Hebrews chapter 2, let's read
the first 10 verses. Our text will be just these few
words from verse 9. But we see Jesus. Let's read the first 10. Therefore,
therefore, referring back to chapter 1, in light of what he
said there, and we'll look at that in a moment. Therefore we
ought to give the more earnest heed To the things which we have
heard, faith cometh by hearing, lest at any time we should let
them slip." Just let them drift away. As my father used to say,
son, everything I tell you seems to go in one ear and out the
other. Oh, may God not allow that to happen. Don't let what
you hear slip. Verse 2, he tells us why. For if the word spoken by angels
was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just
recompense of reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great
salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord
and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him? God also
bearing them witness both with signs and wonders and with divers
or various miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to
his own will. For unto the angels hath he not
put in subjection the world to come whereof we speak. But one
in a certain place testified saying, what is man that thou
art mindful of him or the son of man that thou visitest him. Thou madest him a little lower
than the angels. The word little there should
be translated or could very well be translated for a little while,
for a little while lower than the angels. Thou crownest him
with glory and honor and did set him over the works of thy
hands. Thou has put all things in subjection
under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection
under him, it left nothing that is not put under him. But now
we see not all things put under him, but 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. For it became him for whom are
all things, and by whom are all things, that speaking of God
the Father, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the
captain, that can only be speaking of Christ the Son, to make the
captain of their salvation perfect through sufferance. You'll remember that the key
word in the book of Hebrews, the understanding this book,
is the word better, better. And it always refers to the Lord
Jesus Christ. Christ is superior, as we read
through this book, superior in his excellence and glory over
all creatures. Angels, for example, that we
just read up in those first ten verses. Over all creatures, over
earthly priest, over all animal sacrifices. In chapter 10, the
writer says, it's not possible that the blood of bullocks and
goats should take away sin all but But Christ, but Christ, He
entered in once into the holy place and what happened? When
He offered Himself without spot to God, He obtained by that eternal
redemption for us. Oh indeed, indeed, that's better,
that's better. Look if you will at verse 4 of
chapter 1. The apostle is comparing Christ's
superiority to that of angels. And in verse 4 he says, being
made so much better than the angels as he had by inheritance,
he earned it, he has a right to it, obtained a more excellent
name than they. Now, the writer tells us Why
that so? Why he has obtained a more excellent
name than they? Look in the previous two verses,
that is verses two and three. Look how he describes our Lord. God had in these last days, verse
two, spoken unto us by his Son, by his Son. And now he's described. whom He had appointed heir of
all things. All things. And not only that,
by whom also He made the worlds. Everything was made by Him. Everything. And without Him was
not anything made that was made. Verse 3. He goes on and describes
Him. who being the brightness of His
glory, that is God's glory, remember what He said? No man has seen
God at any time. The only begotten Son who is
in the bosom of the Father, He had declared Him. If you've seen
Me, you've seen the Father, He said, who being the brightness
of His glory and the express image of His person and upholding
all things, all things by the word of His power. He not only
created them, they continue by His power, by His power. This is no accident that things
continue as they are. It's no consequence of evolution
or cosmic forces why this earth continues. and all this universe. The same power that created it
is the same power that upholds it. That's exactly what we read
here. Upholding all things by the word of His power and if
that's not enough, if that's not enough to demonstrate His
greatness, oh look here, the writer goes further. Not only
did He create all things in the natural creation, He's responsible
for all works in the new creation. He says, when He had by Himself. Oh, my soul. It's like being
on an escalator, isn't it? And just going higher and higher
and higher. Oh, I go a little ways and look
at the creation. and say, oh my soul, it's simply
the work of God's fingers as we read in Psalm 8. But if God
is pleased to open my eyes, I go further up beyond that and I
say, oh my soul, He's bestowed upon me this worthless sinner. He's given me His mercy and His
grace. You mean He purged my sins? All the wonder. The wonder. When
He had by Himself purged our sins, He did it. He did it. Sat down. Oh, that's why He sat
down. Because He purged our sins. He sat down on the right hand
of the Majesty on high. That's not speaking of angels.
