Jesus The Pioneer Of Our Salvation Heb.2.5
JESUS: THE PIONEER OF OUR SALVATION
HEB.2:5-18
INTRO: SOME MESSAGES IN LIFE WE TAKE MORE SERIOUSLY THAN OTHERS—“NO PARKING”—“NO SOLICITING”---“NO LOITERING”---“CIGARETTES”---OTHERS: DON’T DRINK & DRIVE—TAKE ONLY AS DIRECTED—BAKING INSTRUC (DON’T LEAVE SALT OUT OF POTATOES)—SOME MESSAGES HAVE MORE CONSEQUENCES THAN OTHERS—SOME THINK THEY CAN GET BY WITHOUT PAYING ANY CONSEQUENCES (CIG/DRUGS/ALCOHOL? WONT HARM ME—SOMETIMES WHO THE MESSENGER IS MAKES A DIFFERENCE. WHEN IT COMES TO THE REVEALED WORD OF GOD WE SHOULD BE ALL EARS—EVEN THAT DOESN’T PERSUADE MANY PEOPLE. JESUS IS GODS FINAL WORD TO MAN—EXALTED ABOVE EVERY NAME/POWER. HE OPENED WAY FOR US TO HAVE ETERNAL FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM.
I. JESUS’ HUMANITY
THERE ARE MANY IDEAS OF WHAT PERFECT MAN OR WOMAN IS LIKE (ACTOR/ENTERTAINER/ATHLETE. MOST OF TIME ITS BASED ON PHSYICAL APPEARANCE (PICTURE OF JIM VARNEY) USUALLY PEOPLE ARE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT SENSITIVITY OR PERSONALITY. BUT JESUS WAS REALLY THE PERFECT MAN. HE STOOD AGAINST POWERS OF HIS DAY—RELIGIOUS/POLITICAL—HE CLEARED THE TEMPLE—HE TOOK THE QUESTIONS/CHALLENGES OF SCRIBES/PHARISEES—HE TOOK THE REJECTION OF HIS OWN PEOPLE—HE TOOK RIDICULE/BEATINGS AND HE STAYED ON CROSS. (ISA. 53:2,3) HE WAS MOST SENSITIVE/GENTLE OF ALL—TOUCHED LEPERS/BLESSED CHILDREN—WEPT OVER LOST---PRAYED ALL NIGHT—FULLY HUMAN & FULLY DIVINE (1 JN.4:2,3)
BUT SOME WONDERED IF JESUS BECAME MAN WAS HE LESS THAN ANGELS? TEMPORARILY YES—BUT NO MORE! WE LIVE IN “LAST DAYS” OR “CHURCH AGE”---JESUS HAS ALL POWER/AUTHORITY/HIGHEST NAME—ANGELS DON’T HAVE THAT. (EX; QUMRAN SECT WAITED FOR 2 MESSIANIC FIGURES (KING AND PRIEST)—BOTH WERE SUBORDINATE TO MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL—IN THEIR VIEW WORLD TO COME BE SUBJECT TO ANGELS. BUT THE AUTHRO MAKES CLEAR THE AUTHORITY/POSITION OF JESUS—THEN HE QUOTES PS.8—THE EMPHASIS HERE IS THAT MAN IS SPECIAL TO GOD (V.4-6)—MAN IS CROWN OF HIS CREATION---“MAN” & “SON OF MAN” ARE PARALLEL/SYNONYMOUS---GOD IS CONCERNED FOR MAN (THE IDEA OF THIS WORD IS TO “GIVE AID” OR “CARE FOR”—GOD MADE A HOUSECALL OF MANKIND (EX: I WAS IN 5TH GRADE I GOT A RARE DISEASE AFFECTED DIAPHRAM—DR. CAME TO HOUSE TO TREAT ME—THEN LOOKED INTO HIS BOOKS & FOUND WHAT I HAD) MAN IS JUST BELOW ANGELS & GIVEN SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY—HE WAS TO RULE OVER EARTH (GEN.1:26-28)—AT CREATION GOD SUBJECTED EARTH TO MAN—BUT SIN ENTERED WORLD & MAN IS NOT WHAT HE IS INTENDED TO BE. BUT JESUS MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR MAN TO REGAIN WHAT WAS LOST IN EDEN. JESUS HAS GLORY/HONOR—AT HIS DEATH HE FINISHED MISSION. JESUS REVERSED EFFECTS OF FALL—HE DID WHAT WE CANT DO FOR OURSELVES. NOW ITS POSSIBLE FOR ALL TO BE SAVED IF THEY WILL HEED THE MESSAGE
II. JESUS’ MISSION
A. HE CAME TO TRANSFORM US—CHRIST CAME TO SHARE OUR HUMANITY—BUT EVEN MORE HE CAME TO TRANSFORM US INTO A NEW CREATION. SO IT WAS “FITTING” (PROPER) FOR GOD TO HAVE JESUS SUFFER FOR FALLEN MAN (IN HIS PLAN FROM BEG.)---ALL THINGS TO BRING GLORY TO HIM. HE IS OUR ONLY HOPE—THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN BRING US TO GLORY (WHICH IS HEAVEN/GLORIFIED BODY) IT IS “KINGDOM THAT CANT BE SHAKEN” “CITY WITH FOUNDATIONS” ANYONE WHO CHOOSES TO BE IN CHRIST WILL SHARE IN HIS INHERITANCE (1 PET. 1:3,4) WE ARE “SONS” NOW—BUT THERE IS GLORY TO COME!
