigning but he's the man Christ Jesus who is the mediator between
God and man am I right in interpreting it this week let me give you
some examples just to show you that this is the right way to
interpret it look back at Hebrews chapter 1 and verse 5 and you'll
see a phrase at the end of that verse where he says and again
I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son now you
can scour the Old Testament and you'll only find that phrase
used in 2 Samuel chapter 7 verse 14, do you know what it's about? it's about David and his son
Solomon I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son so
that's as far as it goes isn't it? in the word of God there's the
historical account that David's talking about being the father
of his son Solomon that's as far as it goes isn't it not if
we believe the scriptures because here in Hebrews 1 and verse 5
clearly it's being applied to the Lord Jesus Christ God the
Father and God the Son I will be to him a father and he shall
be to me a son that's not over spiritualizing that's just doing
what the New Testament tells us to do we could look at Psalm
2 and verse 7 don't turn there now for the sake of time where
it says thou art my son this day have I begotten thee and
you know that's quoted again here and then in the Acts of
the Apostles, that's applied to the resurrection of Christ.
You see, we understand it in that respect because of the way
the New Testament applies it. In Hebrews chapter 2 and verse
13, look down a few verses. Again, I will put my trust in
him. is a quote from Psalm 18 verse
2 but what's it about here? It's clearly talking about Christ
he's talking about the Lord Jesus Christ as a man trusting in God
the Father I will put my trust in him Christ the man trusting
God the Father that's how we understand it because that's
the way the New Testament applies it I'll give you one more very
clear example if you read the ninth chapter of the prophecy
of Amos It's about the scattered Jews being gathered from the
four corners of the earth and the temple being set up and everything
being re-established and glorious times coming. And many, many,
many, many people say, ah, that's what's happening in the modern
land of Israel today, in the city of Jerusalem today, there
they are, they're coming back from all over the world. Do you
know that's not the way the New Testament interprets it? You
go to the council of Jerusalem in Acts chapter 15, and you read
what the apostles said there, when they were all together,
all the apostles were there together in Jerusalem. Paul and Peter
and James, all of them were there. And this is what they said. One
of them, James stood up and said, about the Gentiles coming into
the church and it was, should we treat them like Jews coming,
the Gentiles coming into the church he said it's just what
the prophet Amos said in Amos chapter 9. That's how we know
how to interpret Amos chapter 9 because the New Testament tells
us the best commentary on the Bible is Bible itself. The New Testament is the best
commentary on the Bible, and so here we interpret this as
applying to the Lord Jesus Christ, our eternal God, becoming a man. Remember the question we're trying
to answer. You know, hang in there. the question we're trying
to answer is this how can a man be declared holy? how can a man
be declared and you know when I use the term man I mean mankind
we're not having any of this kind of silliness chairwoman,
chairperson type of thing when I say man I mean mankind how
can a man be made right with God how can a man be declared
sinless this is the important thing what's being said here
is this this man Jesus Christ but we see Jesus as the federal
head of his people, the representative head of his people, the substitute
for his people, the second Adam. You know as Adam the first man
was the first representative of the human race then there's
the second Adam who is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one in
whom all his people are made alive. You know as in Adam, the
first one, all die. Even so in Christ shall all his
people be made alive. And what this is about is the
unity of Jesus and his people. Why did he have to become a man?
Why couldn't God just save from heaven sitting on his throne
remotely? Why did he have to become a man? Because only that
way could he be united with his people. There's a verse that
we'll look at in more detail next time but Further down, verse
14, for as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood,
he also, Jesus also himself, likewise, took part of the same,
that through death, that through death he might destroy him that
had the power of death, that is, the devil. He had to have
the same flesh and blood as his children, that he might save
them, that he might make them holy, that he might make them
sinless in the sight of God's law. This is how God, the Son,
has made his people holy and sinless. Not through angels,
verse five. They don't have the keys to eternal
life. Our Lord Jesus Christ has the
keys of eternal life. No, not through them. But by
unity, look at verse 11. For both he that sanctifies,
both he that makes them holy, and they who are sanctified,
they who are made holy, are all of one. All of one. Counted of the same thing. United
with Christ. This is a mystery but it's absolutely
fundamental to the Gospel. How do you know that it is well
with your soul? Because I'm united with Him.