That's speaking of only one, the Son of God. It wasn't concerning
Gabriel but Christ that God has decreed and declared, this will
be so. At the name of Jesus, every knee
should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things
under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Oh yes, he has
obtained a more excellent name than they. Look at verse 5 of
chapter 1. We have a question. The writer of the epistle asked
this question. For unto which of the angels
said he at any time? That is God. To which angel did
God say at any time, Thou art my son, this day I begotten thee? Have I begotten thee? And again,
I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. And the answer is, to which angel? None. Not one. Not one. God never spoke these words to
anyone except His Son. About anyone except His Son. Never. Not one time. Rather, look at verse 6. And
again, when He bringeth in the first begotten into the world,
He saith, speaking of Christ, the firstborn among many brethren,
let all the angels So far from angels being ascribed to greatness
that's only due to Christ, they bowed to Him too. Let all the
angels of God worship Him. And they're glad to have it so.
They delight to have it so. They delight to do His bidding. Look at verse 8. And to the Son
He saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever." Thy throne. God the Father speaking to His
co-equal, God the Son, and says, Thy throne, O God, is forever
and ever. A scepter of righteousness is
the scepter of Thy kingdom. Oh yes, angels surround the throne. Angels bow at the throne. Angels
leave the throne to do the bidding of only one that sits upon the
throne. And it's not Gabriel. It's the
Lord Jesus Christ. Again, you have a question at
verse 13. Look at it of Hebrews 1. The
question is asked, to which of the angels said he at any time,
set on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool? And again the answer, Carlos,
is the same, not one. Not one that doesn't refer to
angels. Not one time, not one time since
the creation of an angel was that ever spoken. No, angels
go forth, as we're told in verse 14, at the bidding of Him alone
who sits upon the throne. Look at verse 14. Speaking of
angels, are they not all ministering spirits? Sent forth to minister
for who? For who? You've heard that lie
about everybody ever born has a guardian angel? No, no, no.
When babies die, they go to heaven as angels? No, no, no. That's
an old wife's tale. No, God's elect have ministering
angels, not one but all of them. They're sent forth to minister
for them that shall be heirs of salvation. Oh yes, the angels
protect God's elect until they're called. until the time of love. Not love on God's part. No, because
there wasn't a time that that began. He's loved us with an
everlasting love. But that time of love on our
part when we come by His grace to realize, when He comes to
us and makes us realize, I've redeemed you, you're mine, you're
mine, and calls us by His grace. Until that day, these angels
are sent forth to minister to those that shall be heirs of
salvation. And after they're called, they're
preserved. They're preserved and protected
and kept until that appointed time of their departure. When at their journey's end,
again the angels escort those that were chosen, those that
were redeemed, they escort them to glory. to glory, to be in
the presence forever of that one who said, I want them, Father,
to be with me where I am, that they may what? Behold my glory. Behold my glory, my soul. What will that be like? I can
only imagine. I can only imagine. Ministering
spirits. That's why God created the angels. They serve Him by serving them
who shall be heirs of salvation. There was an old fella years
ago. I've met him once. But he made
this statement. He made this observation. When
God in the covenant of grace by the creation of angels would make them to be heirs for
those who would be or rather be his elect who shall be heirs
of salvation. That's why they were created.
Satan said, not me. Not me. This is what the old
preacher said. No, I won't do that. I won't
do that. He said that was the essence
of Satan's rebellion. I don't know that that's so,
but it's an interesting thought. In Isaiah chapter 14, you have
the record of that, of what the devil said concerning this. In Isaiah chapter 14 verse 12,
look at it with me. Isaiah 14 and verse 12. How art thou fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning? Lucifer, day star it means. How art thou cut down to the
ground which did weaken the nations? For thou hast said in thine heart,
I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above
the stars of God. I will set also up on the mound
of the congregation in the sides of the north. I'm gonna take
God's place. Not me, not me. I'll not minister. Oh no, I want to be the one that's
ministered to. Verse 14, I will ascend above
the heights of the clouds. I will be like the most high. Yet thou shalt be brought down
to hell to the sides of the pit. In Revelation chapter 12 we read,
Woe unto the inhabitants of the earth because the devil has come
down to you having great wrath because he knows he hath but
a short time. Not me, Satan says in the pride
of his heart. Remember what our Lord said to
Simon? Simon, Simon, behold, Satan had desired to have you
that he may sift you as wheat. And that's true of all God's
people. That's true of all God's people.
