Don't You See?
Notes
Transcript
Come, See...
Come, See...
This is the day we observe as Resurrection Sunday - the culmination of all the events of the previous week - Triumphal Entry - the Last Supper in the Upper Room - Jesus’ trial - his death - his burial - and now his resurrection.
Many people with their eyes saw Jesus after his resurrection, but they really didn’t see the resurrected Jesus.
1 Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. 2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. 3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6 “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.
“Come, see the place where He was lying” (v. 6)
Leaving the empty tomb quickly with fear and great joy than ran into the resurrected Jesus who said: “Do not be afraid; go and take word to my brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.” (v. 10)
Peter, hearing this report, ran to the empty tomb - saw the linen wrappings Jesus had left behind - left in wonder about what had just seen and what had happened.
For some who first saw Jesus after his resurrection,
“Seeing was believing” but even then there were those who saw Jesus, and didn’t really see him.
See in the Scriptures...
There are those who hear but not hear - those who see, but do not see.
2 “Son of man, you live in the midst of the rebellious house, who have eyes to see but do not see, ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house.
Jesus speaking in parables Matthew 13:14-17 - with their ears they do not hear - they have closed their eyes.
Luke 24:13ff even on the road to Emmaus, as Jesus walked along with the disciples their eyes were prevented from seeing - really seeing - Jesus until the proper time when at another meal he had reclined at the table with them, took the bread and blessed it, breaking it, He began giving it to them - only then were their eyes opened and they recognized him.
Sometimes people see, but do not really see...
Seeing But Not Seeing
Seeing But Not Seeing
A couple weeks ago we spoke of hearing with our ears, but not really listening. This week we ask the question, “Don’t you see?” We can see with our eyes, but not really see.
The prophet Jeremiah spoke of a people “who have eyes but do not see’ who have ears but do not hear.”
Jesus often spoke about hearing but not understanding and seeing but not perceiving (Matt 13:14).
The apostle Paul (Rom 11:7) spoke of eyes seeing not and ears hearing not.
The writer of Hebrews appeals to our senses here with his use of ‘seeing’...
Read Heb 2:5-9
5 For He did not subject to angels the world to come, concerning which we are speaking.
6 But one has testified somewhere, saying, “What is man, that You remember him? Or the son of man, that You are concerned about him? 7 “You have made him for a little while lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, And have appointed him over the works of Your hands;
8 You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. 9 But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.
Prayer of Illumination
Fixing our Eyes Upon Jesus
Fixing our Eyes Upon Jesus
God has given us eyes that we may see. We can see physically what we see, but seeing can also mean understanding - perceiving - what we see –
“Fixing our Eyes upon Jesus”"Looking to” (Heb 12:2) doesn’t mean that we simply see him with our eyes, but that we see him and know him and understand who he is and what he has done with our head and our hearts.
Now here we have just heard about Christ’s superiority to the angels. We’ve been exhorted to listen and encouraged to respond - to know Him - and to embrace His gospel – such a great salvation because....
God has put all creation under the sovereign control of the Lord Jesus.
“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!”
Abraham Kuyper (Prime Minister of the Netherlands early 1900 establishing Reformed Churches there)
We were reminded last week that the King has come, is coming and will come again. Jesus, the Christ, the son of God who rules over everything as King of King and Lord of Lords. Every knee WILL bow...
Everything has been made subject to Him according to the author of Hebrews. He has been given a name above all names. He subdues us to himself. He rules and defends us. He restrains and conquers both his and our enemies as he intercedes for us through a position of power and authority at the right hand of God our father.
He is a faithful high priest who has experienced all things that we have, yet without sin. This point is particularly made in connection with Christ’s incarnation - His taking on human nature, His becoming flesh and blood on our behalf, His suffering in death on our behalf - his resurrection as the first fruit of the resurrection from the dead...
What is it we are being asked to see?
Don’t you see???...
Man is the Crowning Glory of God’s Creation
Man is the Crowning Glory of God’s Creation
The first thing we ‘see’ here in these verses is a quote from Psalm 8.
Going back to that Psalm we see that it is a Psalm celebrating the fact that though the Lord has made heaven and earth – the stars and the heavenly world – though man is small by comparison to this huge world that God has made – man is the crown of creation.
Going back to Genesis 1 we see that the biggest most expansive things in creation are talked about the least: the sun and the moon and the stars. The billions and billions of stars that there are out there are given a sentence – only a phrase.
But, an entire half chapter is given to the creation of man.
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
“and let them rule over”...
We look around us and often feel so insignificant in the grand scheme of things and we certainly don’t feel like we’re ruling over anything. That’s exactly how so much of the world sees things.
