Hebrews chapter 2. I'd like to read verses 16 through
18 of Hebrews chapter 2. I've entitled this message a
merciful and a faithful high priest. Beginning in verse 16
for verily Truly, he took not on him the nature of angels,
but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore, in all things it behooved
him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a
merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God,
to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that
he himself hath suffered, being tempted, he is able to succor
or help them that are tempted." Now this is the first of sixteen
references to Christ being our great high priest in the book
of Hebrews. Now every believer according
to the scripture is a king and priest to God. He has made us
kings and priests to God. A priest is someone who represents
men to God. And every believer is a priest,
but there's only one great high priest, and that is the Lord
Jesus Christ. Now, in verse 16, we read, For
verily, he took not on him the nature of angels. He never intended
to save angels. He never was a priest for angels,
but he took on him the seed of Abraham. You see, the fallen
angels have no priest. They have no Savior. They have
no salvation. In his sovereignty, he passed
them by. He saves men, but he passes by
these fallen angels. argue over the discriminating
nature of God's grace. And my dear friends, it is discriminating. He does make a difference between
one and another. He saves one and he passes by
another, all according to his glorious sovereign will. Whatever he does is right. And
people say, well, that's not fair. How could it be fair? for
him to choose one man and pass by somebody else. How could it
be fair for Jesus Christ the Lord to die for one man and not
to die for another man? How could that be fair for him
to discriminate in grace? Men make that objection, but
I've never heard up to this point somebody complain about the Lord
not dying for Satan and for demons. You've heard anybody say he's
not fair in that? Not fair that he didn't save
Satan? Not fair that he didn't die for demons that have rebelled
against him. Why? You know, our conscience
are repulsed by that. Whatever he does is right now. He took not on him the nature
of angels. He had no intention of saving angels, but he took
upon him the seed of Abraham, verse 17, wherefore. In all things. It behooved him. It was necessary
for him is what that word means. It was necessary for him to be
made like unto his brethren. That he might be a merciful and
faithful high priest in things pertaining to God. And here's
what happens in him being a merciful and faithful high priest in things
pertaining to God. He makes reconciliation or propitiation
is the actual word. for the sins of the people, that's
the first thing he does, for in that he himself had suffered
being tempted, he is able to suffer them that are tempted,
or help those that are tempted. That's what he does as this merciful
and faithful high priest. Now, notice once again in verse
17, it says, wherefore in all things it behooved him to be
made like unto his brethren. Now, who are his brethren? Who
are the brethren of the Lord Jesus Christ? And we find out
in this passage of Scripture, look back in verse 11 of chapter
2. For both he that sanctifyeth
and they who are sanctified are all of one. For the which cause he is not
ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I'll declare thy name
unto my brethren in the midst of the church while I sing praise
unto thee. Who are the brethren of the Lord
Jesus Christ? Those that he has sanctified. Those that he has set apart.
Those that he is one with. The eternal union of Christ and
his people. Now, this absolutely blows my
mind. It hurts my mind to even think
about this. But do you know, before God Every believer has
always been in the Lord Jesus Christ. There was never a time
when we were not. I don't understand that. That
blows my mind that it's true. I've always been one with the
Lord Jesus Christ. There was never a time when I
wasn't and I began to be. Both he that sanctified and they
who are sanctified are all of one. Now, I don't feel like I've
been around very long. I haven't since 1959. But in
the Lord Jesus Christ, I've always been one with Him. That's who His brethren are.
And the reason He's not ashamed to own me as His brethren is
because as He is, so am I. Is He holy? I am too, because
I'm one with Him. Is He accepted by the Father?
Then I am too, because I'm one with Him. Is He altogether righteous? Then I am too. because I'm one
with Him. That's who His brethren are.
That's the brethren He's a merciful and thankful high priest for.
Look in verse 13. And again, I'll put my trust
in Him. And again, Behold, I and the
children which God hath given me. That's talking about the
elect. That's talking about those the Father gave Him before the
foundation of the world. He's one with those people. Now why I make an issue of this.
Well, for one reason, because the Bible does. That's good enough
reason, isn't it? The Bible does. But here's the
issue. If he can be my first merciful
and faithful high priest, like, he'd be that way for everybody.
