We will turn now to the book of Hebrews and chapter 2. This is the text we would have looked at last Sunday. Appreciate David Walters and David Walters and Michael Walters filling in at the last minute. And hopefully we'll be able to get through this morning, unless David has another early morning devotion that he wants to share with us. I do appreciate the elders stepping in readily, willingly. It's a great comfort. Hebrews chapter 2 and verses 9 through 18. And again, reading from the New International Version, Hebrews chapter 2, beginning at verse 9. But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God, he might taste death for everyone. In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He says, I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters in the assembly. I will sing your praises. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, he says, here am I and the children God has given me. Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death, He might break the power of him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. For this reason, he had to be made like them, fully human in every way. in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of our God endures forever. And again, let's pray and ask for God's grace. Father, we do pray and ask that you would help us as we open our Bibles, as we read a section of what is written here. We do so in faith and we ask that you would increase our faith, that this is indeed your word. It is something that you yourself have said. You have spoken through men of old. You carried them along by your Holy Spirit so that they wrote exactly what you wanted written. And you did this in such a way that you preserved the author's personality and his own life experiences, his own struggles. And we thank you that we're able to open our Bibles this morning and to read once again what you have said, not just in the past, but to read something that is for us today. Father, the task before us now is to take this Word apart, to unfold it in such a way that we experience that truth and light and life that is here in your Word. And so once again, send your Holy Spirit to impress upon our minds and hearts your will for our salvation. And we pray this in Christ's name, amen. The verses that I've just read are clearly about the incarnation. Notice verse nine, for the very first time in the book of Hebrews, the human name of the son of God appears. It has not appeared yet in all of the book of Hebrews until we get to chapter two in verse nine. That human name for the son of God introduced for the first time, that name that was given by the angel through Joseph. But we do see Jesus. And so there's this emphasis on his humanity and upon the incarnation. Again, verse nine, he's described as being made lower than the angels. Verse 11, we're said to be of the same family. He calls us brothers and sisters. Verse 14, he shared our flesh and blood. He took on a physical body. Just like you and I have. Verse 17, he was made like us, fully human in every way. This is what Advent is all about. This is what Christmas is about. This is what the incarnation is all about. The eternal son of God coming into human history, coming to planet Earth in the form of a real flesh and blood human being, a man. These same verses help clearly tell us the purpose of the incarnation. And I think the key word here is help. And we see it in verse 16, for surely it is not angels that he helps. The purpose of the incarnation, why God became a man is to help us. This is an interesting word, help. often means to take hold of, to lay hold of. It's used throughout the Gospels. For instance, when Peter saw Jesus walking on the water and Peter said, I'd like to come out there and do that too. And Jesus said, come. And so Peter gets out on the water and then his faith begins to grow weak and he begins to sink beneath the waves and Jesus helps him. He lays hold of him. He reaches out and grabs Peter. Another story, Jesus helped a blind man by taking hold of him and healing him. And here the word is being used in that sense. This is the purpose of the incarnation. God comes in the person of Jesus to lay hold of us, to help us, to keep us from sinking beneath the perplexities that we find in life and our own sin. Now, without a doubt, these verses present a rather convoluted argument, very fitting for the book of Hebrews. It's a very convoluted argument all the way through the book and certainly the passage that we have read is somewhat difficult to follow. But notice verse nine is a summary statement about the purpose of the incarnation. But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death so that, by the grace of God, he might taste death for everyone. A common theme at Christmastime, he was born in order to die, and to die that we may die no more. Verse 10, we see God's sovereign purpose and decision to help us. In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God for whom and through whom everything exists should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. We see God's sovereignty. God has every right to do as he pleases. Everything exists for him. and everything exists through him. He is the sovereign creator and Lord of all the universe. And God chooses to help some. They're described as many, and these become God's sons and daughters. And God chooses to help them through his own unique son, Jesus. And this is why he's called the pioneer of our salvation. King James Version uses the word captain. The New Living Translation uses the word leader. New American Standard uses the word author. All of these are correct. It's somebody who leads somebody into something, one who leads people forward. William Barclay said it's one who begins something in order that others may enter