1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:02,720 Thank you for loving each other so well. 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:07,120 The 8:00 AM where we still do the greeting of peace, Right? 3 00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:11,240 Let's dive into God's Word now together. 4 00:00:11,240 --> 00:00:15,840 Our text this morning is Hebrews 2, starting in verse 5 and going 5 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:19,280 through verse 18. For it was not to angels that 6 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:22,520 God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 7 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:26,240 It has been testified somewhere. What is man that you are mindful 8 00:00:26,240 --> 00:00:28,800 of Him, or the Son of man that you care for Him? 9 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:32,080 You made him for a little while lower than the angels. 10 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:35,640 You've crowned Him with glory and honor, putting everything in 11 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:38,880 subjection under his feet. Now in putting everything in 12 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:41,920 subjection to Him, He left nothing outside His control. 13 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:46,280 At present we do not yet see everything in subjection to Him, 14 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:50,040 but we see Him who for a little while was made lower than the 15 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:53,880 angels, namely, Jesus, crowned with glory and honour because of 16 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:57,480 the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God He might 17 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:01,680 taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that He for 18 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:05,840 whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to 19 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:09,400 glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect 20 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:12,840 through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those 21 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:15,480 who are sanctified, all have one source. 22 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:20,680 That is why He is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, I 23 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:23,520 will tell of your name to my brothers in the midst of the 24 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:26,840 congregation. I will sing your praise, and 25 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:29,520 again I will put my trust in him. 26 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:34,040 And again, behold, I and the children God has given me. 27 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:37,400 Since therefore, the children share in flesh and blood, He 28 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:42,000 himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death 29 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:45,480 he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the 30 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:49,440 devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were 31 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:54,760 subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that 32 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:58,280 He helps, but He helps the offspring of Abraham. 33 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:01,920 Therefore, he had to be made like his brothers in every 34 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:05,400 respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high 35 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:09,479 priest in the service of God to make propitiation for the sins 36 00:02:09,479 --> 00:02:12,400 of the people. For because he himself has 37 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:16,280 suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being 38 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:18,640 tempted. Friends, this is the word of the 39 00:02:18,640 --> 00:02:21,320 Lord. Thanks be to God you may be 40 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:25,640 seated. Father, we thank you for your 41 00:02:25,640 --> 00:02:29,400 precious word, and we thank you for Jesus, the Word made flesh. 42 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:32,440 And we pray, Holy Spirit, this morning that you might shine 43 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:36,800 your light on Jesus in this passage of your word and shine 44 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:40,280 your light in our hearts, that we might see the glory of God in 45 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:42,680 the face of Jesus Christ and be drawn to him. 46 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:48,520 We pray in his name, Amen. Christmas is polarizing. 47 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:53,120 Know if you feel that, but on one side we have people like 48 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:56,200 Charles Spurgeon who said, and I just saw this last night, my 49 00:02:56,200 --> 00:02:59,280 wife showed it to me. Spurgeon said, I like Christmas. 50 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:03,440 I wish it came 6 * a year. I would not stop a smile. 51 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:06,520 And on the other side we have people like Billy. 52 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:09,280 You remember Billy the little child in The Polar Express. 53 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:12,320 He was one of the last to get on the train and he stayed to 54 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:16,520 himself and he was sad and he was cynical and Billy says 55 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:18,520 Christmas just doesn't work out for me. 56 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:21,840 It never has. A lot of people see Christmas 57 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:25,360 like Spurgeon, but I think a lot of people see Christmas like 58 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:28,080 Billy, too. They see the lights, hear the 59 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:32,400 songs, watch the celebrations. But Christmas just doesn't work 60 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:34,480 out for them. They don't see the point. 