And if I end up not being saved, he's a failure as a priest. He
can't do me any good. I need a priest that's always
successful. That anybody he represents, they
must be saved. You see, my hope of salvation
is that he represents me. All my hope, all my eggs are
in this one basket that he represents me. And everybody he represents
must be saved. And that's who his brethren are,
that he's a merciful and faithful high priesthood. Those he is
sanctified. Those he is one with. That word sanctified means set
apart. He set them apart. He's one with Him. They're His
elect. Those the Father gave Him. And I love this name for Him. A merciful and a faithful High
Priest. A merciful High Priest. Full of mercy. Moved with pity
toward me. A merciful High Priest. You see, if He's merciful toward
me, That means he does not give me what I deserve. And that's
exactly what I need. I need someone to not give me
what I deserve. Because if I get what I deserve,
I know what that means. And I love this thought. He's
a merciful and faithful high priest. He's always faithful
to be merciful. There's never a time when he's
not merciful towards those he's a priest toward. Now, what if
somebody was faithful all the time but once? What if your spouse
was always faithful all the time except for once? Well, that's
not faithful then, is it? Now, our Lord Jesus Christ is
always faithful to be merciful. He's always merciful toward every
single person He represents as a high priest. Merciful, and
that's what I need, mercy. The Lord should not give me what
I deserve to be merciful and compassionate toward me. He's
always faithful to be merciful. Now, in order for him to be a
merciful and faithful high priest to his brethren, it was necessary. Look what it says in verse 17.
Wherefore, in all things, it behooved him to be made like
unto his brethren. And in all things, It behooves
him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a
merciful and faithful high priest. Now, for him to be my merciful,
faithfully merciful high priest, he had to, in all things, be
made like unto me. Now, that word made like, let
me show you what it means. Turn to Revelation chapter 1. Revelation chapter 1. Verse 13. John is speaking under the inspiration
of the Holy Spirit, and he's talking about this vision he
had, and he said, in the midst of the seven candlesticks, one
like unto the Son of Man. That's the same word translated
made like. You know what John saw? John
saw the Lord Jesus Christ. He didn't see an image of Christ. He saw Christ. To be made like
means to be the same as. One who is the same as. Now,
for him to be my merciful and faithful high priest, he had
to become the same as me. First of all, he takes on my
flesh. I'm a man, man sin, man must die for him to save me,
for him to be my merciful and faithful high priest. He had
to take on flesh. He became a man. Now, Think of this, the Lord
Jesus Christ, understand this, in all things, in all things,
he had to be made like unto his brethren. Now listen real carefully.
The Lord Jesus Christ never sinned. He never committed a sin. He's the only holy man to ever
live. He never thought a sin. He never
had a sinful motive. He never had a sinful deed. He
never sinned perfectly holy. He never sinned. Can you imagine
that? I have such a hard time grasping
that. He never sinned. Yet, in all
things, He's made life unto His brethren. Although the Lord Jesus
Christ never sinned, He felt the shame and the guilt of sin
much more acutely than you and I ever have or ever will. That's an awesome thing to think
about. For him to be a merciful and faithful high priest, he
had to be in all things made like unto his brethren. He had
to be man or his brethren sinful. He was made sin. And because of that, he can empathize
with me. Any feeling that I felt, he's
felt much more acutely than I ever have because he was made sin. And he knows the shame, the humiliation,
the guilt when you feel so guilty. You know, hey, you feel guilty
when you've committed a horrible sin and you just feel so guilty.
Do you know he knows what that feels like? Much more acutely
than you or I do. He knows the shame of it, because
he was made sin for his people. In all things, he was made like
unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and a faithful
high priest. Now, this is the great mystery
of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh, and in the flesh
he was made sin. The sins of his brethren became
his, and his righteousness becomes theirs. You know what that makes
you want to do? Worship him. worship. Now, this. As a merciful, as
a merciful and faithful high priest to his brethren, there
are two things mentioned in our text that he does. First, he
makes reconciliation. For the sins of the people. And
second, he's able to succor, he's able to help them that are
tempted at first. He makes reconciliation for the
sins of the people, those he represents as the great high
priest. And that word reconciliation is the same word that's generally
translated propitiation. He made propitiation for the
sins of his people. Now, the sins of his people.