into it. He goes first. so that we are able to follow him and enter into something. A pioneer, one who goes first and blazes the trail for others to follow. Johnny Appleseed, Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett. A pioneer, he goes first so that others, go west young man. He goes first, everybody else follows. Or a captain, one who leads an army into battle and on to victory. or an author, one who writes a story so that others may read the story and then enter into the world of the author. Jesus is God's designated leader, pioneer, the only one authorized to help us and to lead us out of darkness into the kingdom of light. And then verses 11 through 13, We see how Jesus actually helps us. That is, the Son of God becomes the Son of Man. He becomes a real man. This is the purpose for quoting from Psalm 22 and from Isaiah chapter 8, to show that Jesus joins the human race and he becomes our brother. He sings with us. He puts his trust in God, just as we have to put our trust in God. He stands with us. The Son of God becomes the Son of Man. And then verses 14 through 18 describe four areas where we really need help and how Jesus, through the incarnation, has come to do that. And that's what I want to concentrate on this morning, verses 14 through 18 in these four. areas where Jesus comes to help us and does that through the incarnation. He does something against the devil. He does something that's in relation to God. He does something for us. When you think about Jesus coming into the world, his incarnation and his death, if you only think of one thing that he does, that he dies on the cross to take my punishment, your faith is going to be impoverished. or if you just think that God is somehow showing his love. When God comes into the world and he dies on the cross and he rises from the dead, it's something that we cannot comprehend. There are so many facets, there are so many ways to look at this wonderful work of God through his son Jesus Christ. And so we'll just touch on some of these this morning. Four areas where you and I really need help and how Jesus through the incarnation comes to help us. The first area, Jesus by his incarnation gives us help against the devil. Verse 14, since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil. Now, we don't know a lot about the devil, and what we know is not very good. He appears to be an angel that was created by God, an angel that rebelled against God and is now responsible for making life miserable for millions of people. We know from Genesis 3 that in some sense, the devil is responsible for every death that has ever occurred. Adam and Eve were tempted by the devil so that they sinned. The wages of sin is death. And so in one sense, the devil is responsible for the death of Adam and Eve and you and me and every other person in the world. Jesus even says in John chapter eight that the devil has been a murderer from the very beginning. But here in Hebrews, we're told how Jesus comes and helps us against the devil. The son of God becomes a real human being and he puts himself in a position where he can die. He puts himself in a vulnerable position. And it's from that vantage point that he knocks the weapon of death out of the hand of the devil. The devil's still out there and we still have to deal with him, but his power is broken. Jesus helps us to do what needs to be done against the devil because his power is broken. Ephesians 4, 27, don't give the devil a foothold. You can do that now because of what Jesus has done. Ephesians 6.11, stand firm against the devil. You can do that. You can stand firm because of what Jesus has already done. James 4.7, resist the devil and watch him flee. You can do that because of what Jesus has done. 1 Peter 5.8, be sober, self-controlled, and so not get devoured by the devil. You can do all of this because of the incarnation and because of what Jesus has already done. Secondly, Jesus helps deliver us from our greatest fears. The devils are defeated. Enemy, the weapon of death has been knocked out of his hand. But death is still a reality. Book of Revelation assures us that one day both the devil and death will be thrown into the lake of fire and will be gone forever. But until that day, these defeated foes continue to harass us, and death remains for many people their greatest fear. But because of the incarnation, we need not fear death. Verses 14 and 15. Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity, the incarnation, so that by his death, He might break the power of him who holds the power of death, that is the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. English Puritan John Owen, his great classic on the atonement. summarizes this with the title of his book. It's The Death of Death and the Death of Christ. It's because of the death of Christ that death itself dies, the death of death and the death of Christ. By becoming a real man, the Son of God is able to really die and by his death defeat death. He drains death of its poison and its power so that it can no longer hold on to us and keep us in the grave and destroy us eternally. Jesus took the hit of death and he lived to tell about it. Look at Acts chapter two for just a moment. Acts chapter two and beginning at verse 22, this is Peter's Sermon on the day of Pentecost. Just a couple of lines out of this sermon, which would greatly repay a long meditation on what Peter is saying here. Acts 2, verse 22, fellow Israelites, listen to this, Jesus of Nazareth, Talking about the incarnation, using that human name, Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's deliberate plan and foreknowledge, and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. It was impossible for death to hold Jesus in the grave. Hebrews chapter 7, just a couple of