9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned
with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God
he might taste death for everyone. 10 In bringing many sons to glory,
it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should
make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 Both
the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family.
So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.
- Hebrews 2:9-11, The New International Version, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan
Publishing House) 1984.
In the name of Christ Jesus, dear friends:
In some respects, the book of Hebrews is a bit of a mystery. For one thing, we do not know who the author is. Some have suggested Paul, Barnabas (Paul’s companion on his first missionary journey), and Apollos, who is described in Acts as "a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures" (18:24). These are all possibilities, but the fact remains that we will never be able to identify the author with certainty on this side of eternity.
We do not know who read this letter first either. There is no address label, no chapter and verse where the recipients are listed. The content of the book leads us to believe that it was addressed primarily to Jewish Christians, people who were familiar with the Old Testament and its rites and ceremonies. That is why it is called the letter to the Hebrews.
We may not know who wrote the letter. We may not know who read the letter. What we do know, and what is really important, is the purpose of the book. The theme of Hebrews is the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ. No one else comes close. Nothing else is needed. Jesus, Jesus, only Jesus is the theme that runs throughout.
This letter was written for Jewish Christians of the first century, but this message is just as meaningful for us, Gentile Christians living in the 21st century. We still live in a world that questions the claims of Christianity. We live in a world that may be willing to admit that Jesus was a real person, a wise teacher, even a moral example, but nothing more. We live in a world that may be willing to concede that Christianity holds some moral and ethical value for society, but it is no better than any other item on the smorgasbord of world religions.
For these reasons, the timeless truths expressed in this letter are more important than ever. Don’t let the world tell you that one religion is as good as the next. Don’t let anyone try to convince you that all spiritual paths lead to the same place. Don’t let the Devil discredit your Savior or your salvation. Instead, take the time to see what God says in his Word. Instead, focus your eyes on God’s Son. Instead…
FIX YOUR EYES ON JESUS
I. Our humble servant
II. Our complete Savior
III. Our proud brother
The text begins: "But we see Jesus" (9). Do we? Do we still see Jesus? Do we see Jesus in our lives? The world isn’t getting any better. Our nation is becoming more and more unchristian, maybe even antichristian. To the unbeliever and maybe even to some believers, evidence of Jesus is pretty hard to find.
The writer of Hebrews would probably agree to a point. In the verse that immediately precedes our text, he talks about Jesus’ control over all things. Everything has been put under him. Everything is subject to him. But he also acknowledges that "at present we do not see everything subject to him" (8). In fact, we see the opposite: selfishness, greed, lust, hate, pride, and that is only what is in our own hearts. We look outside and the picture doesn’t improve. We see people enslaved by sin. We see countless lives spinning out of control toward the Day of Judgment.
The man who wrote those words probably never saw any of Jesus’ miracles. It is unlikely that he was one of Jesus’ original disciples. Yet he could still say with confidence: "But we see Jesus" (9). And we see him too. We still see Jesus. We see him as he reveals himself to us in His Word. And he has revealed himself as a humble servant.
We see Jesus, "who was made a little lower than the heavenly angels, now crowned with glory and honor" (9). Jesus always was and always will be true God. And right now, he is ruling in heaven. But Jesus humbled himself when he became a human being. Jesus set aside his divine glory. Jesus set aside his divine power. In that sense, he was made a little lower than the angels. Humble is the right word to describe Jesus entrance into the world. He was born to poor parents, born in a barn, born far from home.
Humble is also a good way to describe Jesus’ life. Jesus was not too proud to associate with the outcasts of society. He ate with tax collectors and sinners. He would not allow his followers to make him an earthly king because he did not come to rule. He came to serve. And Jesus’ attitude of humble service was never more clearly in focus than on Good Friday.
On Good Friday, our eyes are drawn to Calvary. We fix our eyes on that middle cross. We fix our eyes on a man who was being punished even though he did nothing wrong. We fix our eyes on Jesus who suffered the most humiliating kind of death so that "he might taste death for everyone" (9). We fix our eyes on Jesus who died to save all people, no matter who they were or where they came from or what they had done.
As we gaze upon on that cross, it is clear that the person who humbled himself wasn’t doing it for his own glory or praise. He did it all for us. With eyes of faith, God allows us to see that our humble servant is also our complete Savior.
The writer of Hebrews describes God as the one "for whom and through whom everything exists" (10). God is the Creator of all things, and his creation serves him. Whether we can see it or not, God is always in control. Nothing happens with out him. Everything works for him. And that included God’s plan of salvation.