Sins of omission, sins of commission, sins, the sins of his people.
Got plenty of those, don't we? The sins of his people, breaking
God's law. Failure to do what I ought to
do. Failure to trust Him completely. The sins of the people. I think
the publican knew something about that when he said, God be propitious
to me, the sinner. The sins of His people. He made
propitiation for the sins of His people. That means He removed
God's reason for anger. You see, God is a holy God. He
must punish sin. If He let sin go unpunished,
He would be unholy, like me and you. And you know that can't
be. But on the cross, the sins of His people literally became
His, who His own self bear our sins. in his own body on the
tree. And he suffered the full equivalent
of an eternal hell. He was forsaken by God, suffering
for the sins of his people. But something very unique happened
on the cross. I love that story of Elijah when
he takes the bull that after the False prophets
have prayed all day asking for fire to come down from heaven
and nothing ever happened. And then he takes his bull and
he has it doused with water three times, water covering it. And
then he prays for God to answer him by fire. He said that God
that answers by fire is the true and living God. The prophets
of Baal there, God never answered. But the Scripture says fire came
down from heaven. It consumed the sacrifice. So
much so that the water was licked up, the dust and the stones and
everything was gone. I mean the altar was gone. The
fire came down from heaven and you think there was an altar
there? There was a bull on the altar and the fire comes down
from heaven and there's nothing. All of a sudden everything's
gone. There's not even any dirt there left where it hit. I mean
the fire came down and consumed the sacrifice. And there's several
instances in the scripture where fire would come down from heaven
and consume the sacrifice to show the acceptance of the sacrifice.
But here's the one time, and this is so glorious to think
about, when our Lord was on the cross, fire came down from heaven,
and this is the one time the sacrifice consumed the fire,
and there was nothing left. That's why God says, there's
no fury in me. If he's propitious toward my
sin, that means I've got no sin for him to be mad at. The reason
for anger has been removed. And that's what the Lord did
on the cross. He removed the reason for anger. God doesn't
have any reason to be mad at me. Boy, the only way I could
get hold of that's by faith. But I believe that. At public,
in the temple. He cries out, God, be propitious
to me, the sinner. And our Lord said, I say unto
you that that man went down to his house justified. You see, where there is propitiation,
there must be justification. It's an absolute necessity. He's
removed the reason for anger. My sins have been put away and
I am justified. That means I stand before God
without guilt. Now for him to be a merciful
and faithful high priest for me, he's going to have to make
propitiation for my sins. Isn't it wonderful to have your
sins propitiated? That's what every believer has the blessed
privilege of. My sin has been put away. What
a merciful and faithful high priest. Verse 18 of our text, Hebrews
chapter two. For in that he himself. The son
of God, the creator of the universe. He suffered. Oh, how he suffered. Being tempted. He is able to succor them that
are tempted. Turn with me for a moment to
Matthew chapter 4, how he was tempted. He was tempted with the lust
of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. Look
in Matthew chapter 4 verse 1. Then was Jesus led up of the
spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted, Forty
days and forty nights he was afterward and hungered. Can you imagine how hungry you'd
be if you went forty days without eating? And when the tempter
came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that
these stones be made bread. I have no doubt that the devil
was there in chapter three. When that voice came down from
heaven when our Lord was baptized and said, this is my beloved
son in whom I'm well pleased. And the devil heard that and
he said, if you are, prove it. Prove it. Command that these
stones be made bread. But remember, my merciful and
faithful high priest had to be just like me. Can I command stones
to be made bread? No. I can't make stones into
bread. I'm totally dependent upon my
Heavenly Father to provide my bread. I have to just wait on
Him. And our Lord, He easily could
have commanded the stones to be made bread. You know that.