61 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:37,520 They don't think Christmas really helps. 62 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:42,200 Sure, you might say Christmas helps retailers or Christmas 63 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:44,520 helps families and friends come together. 64 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:47,240 And whether that's good or bad, maybe the jury's out, depending 65 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:49,960 on your family. But on the morning of December 66 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:55,280 26th, how many people will really say Christmas helped? 67 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:58,760 So during Advent, we focused on the incarnation. 68 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:01,720 We've talked about the fullness of the incarnation, the 69 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:06,000 preeminence of the incarnation, how Jesus is true God and true 70 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:08,720 man. Today I want to talk about the 71 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:12,560 help of the Incarnation. When we really understand 72 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:17,240 Christmas we see it's the greatest help because when God 73 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:20,440 became man he brought the help we need most. 74 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:24,160 So the first thing I want us to see is the incarnation means the 75 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:28,440 help of the last Adam. Hebrews is a great book for 76 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:31,520 Advent because the author's message is really simple. 77 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:36,400 It is this Jesus is better, better than all the angels and 78 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:39,480 the things of the Old Testament, the people who have come before, 79 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:42,320 better than all the institutions and all the symbols and all the 80 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:44,520 shadows. Jesus is better. 81 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:48,080 He is the substance. And so Hebrews, if you look at 82 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:50,960 chapter 1, it opens with the prologue that you could say it, 83 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:54,960 it rivals it's it's at least in the running with John 1 and 84 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:58,600 Colossians one, it opens long ago at many times and in many 85 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:02,640 ways God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last 86 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:06,720 days he's spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir 87 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:09,400 of all things, through whom also he created the world. 88 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:14,200 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of 89 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:18,360 his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his 90 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:21,480 power. So Hebrews 1 spotlights the 91 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:25,160 supremacy of Christ. Jesus came not as just a 92 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:29,680 reflection of God's light, but as the actual radiance of His 93 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:32,760 glory, the exact imprint of his nature. 94 00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:36,120 And when you think about it and what that means about this baby 95 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:37,840 who was born, it takes your breath away. 96 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:41,360 So in chapter 1 Hebrews overwhelms us with pictures of 97 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:44,160 Jesus glory. And then in chapter 2, Hebrews 98 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:48,720 comforts us with pictures of his humanity and His humility. 99 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:52,600 So we see in chapter one that he's superior to the angels. 100 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:56,720 And yet we see in in chapter 2 he was willing to become man and 101 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:59,200 enter our world. And that brings us into our text 102 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:01,560 this morning. The author of Hebrews takes us 103 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:04,160 back to God's original intention at creation. 104 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:08,320 He says, for it was not to angels that God subjected the 105 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:11,040 world to come. And what he means is God didn't 106 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:13,840 intend for angels to rule the world one day. 107 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:18,120 It's an interesting thought. And then he quotes Psalm 8 to 108 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:21,760 reinforce his point. What is man that you're mindful 109 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:24,040 of him, or the Son of Man that you care for him? 110 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:26,400 You made him for a little while lower than the angels. 111 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:30,160 You've crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in 112 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:34,240 subjection under his feet. So in this ancient Psalm, David 113 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:37,080 marvels at the beauty of creation, looks around and just, 114 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:40,520 it's breathtaking. He considers the glories of the 115 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:44,400 world and then he looks at himself and he's dumbfounded 116 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:48,320 that God would make man and give him such a noble task. 117 00:06:49,040 --> 00:06:53,480 God made Adam and Eve to rule and reign over creation, to have 118 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:55,080 dominion. We see this at the end of 119 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:57,840 Genesis One. We were made a little lower than 120 00:06:57,840 --> 00:07:01,360 the angels, but God crowned us with glory and honor and put 121 00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:04,280 everything it says under our feet. 122 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:07,560 And we don't talk about this enough, but this was and is 123 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:10,480 God's plan. He desires for His image bearers 124 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:14,280 for people to rule and reign in His name. 125 00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:17,280 So of course the question is, how's that going? 