Oh, but that wasn't the end of what he said, was it? He went
on to tell Peter, weak Peter, who would be shown his weakness
in just a few hours from these words being spoken. But the great
high priest, the captain of our salvation, went on to say, But,
but, I prayed for thee that thy faith fail not. that thy faith
fail not. When thou art strengthened, when
thou art turned again rather, strengthen thy brethren. Oh yes, he's God's devil. The devil is not a rival to God. Never was, as we just read in
Isaiah 14, and never will be. God still uses Satan Can you
imagine? Is this not a reason for at least
part of his rage? In spite of all that he can do
and desires to do, he's God's devil and God still uses him
for his glory. God still uses the devil for
his glory. Yes, he's God's devil. One fellow
said, yes, God has the devil on a leash. And granted, sometimes
it seems like a very long leash, but he's still on the leash and
he can do nothing. as just a reading of Job will
verify. He can do nothing unless God
gives him permission to do so. He works all things, our great
Savior, after the counsel of His own will, and that includes
the malice of Satan, fallen angels, and men. God works in a mysterious
way His wonders to perform. He plants His footsteps in the
clouds and He rides, rides in sovereign majesty. He rides upon
the storm. Now look in Hebrews chapter 2.
The writer continues this theme of the excellence of Jesus Christ
over everything. Look again at verse 5. He says, for unto the angels
hath he not put in subjection the world to come whereof we
speak. The backdrop of Psalms 8 and
Hebrews 2, the entire book of Hebrews for that matter, and
the entire Word of God is the glory of Jesus Christ and the
salvation of sinners. And then in verses 6 through
8, the writer of the epistle quotes from Psalm 8. Look at
it again. But one in a certain place testified,
saying, What is man? This is what David said. What
is man that thou art mindful of him? Or the son of man that
thou visitest him? thou madest him a little lower
than the angels, and thou crownest him with glory and honor, and
didst set him over the works of thy hands. Thou hast put all
things in subjection under his feet." Yes, the backdrop of Psalm
8 and Hebrews 2 here is the same. And that is the backdrop, the
contrast between God's greatness The great contrast between God's
greatness and man's nothingness. Man's nothingness and God's almighty
greatness. As we said in the reading of
Psalm 8, was David perhaps walking out at night and looking toward
heaven? He seems, when I consider the
heavens, the work of your fingers. and the moon and the stars that
you've ordained. He says, My soul, what is man? What is this man? What is any
man? What is any fallen son of Adam
in the light of the glorious greatness of God Almighty? What
is man that you would even consider him God? Oh, you see, that's
how the God, the true God, portrays and speaks of Himself in His
book. He is God alone and there is
none like Him. And if man ever realizes that,
if God is ever pleased to teach a man that, you know what He'll
do? He'll bow down in the dust. where
he came from, and look up and beg for mercy. Oh, what is man
that thou art mindful of him, or the son of man that thou visitest
him? God works always, the psalmist
said, and he works everywhere. There's no place where God is
not. No place. In Psalm 139 he said,
when I think about this, when I consider this, it's too wonderful
for me, David said. It's too wonderful for me. I
can't go anywhere where God is not there. That's a comfort to
the believer. Oh, but to the unbeliever, If
he were not blind, it would strike terror into his heart. God is
everywhere. Adam found out. You can't hide
from God. Old Barnard said he thought there
were more people hiding from God in church, or thought they
were, than any place else. I tend to agree. I tend to agree. Oh, but the psalmist said, if
I ascend into heaven, thou art there. If I take the wings of
the morning and ascend into heaven, behold God, you're there. If
I should descend into the depths of the pit, into hell, behold,
thou art there. You've beset me behind and before. He said, such thoughts are too
wonderful for me. I cannot attain to them. Oh yes, the greatness of our
God. When I consider the heavens the
work of thy hands, what is man that thou art mindful of him?"
I remember years ago, I was visiting with Brother Bruce
Crabtree, the pastor in Newcastle, Indiana. We were together one
weekend, and he was telling me that one time in Newcastle, A
church in the area advertised that they were going to have,
as their speaker one night, a fellow who was an astronomer. And I
said, really? Bruce said, yeah. And he said,
Larry, I went. I went. I thought, I want to
hear what this babbler has to say. And Bruce said, when the man
stood up and took his text, it was this. When I consider the
heavens the work of thy hands, and he did. That was his livelihood.