But because I couldn't, He wouldn't. And look how He answered the
devil. But He answered and said, It
is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every
word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then, verse 5,
the devil taketh him into the holy city, and setteth him on
a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the
Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written, look, the
devil even used scriptures, it is written, he shall give his
angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall
bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against the
stone. Now come on, prove it to us. The scripture says you
can. Show us that you are the Son of God. Fall down from this
temple, jump off, and if you really are, you'll trust the
angels of God to catch you. Prove it to us. That's the lust
of the eyes. He didn't have to prove anything
to the devil or anybody else. He is who he is. He doesn't need
to prove anything. And if he tried to prove anything,
he would just be trying to satisfy the devil. And he wouldn't do
it. And that's the lust of the eyes, men wanting to do things
to impress men. No, that's no reason. Verse 7,
Jesus saith unto him, It's written again, Thou shalt not tempt the
Lord thy God. I love the way the Lord says
it's written. I mean, this is the Lord of glory. He could have
tied the devil in knots if he wanted to, but yet he always
answered, It is written. It is written. That's the only
thing that matters. Is it written? It is written.
Thou shalt not tempt. Test the Lord thy God. If he
said I'm the son of God, I am the son of God. I believe what
he said. I'm not to tempt him. Verse 8, And again the devil
taketh him into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him
all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them. And he
said unto them, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt
fall down and worship me. You see, he is the God of this
world. Then said Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan, for it
is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only
shalt thou serve. Now he was tried in all points. Look over in Hebrews chapter
4. Verse 14, seeing then that we
have a great high priest that's passed into the heavens, Jesus,
the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession, for we have not
an high priest which cannot be touched, moved to empathy, more
than sympathy, empathy with the feeling of our infirmities. But
he was at all points tempted like as we are yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly
under the throne of grace that we may have turned mercy and
find grace to help in time of need. Now you think about the
Lord. He's called a man of sorrows. And acquainted. With grief. He knew weariness. He knew betrayal. He knew what it was to be forsaken
by God. He knew guilt and shame much
more acutely than you or I know. He knew loneliness. There's nothing
you and I have gone through that he's not much more acutely experienced. Rejection, heartache, guilt. He suffered in a way that you
and I could never suffer. You see, sin, when it comes right
down to it, it doesn't bother us that much because we're used
to it. We're desensitized. It's not something that we're
just shocked at. I mean, it's us, you know. I
mean, it comes natural. But He, the Holy Son of God,
that He had to go through that. If an eagle
became a worm, that would be a stoop, wouldn't it? But that is nothing in comparison
to Him becoming a man But when his holy soul was made sin, you
and I cannot understand. But because he suffered so being
tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted. Now, he
is able. This is the foundation of our faith. He is able to he's
a merciful and faithful high priest. Oh, I wish I could describe. How merciful he is. He delights
in showing mercy. We're afraid to come to Him because
of our sin, and we don't realize He delights in showing mercy. He's faithful to always be merciful. He's a merciful and faithful
high priest, and He's able, oh, He's able to suffer. He's able
to help them that are tempted. His ability with God, nothing
shall be impossible. That demon possessed, or that
man with a demon possessed son came up to the Lord and he said,
if you can do anything, help us. Well, he didn't know who
he was talking to, did he? The Lord turned the tables on
him. He said, if thou canst believe, all things are possible to him
that believeth. Because with God, nothing shall
be impossible. You see, he is able. to do, exceeding abundantly above
all we ask or think. The very foundation of our faith
is 2 Timothy 1 12. I know whom I have believed,
and I'm persuaded that he is able. Are you persuaded of that? I'm persuaded that he is able
to keep that which I've committed against that day. He's able to
save them to the uttermost, those that come to God by Him. Whatever
He's promised, He is able also to perform. He's able to keep
us from falling and to present us faultless before the presence
of His glory with exceeding joy. And He is able to succor them
that are tempted. Now, I'd like us to go to Daniel
chapter 6. I want to give a story of how
He's able. to succor them that are tempted.
Daniel chapter 6. This is a story that most people are
aware of, have heard it, but they don't know what it means.
It's about Daniel and the lions. Daniel chapter 6. It pleased
Darius to set over the kingdom and 120 princes, which should
be over the whole kingdom. This is when Israel was in captivity. And over these three presidents,
of whom Daniel was first, that the princes might give account
unto them, and the king should have no damage. Then this Daniel
was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent
spirit was in him, and the king thought to set him over the whole
realm. Then the presidents and princes sought to find an occasion
against Daniel. They were jealous of him concerning
the kingdom, but they couldn't find an occasion or fault for
as much as he was faithful. Neither was there any error or
fault found in him. Then said these men, we shall
not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it
against him concerning the law of his God. Then these presidents
and princes assembled together to the king and said thus unto
him, King Darius will live forever. All the presidents of the kingdom,
the governors and the princes, the counselors, the captains
have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a
firm decree that whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or
any man for thirty days, say that thee, O king, he shall be
cast into the den of lions." Well, he was impressed with that.
