Jesus was like us in every way, mercifully taking our place and conquering for us in every way

[Disclaimer: The below notes are taken from each week’s Sunday sermon at our church, and as such are in an unedited, rough form. This blog is intended for the benefit of our local church body and is not meant to be viewed as a published paper or polished blog by any means.  At the end of these notes, we have supplied some questions which could be used in personal application of the Sunday message, either individually or with a small group.]

Scripture Text: Hebrews 2:10-18  
·         It’s a hard knock life. Most people don’t want to admit it. No one wants to talk about the hard and difficult times, the struggles and weaknesses. And as a Christian, it can feel like life didn’t get easier but only got more complex and more difficult. We can be tempted to want to go back to when it was easier, or when we thought it was easier, and just give in.
·         The people the book of Hebrews was written to were tempted to go back, to give in or turn to an easier way of life to avoid struggles, avoid sticking out and avoid persecution.
·         But the author of Hebrews, the Holy Spirit, wanted them to see and wants us to see that we shouldn’t give up.
·         This message that we have received is worth living for - Jesus is worth living for.
·         If we see who we have in Jesus, it will give us hope in His promises.

Main Idea:  Jesus was like us in every way, mercifully taking our place and conquering for us in every way

1.     Jesus was made complete through suffering
·         It was fitting for God to make Jesus complete through suffering so that He might identify with mankind in every way.
·         The people in Hebrews were probably tempted, like Peter was, to forbid it that the Messiah could die or should ever have to die. So, the author of Hebrews begins by explaining that Jesus’ suffering is no mistake and it is not without purpose.
·         He explains that all things exist for God and all things exist through God. He is all-powerful and all things exist for Him, and whatever God does is indeed fitting.
·         So, why was it fitting for God to make Jesus to suffer? Because humans suffer.
·         The suffering of Jesus is not accidental and it does not represent a failure on God’s part – it is the achievement of the all-powerful God who perfectly fulfilled His plan to bring many sons and daughters to glory through the suffering of Jesus.
·         Jesus learned how to obey in the struggles of humanity.  He was completed in the sense that He learned things like patience and faith as a human. He learned to perfectly, completely and fully identify with our experience as a human.
·         God did this because He purposed to bring or to lead many sons to glory. God lead His people out of Egypt and into the promised-land in the past and now through Jesus and His sufferings, God leads many sons into a new relationship with Him, the fulfillment of the Promised Land.
·         Because of the suffering of Jesus, we are now destined for glory. We will one day be freed from cancer, from backaches, from lupus, from muscle diseases, from neurological disorders, from MS, from PMS and raging hormones, from fibromyalgia and arthritis, depression and corruption, disease of all kinds and we will inherit the glory that the risen Son has. We will be brought into the glory of the Son - the divine power and presence of God.
·         God could have saved us any way that He pleased. Anything God does is right and good, so in one sense any way he has chosen to save us is fitting because He knows best, knows perfectly and completely lovingly, even when we don’t understand. However, the author of Hebrews explains why it was fitting.
·         Jesus was already perfect but His obedience was made complete because He learned to be obedient through suffering. This was fitting because He had to overcome where we have all failed.
·         Jesus always obeyed even when he was tested in the most terrible ways. Jesus experienced the same kinds of suffering that we do and it was fitting so that Jesus could identify with us personally in every way.
·         They say that misery loves company. I think this is because no one wants to feel like they are alone. No one wants to feel hopeless. We all want to know that there is hope in our darkest hour and that someone else has made it through.
·         If you’ve ever met someone else who has identified with you in your own personal suffering and overcome it, it is encouraging for you to know just that someone else has suffered like you and can relate to you; that you are not alone; that someone else knows what it is like. And then, if that person can share with you along the way how they endured the suffering and how God helped them, it is even more encouraging.
·         What we find in this passage is that even if no one seems to identify with us, Jesus can. He has been through it. He sympathizes with us. He understands and not only that, our text tells us that Jesus is unashamed to be called our brother.