That's what he did all his life for a living. When I consider
the heavens the work of thy hands, and the moon and the stars which
thou hast made, this man said, What is man, that thou art mindful
of him? And Bruce said, Larry, he preached
one of the greatest messages I ever heard concerning the littleness
of man and the greatness of his God. Oh, and that is the contrast
throughout the Word of God. Man's nothingness and God's greatness. My pastor, I still consider him
to be so. Mr. Fortner, among his many hymns,
he wrote this, and I thought of it when I was preparing this
message. It's on page 78 in the Songs
of Grace book, but it says, My soul consider this great thought. the wondrous works which God
has wrought, his works from all eternity, my God has done them
all for me. Think about that. Think about
that, believer. Redeemed by blood, preserved
by power, until that great appointed hour, when God in mercy came
to me, he gave me life and set me free. My God is never, never
failed. His grace and power have prevailed. My heart, my soul, my life He
holds by sovereign grace within His fold. My soul, consider the source
of all heresy." Listen, the source of all heresy is man's low view
of God. That's exactly right. That's
exactly right. The source, the root, cause of
all heresy that's seen in every man-made religion in the world
is the result of man's low views of God Almighty. All the proof
you need of that statement being true is just to look around.
I'm going to call y'all down in a minute. That's all you need to do. Look
around at what goes on around us to prove that that is the source of all heresy,
man's low view of God. before Satan could convince Eve
to sin, to disobey her creator, what did he do first? How did
he do that? What was the means he used? He
convinced Eve, read it in Genesis. He convinced Eve that God's not
quite as great as she thought he was. Surely, hath God said? Hath God said? No, no, no. No, no, no. He's not being truthful
with you, Eve. The truth is He knows if you
eat this fruit, you're going to be just like Him. And He belittled
God. before Eve and Eve believed the
lie. She took the bait and therefore
she sinned against God. Listen, our concept of God either
bows us down before Him or lifts us up with pride. If it's a true
concept of God, if it's a scriptural concept of God, this is what
it does. This is what it does. It bows
us down before Him. We look up and exclaim with wonder,
of Him, Lord, of Him. Not you and not me or any other
man or angels, but of Him are all things. Of Him and through
Him and back to... Him are all things. It's Him
that I'm trying to preach. It's Him that I'm trying to exalt.
It's only Him that can reconcile you to God. It's Him you have
to bow to. There is no salvation in any
other name. Not preacher, not Pope, not Baptist,
not Catholic. It's in the name of Jesus Christ. that sinners find mercy and grace. God says, this is my Son, hear
Him. You'll hear Him, you'll bow to
Him, you'll come to me through Him, or I'll cast you into hell
forever. That's how important it is. A realization of God's greatness
caused this reaction. in Hebrews and in the Psalm and
all through the Word of God. What is man? What is man compared
to Him? And that's why Satan uses the
same lie that he did on Eve to belittle God, to make people
believe that God is not as great as He claims He is, and He's
got men standing in pulpits all over this land doing that very
thing. God's done all He can, people
are told by the multitude, and you know what reaction that has?
Listen to me. You know what reaction that has?
You know what that kind of preaching produces? Nothing except pride
and a false hope. Because people think, well, Jeff,
why should I be alarmed? I mean, if God's done all he
can and it's up to me, I'll just live like hell. I'll live my
life the way I want. And this pitiful little Jesus
that can't have his way, if these preachers are telling me that
what they're saying is true, I'll just live like I want. When
I get ready to die, I'll say, Jesus, save me. Be my doormat
into heaven. Be my fire escape out of hell,
and everything's gonna be all right. But that's a lie. That's
a lie. That's not the God of Scripture.
That's not the Christ of Scripture. That's not this same Jesus that
the Word tells us about. Great views of God and great
views of man can't go hand in hand. You can't have both. Where there's one, the other
goes out the window. Where man is made much of, God
isn't. God isn't. Louis, he's not. You know that. We all know that.
