The Better Covenant part 6 – Bringing Many Sons to God

The Better Covenant

Bringing Many Sons to Glory

Hebrews 2:10-18

Hebrews 2:10

10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

- The only way do discover what is fitting (worthy) for God to do is to look at what He has already done.

- All the God does is fitting!

- God made Jesus, through His suffering, perfectly qualified to be the Savior of His people.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,

19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

- Man, created for His glory, was prevented by sin from attaining that glory until the Son of Man came and opened up by His death a new way by which man may reach the goal for which he was created.

- In order to be a perfect High Priest:

    - He must sympathize with those on whose behalf he acts

    - He must learn the lesson of obedience to God

- without these two things the priest would be entering the presence of God for himself instead of his people.    

Hebrews 2:11

11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,

- He who sanctifies is the Son of God, and those who are sanctified are all the sons of God

- Sanctification is glory begun, glory is sanctification completed.

Hebrews 2:12-13

12 saying: “I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.”

13 And again: “I will put My trust in Him.” And again: “Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.”

- Three Old Testament Quotes:

(1) I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.” Is from Psalm 22:22

Psalm 22:1

“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning?”

- This first portion of this psalm was used often in the New Testament church as a way of remembering the crucifixion.

(2) “I will put My trust in Him.” &

(3) “Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.”

Again from Psalm 22

Psalms 22:2-21

2 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; And in the night season, and am not silent.

3 But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.

4 Our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them.

5 They cried to You, and were delivered; They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.

6 But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people.

7 All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

8 “He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”

9 But You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts.

10 I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s womb You have been My God.

11 Be not far from Me, For trouble is near; For there is none to help.

12 Many bulls have surrounded Me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me.

13 They gape at Me with their mouths, Like a raging and roaring lion.

14 I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me.

15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death.

16 For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet;

17 I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me.

18 They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.

19 But You, O Lord, do not be far from Me; O My Strength, hasten to help Me!

20 Deliver Me from the sword, My precious life from the power of the dog.

21 Save Me from the lion’s mouth And from the horns of the wild oxen! You have answered Me.

- There is a pattern of Trouble/Trust and God’s Faithfulness/Glad Acknowledgement in the Old testament

- With Isaiah this message turns to the trouble of the nation as a whole and the deliverance through the Messiah

Hebrews 2:14-15

14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

- There is no other that can satisfy man’s need of a Savior except Jesus and no other God which is so determined to supply that answer.

- The very purpose of Jesus birth is that He might die – that takes the sting out of death for mankind.

- If death has ever appeared triumphant, it was when Jesus disowned by His own people, abandoned by His disciples, executed by the Romans, died on the cross.

- If ever a cause was lost it was then.

- If ever the powers of evil appeared to be victorious, it was then.

- and yet – within a short period of time He has followers surrounding the known world proclaiming the victory through all of these events.

- Only through His death was He able to enter the strongman’s house, take the keys of death, hell, and the grave – He invaded his house, disarmed him, bound him, spoiled him, and now firmly holds the keys in His powerful hands.

1 John 3:7-8

7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.

8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

The Book of Wisdom 1:13

“God did not make death, and does not delight in the death of the living. For He created all things that they might exist. . .and the dominion of Hades is not on earth.”

The Book of Wisdom 2:23

“God created man for incorruption, and made him in the image of His own eternity, but through the devil’s envy death entered the world, and those who belong to his party experience it.”

S.W. Gandy –

“He hell in hell laid low,

Made sin, He sin o’rethrew,

Bowed to the grave, destroyed it so,

And death, by dying slew.”

- Only by becoming man could He conquer death, which is something man could have never done – until then death seems to have the final word.

2 Timothy 1:10

“But has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,”

- through the fear of death men will do things that they would not normally do – death can be an extremely evil tyrant.

- But through the death of the Sanctifier death has been forever changed.

- Now it does not mean judgment and bondage – but – blessing and freedom.

Hebrews 2:16

16 For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham.

- By becoming man He made it possible for all who are the sons of Abraham to be redeemed.

Galatians 3:6-9

6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.

8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.”

9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

Hebrews 2:17-18

17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

- Now the position of High Priest.

- A priest must become one with those he serves – which Jesus did, but without sin.

- He suffered with and for them and through His sufferings was made perfect/qualified in every way to be their priest.

- Only two methods for man to approach God:

    - Personally

    - Through a mediator

- Man can now come to God boldly because of all that Christ did for us.

- Now Christians can find strength in the fact that Jesus was tempted like them (even worse) and stood fast – so then they are strengthened to not turn away from God even in the most difficult of circumstances.

Hebrews 2:14-18

Christ must be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to the justice and honour of God and to the support and comfort of his people. He must be faithful to God and merciful to men. (1.) In things pertaining to God, to his justice, and to his honour—to make reconciliation for the sins of the people, to make all the attributes of divine nature, and all the persons subsisting therein, harmonize in man’s recovery, and fully to reconcile God and man. Observe, There was a great breach and quarrel between God and man, by reason of sin; but Christ, by becoming man and dying, has taken up the quarrel, and made reconciliation so far that God is ready to receive all into favour and friendship who come to him through Christ. (2.) In things pertaining to his people, to their support and comfort: In that he suffered, being tempted, he is able to succour those that are tempted, v. 18. Here observe, [1.] Christ’s passion: He suffered being tempted; and his temptations were not the least part of his sufferings. He was in all things tempted as we are, yet without sin, ch. 4:15. [2.] Christ’s compassion: He is able to succour those that are tempted. He is touched with a feeling of our infirmities, a sympathizing physician, tender and skilful; he knows how to deal with tempted sorrowful souls, because he has been himself sick of the same disease, not of sin, but of temptation and trouble of soul. The remembrance of his own sorrows and temptations makes him mindful of the trials of his people, and ready to help them. Here observe, First, The best of Christians are subject to temptations, to many temptations, while in this world; let us never count upon an absolute freedom from temptations in this world. Secondly, Temptations bring our souls into such distress and danger that they need support and succour. Thirdly, Christ is ready and willing to succour those who under their temptations apply to him; and he became man, and was tempted, that he might be every way qualified to succour his people.

(from Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, PC Study Bible Formatted Electronic Database Copyright © 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All Rights reserved.)

Question:

Do you believe?

How firm is your belief?

How firm is your relationship with Jesus?