What is Declared by the Birth of Christ

Transcript

GRM 825
12/22/2002
What Is Declared by the Birth of Christ
Hebrews 1-2
Gil Rugh

I want to direct your attention this morning to the book of Hebrews. It’s natural that our attention be drawn in a special way to Jesus Christ, His uniqueness, the wonder of His birth, the purpose of His birth. The writer to the Hebrews, writing to Jews who have professed faith in Christ, writes to impress upon them the matchless superiority of Jesus Christ. He is superior in every way to everyone, and everything involved in Judaism. He is far beyond comparison to everyone and everything, period. But as he writes to Jews, he is drawing comparisons particularly to those things with which they are familiar as the people that God had chosen for Himself in a special way. He’s going to demonstrate His superiority to prophets, to angels, to Moses, to the Levitical priesthood. He is the Son of God.

I just want to highlight some of the things that are said in the opening couple of chapters of Hebrews, and then focus attention in a special way on the closing part of chapter 2, which focuses on the purpose and the reasons for the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Why are we celebrating the birth of this Person after 2000 years? Are we just superstitious people that need something religious to hold onto? Just like many holidays that become part of our calendar, make them a reason for us to celebrate, get time off work, get together with family, do fun things? Or is there something more in the birth of Jesus Christ? I think the scripture is clear, He is totally unique.

The writer to the Hebrews began in chapter 1 by comparing Jesus Christ to the prophets and showing He is superior to the prophets who form such a key part in God’s revealing Himself to His people through the years of Old Testament history. Hebrews chapter 1 verse 1 begins, “God after He spoke long ago to the fathers and the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son” and you see the contrast. God spoke many times in many ways in past history using spokesmen that are called prophets. But now in these culminating days, these last days, He has a spokesman who is His Son, a vastly superior means of revelation, one who is greater than any or all of the prophets. He is a Son, He is part of the very nature and being of God Himself, He is the one whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He made the world. He is the radiance of His glory, the exact representation of His nature. This is the Son of God, the second person of the triune godhead, God being comprised of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Not three gods, one God eternally existing in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

He is the one who upholds all things by the word of His power. He is the one who made purification of sins and then sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. There is a constant emphasis through the book of Hebrews on the fact that this is the one who has provided our salvation. What makes the birth of Jesus Christ so unique? Well, who He is makes His birth unique. He is the Son of God, the creator of all things. Why was He born? That’s the second reason for His significance, to be a savior, to make purification of sins, to do what was necessary to purify us from our sins, the guilt of sin, the penalty of sin. When He had completed that work, He sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. Having become as much better than the angels. So, he shows that Jesus Christ is much greater than the prophets and all prior revelation. It does not mean that prior revelation was not true, but it was not nearly as clear and as full as the revelation given through the Son of God.

Then he contrasts Christ with angels. That contrast takes place from verse 4 of chapter 1 all the way through chapter 2 verse 18. For you see when God gave our Old Testament scriptures, particularly the Mosaic Law, the first five books of the Old Testament, He used angels as vehicles to communicate on Mt. Sinai with Moses. We are all in awe of angels. Can you imagine the crowd if we could have announced today there would be angels from heaven here standing on the platform this morning to speak to you. I mean who wouldn’t want to come and see them and hear from them. But what the writer to the Hebrews is saying, there is one vastly greater than the angels, who has come to this earth to reveal God and be a savior. That one is the Son of God. He is demonstrating His superiority, even to the angels who serve in the very presence of God in heaven. He’ll do that from chapter 1 verse 4 through chapter 2 verse 18. In all of this, not just through chapter 2 but through the book of Hebrews, he is demonstrating there is one and only one savior. There is only one way to God. Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me.” There are not many roads to heaven, we’re all going to the same place just on different roads. There is only one road, there is only one door. Jesus said I am the door, I am the way, very narrow, very exclusive. The writer of the Hebrews is demonstrating the superiority of Jesus Christ to everything in Judaism and the worship that God had given in the Old Testament, and always in anticipation for the coming of Jesus Christ.