2.     Jesus is unashamed to be our brother

·         Jesus who sanctifies and we who are sanctified all have one origin – God the Father.
·         Jesus Himself suffered and He sanctifies us through suffering. Remarkably, Jesus calls us brothers though.
·         Moses was not ashamed to call himself an Israelite and so face suffering as he led his people out of Egypt, in a much greater way, Jesus is not ashamed to call all those who trust in Him His brothers, and He leads us out of bondage and into the true promised land of everlasting peace with God.
·         He is the best Big brother, who has gone before us and paved the way, showed us how to honor God and then helps us. And he will never be ashamed of us.
·         The people whom the book of Hebrews was written to, experienced the contempt of the society around them and much like ourselves, were tempted to give into being ashamed of being a Christian. But they were to take heart because Jesus was not ashamed to identify Himself with them and call them his brothers and sisters.
·         Today, even if you suffer the reproach of society around you, Jesus is not ashamed of you. And not only that, as our brother, He leads the way and tells us of God. He instructs us as a caring older brother would and He leads us in singing God’s praises.
·         Jesus, as our older and wiser brother, tells us of God because He is the perfect revelation of God Himself in the flesh.
·         Psalm 22 is a psalm of David but also is taken to be the psalm of the suffering servant. The beginning of Psalm 22 opens with the words that Jesus uttered on the Cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”, so the early church quickly recognized this as a prophetic psalm Jesus.
·         After the opening words of Psalm 22, verses 7-8 of the Psalm reflect the mocking of the religious leaders of Jesus as He hung on the cross. Verses 16-18 explicitly mention the piercing of the righteous one’s hands and feet, that His bones were whole and not broken and that His garments were divided up and lots were cast for them. So, it is no surprise that the author of Hebrews takes the words that David originally spoke and applies them to Jesus.
·         Remarkably, he is saying that Jesus calls us brothers. Now, this does not mean that we are gods or any such nonsense, but that we God has made us His children and we are brothers in the sense of Jesus sharing in the same humanity as us and being made perfect through suffering, just as we are sanctified through suffering at times.
·         While Jesus was on the earth, He called His disciples His brothers and sisters and His family. Now, Jesus calls us brothers And Jesus boldly proclaims God’s name to us, who are in need of being strengthened and He enables us to sing God’s praises
·         Through His example, he puts His trust in God and He helps us as His children do the same through His example of suffering. Jesus trusted in God and was vindicated and we too as His children can trust in God our Father and be assured that He will vindicate us
·         I love the Biblical account of young David as he is bringing supplies to his brothers on the front lines.
·         The whole armies of the Israelites and the Philistines were lined up on opposite hills, arrayed in battle and because of one man – one giant man who spewed threats at the army of Israel, they were paralyzed in fear – they feared for their lives because of this powerful foe and no one dared to challenge him
·         Day after day, Goliath hurled insults at them and insulted them and God almighty yet no one would stand up to him and no one would fight him.
·         Then David fulfills his destiny as God’s chosen man, he believes in God and stands up to this immense giant of a man. Then God causes the stone he threw to strike Goliath between the eyes and kill him.
·         David goes and cuts his head off and the entire Israelite army is emboldened and empowered to fight and they go and fight the Philistines following David’s heroic example.
·         Well, the story of David and Goliath isn’t just a story about us needing to be brave and going out to conquer our enemies.
·         Although it is a real account, God designed it to ultimately be a prophetic picture of how we need someone to conquer for us and it is a picture of the Giant of sin and death that shouts loudly at us and instills fear in all of mankind. It is an account that points to God’s ultimate anointed One – Jesus, who has finally and fully conquered our biggest enemy and how we must have Jesus to defeat the devil and the power of sin and death that he wields over us.
·         Jesus is the one who partook of the same things we have and through His death He has conquered the one who has the power of death – that is – the devil.
 
3.     Jesus is our conqueror
¹⁴ Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, ¹⁵ and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
·         Death only entered into the world because of sin and it is only because of sin that we all die. All who are sinful deserve the punishment of death.
·         Just like we are flesh and blood and we die, Jesus became flesh and blood and died, even though He had never sinned. Jesus did this to pay the price for all of our sins and so break the power of the devil over us. Now, because the penalty of death has been paid, we no longer need to fear death, even though we die physically.
·         The devil cannot wield power over us any longer – we no longer have to obey him and listen to his lies. We don’t have to give into his roaring, instead we can stand firm in our faith through Jesus, resist the devil and he will flee from us. Now, we’ve been delivered!
·         By dying in our place, Jesus has provided a way for us to be delivered from a lifelong slavery to sin and the fear of punishment in death.
·         People pretend to not be afraid of dying. But they mask it with all kinds of other fears and sins. Mankind tries to escape this fear of death that hangs over our heads like an executioners blade ready to fall, by turning to things to distract – drunkenness, sex, pleasures, all masking this impending fear of death.
·         People try to get away from the fear of death by claiming agnosticism and trying to find some other meaning, trying to avoid reality and what we all know is true.
·         This text is telling us that the resurrection of Jesus was the proof that in His death He has taken the full penalty of the sins for which He died.
·         Jesus takes away the power of death by making propitiation for the sins of the people. To make propitiation means to take away the rightly deserved wrath of God. To take away God’s anger at us for our sins, so that God’s anger falls on Jesus and not on us – so that in Jesus, there is no condemnation.
·         The only power the devil has over us is when we are not forgiven. His power is to accuse us of sin and he keeps us sinning and keeps us away from the One who forgives our sins.
·         But in Jesus taking away our sins, we can no longer be accused of sin, no longer found guilty of sin, no longer punishable for our sins and the devil cannot make us sin.
·         So we may die and we even may die a very painful and protracted death but death has no power over us because we cannot be punished for sin, since Christ was punished in our place.
·         Jesus has taken away the power of the devil to hold the fear of death over all those who have trusted in Jesus for their life.