You know all the symbolism of The New Testament and the Gospel
message, like in baptism, buried with him in baptism, raised again,
is picturing that when he died on that cross of Calvary, you
died with him. And when he rose, you rose again
to newness of life and ascended with him. And it says in the
scriptures that we're now, his people are now seated with him.
You say, I'm not, I'm seated here. No, in spiritual truth,
seated in heavenly places in Christ. when we're going to share
bread and wine as that perpetual reminder till he come again that
he who eats the flesh of the son of man and drinks his blood
has a part with him now literally we don't this the idea of transubstantiation
is absolute stuff and nonsense there's not the slightest hint
that that ever is anything other than bread and wine it's unleavened
bread symbolical of the sinless body of the Lord Jesus Christ
it's wine with the antiseptic qualities of the alcohol in the
wine it's symbolical of the perfect precious blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ and we eat it and drink it just as a symbol there's only
those two things baptism and the Lord's Supper just as physical
reminders to our physical flesh of spiritual reality. And what
are we doing? As we eat and drink we're saying
I'm part of him and he's part of me. I'm in him and he's in
me. When I stand before the bar of
the justice of God he's already stood there for me. When I deserve
the wrath of God to be poured out on me There's no more wrath
to come. The ground is burnt. I'm standing
on burnt ground. I'm standing in a forest clearance
where the fire has already fallen. There's no more tinder to burn
there because the justice of God has fallen on my substitute,
on the one in whom I am united. Those that are sanctified and
he that sanctifies are all of one. Unity. And look what he
did, verses 9 and 10. We see Jesus, you see? It talks
about the man who was made a little lower than the angels, but it
says, we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels
for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor that he,
by the grace of God, should taste death for every man. That is
not a good translation. As much as I love the King James
Version, that is not a good translation. It doesn't mean that he tasted
death for every man that ever lived. He tasted death for those
that the Father gave him before the foundation of the world.
And how do I know? Read on into verse 10. For it became him for
whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many
sons unto glory to make the captain of their salvation perfect through
sufferings. Who are the many sons? Those who chose in Christ
before the foundation of the world. He's elect. That's what
it is. The reason why this is so important
and not just a theological point is he really did, like I've told
you before, use a financial analogy again. You don't want the notion
that there's a kind of a general offer that all your debts are
paid off down at the bank. You want to know that somebody
has actually gone and cleared your debts. Christ came to clear
the debts of his people. Why was he to be called Jesus?
the angel said to call his name jesus he shall save his people
from their sins uh... you read isaiah fifty-three it's
unmistakable that it's his specific people read uh... john's gospel
about the sheep you know he says to the pharisees gosh this sounds
harsh if any other human preachers stood up they'd lynch him for
it oh they tried to lynch jesus for it he said this he said uh... you pharisees he said you don't
believe because you're not of my sheep. He didn't say it the
other way around. He didn't say go on, decide for
Jesus and then you can become one of my sheep. He said you
don't believe because you're not one of my sheep. That's what this book
says. That's the truth of this book. He saved his people. He
saves to the uttermost. To the flesh, it's the most unfair
thing that anybody could ever devise. To the child of God who
sees it and believes it, it's the most glorious certain hope
of eternal life. and anything else won't do I
want to know that debt's been paid for me and he says and how
do you know? You believe it that's the only
mark you believe it you believe it Paul says he writes to various
churches and he says he calls them the elect of God how does
he know they are? They believe the gospel of his grace so it's
by unity and substitution that he tasted death How could he
taste death? He had to taste death as a man.
The justice of God demanded it. The soul that sins, it shall
die. He had to become a man. What's the price? The price is
blood. blood, there must be blood sacrifice,
there must be the, why? Because the life is in the blood,
says Deuteronomy. He must pour out his lifeblood.
