The name or the title of this
message is The Captain of Our Salvation. The Captain of Our
Salvation. Now let's look at verses 1 through
4 and read them without too much comment so that we can reserve
our attention for the rest of the verses, the ones we didn't
look at last time. The writer of the Hebrews, Paul,
says, therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the
things that we've heard. That's taken from verse 1 when
he said that God spake to our fathers by the prophets, different
times, different seasons, different manners, but he's spoken to us
by his son, that great prophet. And therefore, because of the
fact that we've heard the Son, we ought to give them more earnest
heed to the things that we've heard, lest at any time we let
them slip away from us through neglect or indifference or for
whatever reason, let this gospel slip away from us. For he says
in verse 2, if the word spoken by angels or prophets was steadfast,
And sure, and every transgression and disobedience and refusal
to hear received a just recompense of reward. How in this world,
and they heard the prophets, they heard the angels, but we've
heard the Son. How shall we escape if we neglect
so great salvation, so great because of the cost of it, because
of the author of it, because of the power of it, because of
the grace of it, great salvation, which at the first began to be
spoken by the Lord, by the Lord Jesus Christ himself, and was
confirmed unto us. Not that his word needs any confirmation,
but nevertheless the Lord shall fit to raise up apostles who
were with our Lord And this message of our Lord, the gospel of his
grace, was confirmed to us by them that heard him, by these
apostles, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul. God also, for our
sakes, bearing them witness, these men preaching the gospel,
both with signs and wonders and different miracles, gifts of
the Holy Ghost, speaking in other languages, healing the sick,
even raising the dead. And these gifts of the Holy Ghost
given to these men were the gifts of the Holy Ghost
according to his own will, according to his will. Now verse 5, and
this is where we focus on the person and work of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the captain of our salvation. 5. Unto the angels hath he not put in subjection
the world to come, whereof we speak, though the angels, as
messengers of God, are most prominent in the scriptures. We meet with
the angels all the way through the scriptures. They were prominent. They were used of God mightily,
messengers of God. They brought God's word to special
people. Abraham had a visit from the
angels. They spoke to the prophets. They appeared and spoke to the
prophets. The angels appeared to Mary and announced to her
the birth of Christ. Angels appeared to Joseph. Angels
appeared to the shepherds, unto you is born the city of David
a Savior, Christ the Lord. The angels announced the resurrection
of Christ. When they came to the tomb, found
it empty. The angels were sitting on the
stone. They said, why are you seeking the living among the
dead? He's not here. He's risen. When the disciples
saw the Lord ascend to glory and stood there on the mountain
gazing steadfastly into heaven, the angels appeared. And they
said, ye men of Galilee, why are you standing here gazing
into heaven? This same Jesus. is taken up from you into heaven
shall so come in like manner as you've seen him go. The angels
of God are great, powerful, mightily used of God. Go through the scripture
sometimes and see how many times God used the angels. They ministered
to Christ. They ministered to Christ. When
he was in the Garden of Gethsemane so weakened, or there on the
Mount of Temptation so weakened by fasting, the angels came and
ministered to him. When he was in the Garden of
Gethsemane, the angels came and ministered to him. They ministered
to us. Look back there at verse 13 and 14 of chapter 1. To which
of the angels said he at any time, sit on my right hand until
I make thine enemies thy footstool? Are they not all ministering
spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of
salvation? They ministered to us. The angels
are present when we meet to worship. You read that in the scripture,
how the angels can be offended by what goes on in the name of
God. But he says here in verse 5 that this new heaven and new
earth, the world to come, see that for unto the angels, as
great as they are, As powerful as they are, as important as
they are, yet God has not put anything in subjection to them
in the world to come. The new heaven and new earth,
the resurrection, the eternal glory, are not at all subject
to the angels. Not in their hands. I know the
angels afflict some judgment in the book of Revelation. The
angels come with certain judgments. But it's Christ who's the head
of the kingdom. It's Christ who's the king, the
governor, the father of the new world. In fact, actually, the
new heaven, new earth, the things that God's prepared for them
that love him, the angels desire to look into. Not only are they
not in charge, they're not fully informed. That's right, they're
not in charge, Christ is. And they're not even fully informed
as much as you are. They haven't experienced salvation
as you have. It's Christ. Our Lord prayed
in John 17, glorify me with the glory which I had with thee before
the world was. He's the King. He's the King. All things are subject to him.