He wants to demonstrate His superiority to angels, those beings created by God to serve in His presence and to do His bidding. What he is going to do is show that He is superior to angels because He is God, and he’ll do that from verse 4 through verse 14 of chapter 1. Then he’s going to show He’s superior to angels because He is man in chapter 2 verse 5 to 18. We’re just going to highlight some things in that before we focus on some matters at the close of chapter 2. He’s demonstrating the superiority of Christ to angels because He is God and he picks up with the end of verse 4, He’s better than the angels, He has inherited a more excellent name than they. Then we have a series of quotes from the Old Testament and if you just thumb through your Bible in Hebrews you’ll see the Old Testament quotes are set off with a different style of print. But with all these quotations the writer to the Hebrews never specifies who he is quoting from. It’s never well David says in the Psalms, or the psalmist says, or Isaiah the prophet says, or Jeremiah the prophet says. He just records what is written because he has already established in verse 1 of Hebrews 1, “God after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets,” it was God speaking. This is what God has to say through the Old Testament scriptures. He doesn’t identify the source and we are not, as we highlight these things, but in the Old Testament the statement is made, “you are my Son, today I have begotten you.” Unique position that Jesus Christ has, sets Him off from the angels. He is the Son of God, and all the angels of God are to worship Him. Verse 6, “let all the angels of God worship Him.” What are the angels? The angels are His servants according to verse 7. But the Son, He is God, He partakes of the same essence and nature as God the Father. He is God the Son. The angels are servants of God, according to verse 7, but verse 8 says, “but of the Son He says your throne O God is forever and ever.” Clear statement of the uniqueness. There is a vast chasm between Jesus Christ the Son of God and angels. For angels are created beings to do the bidding of God. Jesus Christ is Himself God the Son.

Concerning His Son God, the Father says in verse 10, “You Lord in the beginning did lay the foundations of the earth. The heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish but you remain. They will all become old as a garment, as a mantle you will roll them up, as a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, your years will not come to an end.” The Son of God is the creator of all things. He Himself is not created; He is the creator. Together with the Father and the Spirit the triune God brought into existence all that exists. The one that acted in a direct way in bringing about creation was none other than the Son of God, Jesus Christ. “He laid the foundations of the earth; the heavens are the work of His hands.” Do you know what he is doing? He is establishing the fact that Jesus Christ is superior to angels because angels have been created to do the bidding of God, who created angels as well as everything else. He never said to the angels, in verse 13, “sit at my right hand while I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” It is the intention of God that His Son ultimately rule over all. They are all, the angels are ministering spirits. That word ministering spirits, sent out to render service for those who will inherit salvation, they have an official service responsibility to do the bidding of God. They are His official representatives to do His bidding, and they serve on behalf of those who will inherit salvation.

That forms a transition. Jesus Christ is God. Obviously, the angels are below Him, they were created by Him. But you know the Son of God became man and you understand the angels in the plan of God are lower than man. Man is created to rule over angels. So, you can make the connection from verse 14 of chapter 1, the angels are ministering spirits, down to verse 5, “for He did not subject to angels the world to come.” The angels are serving spirits and they render service on behalf of those who will inherit salvation. That’s you and me, the redeemed. They serve for our good and our benefit. He did not subject the world to come to angels, anticipating here the coming kingdom when Jesus Christ will rule and reign on the earth. Angels are not destined to rule in that kingdom, but the redeemed of God are.

Now in verses 1-4 in chapter 2 you have one of a series of warning passages in the book of Hebrews, where the writer to the Hebrews breaks into his argument to give a warning. He’s writing to Hebrews, to Jews who have professed faith in Jesus Christ. But because of pressure, persecution and trials, some of them are contemplating a return to Judaism. The writer to the Hebrews is warning them that that is not a possibility. If you turn back to Judaism, if you turn back to your old faith, your old religion, you have turned away from the living God. Verses 1-4 are one of those warning passages. He says for this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we’ve heard. The picture, remember, in the days of the sailing ships they didn’t have motors to drive them into harbors and so on. A sailing ship that was coming to a harbor, if it wasn’t paying attention and drifted by the harbor, they couldn’t just turn on the motors and go back. Now they were in serious peril because they could be destroyed by a storm. They had to go on to the next harbor. He’s warning about the danger of drifting past Jesus Christ. Then he says, “if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation.” This salvation is the issue.

Back in chapter 1 verse 3, Christ is the exact representation of the nature of God. He partakes of the same nature, essence and being. He is God. “He upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins.” Running through the whole book of Hebrews is this emphasis on the fact that Jesus Christ is the one who has provided salvation through the sacrifice of Himself.