126 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:20,120 And the obvious answer is not very well. 127 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:25,160 Ever since our first parents sinned and turned away from God, 128 00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:29,240 our relationship to our God-given task has been broken. 129 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:33,160 We fall short of God's beautiful vision for us to be fruitful and 130 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:36,720 multiply, to fill the earth and subdue it, to have dominion. 131 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:42,400 And so instead we dominate and abuse, or we abdicate and 132 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:45,840 neglect. God created us to be Princess 133 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:49,720 and princesses of creation. But like most royal families, 134 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:53,000 there is great dysfunction and we feel it. 135 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:57,360 Whether it's at the individual level or at the family level or 136 00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:01,400 at the geopolitical level, our relationship with the planet and 137 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:04,160 its animals and its people is broken. 138 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:08,960 It's like God gave us this huge ball to carry and we fumble it 139 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:11,840 at every turn. So when we read in verse 8, at 140 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:15,120 present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to Him. 141 00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:18,280 To me, it sounds like a comical understatement. 142 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:22,000 God put us in charge of everything and we can't even 143 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:25,680 manage ourselves. So we don't see God's original 144 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:27,560 intention unfolding as He planned. 145 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:30,800 But what do we see? Look at verse 9. 146 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:33,919 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the 147 00:08:33,919 --> 00:08:37,640 angels, namely, Jesus crowned with glory and honor because of 148 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:40,799 the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God, he might 149 00:08:40,799 --> 00:08:45,160 taste death for everyone. So we all share in the first 150 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:47,880 Adam's failure. But that's not the end of the 151 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:50,600 story. Our passage says we see Jesus, 152 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:55,480 the last Adam, come to win back what Adam lost. 153 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:59,160 So when God made humans a little lower than the angels, that was 154 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:02,760 our glory. It was an honor for us to be 155 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:07,480 made as men and women in his image. 156 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:10,800 But when Jesus put on flesh and became a little lower than the 157 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:13,000 angels, that was his humiliation. 158 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:15,840 We see it in Hebrews, and we see it in Philippians 2. 159 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:19,880 Jesus went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows to 160 00:09:19,880 --> 00:09:23,560 dwell with us, to live with us, to die for us. 161 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:27,560 Jesus humbled himself and therefore God has exalted him to 162 00:09:27,560 --> 00:09:31,120 the highest place and given him the name that is above every 163 00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:34,560 name and says Jesus is now crowned with glory and honor. 164 00:09:34,920 --> 00:09:38,360 Why? Because he was willing to suffer 165 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:41,320 and to die. He was willing to taste death 166 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:43,520 and to conquer it for all of his people. 167 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:48,360 So in Jesus life, death and resurrection, in his ascension, 168 00:09:48,680 --> 00:09:51,080 reign and promise return, what do we see? 169 00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:55,560 The renewal of humanity. The renewal of God's original 170 00:09:55,560 --> 00:09:57,320 mission. Jesus is the image of the 171 00:09:57,320 --> 00:10:00,400 invisible God. He came to usher in God's 172 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:04,360 Kingdom on earth. He came to renew God's people in 173 00:10:04,360 --> 00:10:08,160 his image so that they might again rule and reign with him 174 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:12,120 now and forever. The incarnation means we have 175 00:10:12,120 --> 00:10:16,000 the help of the last Adam. Jesus has come to conquer all of 176 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:19,480 our enemies and invite us back into the mission. 177 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:22,760 Now, until he returns, we'll continue to live with this 178 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:26,800 tension that Jesus has already conquered, but we do not yet see 179 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:31,040 everything in subjection to him. But one day we will. 180 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:34,320 And even now, he's winning the hearts of his people and he's 181 00:10:34,320 --> 00:10:38,600 changing the world, one person, one family, one church at a 182 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:40,840 time. And by God's grace, we're 183 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:44,080 empowered to be part of this remarkable mission. 