Some of you may remember the TV series calls “Cosmos: A Personal Voyage” first broadcast by PBS back in the 80’s. Carl Sagan in that series looks at the world, at the universe and says,
“The cosmos is all there is, is all there ever was, is all there ever will be.”
The inference is we as human beings are sort of lost in the gigantic ever evolving machine in which we are only a tiny part.
But God’s word gives us an entirely different perspective.
He says in Psalm 8 that
‘Though I have made massive things in my creation, you, oh man, are the crown of my creation. You’re the thing that I love and care about the most.
So Psalm 8 celebrates the fact that man, created in the image of God, is the crown – the pinnacle - of his creation who is created as PROPHET, PRIEST, KING...
Man - Prophet, Priest, King
Man - Prophet, Priest, King
The First Adam was created to be...
prophet in that he had true knowledge of God,
as a priest in that he was able to freely and openly offer prayer and praise to God,
and king in that he was called to rule over God’s creation with glory and honor.
He had perfect communion with God. Everything was put in subjection under his feet. But something happened. Adam sinned as our covenant head and representative. What we see and experience today is a result of that first sin.
Nothing seems to be in control. Everything seems to be out of control. We feel so insignificant!
So the inspired writer of Hebrews does something really interesting here with Psalm 8.
He doesn’t apply it, directly to man in general. He applies these words to Jesus.
Although he has referred to him by inference in the previous verses, this is the first time he has used his name (v. 9) “Jesus” = “he will save his people from their sins” (Matt 1:21).
9 But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.
And when we see this passage in light of what we have already seen in Heb 1:3 – that here is one who “is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature…” and then place that imprint over this passage what we see is these words contained within the outline of Jesus.
We see this one who has taken upon himself a ‘true body and a reasonable soul’ that he might be called the “Son of Man” – Jesus’ favorite designation of himself in the NT.
As we see this passage in the light of the one who is the Son of Man, God has subjected all things under His feet.
God has made him for a little while lower than the angels. He has crowned him with glory and honor. He has appointed him over the works of His hand and put all things in subjection under his feet.” All things are subject to him and there is nothing that is not subject to him.
Here there has been a divine transfer . . . Don’t you see that....Jesus is...
Jesus - Prophet, Priest, King
Jesus - Prophet, Priest, King
The work that God gave man to do and man failed to do is now completed in Christ’s work as prophet, priest, and king – speaking the very word of God, offering up himself as a sacrifice and interceding for us, ruling and defending us and his creation.
Christ came to do what we did not do and now because of our total inability can’t do.
All these things that were originally intended for us, but were lost by us in the fall, Christ comes to restore.
He fulfills them perfectly so that everyone who trusts in Him by God’s grace alone through faith is restored to a position of holiness and responsibility, glory and rule that we might be called the righteousness of God.
Everything given to the first Adam and compromised by his fall, by his sin, is restored for everyone who now lives through a saving relationship with the Last Adam, Jesus (1 Cor 15:45).
“BUT NOW...”
“BUT NOW...”
Notice v. 8
8 You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.
Such a great salvation is a present reality – we even now reign with him, BUT “we do not yet see (ὁρῶμεν) all things subjected to him.” (v. 8)
We look around and see the things in this world that seem so out of control...but what we shouldn’t do is forget to keep our eyes focused upon him - like Peter and the wind and the waves when he took his eyes off Jesus.
See him and know that even when it looks like Christ is not in control, that he is not ruling and defending his people, that those who see with eyes of faith must never ever doubt that the Last Adam rules and those who are in Him through faith rule with him and in him and through him.
God made man for rule, but man sinned and lost what God had originally intended for him. Man’s rule can only be restored in Jesus Christ and is restored for all those who trust in Him by God’s grace alone
But how is it that God has established Jesus’ rule?
But We Do See...
But We Do See...
This is the interesting thing. See verse 9
9 But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.
“But we do see (βλέπομεν) Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, ...
How does God reverse the effect of the fall? How is it that He restores glory and honor to his creation? Through the son of man’s humiliation, his incarnation and his resurrection.
WCF SC#27 – Humiliation of Jesus
The very idea that that an infinite, eternal God could descend into frail human flesh was an idea that astonished Lewis and one he often meditated upon. He remarked in Mere Christianity that this was even more a miracle than if a human should descend into the form of a slug (Mere Christianity, bk. 4, chap 4.)
Christ’s incarnation and his state of humiliation were temporary in that he took on this position on our behalf “for a little while”. This doesn’t mean that God took a human being and made him divine. The divine second person of the trinity took on a ‘true body and a reasonable soul’ (WCF SC Qu 22) coming from His pre-existent glory - not considering equality with God something to be grasped, he humbled himself…. He took upon himself our humanity, was made a little while lower than the angles and suffered death.