In verse 3 he contrasts it; the Law was given on Mt. Sinai through the mediation of angels. When God gave the Law to Moses, the first five books of our Old Testament, angels were used as mediators to communicate the truth from God to Moses. So, he speaks about in verse 2 the word spoken through angels proved unalterable. Every transgression, every disobedience was punished, and the Jews would recognize those who broke the Law of Moses were punished for their disobedience. Now we’ve just established from verse 4-14 of chapter 1 that Jesus Christ is the God who created the angels. How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? If you couldn’t escape punishment for disobeying what the angels communicated, how will you escape the judgment of God if you neglect the salvation He provided in and through His Son? God bore witness to this. So that's one of what we call the warning passages in Hebrews. There is a series of them, five of them, where he warns us about the great danger of stopping short of faith in Jesus Christ. These Jews had heard the message of Christ, many of them had responded, some had genuinely turned from their sin and their trust in themselves and their own religious deeds and placed their faith in Christ. Others had just been caught along in the emotion of the movement and had stopped short of truly believing in Christ. If you understand if you go by the harbor of Christ there is no hope, you will not escape punishment. The Jews could understand that. If you rebelled against the Law of Moses, you were punished. You understand if you reject the word given through the Son of God there is not any possibility at all that you will escape the condemnation of hell.

Then he moves on in continuing to show the superiority of Christ. He is superior to angels because He is God, He is superior to angels because He is man. He is unique, He is the God-man. “For He did not,” verse 5, “subject to angels the world to come concerning which we are speaking.” But what is testified somewhere. You see he doesn’t identify the quote, who said it. Because he has already established in verse 1 God spoke through the prophets. What is man that you remember him? Verse 7, “you have made Him for a little while lower than the angels, crowned Him with glory and honor, appointed Him over the works of your hands, put all things in subjection under His feet.” Man was created to rule over creation. Problem. In subjecting all things to Him He left nothing that is not subject to Him. But now we do not see all things subjected to Him. You see the argument. Man was created to rule over God’s creation, but it’s not happening. We don’t see man ruling over all creation. Verse 9, “But we do see Him who has been made for a little while lower than the angels, namely Jesus.”

He talks about God’s intention in creating man, it was to rule creation. But something has happened. Sin has entered the picture; but turn your attention to Jesus, “the one who was made a little lower than the angels.” That’s the same thing he said about men in verse 7, what is man that you remember him? “You have made him a little lower than the angels, or for a little while lower than the angels,” as you have it down in verse 9. You made Christ for a little while lower than the angels. Christ became a man. That’s what the celebration of what we call Christmas, the birth of Christ, is all about. That the “one through whom all things were created,” verse 2 of Hebrews, “through one through whom He also made the world has been born into the human race. This is not the beginning of His existence, but the eternal Son of God has stepped from the throne of glory and been born into the human race.” The God of creation has now become also a human being so that He is the God-man. We see him who has been made for a little while lower than the angels because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. You see the purpose of God in having His Son be born into the human race? That He might be the substitute for you and me, He might taste death, He might partake of death for everyone.

This is the theme running through the book of Hebrews. Back in chapter 1 verse 3 the middle of the verse, “He made purification of sins, then He sat down at the right hand of God.” Verse 3 of chapter 2, “how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” The end of verse 9, “by the grace of God He might taste death for every man.” Down at the end of verse 17, “He did this to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” A constant reminder that God’s purpose in providing His Son was that He might be a savior. He’s driving home to very religious people that your religion cannot save you. Furthermore, complete devotion to your religion cannot save you. In fact, your religion can condemn you. That’s the warning given to these Jews. If you stop short of faith in Christ, turn back to your religion because of pressure, because of a variety of concerns, you are lost for eternity. Because there is only one savior, the Son of God is totally unique. Often, we celebrate holidays like Christmas has become, but we fail to consider what that means. We are celebrating the total uniqueness of Jesus Christ. There never has been, never will be one like Him. He was both God and man and He came to this earth to be a savior, to purify us from our sins and people who trust their religion to get them to heaven are doomed to an eternal hell. That’s what the writer to the Hebrews is telling these Jews. “How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?” They’re not talking about becoming less religious. Some of them are going to devote themselves more fully and more completely to their religion. He says there would be no hope for your salvation if you do that, because Jesus Christ is the only savior.