He hell in hell laid low
Made sin, He sin o’erthrew
Bowed to the grave, destroyed it so,
And death, by dying slew. –S.W. Gandy

4.     Jesus is our merciful high priest
¹⁷ Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people
·         We need someone to intercede between us and God for our sins and the sins of all mankind but we need someone who can understand us, our weakness and our plight as well. We need someone who is merciful to us and for us.
·         Jesus does not watch us with sympathy from afar. He became like us in every respect and endured all of the temptation and pains of life as a human. In every respect, in every way, Jesus was made like us. And because He was made like us in every way, as a human, He can identify with our struggles with sin and He surely will take hold of us as his children, to get us out as well.
·         Jesus was tempted in every way, He experienced physical and emotional pain, disappointment, harassment, rejection, loss of loved ones, and all of the effects of living in a sinful and fallen world
·         Jesus was mocked and made fun of. He was probably mocked as a child by the other children in His village. He may have dealt with acne and a cracking voice and was tempted to do things to fit in but He resisted. We know that later He was indeed mocked by those in His hometown who called Him an illegitimate child.
·         Jesus’ father likely died before His earthly ministry began. His family thought He was crazy at times and tried to get Him to stop at least once. During His ministry, He didn’t have a home.
·         He experienced weakness and exhaustion – just pure fatigue from work and giving of Himself with no one really caring for Him anywhere near how He poured Himself out for others.
·         He was completely misunderstood by most. He endured continual verbal abuse and unkindness, mocking and ridicule. He was rejected by the establishment of that day and the religious leaders harassed and rejected Him.
·         He was tempted to lust. He was tempted to unrighteous anger and impatience. He was tempted to lose faith when people didn’t respond. Jesus experienced hunger and thirst. He experienced betrayal by His closest friends. Jesus was left all alone with no one to care for Him in His hour of deepest need. He was wrongly accused and He was tortured.
·         He was worn out and his feet hurt. He ached and probably even had a sore back from sleeping on the ground.
·         Jesus was mocked, beaten and whipped within an inch of His life. He knew excruciating pain to the point that His appearance was disfigured.
·         He was tempted to give up on His duty and His mission to save humanity and to find an easier way out. But worst of all, God turned His face away from Him after everyone else had abandoned Him.
·         Jesus was made like us in every respect but endured suffering that we will never have to. Now, because of Jesus, God will never turn His face away from those who trust in Jesus for salvation.
·         Through His suffering, Jesus identified with us in every aspect of our humanity and as a man became a merciful and faithful high priest.
·         So let me ask each of you… Have you been rejected in any way? Have you been mistreated?
·         Maybe people mock you and make fun of you? Maybe people don’t take you seriously or recognize your worth or contribution?
·         Are you being harassed? Do loved ones and family think you are crazy and treat you that way? Do people demean you and belittle you?
·         Are you weak and worn out? Maybe you are just exhausted from working and tired.  Worn out from caring and doing what you are supposed to? Giving and giving and feeling like you can’t give anymore? Tempted to just want to go away from people and not talk to anyone, not hear anyone else’s needs, not make any more effort?
·         Perhaps you don’t have a home and don’t know where your next paycheck is coming from. Or maybe you are in physical pain and feel like you want to die at times or do something to escape and relieve the pain.
·         Maybe you are tempted to get angry with God as if He owes you health. Maybe you are tempted to self-pity, despair and unbelieving in God’s goodness.
·         Jesus will come to help you resist these temptations – and He proclaims that you are free from death, free from slavery and He knows just what agony you are experiencing. He is able and he will give you just what you need to be able to endure faithful to the end.
·         Jesus saw thousands of people who were suffering. He experienced loss. He had emotions and experienced the full range of human feelings. Jesus knew the plight of the blind, the lame, the weak, the crippled, the leprous and disfigured.
·         He personally suffered relationally, mentally, emotionally and physically. Don’t think for a moment that Jesus is unfeeling and that he doesn’t care.  Don’t think for a moment that Jesus doesn’t identify with you in your suffering. Don’t think that He is merciless or that He delights in your suffering. Don’t imagine that Jesus enjoys our sorrow or is ambivalent to it. Don’t think for a moment that Jesus is mean or vindictive or that He is cold or callous.
·         Jesus was made like us in every way and experienced suffering that He didn’t deserve. Not only was He undeserving of suffering but He deserved the entire world’s worship. He knows what suffering and even what suffering truly unjustly means.
·         And Jesus is merciful. Never in the Old Testament were the High Priests described as merciful. But Yahweh described Himself when He passed before Moses as “The Lord, The Lord, the merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in love and faithfulness”. And Jesus is our merciful High Priest.
·         In the New Testament, the blind and lame often called on Jesus and said, Son of David, have mercy on us. Jesus has had mercy on us and He is perfectly sympathetic to the specific needs of us as His people. Because of His own sufferings and trials He can easily sympathize with ours.
·         Jesus was completely faithful to endure all of this suffering for the same humanity at whose hands He suffered. Jesus was faithful to choose to suffer for us. He was faithful to choose to die in our place. He was faithful in the face of all temptation and he was faithful to submit Himself willingly to temptation for our sake and He never failed.
·         Jesus is a faithful High Priest not only to bring sacrifice to God on our behalf but to Himself be the sacrifice for us to God, to make payment with His own body.
·         Jesus is a faithful high priest who has entered into God’s presence and now makes a way for us to come into God’s holy presence. He sanctifies us.