B. HE IS THE PIONEER—LEADS THE WAY TO FREEDOM. JESUS HAS GONE AHEAD OF US—HE IS ABLE TO LEAD THE WAY. (EX: THINK OF WAGON TRAINS OF OLD WEST—GREAT RISK GOING INTO NEW/UNEXPLORED TERRITORY) IT TOOK CROSS TO “PERFECT” (COMPLETE) HIS MISSION. HIS FINISHED WORK “SANCTIFIES” (SET APART/PURIFIES/MAKES CLEAN) (EX: IN O.T. CERTAIN PEOPLE—PRIESTS/KINGS—VESSELS—DAYS WERE SET APART FOR GODS USE. NOTICE THIS IS PRES.TENSE—IT IS ON-GOING. THOSE SANCTIFIED ARE DIFFERENT—THEIR FOCUS IS ON CHRIST NOT SELF—THEY MAKE SACRIFICES/DO WILL OF GOD/START MINISTRIES/GO TO MISSION FIELDS. JESUS IS THEIR PASSION/LOVE. BUT ALL WAYS DO NOT LEAD TO GOD (EX: CHRISTLESS CHRISTIANITY BOOK---MANY THINK MUSLIMS/CHRISTIANS/ETC. ALL PRAY TO SAME GOD—NO!) JESUS SAID “NO ONE COMES TO FATHER BUT THRU ME”—“I AM WAY/TRUTH/LIFE—JESUS SHOWED US WHAT FATHER IS LIKE---HE CALLS US “BRETHREN” (PS.22:22)/ WE CHOOSE TO PUT OUR TRUST IN GOD—QUOTE FROM ISA.8:17—GOES BACK TO KING AHAZ IN JUDAH WHEN AHAZ WAS OFFERED A SIGN BUT REFUSED—GOD GAVE ONE ANYWAY—ISA. TOLD HIM TO TRUST GOD BUT HE WOULDN’T DO IT—RATHER DO THINGS HIS WAY. WHAT A POOR CHOICE—NOW LOOK AT V.14—CHILDREN “SAHRE” (AND CONTINUE TO SHARE) IN FLESH & BLOOD. JESUS SHARED ONCE (AROIST) IN FLESH & BLOOD (WENT THROUGH PROCESS OF GROWING UP AS HUMAN)—BUT NOW HE IS GLORIFIED. YES WE ARE FLESH & BLOOD BUT MUCH MORE! JESUS CHOSE TO BE LIKE US (PHIL.2:5-11) SO THAT HE COULD DIE & DESTROY DEVIL’S POWER—STING OF DEATH. NOW WE KNOW DEATH IS NOT COMPLETELY ABOLISHED YET BUT IT HAS NO EFFECT ( 1 COR.15:26; REV.20:14) IF WE ARE IN CHRIST THE CHAINS ARE GONE—WE ARE NO LONGER SLAVES TO DEVIL. IT WAS MEN NOT ANGELS JESUS CAME TO HELP. SO THEN WE IDENTIFY WITH ABRAHAM (SEED OF ABRAHAM) --ALL WHO HAVE FAITH LIKE ABRAHAM
C. JESUS BECAME OUR GREAT HIGH PRIEST—JESUS SUFFERING QUALIFIES H IM FOR PRIESTSLY MINISTRY. JESUS (THOUGH DIVINE) WAS NOT EXEMPT FROM SUFFERING/TEMPTATION THAT IS COMMON TO ALL MEN. A PRIEST IS TO MERCIFUL (COMPELED TO ACT TO RELIEVE MISERY—HE IS BRIDGE BETWEEN GOD &MAN—HE MEDIATES/RECONCILES. A PRIEST IS TO BE FAITHFUL. JESUS NEVER FALTERED IN FOLLOWING WILL OF FATHER. HE SET HIS FACE TO JERUSALEM. HE FINISHED THE WAY TO REDEMPTION—PURCHASE PRICE HAS BEEN PAID IN FULL. HE ONLY PROVIDED “PROPITIATION” (COVERING/ATONEMENT. HIS PERFECT BLOOD COVERS SINNERS (1 JN.2:2)—IF HIS BLOOD COVERS US—THAT BLOOD IS APPLIED AT BAPTISM—THAT IS WHEN WE ARE CLOTHED WITH HIM & HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS/BURIED WITH HIM---THAT GODS WRATH WILL NOT COME UPON US—BUT WITHOUT THAT WE ARE WITHOUT HOPE. THE AUTHOR WILL POINT OUT ANIMAL SACRIFICES COULD NEVER DO THAT. JESUS WAS TRIED/TEMPTED IN MANY WAYS THRU HIS MINISTRY TO AVOID CROSS ---SATAN TRIED HIS BEST TO KILL HIM (WHEN HE WAS BORN) THEN TO DRAW HIM AWAY (MATT. 4—TEMPTATIONS IN DESERT)FROM CROSS. EVEN PETER GOT IN ON IT—OTHERS WANTED TO MAKE HIM KING (JN.6). BUT JESUS STAYED ON HIS MISSION TO SET US FREE & IN JESUS WE ARE FREE INDEED! JESUS ANSWERED CRY FOR HELP (HE CAME TO OUR AID—AS GOD DID FOR ISRAEL WHEN THEY CRIED TO HIM IN EGYPT)
CONCLUSION: (EX: COUPLE IN GERMAN CONCENTRATION CAMP IN MOVIE “LIFE IN BEAUTIFUL”
EVEN IN DEATH WE CAN HEAR OUR SAVIOR SAY “I LOVE YOU—YOU ARE MY CHILD—I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU OR FORSAKE YOU!