A Boy Named Sue?
Heb. 2:9-18 #10

No one likes to suffer

No one Wants to suffer

Everyone does suffer

Mostly we ask, Why, and that’s allowable as we saw last Sunday PM in Psalm 10.

But often we hear people say “well God wouldn’t allow that would he? That isn’t like God is it?

But as Christians we are taught that God’s goal is our becoming more like Jesus and he uses circumstances to help mold us into what he knows we can be.

One writer said “God often digs wells of joy with the spade of sorrow.”

God isn’t after just so many hothouse plants, but rather after sturdy storm tried oaks.

He doesn’t want us to be shifting as the sand dunes driven by the wind, but solid as granite to withstand the storms.

And in order to build us up, to toughen us up to be what he, our maker, wants us to be, he allows trials to come our way.

But when we go through trials and sorrows we do not walk alone. Recently one person said to me, “I thought I’d be devastated when all this happened, but I don’t know where this attitude (a good one) has come from.”

In this section we will see that the savior, the captain of our salvation the perfect Christ, God’s own Son has tasted suffering and testing. And he has done so to be able to walk with us in our hardships.

Read Hebrews 2:9-18

Last time we answered the question “If Jesus became a man how can he be better than angels.” And we saw man’s true destiny, dominion over the earth was restricted by sin. The we joyfully observed how it has been restored in Jesus Christ.

Now, another question that would puzzle these Jewish readers is the death and suffering of Christ.

They knew that angels didn’t die and if Christ dies, how can he be better than angels? If he is messiah, how can he die? Good question.

Flip over to Acts:17 2-3<> Paul was explaining the Jews of Thessalonica why it was that Christ must die and showed them from the OT.

Paul wasn’t unique in this because after His resurrection in Luke 24 Jesus explained to his disciples from the OT. HE calls them “slow of heart” and points to the OT to prove why Christ had to die AND why they should have known it.

Jesus started with Moses (That is the books of the Torah or Law) : Gen. 3:15 is the first mention of the one who would fatally wound Satan.

In Gen. 22:18 & 26:4 we find Abraham being promised that in his offspring all nations will be blessed. IN Gen’ 49:10 we hear Jacob tell Judah that Christ will come form his lineage. We find Christ displayed in Numbers 21:9 as Moses lifted up the serpent so Jesus was lifted up (John 3:14)

So the writings of Moses pointed to Christ.

Also The prophets spoke of Christ and his suffering.

Psalm 16:9-10 A messianic psalm shows that God will not leave his holy one to see corruption or in the grave. Death is spoken of here for the Christ.

Not much doubt what is in view there is there? They are speaking of the Christ, the Son of God.

Now the Holy Spirit here in Heb. 2:9 tells us why Christ became lower than angels and what he accomplished. He came for one purpose, TO DIE.

MacArthur puts it this way: Those soft baby hands fashioned by the Holy Spirit in Mary’s womb were made to take 2 giant nails. Those chubby feet were made to walk up Golgotha’s hill and be nailed to a cross. That sacred head with sparkling eyes and eager mouth was formed to wear a thorny crown. That tender body wrapped in swaddling clothes would be ripped open by a spear. And for that reason Jesus came into the world.”

Christ’s death for us was not an accident, it was not God’s plan B for man.

Jesus was born to die, born to restore man’s lost dominion and remove creation’s curse. And in order for Christ to restore lost man, he first had to become a man. In order to take man’s place he head to become a man. So even though he became for a time lower than angels, he accomplished someth8ing no angel ever could, the restoration of sinful humanity. And in his humanity he became more complete, if God can be spoken of as being more complete. He gained perfection v:10 says, by the things that he suffered.

Now we will see 5 perfections of Christ in this section, one today and 4 next time. These perfections showed up in Christ.

In his incarnation (fleshing) He became:

1. The Stand in for our condemnation

2. The Captain of our salvation

3. The Means of our Sanctification

4. The Conqueror of our Adversary

5. The bearer of our Woes.

What a perfect savior: Look at verse 10 < >

Many religious people , speaking from their own ideas say that this death this suffering isn’t like God. God wouldn’t allow that. But if we cannot have a lofty opinion of a God who allows this plan this says nothing about God but a lot about us.

We can be sure that whatever God does is worthy of himself. God singles out an action here, Christ’s suffering, and says of Christ “It became him, or was a fitting thing to do. what was fitting? His making Jesus perfectly qualified through his suffering to be the savior of his people.

It is here, in the trial and death of Jesus Christ That we see God’s heart laid bare. Here God is revealed in the most worthy way, the fullest and richest way as we see Him “In Christ: reconciling the world to himself.”(2 Cor. 5:19)

People may try to see Jesus death as a great example of martyrdom in dying for a cause. But in the death of our superior, perfect savior we see “The stand in for our Condemnation.”

Jesus Christ became lower than the Angels to be YOUR substitute. 2:9 says “ he tasted death for every man.”

S. Gospel Song from 70s

I Should Have Been Crucified" by Gordon Jensen by the Oak Ridge Boys, "Collection, Gospel Favorites.
VERSE 1

I was guilty with nothing to say

And they were coming to take me away

But then a voice from Heaven was heard the said

"Let Him go and take me instead"

CHORUS

I should have been crucified

I should have suffered and died

I should have hung on the cross in disgrace

But Jesus, God's Son, took my place

VERSE 2

Crowns of thorns, the spear deep in His side

And the pain it should have been mine

The rusty nails were meant for me

Oh yet Christ took them and let me go free

Romans 6:23: Sin brings death and Christ’s death for you brought life you and I live by his death.

So, Christ’s birth made him lower than the angels so that his death. his suffering, his torment on the cross could save you and me.

The death he tasted is our agony. He suffered the total agony of all hell for all eternity packed into a few horrible hours. All the punishment for all the sin for all time.

Jesus came for that. Jesus came to die for me because I was to be the one deserving hell’s fury, hell’s agony and torment. But on the cross Jesus took my curse, died a felon’s death. He wasn’t guilty of anything but he suffered for everything.

Paul writes in Gal. 4: We were in bondage under the elements of the world, but when the time was full God sent forth his son, made of a woman made under the law; to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons.

For us; he did it for us; our substitute A simple word but not a simple thought. A perfect holy just God must remain separate from sin and see justice done. And it was to satisfy that justice that Jesus Christ came . His death was not a plan B or an accident but the accomplishment of a divine purpose, The redemption of you and me.

It is this substitution that is the good news or gospel of Jesus Christ.

Mankind does not have to die for his or her own sins because Jesus, God’s son took my place, your place. He did not die for his sins, he had none, it was vicarious, totally for others. That was his only reason to die.

Isaiah wrote: He was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities and we are made whole through his scourging.

He who did no sin was made to be sin for us sinners so we could be made the righteousness of God in him.

You and I had broken the law of God, we were born spiritually dead and could do nothing to help ourselves.

Next time 4 more points to conclude this section.