184 00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:48,720 He comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found. 185 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:53,920 So the last Adam came to help us get on board with his mission to 186 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:57,720 renew this world this Christmas. That's the kind of help we need, 187 00:10:57,720 --> 00:11:02,040 someone who can come and rescue humanity and restore us to the 188 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:04,760 mission that God has for us. That's the first thing. 189 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:08,160 The second thing is the incarnation means the help of an 190 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:11,080 older brother. How do you respond when you read 191 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:13,880 in verse 11? He's not ashamed to call them 192 00:11:14,160 --> 00:11:17,040 brothers. Jesus is not ashamed to call us 193 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:19,520 his siblings. Now, the family language in the 194 00:11:19,520 --> 00:11:22,520 Scriptures is really astounding. In the Old Testament, and 195 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:25,840 particularly in the prophets, we hear a lot about God referring 196 00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:30,720 to himself as a faithful husband to an unfaithful bride or wife. 197 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:33,520 And it's easy to see the brokenness in that relationship 198 00:11:33,520 --> 00:11:37,200 between God and the people of Israel, how far God's people 199 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:40,160 wander from the love of their heavenly bridegroom. 200 00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:43,200 And we can relate to that too. But don't miss it. 201 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:48,280 God actually calls himself a husband, for your maker is your 202 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:52,320 husband, he says in Isaiah. He loves his people with that, 203 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:56,880 never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking, always and forever 204 00:11:56,880 --> 00:11:59,000 love. Then we turn to the New 205 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:00,840 Testament and that picture is still here. 206 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:03,840 Jesus is the true bridegroom. He loved the church and gave 207 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:06,360 himself up for her. And what are we longing for? 208 00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:09,160 The marriage supper of the Lamb one day. 209 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:13,280 But in addition to this marital picture, we get other family 210 00:12:13,280 --> 00:12:16,640 language. Jesus addressed God as ABBA 211 00:12:17,080 --> 00:12:21,480 Father and his contemporaries were shocked that Jesus would 212 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:24,480 call God his own father. But don't miss this. 213 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:29,880 Jesus invited us to do the same. Pray then like this, our Father 214 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:32,080 in heaven, hallowed be your name. 215 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:36,400 So we recently hosted a Christmas event at our home, was 216 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:39,920 during the day and then when my son Will came home from school I 217 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:42,840 was wearing a light up Christmas jacket, some of you have seen 218 00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:46,280 it, and a cowboy hat. And when Will saw me he 219 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:50,720 immediately began to move in the opposite direction away from me. 220 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:54,920 So I thought I looked festive. Will disagreed and in that 221 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:57,880 moment he was ashamed to be called my son. 222 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:03,640 But the father is not ashamed to call us sons and daughters, and 223 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:07,120 Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters. 224 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:10,280 Everyone doesn't have a biological older brother. 225 00:13:10,400 --> 00:13:13,520 I have an older sister. But we can all imagine the 226 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:16,640 benefit of having a good older brother. 227 00:13:17,240 --> 00:13:20,720 Who wouldn't want a brother who loves us, who's with us, and who 228 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:23,440 protects us? And then when our older brother 229 00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:27,520 succeeds in school or sports or work or marriage, we're 230 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:31,400 encouraged and empowered to follow in his footsteps. 231 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:34,520 Jesus is the perfect older brother. 232 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:38,960 Not cold, distant, judgmental like the brother in Luke 15. 233 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:42,680 No, Jesus is warm and near and gracious. 234 00:13:42,680 --> 00:13:45,160 He runs after us when we're wandering. 235 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:47,560 He embraces us when we're grieving. 236 00:13:47,960 --> 00:13:50,400 He strengthens us when we're weak. 237 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:55,040 It's not surprising when we choose to use the word brother. 238 00:13:56,120 --> 00:13:59,840 Athletes love to say that they played for their brothers, or 239 00:13:59,840 --> 00:14:02,200 soldiers call themselves a band of brothers. 240 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:06,720 As pastors, we refer to one another as brothers because 241 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:10,360 life's hard and there's suffering and their battles to 242 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:14,320 fight. Proverbs 1717 says a friend 243 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:17,440 loves at all times and a brother is born. 244 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:19,320 For what? For adversity. 