Those of us who know Christ. Where man is made much of, God
isn't. And where churches do that, they
rob God. Don wrote, I read this statement
and copied it down. I thought it was so good. He
said, let no doctrine be believed, no sermon be heard, no song be
sung. And no thought be received which
in any way detracts from the greatness of God. And when I
read that, I said, I'm going to copy that down. I'm going
to share that with my folks Sunday morning. Because I say to that
statement, Amen and Amen. Just a verse. Just let me read
you a verse from Nehemiah. You need not turn there. Thou,
even Thou, art Lord alone. Thou hast made heaven, the heavens
of heavens, with all their hosts in the earth, and all things
that are therein, the seas and all that is therein. And Thou
preservest them all, and the host of heaven worshipeth Thee. Thou art God alone. I know that these verses in Hebrews
2, have application to man before the fall. We read in Genesis
1, God did give him dominion, Adam that he created. But if
you take verses 6 through 8 in Hebrews 2, especially along with
verse 9, I think it's plain to see they're speaking of that
representative man, the second Adam, Jesus Christ himself. We'll consider the verses in
this way, applying them to him who in all things must have the
preeminence. He must have the preeminence. And just a word, just a word
about the expression at the end of verse 9, that he should taste
death for every man, for every man. Now, what I'm about to say,
I'm not saying it lightly. I knew it, but I wanted to refresh
my memory. I did some research, I studied,
I verified. Every man should not even be
in the verse. Very poor translation. Our King
James Version is the best version there is, but this was a poor
translation. It should read every son, every
son. You'll read on down in the chapter,
you'll find out. Every son that was given to him,
he was made like unto his brethren. Verse 13, they're called his
children. Oh yes, his brethren, his children,
the many sons that he's bringing to glory. Yes, he tasted death
for every son. Look at verse 8. Look at the
first sentence of verse 8 again, quoting from Psalm 8. Thou hast
put all things in subjection under His feet. Christ. Christ. He sits on the throne
of unrivaled power. And listen, listen. He exercises
that power. Folks say, well, yes, He has
all power, but No buts. Yes, He has all power and He
exercises that power. I can rest on that, can't you? The triune God who purposed the
salvation of His people declares He's able to perform that which
He purposed. Otherwise, what good is the promise? What good is it, Lester? If God
purposes the salvation of a sinner, but He doesn't have power to
bring it to pass, then what good is the promise? Oh, but God declares
over and over in Scripture, what I promised I'm able to perform. My word shall not return unto
me void. What I purpose, we read in Isaiah
over and over again, I shall bring the past. I am God alone. Our great Redeemer that night
prayed, Lord, Thou has given me power over all flesh, Father
rather, that I should give eternal life to as many as Thou has given
me. Look at verse 10 of Hebrews 2.
For it became Him, It was necessary. It became Him for whom are all
things and by whom are all things in bringing many sons unto glory. Not try to bring them to glory,
but to bring them to glory. to bring them to glory. All those,
that multitude, those multiplied thousands and tens of thousands
and hundreds of thousands that God entrusted into the hands
of our surety before the world began, That's the reason he came. He lived for them. He became
like unto his brethren, and he died for them, and he ascended
for them, and now he intercedes for them, and one day he'll bring
them back to the Father and say, I and the children that you've
given to me, That's what we read in this chapter. I and the children
that you gave me, I've lost none. Look at the second sentence of
verse 8. For in that He put all in subjection
under Him, He left nothing that is not put under Him. Nothing. All means all. There's nothing
outside of His rule. Nothing falls outside of His
rule. Nothing. Never. Ever. Not one time. If so, anything at any moment
of time ever fell outside of the rule of Jesus Christ, then
He's not an absolute ruler, is He? Oh, but He rules over all. He has dominion over everything
and everyone. Look at the last sentence of
verse 8. But now we see not yet all things put under Him. Not
yet. Not yet. Christ has restored
that which He took not away. We by Christ have gained more
than we lost by the first Adam. In Adam all die, but in Christ
all his sons, all his chosen are made alive. We just don't
see all of it now. Paul in speaking to those philosophers
in Athens on Mars Hill declared, God hath appointed a day in which
he shall judge the world in righteousness by that man. Christ Jesus. That day is not yet. Now we see through a glass darkly. Oh, but then face to face, face
to face. The hymn writer expressed it
like this. We sang it recently. Praise the
Savior. The last verse says, then we
shall be where we would be. Then we shall be what we should
be. Things that are not now nor could
be soon shall be our own. Now look at verse 9. We don't
see all things yet. Oh, but we see Jesus. But we see Jesus. That's the one. That's the one
thing needful. That's the one thing necessary. That's the one thing indispensable. What I don't see, as we read
in the last sentence of verse 8, that can and will wait. This, after all, is the most
important. This is what I must have. If I would have peace with God,
if I would have grace, if I would have mercy, if I would have reconciliation
with the Father, I must have I must by faith see Jesus, John. In chapter 20, our Lord appears
to the disciples and this time Thomas is present, he wasn't
before. And he said, Thomas, reach here,
feel the prince, feel where the sword thrust through my side.