Who is he saving? He's saving human beings. What
sort of blood must he pour out? The lifeblood of a man, a perfect
man. He couldn't pay for the sins
of himself, it wouldn't have worked if he had sins of his
own to pay for, only paying for the sins of others his people
whose sins he took upon himself when he was made sin who knew
no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him
and verse six What is man that thou art mindful of him? Or the
son of man that thou visitest him? He's coming as the son of
man with a purpose and a mission. We read in the Old Testament
about God going forth to redeem a people and I'm reminded of
the picture of Abraham when he hears about Lot, his brother,
being captured and he gathers a band together and he goes out
to rescue his brother. And so it is. Picture of salvation.
God goes out to redeem his people. To save his people. It's promised
throughout the Old Testament. That's what the Old Testament
is about. How can a man be just with God? In this way, in this
way. There's one coming, there's one coming. And those who were
given eyes to see were looking, they were looking. Is he coming
yet? They were looking. Even wise men in the land of
the Chaldeans, the area of Babylon, they must have looked at the
libraries and they saw. Now must be about the time. We
better go and see if he's there. Look, we've seen his star. We
in the east have seen his star. Let's go now to Bethlehem to
see. this thing we've seen in the scriptures which scriptures
the prophecy of Daniel clear as the nose on your face if you
read it with spiritual eyes that he was coming at that time and
they looked for it and others were looking to remember Simeon
at the temple I know this is sounding more like a Christmas
message isn't it but there was Simeon at the temple and Anna
the prophetess what were they doing they were waiting what
for Before they died, Simeon says the Lord had told him he
wouldn't see death until he'd handled God's salvation. And
they bring this baby in, and somehow miraculously he knew,
this is God. As that hymn of Charles Wesley
says, God contracted to a span. This is God. Eternal God. Glorious God. But he can't save
me unless some human blood is shed. unless the law of God exacts
the justice of God on human blood. And I'm in this little one and
he's going to grow and perfectly, you know, the fullness of the
time had come and God had sent forth his son, made of a woman,
made under the law to redeem those who are under the law.
And he's going to grow sinlessly under the law with the justice
of God shining on him. And they're going to hear this
voice from heaven on several occasions. This is my beloved
Son in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye Him. And then that sinless
one was observed. You know, Passover lamb was observed. Is it without blemish and without
spot? Yes, he's without blemish and without spot. And then the
hand was laid upon his head and the sins of his people, somehow,
I don't know how, were laid on him and he bore those sins to
the cross of Calvary. and the wrath of God poured out
on him there every last, you know it talks about drinking
the cup of the wrath of God he drained it dry every, every last
drop there's no more, no more judgment to come for the people
of God we look to that judgment seat of Christ with joy because
he's going to say come ye blessed of my father enter into the joy,
enter into the glory, the bliss that's prepared for you there's
no dread there, there's no loss there's no loss of reward because
you haven't been a perfect Christian no absolutely to the uttermost
he's done it all for his people when he came as a man and went
out for his people and redeemed those people that were under
the law you see whatever extent these words apply to mankind
in general these psalmate words and no doubt they do that was
true of me as that young lad looking up at the stars and thinking
there must be more to this than just what meets the eye and what
people tell me no that is perfectly true but they can only really
be understood as applying to the man, the Lord Jesus Christ,
who came and was humiliated, made a little lower than the
angels, or made for a little while lower than the angels.
God the Son, supreme, same glory as the Father, was born of a
virgin. in humble surroundings, had a simple upbringing, was
a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief, said he had, when
he was on his public ministry, he had nowhere to lay his head.
None of the things that we take for granted in this world were
his. He was moved with compassion he was opposed by the Pharisees
he was spitefully treated he was unjustly judged he was cruelly
murdered yes he was made a little lower than the angels for a little
while lower than the angels that's why he said my father is greater
than I only for that little while was the father greater than the
son just while he humbled himself he who though he was in the form
of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God Philippians
2 verse 5 but made himself of no reputation and taking the
form of a servant he came and was obedient unto death what
sort of a death the most despicable despised shameful death known
to man the death of the cross but he who went that way was
raised from the dead and God has highly exalted him and given
him a name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus
every knee shall bow. You see only now with that New
Testament light can we see that's what Isaiah was saying in Isaiah
45. a just God and a saviour to whom everyone will bow the
knee, everyone. He came, he took human flesh,
why? To earn righteousness as a man
under the law and then to bear the sins of his people that they
might be made the righteousness of God in him. And look in verse
10 at the end, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through
sufferings. In other words, suffering all
that the law could require for his people's sins. He suffered
a perfect penalty for the sins of his people and then rose triumphant. with salvation accomplished.