Let's go back to John 5 and read. couple of verses, talking about
our Lord, all things are given to him, not to the angels. In John 5, verses 21 and 22,
listen to this, verse 21, verse 22, "...for as the Father raiseth
up the dead, and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth whom
he will." For the Father judges no man, he hath committed all
judgment to the Son." Look at verse 25, "...verily I say unto
you, the hour is coming, and now is when the dead shall hear
the voice of the Son of God." Not a voice of an angel, the
voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. Verse
28, "...marvel not at this, the hour is coming in which all that
are in the graves shall hear his voice." So that's who we're
talking about, unto the Son. All right, look at verse 6 and
7 now, Hebrews 2. But one in a certain place testified,
saying, and this is David, and this certain place is Psalms
8, Psalm 8, verse 4 through 6. 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, thou crownest him with glory and honor, and
didst set him over the work of thy hands." I've heard preachers
and I've read writers that try to apply that to Adam and to
us. But this is not Adam, because
Adam was not a frail man when God made him. When God made Adam, He wasn't
under the angels. He was perfect and holy in the
image of God. He had charge of this world. And Adam, secondly, wasn't the
son of man. He says, in a certain place, what is man that thou
art mindful of him, or the son of man that thou visit him? Adam
wasn't the son of man. He didn't have a human father.
Adam was created by God. Down here in verse 7, he says,
you crowned him with glory and honor. And Adam certainly was
not crowned with glory and honor. He lost his glory and lost his
honor. He sinned against God. This is
not Adam. This is our Savior. This is the
Lord Jesus Christ. Look at it again, verse 6. But
one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man? Christ is
the man. Behold the man, Pilate said. The man. He's really the man. The second Adam is the first
man is the earth. Earth is the second man is the
Lord from heaven. And God is mindful of him. God
is mindful and God loved him. God showed him particular favor,
took his human nature into union with his divine nature. This
man took his human nature, made him a body and made him one.
human and divine, thought it not robbery to be equal with
God. And he visited him. He didn't visit him like he did
Adam in anger and wrath. He visited Adam in wrath. He
visited this man in favor and love. He gave him the Spirit
without measure, supported him and sustained him
through all of this walk through the world. Sustained him in all
his ways, accepted his person, mindful of him, visited him,
praised him, my son in whom I am well pleased, raised him from
the dead, exalted him above all creation to his right hand. You
talk about mindful of him. God is mindful of this man. What is man that is not mindful?
He's mindful of this man, this man he loves, this man he highly
favors, this man is God's man. And he says here in verse 7,
you made him a little lower than the angels. Why don't you say
this? How can you be made a little
lower than the angels? A little, this much or this much
or that? No, he made him lower than the angels for a little
while. You can just write that right in the margin there. For
a while, for a little while, he was inferior to the angels,
for a little while. Because he had a human nature,
and a human nature is lower than the angels. He had a sinful,
he was made in a likeness of sinful flesh. That's lower than
angels. Angels have never sinned. He's
inferior, he's made for a while lower than the angels because
he was made under the law. The angels are not under the
law. He was made of a woman. He was made lower than the angels
for a little while because he needed the support of the angels.
They ministered to him. He was made inferior to the angels
because on the cross God forsook him, and that God never did to
an angel, one of the elect angels. But this man, thou made him for
a little while lower than the angels, but listen, but wait
a minute, that's not the end of the story. It's for a little
while. Because this man, born of woman,
made under the law, made lower than the angels, made in the
likeness of sinful flesh, made sin for us, walked this earth
as a representative of all the elect, died on a curled tree. ignominious death, buried in
a common grave, was raised of God. And this man, God crowned
with glory and the highest honor. I read about it while I go in
Philippians 2. God has highly exalted him and given him a name
above every name. God did set him over all his
works. That's what it says here. For
a little while he was lower than the angels, but you crowned him
with glory and honor and did set him over all the works of
our hands, over all principalities and powers and rulers and angels
and kings of the earth and over all things. He's higher than
the heavens, this man. He's one God. And there's one
Mediator between God and men. Don't ever say there's one Mediator
between God and man. Because he's not the Mediator
of all men. He's the Mediator of some men.
He's the only Mediator between God and men. And he's the man,
Christ Jesus. There's the man. God mindful of him. visited him
with favor, power, made him for a little while lower than the
angels, but God raised him and crowned him for a little while,
for a little while. God crowned him with glory and
honor and did set him over the works of his hands. Now listen
to this. Almighty God has put all things
And you can say that over all things, all things, in heaven,
earth, and under the earth, in the seas, under his feet. There's not one
person, one thing, angels, men, devils, demons, creatures, creation
in heaven, earth, seas, a creature that's not under Christ right
now and subject to him in all things. And one writer said that
subjection can be voluntary or involuntary, but they're still
subject to him. Whether they're willing or unwilling,
they're still subject to him. Whether they say yes or no, God
left nothing that's not under the rule of the Lord Jesus Christ. Right now. Thou hast already
put all things in subjection unto his feet. Now listen. For
in that he put all in subjection unto him. He left nothing, nothing,
not even an ant on an anthill, or a gnat in the air, or a planet
in space, or a rebel in hell that's not under him. Do you
know what it says? He left nothing, not a nail. But right now, we see not yet
all things put unto him. Doesn't look like it right now,
does it? Well, known unto God are all
his works from the beginning. Scripture says he declares the
end from the beginning. It's done. It's done. He calleth those things which
be not as though they were. And Romans 8 says, "...whom he
foreknew, he predestinated to be conformed to the image of
his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
And whom he predestinated he called, whom he called he justified,
whom he justified he glorified." And you don't see it right now,
but we are already glorified in Christ, just like Christ was
the Lamb that was slain before the foundation of the world.