He came to this earth that” by the grace of God,” at the end of verse 9, “He might taste death for everyone.” That’s the over arching purpose. Why the incarnation? Why do we celebrate the birth of the Son of God into the human race? Why would the one who created all things be born into the human race? So that He could taste death; He could partake of death for everyone. Verse 10, “For it was fitting for Him through whom are all things, for whom are all things, through whom are all things in bringing many sons to glory to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.” What do you mean perfect the author? Was Christ imperfect? As God He was perfect, as man He was perfect. But He grew and matured as a man, He suffered. All part of God’s plan, culminating at the cross so He could bear in His body on the cross the penalty for our sins.

Jump down to verse 14, I want to focus the rest of our time on these closing verses. He’s shown that Christ is superior to angels. You must understand He is God; His throne is established forever, He is the one who created all things, He is also man and in both He is superior. For God created man to rule over all things, but because of sin man’s position has been corrupted. He voluntarily subjected himself to angels when he allowed satan in the Garden to tempt him and he succumbed. For a little while now he is lower than the angels. God’s intention is ultimately that man will rule even over angels, they will serve man as he has been glorified.

He talks about the fact that the Messiah came and through Him you have children. Verse 13, “I will put my trust in Him,” again an Old Testament quote, put in the mouth of the Messiah the savior. Because through His life He depended on God and trusted God. A unique thing happened that we can only grasp partially at the incarnation. Incarnation means enfleshment, coming in flesh of the Son of God. When Christ was born at Bethlehem the God who had created all things was born into the human race. He did not cease to be God, but He took to His deity humanity, He became the God-man. He had always been God, always will be God. But now for the first time God was not only God He was also man. One person, two natures; divine and human. I believe it, the Bible teaches it, I would not in any way imply I could put my arms around it and completely understand it. He became a man so that He could be the savior, He could be identified with man and pay the penalty for our sin.

During His earthly life He lived His life by faith, depending on God the Father. He voluntarily set aside the independent use of His attributes as God, Philippians 2 tells us, and lived as a man with His faith in His Father. He spoke about the children whom God has given me, and through the redeeming work of God in Christ He has made it possible for sinful, human beings to become the children of God.

What he’s going to talk about in verses 14-18 where we’ll spend the rest of our time, is what was accomplished by Christ in His becoming a man. The overarching purpose is “that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone,” the end of verse 9. He became a man so that He could die, that’s why when they announced the birth of Christ, they said what? “Unto you this day in the city of David is born a savior, who is Christ the Lord.” He was born to die. When John the Baptist introduced Him to the nation what did he say? “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” He came to be a savior, to taste death for everyone, to provide salvation for all who would believe in Him. Verses 14-18, then he gets more specific and covers three reasons for the incarnation will be accomplished, really would be four if we added to verse 9 which covers them all. Verse 14 says, “Since then the children share in flesh and blood.” Who are the children? The children of verse 13, “Behold I and the children whom you have given me.” How do you become the child of God? Well, it took the intervention of God to be the redeemer, the savior. We today think that oh well we’ll be accepted by God by being religious. The Jews thought they’d be accepted by God because they were Jews and on top of that they did their best to keep the Law and so on. Of course, they’ll be accepted by God as His children. Not so. Roman Catholics make the same mistake, Protestants make the same mistake. It’s a characteristic of religious people, they think they’ll become what they must be by what they do. The coming to earth by Jesus Christ tells us our situation is hopeless.

So, he gives three reasons for the birth of Christ in verses 14-18. “Since then, the children share in flesh and blood He Himself likewise partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is the devil.” To bring about our salvation several things had to happen. The first, He had to render powerless him who had the power of death, that is the devil. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, they really subjected themselves to satan, and everyone born now down through history, a descendent of Adam and Eve, born enslaved to satan. He is the god, small “g”, of this world. Jesus said to the religious people of Israel, “you are of your father the devil” in John 8. Strong statement. The most religious people on earth at the time, and their father is the devil? Yes, they were subjected to the power and authority of the devil because of sin. The death of Christ on the cross was to render powerless him who had the power of death, that is the devil, to break his power so he could no longer rule over those redeemed by Christ.