Look, he's crowned with glory. It says that that applies to
man, crowned with glory, because God did indeed place him over
all creation. In Genesis chapter 1, about verse
28, God put him in charge of everything and said, have dominion
over it. But look, crowned with glory and honor that's mankind
in general but look it really applies to Jesus verse nine who
was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering
of death he's risen he's crowned with glory and honor that he
by the grace of God should taste death for every son it ought
to say for everyone whom the father gave him this is the will
of him who sent me said Jesus that of all that the father has
given me I should lose none but should raise it up at the last
day He rose triumphant and he's now glorified. And he's the head
of the body, the church. Colossians tells us that. Colossians
1.18, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that
in all things he might have the preeminence. But verse eight,
look at the end. But now we see not yet all things
put under him. Not yet. Does this explain our
experience as it is now? These are spiritual eternal realities. And it doesn't yet seem that
way to you and me, does it? As we go through this life, in
this flesh, in this world, there's so much that doesn't seem as
if all things are put under him. And do you know why it is? I
think it's because of this, that the apprehension of this great
salvation might only be by faith and not by sight. Just by faith. You see it and you believe it
by faith. The gift of God, by faith you
see and believe these things. And so verse 11 then. He that
sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all of one. The
unity of the sanctifier and the sanctified. And he says, he goes
on to say, he's unashamed, he's not ashamed to call them brethren.
Why isn't he ashamed to call them brethren? What would have
made him ashamed of them? Their sins. You read in the Old
Testament again and again, it talks about being ashamed as
being found guilty in the judgment. But he's not ashamed of them,
why? Because he's cleansed them from their sins. There is no
more sin. My sin, oh, the bliss of this
glorious thought, my sin not in part, but the whole, is nailed
to his cross, and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord, praise
the Lord, O my soul. And he shows them the name of
God. Verse 12, I will declare thy name unto my brethren. In
the midst of the church will I sing praise unto you. That's how God makes his people
holy and sinless. That's how he saves them. He
declares the name of God. What name? Jehovah. Think of
all those names. Jehovah Nissi, Jehovah Tzidkeno,
Jehovah Rahar. I'm going to rapidly, brain cells
are dying off. But they're all about the Lord,
my shepherd, the Lord, my righteousness, the Lord, my banner, the Lord,
all these things to do with salvation. How do you know one of them?
You don't know one of them outside the Lord Jesus Christ. You only
know all of them in him. I have declared your name to
my brethren in the midst of the church. Will I sing praise to
him? So when we take bread and wine,
think of this, am I united with him? Do I have a part in his
body and his blood? It says let every man examine
himself. In the communion thing, let every
man examine himself. It doesn't say let the elders
of the church get together and examine everybody whether they
are allowed to or not. It says let every man examine himself.
And this bread and wine is just a reminder, just a physical reminder
that the way God makes his people holy and sinless is that God
became a man and walked this earth a little lower than the
angels for the suffering of death that he might taste death for
every one of his sons, those people whom he's going to bring
to glory. The angels desire to look into this. These angels
who are not going to be the way of salvation, they desire to
look into it. Peter tells us that, and the
church declares it to them. Do you know now, you know the
story of Elisha and the young man, and they're terrified of
the Assyrians. I've told you this many times,
but I'll just remind you. And the young man says, oh, my
master, look, it's all up for us. We've had it. Look at all
the Assyrians all around. We're just about to be overrun,
and they'll kill us, no doubt. And Elisha prays, oh Lord, open
his eyes to show him that those who are for us are greater than
those who are against us and his eyes were opened and he saw
angels, multitudes of angels. Do you know as we declare this
this morning the scripture tells us Ephesians 3 10 to the intent
that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places
might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God. The
angels are looking into this now. that human beings, sinful
human beings are rejoicing in the fact that God has made his
people holy and sinless by his son becoming a man, the son of
man that thou visitest him little lower than the angels for the
suffering of death well if the angels find it so fascinating
to look into don't you think we ought to?