But Moses didn't see him slain. David didn't see him slain, Isaiah
didn't see him slain, but he was still nevertheless the Lamb
slain for the foundation of the world. But I've seen him slain, and
the things that are going to be from here on are already done,
already determined by God. But I don't see it now, but it's
done, and one day I will see it, and one day you'll see it.
And the things we'll see out yonder are already done. They
are already unto Christ. We see not now all things put
unto him, but I tell you what we do see, verse 9, we see Jesus. Not with these bodily eyes, I've
never seen him with these eyes, but eyes of faith. And he's this
same Jesus. I want to show you something. And the angels of God and the
preachers of God are very careful to define this in Acts chapter
1. Turn over there for a moment.
Acts chapter 1, verse 10. And while they looked steadfastly
toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them
in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why
stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, and how vital
and important that is, this same Jesus. One who arose, that's the same.
That's who's at the right hand of God, the man Christ Jesus,
same Christ. I'll turn to Acts 2 and listen
to Peter at Pentecost. Acts 2, verse 32. Verse 31, David, seeing this
before, spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was
not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. And
this Jesus, this same Jesus that God raised up, whom we all are
witness, this same Jesus God raised. And then verse 36 of
Acts 2, Therefore let all the house of
Israel know assuredly that God has made that same Jesus, whom
you crucified, don't make any mistakes about it, the man whom
you crucified, God has made Lord and Christ. That's who I'm talking
about. That's who I see. We see Jesus,
who was made for a little while lower than the angels. Why? Verse 9, for the suffering
of death, that he might in the flesh suffer
and die. That's why he had to become a
man to obey the law. He had to become a man to be
tempted in all points as we are yet without sin. He had to become
a man to suffer on the cross. God can't suffer. God can satisfy,
but he can't suffer. You can suffer, but he can't
satisfy. We suffer on and on and on, but never can satisfy
God's laws and justice. But Christ, being the God-man,
both suffered and satisfied. He was made lower than the angels
for a little while by the suffering of death. But now, crowned with
glory and honor, he was made flesh in order to die, to suffer,
to die. in order that he, by the grace
of God, should taste death. Taste death. I looked that up. Taste death. John Gill said that's
a Jewish phrase met often in their old writings. Taste death. And it signifies the truth and
reality of his death. The truth and reality of Christ's
death. He actually experienced He actually tasted the bitterness
of death under the wrath of God. You'll never taste it. You'll
never experience death under the wrath of God. Never will
you. But he did. Though he continued
under it just a short while, it was but a taste. He tasted
death. He experienced it. The bitterness
of death under the, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Nobody can even describe that.
Martin Luther hit the desk one day and said, God, forsaken God,
nobody can understand that. But he tasted death, the bitterness,
the gall of death. Not forever, he tasted it. For every man, it would be foolish
for a person to assume from this one word that Christ died for
the sins of every son of Adam. That would be just plum foolish. That Jesus Christ actually experienced
and tasted the bitterness and gall of death under the wrath
of God for every son of Adam? That would demand universal salvation,
wouldn't it? It demanded. If he died for me,
I can't die. Payment, God's justice, cannot
twice demand. First at my bleeding shirt, his
hand, then again at mine. I'll tell you for whom he tasted
death, Ephraim's son. Look at the next verse. And here
you meet three people. 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." Who's the first person?
Him here. It became him. It's the Father.
He's the one that made the captain of our salvation the captain.
He's the one that made the captain of our salvation perfect. He's
the one that accepted his perfect sacrifice. It became God. It became him. Salvation is the
work of the Father. It's the gift of the Father.
And it's becoming to God. It's worthy of God. It's worthy
of His great love. It became Him. You ever hear
somebody say, that's very becoming. That's very becoming. An act
or a word or a gift. That's very becoming of Him.
He's a generous man. She's a generous woman. She's
a kind person. That's just like Him. That's
just like her, to do that. This is just like God to do this.