Look over in I John, all the way toward the back of your New Testament almost to the book of Revelation, just before the book of Revelation, the epistles of John, and I John chapter 3. Look at verse 8, “The one who practices sin is of the devil, the devil has sinned from the beginning.” Note this now, the Son of God appeared, was born at Bethlehem to suffer and die on the cross for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Thus no one born of God practices sin. You see it’s in the context, to destroy the works of the devil, to break his power and authority over people that is his because of their sin. Turn back to the gospel of John chapter 12, look at verse 31, “now judgment is upon this world, now the ruler of this world shall be cast out.” Jesus is closing His public ministry. Chapter 12 is the end of the public ministry of Christ. Beginning with chapter 13 through chapter 17 will be that last night with His disciples, chapter 18 moves us to the events of the crucifixion. He announces, now the ruler of this world who is satan will be cast out, defeated. Look back in chapter 8 of John’s gospel verse 44, keep in mind Jesus is speaking to the most religious people on the face of the earth at the time, these Jewish leaders who prided themselves in meticulously keeping the details of the Law. He says in verse 44, “you are of your father the devil and you want to do the desires of your father.” We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. You know we’re all born in the same wretched condition. You come into this race a sinner. David said in sin did my mother conceive me. From the moment of conception, birth to adulthood we are sinners and until a new birth. That’s why Jesus said you must be born again because when you were born into the human race you were born a sinner. How tragic and sad 2000 years after Jesus Christ was born churches will be filled with people who do not understand their father is the devil. They find being told such a thing terribly offensive. These Jews were so offended by it they determined they are going to have to kill Him. But that’s why Jesus Christ was born, that’s why He came to this earth. We were of our father the devil. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God, there is none righteous no not even one.” The only hope is as Jesus told Nicodemus in John chapter 3, you must be born again; whether they all be religious, I go to church, I do my best. They totally ignore that God has said that none of us will be saved by our works of righteousness, because the penalty for sin is not good works, the penalty for sin is death. We are in a horrible condition. That’s why Jesus Christ came.

Come back to the book of Hebrews. Christ came that He might render powerless, break his power, he has not ceased to exist, but his power and authority over those that are redeemed by Christ is broken. The devil is the one who has said to have the power of death, “the wages of sin is death.” When Adam and Eve rebelled against God, they subjected themselves to satan. They became subject to death, physical death, separation of a person from his body, spiritual death, separation of a person from God and ultimately eternal death, separation from God for eternity. The devil has the power of death. Does that mean he determines who will die and when they will die? No because Jesus is said to be the one who has the keys of life and death, death and Hades. But because of sin man lives under the authority of satan as his god, is controlled by his sin and is doomed to die. Christ came, became a man for the purpose of rendering powerless him who had the power of death, set us free from the power of satan.

Second purpose, that He might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. You know there’s a universal fear, the fear of dying. Now I know we have people with bravado, I’m not afraid. Another word for them is fools. I don’t care, I’m ready to die, I don’t care if I die, and they’ll do all kinds of foolish things. You know we all can do foolish things without thinking. You know one of the advantages of being a pastor is you get to be with people who are dying. Early in my ministry I did that more and you know there is a universal fear. Just watch television, watch one of these programs where they talk about the ten most tragic events or something. Watch an earthquake and how the earth shakes. Look at how many people are just walking around while the earth is going back and forth. Doesn’t bother me. Total panic, everybody reduced to what? Why? If you’re not afraid of dying what’s the problem? Who cares if a building falls on you? Here today, gone tomorrow, doesn’t bother me. Until the time comes. There is a universal fear in the heart of men and women and that is the fear of dying. You go to the doctor. Having problems, having pain. I don’t know what it is. Oh, that’s nothing, that’s all right, you’ll just have to live with that ugliness. But there’s nothing serious? No. Oh, okay. Do you have the same lightness of heart if he says you know that’s cancer, it’s spread, I’ll give you three months. No, no, what happens? All of a sudden, we find out there is a fear there, a fear I didn’t think I had, a fear I thought wouldn’t overwhelm me. But it’s there, it’s there. We live enslaved to fear. Everybody wants to extend their life. Oh, I have to eat this because I’ll live longer, I have to exercise like this I’ll live longer, I have to avoid this I’ll live longer. I’m not saying you shouldn’t live a healthy life. Go ahead. But you know what? You’re going to die. Show me one good healthy person that only ate weeds and exercised every day who is 200 years old. You don’t know any, do you? Nope, they just missed the good things, cake and ice cream and pie. They’re going to be in the same grave as the rest of us, right? Yep. We don’t see any 199-year-old people. We are in awe if we see a 99-year-old person. They are an exception. We think we have made such strides. You know what the psalmist wrote 1000 year before Christ? Our years are 70 years, some of us make 80, but boy there is a lot of pain and suffering that come in those last 10 years. Well, the average still about holds on. We think well, look at the strides we’ve made. Three thousand years ago the psalmist wrote 70 years is about the average. The thing just keeps going up and down sometimes, still the same. People live to be 70, that’s good, 80, some people make 90, very few make 100. Nobody makes 150. Death. We all think what can I do? We go through surgery; we’ll go through special things. Why? Why would I let somebody cut me all up? Because I don’t want to die.