Because of his suffering and death, he was crowned with glory and honor - why?
“so that by the grace of God He might taste death for EVERY ONE of those he came to seek and to save”
Christ as the son of man has taken THE PLACE of those He come to save. He paid the penalty for our sin in order that those who believe on Him might be freed from the bondage of death.
Francis Schaeffer: “If Jesus is the answer, then what is the question?”
Diagnostic Questions
Diagnostic Questions
EE two diagnostic questions:
Have you come to the place in your spiritual life where you can say you know for certain that if you were to die today you would go to heaven?
Suppose that you were to die today and stand before God and he were to say to you, "Why should I let you into my heaven?" what would you say?
We’re so indoctrinated to say the right answer when the preacher asks the question about what we’re trusting in, that it’s important for us to pull back and ask the question,
“Why is the gospel the way it is?”
Why is it that Christ had to die on the cross?
Why is it that I have to trust in Him for my salvation?
And the author of Hebrews is making it very clear for us here.
Why? - Because he tasted death in our place. (Gal 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ…..”)
We deserve to be condemned to death. “There is none righteous, not even one.” (Rom 3:10). “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom 3:23). “The wages of sin are death, ….” (Rom 6:23)
There is absolutely nothing we can do to get ourselves out of the mess we’re in. The only way we can is by trusting in the work He has done.
Salvation is in this sense still by works – BUT not my works, Christ’s.
We are saved - not by what we do, but what Christ has done. We can’t trust in our works at all. We can only trust in Him because he’s done the only thing that could ever get us back into fellowship and a right relationship with God...
Don’t You See?
Don’t You See?
So the author of Hebrews is putting this glorious truth right in front of us at the beginning and asking us, “Don’t you see?” Don’t you understand?
When we see Jesus in his incarnation, we are reminded of the price attached to living as God’s person for God’s purposes in this fallen world.
It is “to this you were called because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21).
It is here, I’m afraid that our view of what it means to be a Christian has become ‘americanized.’
We have bought into the lie that feeling better is more important than finding God. We assume that people who find God always feel better.
We are committed to relieving the pain that lies behind our problems rather than using our pain to wrestle more passionately with the character and purposes of God.
Jesus didn’t experience these things so we might not have to; he was persecuted, wept and died as the son of man sympathizing with our weakness having been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin so we might look and see - perceive and know - that we have a ‘merciful and faithful high priest who has been made like his brothers in all things (Heb 2:17).
The question is not why are all these things happening, but what ought to be my response when “I do not see everything submitted to him.”
36 and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated
Although these people were commended for their faith, they did not receive what was promised (Hebrews 11:39). And yet they kept their eyes fixed upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of their faith.
Don’t you see? Don’t you understand?
Don’t You Understand?
Don’t You Understand?
When we see Jesus in his incarnation as one now seated at the right hand of God, we are reminded of the price attached to living as God’s person for God’s glory in this fallen world.
He will often brings glory to himself and “works for the good” (Rom 8:28) through our pain and suffering - our trials and tribulations!
But just as Christ’s humiliation is our humiliation, his exaltation is a promise to we who live in the ‘in-between’ time. His exaltation holds out the promise that one day all powers of persecution will be gone, the burial of death will cease, tears will be wiped away because...
Today as we look into the empty tomb - do we see a tomb that is empty or do we see evidence of a risen savior, a conquering king, our resurrected Lord....
He Is not Here He is Risen...
He Is not Here He is Risen...
A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews Note on the Expression “In the Beginning” (1:10)
His death was the predestined manner and moment of our salvation (Acts 4:28). That this is the reality beyond the appearance is confirmed by the resurrection, ascension, and glorification of Jesus, by which, despite all present appearances, the resurrection, ascension, and glorification of those who are one with him by faith is assured. Moreover, the same Jesus who died on earth and is now exalted above all knows and is known by his people (cf. Jn. 10:14) and will return majestically at the end of the age to drive away every false appearance and establish the reality of his dominion for all eternity (Acts 1:11; Rev. 22:12, 16, 20f.).
A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews Note on the Expression “In the Beginning” (1:10)
For the follower of Jesus, too, the road is one that leads by way of suffering to glory, as 2 Timothy 2:12 reminds us: “if we endure, we shall also reign with him” (cf. 2 Thess. 1:4f.; Acts 14:22, “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God”). Seen within this perspective, the cross is an essential event in the glorification of Jesus (N.B. Jn. 12:23