It's becoming to him. It's worthy of him. It's worthy
of his love, his great love that gave his son, his great mercy
toward them that fear him. It's a gift worthy of God. What
shall God give that's worthy of God? This is the greatest. This is an unspeakable gift by
an unspeakable God. You can't define the gift and
you can't define the giver, it's so great. But it's worthy of
him, that's what Paul says, it's worthy of him, it became him.
It became him. We meet with this next in bringing
many sons to glory, not everybody, many sons. Many sons, that's us. Verse 11, for he, listen to this. For both he that sanctifieth,
that's Christ, and they that are sanctified are one. Same
father, same family, same body. For which cause? He's not ashamed
to call them brothers. He's our brother. We're his brothers.
He's not ashamed to call us brothers. And he says in another place,
I will declare thy name, Father, to my brethren. In the midst
of the church I'll sing praise unto thee. And again, verse 13, I'll put
my trust in him, and again, Behold, I am the children which God gave
me." Who is this talking about? The Captain of our salvation. He's not ashamed to call us brethren.
He declares the name of God among his brethren in the Church, and
he calls them, my children, you gave me. So he tasted death for
every son in bringing many sons to glory, and he's going to bring
be a number which no man can number out of every tribe, nation,
tongue, unto heaven. He'll bring them many sons. Who
is the third person we meet? The Captain of our Salvation.
Christ is called the Captain of our Salvation because he's
the author of it. He's the finisher of it. We were
given to him to redeem, given to him by the Father to redeem
from the hand of the He is perfect, His work and obedience were perfect. Listen, made the captain of our
salvation perfect. His sacrifice was perfect and
we are perfected through His sufferings. He hath perfected
forever them that are sanctified. The captain of our salvation.
It was worthy of God. for whom are all things, and
by whom are all things, and bringing many sons to glory. He'll bring
them. All that my Father giveth me, he'll come to me. Him that
cometh out of no where is cast out. He died just for the unjust,
that he might bring us to God." He made the captain of our salvation
perfect through suffering. I hope we never are among those
who are shamed of the blood, the crucifixion, the sacrifice
of our Lord. Don't get too modern. What can wash away my sin? Nothing
but the blood of Jesus. He suffered to bring us to God. And he says in verse 14, in closing,
verse 14, for as much then as the children I and the children
which God gave me, verse 13, said, for as much then as the
children were partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise
took part of the same. God did, our Lord Jesus, that
through death, his death, he might destroy him that had the
power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver them who through
fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
We were afraid to die. In any condition we were in,
by birth and nature and practice, we had a right to be afraid to
die. But not now, he's delivered us. Through his obedience and
death we are redeemed. Through death he enabled God
to be just and justify us. Through death he gave us sanctification
and holiness and righteousness. Through death he destroyed Satan.
He destroyed Satan and death. As far as his people are concerned,
Satan can't touch one of his people, much less kill them. Satan is said to have the power
of death because he introduced sin, which brought death. And
sin and death are the force and power of his kingdom. But we're
not in his kingdom no more. We were. We were children of
wrath, liable as others under the direction of Satan, but no
more. We're translated from the kingdom
of darkness to the kingdom of God, dear son. We're not under
his power. He delivered us from him who
hath the power of death. Verse 17, Wherefore, in all things,
it was absolutely, essentially necessary for him to be made
like his brethren. If he's not made like us, if
he doesn't become a man, he could not be our high priest to offer
a sacrifice for our sin or to intercede for us, for the high
priest is taken from among men. Secondly, he would have no sacrifice
to offer. He had to become a man in order
to die. By man came death, by man came
life. He died that we might live. He
could not be a faithful high priest or mediator with a perfect
righteousness to plead if he had not become a man. So therefore
in all things it behooved him to be made just like his brethren.
That's hard for me to comprehend, but it's so. Christ walked this
earth just exactly like I'm walking it right now, in flesh and bones
and blood and body. But he did it perfectly. that he might be a merciful,
faithful high priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation
for the sins of the people, his people, his people. For in that he himself has suffered
being tempted, and he did. He was tempted in all points,
as we are. He had a perfect man, a perfect
man. He's able to help succor, enter into our burden. who attempted, is a man in glory, exalted higher than any other
creature, at the right hand of God. And that man is our Savior,
our Lord, our Mediator, whom God's shame calls us brethren,
who calls us his children. And where he is, we are. I tell
you, that's just the greatest comfort that an old man could
have, or a young man, or a woman, or a child. In fact, it's not
the most comfort, it's the only comfort. That's our hope in Him. That's the reason Paul said,
I know whom I have believed, and I'm persuaded that he's able
to keep that, that I've committed to him, against that day. The
angels don't have anything to do with that day. he does. Full
charge, total. Let's sing number 340, number
340, nearer, still nearer, number 340. We'll stand while we sing.