God’s law demands perfection. God’s law also demands that sin must be punished. Because we are all sinful, God demands a payment for that sin. For that reason, our Savior had to be a suffering Savior. Our Savior had to suffer to pay the debt we owed. Our Savior had to die to pay for the sins of the world. Our Savior had to give up his life to remove our guilt and shame.
Our suffering Savior was also a perfect Savior. "In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God…make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering" (10). In order to understand this verse, it is helpful to look at the original. Jesus is called the "author" of our salvation. Other translations use the word "pioneer." That word creates a picture in our minds. Jesus pioneered our salvation. Jesus blazed the trail to heaven. He is our complete Savior because he won our salvation from the very beginning…without our help… in spite of our sin…only through his love and mercy.
And he was made "perfect" through suffering. This does not mean that there was a time when Jesus was not perfect. Jesus is true God. He is holy. He is sinless. The Greek word for "perfect" contains the idea of following through, or bringing something to completion, or staying with a job until the end. In that sense, Jesus is our complete Savior. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Jesus was the catalyst of our salvation. And he when said: "It is finished," it was finished. And because he has brought our salvation to completion, he is now proud to be called our brother.
The text goes on: "Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So, he is not ashamed to call them brothers" (11). Because Jesus was born into the world as a human being, there is a common bond between the Savior and those he came to save. Because Jesus suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Because Jesus felt the full weight of the world’s sin on his shoulders, he in uniquely qualified to go to God on our behalf. We are members of the same family. Jesus is our brother.
Have you ever thought about your relationship with God in those terms? Have you ever told some one else that Jesus is your brother? Have you ever said those words out loud? It is easy to picture of Jesus as a servant. We think of the Upper Room on Maundy Thursday, the place where Jesus got down on his hands and knees and washed his disciples’ feet. Jesus himself said that he did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
It is almost second nature for Christians to refer to Jesus as our Savior. John the Baptist called him "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Peter confessed that Jesus was the Christ, the promised Messiah, the Savior of the world. Paul proclaimed: "Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Corinthians 15:57).
But have you ever considered Jesus your brother? If not, why? Jesus calls us his brothers, so that is what we are. It’s right here in black and white. Maybe it is difficult to think that way because Jesus is God. He is perfect. He is way up there. We are unimportant. We are sinful. We are way down here. Or maybe that association makes us uncomfortable because we let our sin get in the way.
Is there a sin from your past that still bothers you, a sin from years ago, a sin that just won’t go away? In your head, you know you are forgiven. You know that Jesus died for that sin too. But what your mind is able to comprehend is difficult for your heart to accept.
Let me assure you that Jesus is not ashamed to call you his brother. Jesus loves you. Jesus died for you. And as far as he is concerned, that sin is gone.
Maybe you are still carrying some emotional baggage from a previous relationship. Maybe there are some questions that still haunt you. Could I have done any more? Could I have done something differently? What can I do now? And now you are having a hard time dealing with unresolved guilt.
Jesus is not ashamed to be called your brother. He took your sins to the cross. He has buried them forever. You can sleep peacefully at night with the assurance of complete forgiveness in Christ.
Maybe it’s not one thing. Maybe your most difficult challenge is living as a Christian from one day to the next. You know what God expects of you. You know what your life is like. And it is not an uplifting experience to compare the two.
Jesus is not ashamed to be called your brother. In fact, Jesus is proud to be your brother. Not because you measure up. Not because of the great things you do for God. Jesus considers you his brother because of what he has done for you. Jesus puts you on his level because he stooped down to raise you up. Because he has made you holy, you are now brothers and sisters in Christ. Because he has made you holy, you are now brothers and sisters together with Christ.
Do you remember those pictures that were popular a few years ago? I haven’t seen any lately, but they used to be in all the malls. In think they were called "Magic Eye" pictures. You were supposed to just stand a certain distance from the wall and stare at this mass of unidentifiable colors in a frame. All of the sudden your eyes would adjust and the picture would come into focus. I must confess that I know this only because other people told me. I tried many, many times, but I never saw the picture that was supposed to be there, not even once.
I think my frustration with the "Magic Eye" pictures is the same problem many people have with the Bible today. They might have a general idea, a fuzzy notion, about what the Bible is, but they do not know what God’s Word is really all about.
A text like the one for today gives us the simple yet important reminder that the Bible is a Christocentric book. From cover to cover, God’s Word revolves around the life and work of Jesus. Whenever we read our Bibles, we are not only looking at words on a page. We fix our eyes on Jesus. He is our humble servant. He is our complete Savior. And he is not ashamed to be called our brother. Amen.