245 00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:24,440 In moments of adversity, we need a brother, and brothers shine in 246 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:27,440 those moments. And no brother ever shined 247 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:32,040 brighter than Jesus when he suffered to bring his people to 248 00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:34,600 glory. So people don't always like the 249 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:38,520 notion of God putting on skin and suffering and dying. 250 00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:41,640 I think they don't like what it says about God, but maybe 251 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:45,960 without realizing it, they don't like what it says about them and 252 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:49,480 what they really needed. But Hebrews says this was 253 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:51,280 fitting. It was good. 254 00:14:51,280 --> 00:14:54,720 It was God's plan. Jesus is our older brother, and 255 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:59,120 in that he is the pioneer or trailblazer of our salvation. 256 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:02,280 He goes before us. He was willing to die that we 257 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:05,480 might live. He was willing to experience our 258 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:08,560 shame so that we might enjoy his glory. 259 00:15:08,960 --> 00:15:12,360 And by faith, we're united with Christ, our older brother. 260 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:16,480 He became like us so that we might become like Him. 261 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:22,720 And He united himself to us. We're united to Him by faith, by 262 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:26,840 faith united with Christ our older brother, as verse 11 says. 263 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:30,840 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one 264 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:33,440 source. Because we are in Him, He is in 265 00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:36,000 US, and he's not ashamed to be our brother. 266 00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:40,080 So, friends, the incarnation means we have the help of the 267 00:15:40,080 --> 00:15:44,000 best older brother in Christ. We're welcomed into the most 268 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:47,520 amazing family. Do you know the joy of having 269 00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:52,000 Jesus as your brother? The Third Point I want to make 270 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:55,280 is the incarnation means the help of a high priest. 271 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:58,680 In the Old Testament, you'll remember, priests served as 272 00:15:58,680 --> 00:16:01,040 mediators between God and the people. 273 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:04,200 They would teach God's law to the people, and they'd offer 274 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:06,320 sacrifices on behalf of the people. 275 00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:08,720 Priests could help. Because of their relationship 276 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:11,720 with God and the people. They could relate. 277 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:16,200 They knew God, but they also knew what it meant to be man. 278 00:16:16,960 --> 00:16:19,800 So on Friday, my sister-in-law had a baby girl. 279 00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:23,240 Very exciting. It's a great joy to our family. 280 00:16:23,240 --> 00:16:26,800 But I also have to say, as a man, I am not helpful when it 281 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:30,720 comes to childbirth. I've witnessed it, but I haven't 282 00:16:30,720 --> 00:16:33,000 done it. I've seen it, but I haven't felt 283 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:35,880 it. But my wife has a very different 284 00:16:35,880 --> 00:16:38,560 perspective. And she was standing by all 285 00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:42,040 week, ready to go at a moment's notice, ready to take pictures 286 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:44,880 in the delivery room. My wife's been pregnant. 287 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:49,120 She's delivered two boys. So Anne was a very helpful 288 00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:52,080 resource to her sister this week. 289 00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:55,040 I also read about soldiers who go through that most intense 290 00:16:55,040 --> 00:16:57,480 training. Think about the Navy Seals and 291 00:16:57,480 --> 00:17:00,680 others like them, and do you know who can help them the most? 292 00:17:01,320 --> 00:17:04,640 It's the soldiers who have recently completed the very same 293 00:17:04,640 --> 00:17:08,240 training because they've been there, they understand, and they 294 00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:11,319 made it through. And this is really what Hebrews 295 00:17:11,319 --> 00:17:13,920 is saying about Jesus. He's been where we are, 296 00:17:14,119 --> 00:17:17,040 experienced what we experienced, felt what we feel. 297 00:17:17,319 --> 00:17:20,200 Look at verse 14. Since therefore the children 298 00:17:20,200 --> 00:17:24,440 share in flesh and blood, He himself likewise partook of the 299 00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:28,440 same things. And then verse 17, He had to be 300 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:33,320 made like his brothers in every respect, in every respect, like 301 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:34,760 you and me. Why? 302 00:17:35,240 --> 00:17:39,560 So that He might become a merciful and faithful high 303 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:42,800 priest. But Jesus is actually far 304 00:17:42,840 --> 00:17:46,000 greater when it comes to being a high priest than the men who 305 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:47,800 served in the Old Testament. Think about it. 306 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:51,600 The Old Testament priest was a sinful man standing between God 307 00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:56,320 and the people. Jesus is a sinless man standing 308 00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:58,280 between his Father and his people. 