That sounded like a good idea. Now, O king, establish the decree
and sign the writing that it be not changed according to the
law of the Medes and Persians, which alters not, this law could
not be altered. Wherefore, King Harrius signed
the writing and the decree, and it could not be altered. That's the way that law worked.
Once it was brought into effect, it couldn't be changed. Now,
when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his
house and his windows being opened in his chamber toward Jerusalem,
he kneeled down upon his knees three times a day right in front
of everybody. and prayed and gave thanks before
his God as he did aforetime. Then these men assembled and
found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.
Then they came near and spake before the king concerning the
king's decree. Hast thou not signed a decree that every man
that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty
days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?
The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the
law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. Then answered
they, and said before the king, that Daniel, which is of the
children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O
king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition
three times a day. Then the king, when he heard
these words, was sore displeased with himself. Why did I sign
that, he said, and he set his heart on Daniel to deliver him,
and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him.
Then these men assembled. Remember, the law couldn't be
altered, though. It could not be altered. Then these men assembled
unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that
the law of the Medes and Persians is, that no decrees nor statutes
which the king establisheth may be changed. Then the king commanded, and
they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake, and said
unto Daniel, Thy God whom thy service continually, he will
deliver thee. And a stone was brought, laid
upon the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own
signet, and with the signet of his lord, that the purpose might
not be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his place,
and passed the night fasting, neither was instruments of music
brought before him, and his sleep went away from him, Then the
king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto
the den of lions. And when he came to the den,
he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel. And the king spake
and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is
thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the
lions? Then said Daniel unto the king,
Okay. Live forever. My God has sent
his angel and has shut the lion's mouth that they've not hurt me
for as much as before him. Innocency was found in me and
also before the old king. I've done no hurt. Then was the
king exceeding glad for him and commanded that they should take
Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of
the den and no manner of hurt was found upon him because he
believed in his God. And the king commanded, and they
brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into
the den of lions, their children, their wives, and the lions had
the mastery over them and break all their bones in pieces forever.
They came at the bottom of the den. Then King Darius wrote unto
the people, nations, and languages that dwell in the earth, Peace
be multiplied unto you. I make a decree that in every
dominion of my kingdom, men tremble in fear before the God of Daniel.
For he is the living God, and steadfast forever, and his kingdom,
that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even
unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, and
he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and earth, who hath
delivered Daniel from the power of the lion. So Daniel prospered
in the reign of Darius, and the reign of Cyrus the Persian. Was
his God able to deliver him? You see the answer to that question. If you go into the Third chapter,
the same questions asked. And I think it was Nebuchadnezzar
who ends up saying after they were delivered from the fiery
furnace, no God is able to deliver after this sword. That's our
God who is able to succor thee. Now, the Lord Jesus Christ, he's
a merciful and faithful high priest. He's my merciful, faithful
high priest right now. He's representing me before the
Father. And I love to think of this when he represents me. It's
not him getting, oh, please let him go by this time. I know he's
sinned, but let it go. I'm always not guilty. Innocence
he has found in me through the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm innocent.
I'm not guilty. Just like Daniel, he said, innocence
he's found in me. Found in me too, because I'm united to the
Lord Jesus Christ. And he's able to deliver me. He's able to help them. Help them. Do you need help? Now I need help. I'm like that
Syro-Phoenician woman. When she came to the Lord and
asked for mercy for her daughter. He didn't answer and she kept
asking him. And he said, I'm not sent but to the lost sheep
of the house of Israel. And then the scripture says she
came and worshipped him saying, Lord, help me. I need help. Much more so than
I even understand. But thank God he is able to help
in every way. What a merciful and faithful
high priest. He makes propitiation for the
sins of the people and he is able to help. them that are tempted. Let's pray together.