And Thomas fell down before him, you remember. And he said, my
Lord and my God. And he said, Thomas, because
you see me, you believe. Blessed. Blessed are those who
shall not see and yet shall believe. And John said, these things are
written. These things are written. If we write everything that He
did, the world wouldn't contain the books. But these things are
written that ye may believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and that
ye may have life through His name. Oh, if we see Jesus, listen,
it is well with my soul. What did we sing a little while
ago? My faith has found a resting
place, not in device nor creed. I trust the ever-living One.
His wounds for me shall plead. And this is such a sweet place
to be. This is the place of acceptance.
This is the place of experienced grace. The sinner can say, cuddling
up to that One and only One who took away his sins, I need no
other argument. Oh, but I see Jesus. Therefore,
I need no other argument. I need no other plea. It is enough. Don't you like that? Isn't that
your experience, child of God? Don't you find that to be more
so every day? It is enough that Jesus died
and that He died for me. There's your rest, Lester. There's
your peace. Religion says do. Do, do, do. Don't stop doing. Keep at it. Keep the law. Touch not. Taste not. Wear not. Go not. Do, do, do. And don't,
don't, don't. But grace says, come unto me,
all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Just rest. Oh, but if we see
Jesus, we find rest simply by trusting Him. And God says that's
enough. That's enough. Nothing else is. Ask the apostle. Ask the apostle. Did all your religious activity
bring you peace and rest, Paul? Read Philippians chapter 3. Read 1st and 2nd Timothy. Paul
would say, all that I did, all that I attempted to do to lay
a foundation of acceptance before a holy God, when He opened my
eyes, I saw that it was nothing but done. Done. All of that, Paul? A Pharisee
of Pharisees? A life of self-denial? Living a life you thought in
accordance with God's law? It's all done? It means nothing? And Paul said, yes. Why? When did you come to realize
that? When I saw Him. When I saw Him and bowed before
Him. What do you do now, Paul? I simply
trust Him. I just want to know Him. I want
to be found with Him. He's enough. And I don't want
to know anything else. He's enough. Oh, but if I don't
see Him by the sweet gift of faith, then the reason is I'm
still blind. I'm still lost. I can go around
and debate. I can dialogue, that's popular
these days. I can fight free will, but there's
only life for a look at the crucified one. But we see Jesus, then God
has opened our eyes, has he not? We couldn't otherwise. That miracle
of God's grace is still necessary because by nature we're still
blind. Ask Mr. Newton. Ask Mr. Newton. Was it necessary, Newton? You old slave trader? You old
captain of a slave ship? You rebel? You God-hater? Was it necessary? Did it take
a miracle of grace to open your eyes to your depravity, your
sin, your lostness? And hear His answer. Hear the
answer of that rebel. Sing, "'Twas grace that taught
my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved.'" What about
prior to that, Newton? Oh, I once was lost, but now
I'm found. I was blind, but now, bless his
name, but now I see. But we see Jesus. We sing that song in the bulletin,
The Brazen Serpent. Our Lord told Nicodemus in John
3, he said, as the serpent was lifted up in the wilderness,
even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth
in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. And you remember when that happened?