5.     Jesus is our ultimate help

¹⁶ For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham
·         Jesus didn’t die for the angels but He did come to save any man or woman who will believe His promises and have faith in Him in the same way that Abraham did and so become ones who are like the offspring of Abraham.
·         Jesus takes hold of us and carries us to deliverance. He takes hold of us in our weakness and He takes hold of us in our suffering.
·         Jesus, who is just like us and has been in the same waters as we have, but He knows how to get out unharmed, takes hold of us and helps us when we are tempted and weak, suffering and in danger of drowning.

¹⁸ For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted

·         Because Jesus Himself has suffered when tempted and yet endured the suffering and knows how to resist the temptation; because He has gone before us, He is able to help us when we are being tempted. He understands and knows what you are going through and is able to help you in every way.
·         Lewis Bayly, one of John Bunyan’s favorite writers, wrote an imaginary dialogue between a redeemed soul and Jesus Christ.

Soul: Lord, why did you let yourself be taken when you might have escaped your enemies?

Christ: That your spiritual enemies should not take you, and cast you into a prison of utter darkness.

Soul: Lord, why did you let yourself be bound?

Christ: That I might loose the cords of your iniquities.

Soul: Lord, why did you let yourself be lifted up upon a cross?

Christ: That I might lift you up with me to heaven.

Soul: Lord, why were your hands and feet nailed to the cross?

Christ: To enlarge your hands to do the works of righteousness and to set your feet at liberty, to walk in the ways of peace.

Soul: Lord, why did you have your arms nailed wide?

Christ: That I might embrace you more lovingly.

Soul: Lord, why was your side opened with a spear?

Christ: That you might have a way to come near to My heart.

·         God is not some un-sensing, unfeeling, cold-hearted task-master who makes demands of us. No, Jesus understands fully and completely and Jesus springs into action to help. He takes hold of us to not only save us when we actually were dead at the bottom of the lake already, but to take hold of us as we go through life - to help us when we are being tempted.

·         It is a hard knock life indeed. But if we see who we have in Jesus, we will have hope.
Jesus was like us in every way, mercifully taking our place and conquering for us in every way

Potential Application Questions:

1.       What does this passage teach us about God & Jesus? About ourselves?
2.       Why is it important for us to remember that it was God’s good design to make Jesus complete through suffering?
3.       How does knowing that Jesus was made complete through suffering encourage you?
4.       How have you been you made complete by God through suffering in the past? 
5.       How is life hard for you now? How might God be using your current challenges to make you more like Him?
6.       How does knowing that Jesus never gave up give you faith to keep trusting in Him and not give up your faith?
7.       When the Bible says that Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers (and sisters), how does this truth encourage you?
8.       Sometimes the devil roars loudly and accuses us of our sins. But the scripture says that Jesus came , “that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”

When the devil and our conscience accuse us, how can we practically apply the truth that Jesus is our conqueror, over sin and death?

9.       Think about your own struggles, temptations and failings. How does it encourage you personally to know that Jesus is our merciful High Priest?

10.   We are often tempted to be self-sufficient and not go to God, even when (especially when?) we sin. How does seeing Jesus as our ultimate help encourage you to stop trusting in yourself and go to Him for help?
11.   Is there anywhere God is calling you to repent of self-sufficiency or unbelief? What does repentance specifically look like for you?
12.   Where did God help us see Jesus as bigger than our struggles? How can we continue to apply this truth to our lives?