309 00:17:58,720 --> 00:18:01,920 And the Old Testament priest was an imperfect teacher, sharing 310 00:18:01,920 --> 00:18:06,040 the Word with God's people. Jesus was the Word made flesh, 311 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:10,840 teaching the Word perfectly but also fulfilling it perfectly in 312 00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:13,720 his own life. And the Old Testament priest 313 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:17,600 offered the blood of bulls and goats as a temporary sacrifice. 314 00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:22,000 Jesus offered his own blood as the final sacrifice. 315 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:26,840 So as the great high priest, Jesus is perfectly positioned to 316 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:29,480 help us. We could talk for hours about 317 00:18:29,480 --> 00:18:32,280 all the ways he's done this, but let's just consider what we find 318 00:18:32,280 --> 00:18:35,800 in Hebrews 2. Our high priest came to destroy 319 00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:38,840 death. Our passage says that Jesus 320 00:18:38,840 --> 00:18:42,760 became like us so that through death he might destroy the one 321 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:46,920 who has the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver all 322 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:50,200 those who through fear of death, were subject to lifelong 323 00:18:50,200 --> 00:18:53,600 slavery. Ever since the fall, the devil 324 00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:56,320 has used death to terrorize people. 325 00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:59,080 And people often ask, what's your greatest fear? 326 00:18:59,320 --> 00:19:01,160 And what do we say? Spiders. 327 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:07,400 Snakes, sharks, sharing my feelings, etcetera. 328 00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:10,960 But you know what our greatest fear really is? 329 00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:13,680 It's the one thing we won't even talk about. 330 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:18,360 Our greatest fear is dying. We fear the pain, the 331 00:19:18,360 --> 00:19:23,320 separation, the unknown. Will we cease to exist? 332 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:27,680 The judgement. Friends, Jesus knew the power of 333 00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:30,200 death, and He knew our great fear of death. 334 00:19:31,080 --> 00:19:34,760 And as our high priest, he came to destroy the devil and to 335 00:19:34,760 --> 00:19:39,520 deliver us from all fear. In Christ, we can live with the 336 00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:42,520 confidence that death has actually been defeated. 337 00:19:42,920 --> 00:19:45,800 We can know that death is not some journey into the great 338 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:49,960 unknown, but a doorway into more abundant life. 339 00:19:50,360 --> 00:19:53,840 With Jesus Christ. We can have peace that Jesus has 340 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:58,200 already paid for our sins. So death will not mean God's 341 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:02,160 rejection, but his embrace and his welcome. 342 00:20:03,560 --> 00:20:06,760 Our high Priest also came to make propitiation for our sins. 343 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:10,760 A propitiation is an old word, but it has a deep meaning. 344 00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:14,640 Some translations try to change it or remove it, but we're wise 345 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:17,640 to hold on to it because when you change the word, you lose 346 00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:20,320 the point. Because propitiation refers to a 347 00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:24,520 sacrifice that takes away or appeases wrath. 348 00:20:25,360 --> 00:20:27,000 The Bible is clear from start to finish. 349 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:30,680 God is holy. We are opposed to God and our 350 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:34,960 sin, and God is opposed to us in His Holiness. 351 00:20:35,680 --> 00:20:39,400 And as sinners we deserve God's displeasure and wrath. 352 00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:43,840 No one will get to heaven without a perfect righteousness. 353 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:48,640 That is God's standard perfect holiness, conformity to His law. 354 00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:51,040 Do you have a perfect righteousness? 355 00:20:52,360 --> 00:20:55,440 I don't. The beauty of propitiation is 356 00:20:55,440 --> 00:20:58,520 this. Jesus has offered himself as the 357 00:20:58,520 --> 00:21:00,840 sacrifice to take away God's wrath. 358 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:06,040 He paid the price on the cross. He experienced the judgement 359 00:21:06,240 --> 00:21:09,880 that we deserve. God's wrath is appeased so that 360 00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:14,760 we can have peace with God. So when we look to Jesus by 361 00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:18,920 faith and trust in His sacrifice on the cross, God actually looks 362 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:22,920 at us as if we had never sinned. He imputes to us the 363 00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:26,320 righteousness of Christ. We have a new position, a new 364 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:29,920 status, and then that leads to a whole new life. 365 00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:34,560 Have you accepted Jesus as the sacrifice for your sins? 366 00:21:35,360 --> 00:21:39,480 Friends, this is the help that we most need, and He offers it 367 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:42,760 even today. Trust in Christ as your great 368 00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:46,400 High Priest, receive his forgiveness, be filled with His 369 00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:51,480 Spirit, and walk in His ways. Finally, our high priest can 370 00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:54,360 help us when we're tempted. He's able. 371 00:21:54,520 --> 00:21:57,360 It says in our text. Some people think Jesus can't 372 00:21:57,360 --> 00:21:59,600 help us when we're tempted because he never sinned. 373 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:02,240 I want you to think about a bridge for a second. 