The children of Israel in the wilderness began to blame Moses
for their circumstances. We read in Numbers chapter 21,
they became discouraged because of the way and they blamed Moses. And God sent fiery serpents among
them, bit them, and they began to die. And they came to Moses
and said, we've sinned against God and against you. Pray God. Pray to God. Intercede for us
that he would stop this plague of poisonous vipers. And Moses
did that. You know the story. And the remedy
was a serpent of brass. The serpent of brass. He made
it and God said, put it up on a pole. and go throughout the
camp. In Adam all die. The poisonous
of sin is in all our members. No exceptions. And there's no
human cure. But God provided the remedy.
A serpent made in the likeness of the fiery serpent. God made
Him who knew no sin to be the remedy. To be sin for us that
we might be made the very righteousness of God in Him. There was only
one remedy, the brazen serpent. Put up on a pole, Moses, and
go through the camp. And what? Mums the word? Oh no. Oh no, no. Say, look, look. Look and live. And we read in
Numbers 24, or rather Numbers 21 and verse 9, those who looked
lived. That was it. They were bitten,
they were dying, perhaps at death's door, their last breath, but
when they looked, they looked, they were cured. They were healed. They lived. Nicodemus, the son
of man, is going to be lifted up. And every one that looks,
every dying sin, poison, sinner that looks, shall live. Isn't that glorious? Isn't that
glorious? Oh, but we see Jesus. You mean I simply look? Look
and I'll live? Ask the thief on the cross. He'd
been bitten and he was dying and he rolled his head over and
looked at that one on the center cross and said, remember me.
He looked by the grace of God and the Redeemer said, today
you're going to be with me in paradise. There's life for a
look at the crucified one. Oh, but we see Jesus. Mr. Spurgeon said, when he left
that primitive Methodist chapel that morning, when God opened
his eyes and he saw, and his sins rolled away, and he saw
Jesus Christ, he said he walked home in that snowstorm. And he
wanted to tell every snowflake falling from the sky what God
had done for his soul. When I consider the heavens,
the work of thy hands, and the moon and the stars which thou
hast made, what is man that thou art mindful of him? God enabled
us never to get over the wonder of his amazing grace. I'll wrap this up. We look at
those words in verse 9, but we see Jesus. And let me say, there's
no substitute for that. There's no substitute for that,
folks. He is the substitute. Theology won't take the place
of that. Understanding something about
how God saves sinners is not salvation. You remember when
Peter and John healed that lame man at the temple, at the gate
of the temple in Acts 3, and they were arrested? The next
day they were brought before the high priest and Caiaphas
and political leaders and just a who's who. And they went aside
and said, you know what? These are unlearned and ignorant
men. Unlearned and ignorant men is what the elite said. They'd
been taught of God in the flesh, and these people called them
ignorant. They knew he who is the wisdom of God. How could
they be unlearned? But these who made the accusation,
they saw him. They saw him who Peter and John
preached. And the Pharisees said, this
is Joseph's son. And they saw no beauty that they
should esteem him. But Peter, that unlearned and
ignorant fisherman lord, he saw him and he said, you're the Christ. You're the son of the living
God. What made the difference? What
made the difference? God. God. He opened Peter's eyes. I once read a story, I think
in a sermon by Mr. Spurgeon, where he was preaching
along the line of look and live. Sinner, look and live. He said he'd heard about a man
who invited two other of his acquaintances to his house for
supper. These were two educated intellectuals
that he invited. And they came and sat down, and
the man's wife had prepared a good meal, a beef roast, potatoes, carrots,
onions, gravy, biscuits. And these two philosophers sat
down, and one looked across the other one from the table and
said, I wonder how this roast was prepared. I wonder how it
was cooked. The other one said, oh, I want
to know more than that. I wonder how it was raised, what
it was fed on, how it was nourished before it was slaughtered, before
it ever came to this place. And while these two morons were
debating that, a poor hungry farmhand that worked for the
man came in from the field and sat down and just looked at that
roast and got him a bunch on his plate and started eating.
The Lord said, I'm the bread of life. Are you hungry? Are you hungry? Come unto me. Christ said, I'm the bread of
life. He that eateth of me shall live
forever. Are you hungry? Are you hungry? Have you grown weary eating on
the husk of what this world offers, perhaps eating on the husk of
worldly religion, intellectualism, whatever, but you're still hungry. Christ says, come unto me. I
am the bread that come down from heaven. Eat of me and ye shall
live forever. God enable you to do that. Amen.