Verse 15, “He came to deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all of their lives,” controlled by our fear of death but set free in Christ. Look over in II Timothy chapter 1 verse 10, beautiful verse, favorite verse of those who have come to know Jesus Christ. It’s in the middle of a long sentence, talking about the gospel of Jesus Christ and the importance of not being embarrassed and ashamed of Jesus Christ and the gospel, good news, concerning Him because it’s that good news about Christ that brings salvation to all who believe. Verse 10, “it has now been revealed, this glorious gospel, by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus,” now note this, “who abolished death, brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” Wonderful. He abolished death, brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Now death is still an enemy, but it’s been put in proper perspective. Turn to 1 more passage, I Corinthians 15 verse 54. The Apostle Paul is talking about a remarkable change, everybody is going to undergo a change, every child of God particularly here we’re focusing on. They’re going to get a body, transformed in an instant of time without having died or going to have their dead body raised from the grave. Verse 54, “But when this perishable will put on the imperishable, this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory.” We have that victory through Jesus Christ. Death is an enemy yet to be faced. I don’t anticipate physical death. I hope the Lord comes. That’s the last enemy that has to be taken care of. Now it’s been provided, I’m sure I’ll get a glorified body. I’d rather get it at the rapture in that instant of time, than I would have to pass through death and then get it later. I’m thrilled that I’m going to get it, but when I talk to the Lord, I have told Him if He’s taking votes my preference is to avoid death and go at the rapture. Death is an enemy, the last vestiges of sin and its consequences to be wiped out, physical death. I praise God spiritual death has been taken care of for me, I enjoy a relationship with God through faith in Christ. The issue of eternal separation from God has been settled, I know to be absent from the body will be present with the Lord. I’m thrilled to know that even the power of physical death is limited. If I do have to face it, it will be remedied when my body is raised in a glorified state. But I hope that I get the privilege of skipping death and going directly into the presence of God.

Come back to Hebrews. Christ came to earth to deliver us. You’ll note how chapter 2 verse 14 began. “Since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same.” It was His intention to redeem human beings. To do that He had to become flesh and blood, become a human being. Note verse 16, “assuredly He does not give help to angels.” You understand the marvel of salvation. Angels are personal beings, they are not physical beings, they are spirit beings. They are personal beings of emotion, intellect and will. They rebelled against God, that one act of rebellion settled the fact that for all eternity they will suffer in hell. There was never a savior provided for angels who sinned. God is not obligated to save sinners, God by His very nature is obligated to mete out justice, to satisfy the demand of holiness; and angels who sinned will spend all eternity in the suffering of hell. But for reasons known only to Himself God has determined that He will intervene in the human race, have His Son be born as a baby in Bethlehem, grow up and suffer and die on a cross to give help to human beings, to rescue them from their lost condition. Will God send people to hell? You better believe it. He’s going to send every single angel who sinned to hell for eternity. Make no mistake. There’ll be no sentimental, oh well let’s not do it. It’s settled. God is bound by His own character. He has provided a savior. That’s the beautiful message of the birth of Jesus Christ. “Unto you this day in the city of David is born a savior.” If you can get to heaven by your good works, by being religious, why in the world would God have His Son be born to be a savior? Two thousand years after Christ was born people are running around buying gifts, celebrating, going to church, going to religious services, and have never stopped to consider that the birth of the Son of God was a declaration of their absolute hopeless condition. There is only one way to life, “I am the way, the truth, the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me.”