374 00:22:03,120 --> 00:22:06,800 Do you want the bridge that caves in as soon as a big truck 375 00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:10,320 goes over it? Do you want the bridge that has 376 00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:15,320 stood strong, had cars passing over it for years and years, and 377 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:19,000 it's still standing? The mistake to conclude that the 378 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:23,120 sinless person can't help us in temptation because the only the 379 00:22:23,120 --> 00:22:26,200 sinless person knows the true strength of temptation. 380 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:28,880 When we give in to temptation, the struggle's over. 381 00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:32,720 We've already lost. But the man who never gives in 382 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:35,680 faces greater and greater temptation. 383 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:40,840 So no human has endured more temptation than Jesus. 384 00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:42,920 And think about what that means for us. 385 00:22:43,040 --> 00:22:46,080 Whatever your temptation, think about what you're tempted with. 386 00:22:46,120 --> 00:22:48,760 Even now, think about it. Jesus knows it. 387 00:22:49,200 --> 00:22:51,960 He experienced it. He resisted it. 388 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:55,760 He took the devil's best shot and never gave it. 389 00:22:57,000 --> 00:23:00,200 He's the last Adam who succeeded where we fail. 390 00:23:00,680 --> 00:23:04,120 He's our older brother who won the war and now shares his 391 00:23:04,120 --> 00:23:07,120 victory with us. And he's our high priest who 392 00:23:07,120 --> 00:23:11,600 sympathizes with our weaknesses. So in all three of these roles, 393 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:14,760 we see the breathtaking humility of Jesus. 394 00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:18,920 From the highest of highs. He came down, down, down from 395 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:23,200 heaven to the womb of a virgin, engaged to a Carpenter. 396 00:23:23,680 --> 00:23:26,200 And then the humiliate humiliation continue. 397 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:30,960 Why would the second person of the Trinity voluntarily take 398 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:34,320 this journey? Listen to what CS Lewis writes 399 00:23:35,040 --> 00:23:38,800 when they think of a diver first reducing himself to nakedness, 400 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:42,280 then glancing in mid air, then gone with a splash, vanished, 401 00:23:42,280 --> 00:23:45,920 rushing down through green and warm water into black and cold 402 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:49,640 water, down through increasing pressure, into the death like 403 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:52,640 region of ooze and slime and old decay. 404 00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:55,400 Then up again back to color and light. 405 00:23:55,560 --> 00:23:59,640 His lungs almost bursting till suddenly He breaks the surface 406 00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:03,920 again, holding in his hand the dripping precious thing that he 407 00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:08,080 went down to recover. That's the wonder of the 408 00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:11,640 incarnation. Jesus stole down into the depths 409 00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:15,680 of our drowning and dying humanity, and he came back up 410 00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:21,200 holding a rescued and renewed humanity in a nail pierced hand. 411 00:24:22,040 --> 00:24:27,560 In Hebrews 725 we read He is able to save to the uttermost 412 00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:30,960 those who draw near to God through Him, since He always 413 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:33,520 lives to make intercession for them. 414 00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:37,840 And what's so beautiful about this is this first brings God's 415 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:41,520 help into the present tense. It's easy to look at it and say, 416 00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:44,880 oh, Jesus is the last Adam. He won the victory 2000 years 417 00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:46,600 ago. Jesus is my older brother. 418 00:24:46,760 --> 00:24:49,000 He went ahead of me 2000 years ago. 419 00:24:49,280 --> 00:24:52,320 But when you say he's the high priest who lives to make 420 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:58,840 intercession for me, that help is now December 21st, 2025. 421 00:25:00,360 --> 00:25:03,640 So if Christmas has never worked out for you, I encourage you 422 00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:09,040 today to turn to Jesus, consider the child in the Manger and 423 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:11,760 realize this is no ordinary baby. 424 00:25:11,960 --> 00:25:16,280 This is the last Adam and he invites us into his mission. 425 00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:20,680 This is our older brother and he welcomes us into his family. 426 00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:25,440 And this is our High priest who sacrificed himself for us. 427 00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:29,800 No one is more qualified to help that. 428 00:25:29,800 --> 00:25:35,600 No one is more eager to help. Let's pray, Father, we're in awe 429 00:25:35,840 --> 00:25:39,840 of Jesus coming. We're in awe of the help that he 430 00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:42,200 brought. So we pray today that wherever 431 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:45,440 people are, whatever help they need, that they would have the 432 00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:50,040 grace to turn to Jesus and find in him the help that we need in 433 00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:53,000 our moment of need. Thank you for the glory of the 434 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:55,000 gospel. Thank you for this good news and 435 00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:58,960 thank you for the sacrament which pictures these things and 436 00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:03,200 makes them tangible for us. And so Lord, come and be with 437 00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:06,160 us, we need you. We pray in Jesus name, Amen.