Look at verse 17, “therefore He had to be made like His brethren in all things, (in order) that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God.” Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem so that He might render powerless the devil, destroy the works of the devil. That He might deliver those who because of sin lived in fear of death. And He was born in Bethlehem that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God. What do you mean? To make propitiation for the sins of the people. Propitiation. A word that simply means satisfaction. That He could satisfy the demands of holiness and righteousness. People think that God’s going to put their good works on the scale and their bad works and if the good tilt in their favor they get into heaven, and if the bad tilt well sorry. Is that the way we do it? Somebody walks in and kills two of your children, he goes to a judge and says look you’ve lived for thousands of days and never killed anyone. All the days you’ve lived you’ve killed only two people on one day. Forget it. You’d say terrible miscarriage of justice. I mean how can society survive if that’s the way. But people think that’s what God is going to do. Oh, I know I’ve not been perfect, but….. But what? Well, I know murder is bad, murderers ought to go to hell. Now I’ve never murdered anybody. Do you see what we want to do? We want to be the judge and the jury. But the judge has already told us, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is none righteous, no not one.” What is being declared at Christmas, when we declare the birth of the Son of God at Bethlehem, is the human race is in a wretched, lost condition. Every sinner on the face of the earth is doomed to hell as every angel who sinned is doomed to hell, unless someone does something. The only one who can do anything is God Himself and He does by providing His Son to be the propitiation, the satisfaction, to satisfy the requirements of righteousness.

Since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted. You know Jesus Christ became our high priest when He suffered and died on the cross. He made the sacrifice. The “wages of sin is death.” Peter wrote that He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. Isn’t it tragic people think they can still earn their way to heaven. I go to church, I try to do good, I do my best. Sorry. The “wages of sin is death, the wages of sin is death.” That’s not my declaration, that’s not somebody else’s. That’s God’s. He had His Son suffer and die to pay the penalty for sin.

He also continues to represent us. That’s what verse 18 is saying. Turn over to Hebrews chapter 7 as we close. You can read this verse with me. Verse 25, “Hence also He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” You know He just didn’t cleanse me from my sin and now I’m saved by faith, and I do my best by my good works to keep saved. When I believe in Him, I am born into the family of God, He becomes my high priest, and His sacrifice is sufficient to take care of every sin, not only that I ever committed in the past, but any sin I commit in the future. You say Oh, boy now you can just dive into sin. Well, you know what He did? He caused me to be born again, to become partakers of the divine nature. Not that I’ve become divine, but I have partaken of the character of God, and you know what? He changed my will. The president of the seminary I went to used to use the expression, He changed your wanter, because now you don’t want to do what you used to want to do and that’s true. Doesn’t mean I live a perfect life; doesn’t mean I don’t sin. “But if anyone sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” He came to this earth to be a merciful and faithful high priest, to offer a sacrifice that would take care of our sins, past, present and future.

Is it any wonder woven through this, back in chapter 1 verse 3, the middle of the verse, “He made purification of sins.” Down at the end of verse 9 chapter 2, “by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.” The end of verse 17, “to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” Why was Christ born in Bethlehem? Stop and think. The crowds, the mobs, the stores packed. The vast majority of people have no ……………oh yeah Christ was born. They’ve never considered, you know what that is? That’s God’s declaration you are lost and on your way to hell and are hopeless. There is nothing but nothing that you can do to help yourself. God had to intervene and provide a savior and you know what? The only salvation is in Him. You know what Jesus said? If you do not believe that I am He you will die in your sins.

We get to the end of the book of Revelation, the last book of our New Testament, you know what? Everyone whose name is not found written in the Lamb’s book of life is cast into the lake of fire forever and ever. Couldn’t be any clearer than that. This is a serious matter. Christ came to earth, not just so we’d have a holiday to celebrate, not just so we could get sentimental about family and gifts. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with being sentimental and getting together with family, I’m saying it is the greatest tragedy of all to fail to understand who Jesus Christ is and why He came to this earth. He came to this earth to destroy the works of the devil, to deliver those who were enslaved to sin and the fear of death. To become a merciful and faithful high priest, to offer a sacrifice, the only sacrifice, that could satisfy the demands of holiness and righteousness, the sacrifice of Himself so that God could offer to all the free gift of eternal life. The “wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life.” But it’s through faith in Jesus Christ.

It’s a great time of year to stop and consider, have you really received that gift? Have you really come to understand why it is worth celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ? That a savior has been born at Bethlehem and whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

Let’s pray together. Thank you, Lord, for the greatness of your love. Thank you that 2000 years after Bethlehem we can gather together and celebrate the fact that your Son has been born and understand that He was born to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Lord may the truth of your Word grip our hearts. “He that has the Son has life, but he that has not the Son of God shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” The most loving, the most gracious gift ever provided is the gift of your Son. The most awful of consequences awaits those who refuse to believe in Him. Thank you, Lord, that we don’t have to work for this gift, but it is bestowed as a free gift upon all who turn from their sin and place their faith in Him. We praise you in His name. Amen.