thoughts. There's an echo of this same thought, Hebrews chapter 7, verse 16, talking about the priesthood of Jesus. He's one who has become a priest, not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry, but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life, a life within Jesus that cannot be destroyed. And then verse 23, Hebrews 7, now, there have been many of those priests since death prevented them from continuing in office. But because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore, he is able to save completely, or the word could be translated forever, those who come to God through him because he always lives to intercede for them. Because Jesus took the hit of death and lived to tell about it, so you and I who are in Christ can take the hit of death and live to tell about it. Jesus is our high priest, lives forever. Because of the incarnation, the baby born in Bethlehem, Jesus helps deliver us from our greatest fears. What do you fear this morning? Future, sickness, disease, loneliness, betrayal, losing your mind, pain, poverty. Jesus helps deliver us from our greatest fears, even that fear of death. Third point, Jesus helps us get right with God, verses 16 and 17, Hebrews 2. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. For this reason, he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Now when I say that Jesus helps us to get right with God, I'm not saying that Jesus does part of it. so that we can do the other part. He picks up one end of the stick and we have to pick up the other end. It's not that Jesus helps us make ourselves right. It's not that Jesus comes and does part of the work and we have to do part. It's not that Jesus gets us started and points out the way and sends us off so that we can do it by our own efforts or works. The help that Jesus gives us for being forgiven and right with God is 100% his. He lays hold of us. He helps us as dead sinners. I mean, we are dead in our sins, not just sick, wounded, disabled, confused, tired. We are dead. As dead as Lazarus. was dead. And that's the point of that story in the Gospel of John, to show what Jesus does with a dead sinner. And in the same way as with Lazarus, Jesus comes and lays hold of us by his word and spirit. And he calls us up and out of our sin and out of our deadness and infuses us with his own indestructible life. The book of Hebrews says that Jesus does this by his own death. He steps into our flesh, into our humanity, into our place, and he dies our death. The Bible uses words like atonement or propitiation, God's wrath being satisfied because of the death of Jesus in our place. God is absolutely just, and his justice must be satisfied. But God is also love. And so he takes the initiative to satisfy his justice. Paul says in Romans, God remains just and the justifier of those who have faith in Jesus. And then Jesus assures us of that right relationship by standing with us as our high priest. Again, it's not just Jesus dying for us in our place. Here's Jesus alive and standing with us as our high priest. He's not ashamed to stand with us. He's not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters. He's not ashamed to call us his family. He lives forever and he will always stand with us. And so he's a merciful high priest. Jesus understands completely how hard your life is. He understands completely what makes your life miserable. The incarnation gave him that life experience where he knows everything that you and I ever have to struggle with. Losing a loved one, being betrayed by a friend, accused of doing what is wrong, gossip, slander, unanswered prayer, spiritual darkness, feeling abandoned, physical abuse. Jesus has experienced all of it, and so he is a merciful high priest. And he's a faithful high priest. He never gives up. no matter what we've done, no matter how embarrassing it may be. And think how embarrassing that is. The Son of God's gonna stand with you and to stand with me and say, this is my family, I'm gonna stand with them. And that's exactly what he does. He's a merciful and faithful high priest. And then finally, fourth, Jesus by his incarnation helps us when tempted, verse 18. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. This is one of those wonderful verses that pops out of the Greek New Testament. When you're reading it, you get to see something that just can't be translated into another language without making it sound like the Amplified Bible or something. Just a wonderful verse. Three different verb tenses being used here by the author to describe what Jesus has done and how it is that he can help us today. Notice that there is a past tense verb. He was tempted. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted. This is a past events that took place in history, his earthly life was one long temptation, he was tempted. Just stating the fact of something that happened in the past. But then there's a perfect tense verb, he suffered. That's where it's hard to get it into English. This is something that happened in the past, but it created a current condition. He is in a suffered, not suffering, but a suffered Condition, he has suffered, but somehow that suffering is still with him. The past experience of suffering is now a permanent part of his present experience. He hasn't forgotten. He hasn't forgotten the trials. He hasn't forgotten the temptations, the difficulties, the challenges to his faith. He still knows what it means to suffer. And not just the five bleeding wounds. We're familiar with Charles Wesley's hymn, Five Bleeding Wounds He Still Bears. It's not just the bodily wounds that he continues to carry, which he does, but it's the mental anguish, the broken heart, the soul that has grieved to the point of death. He knows that. That hasn't been erased from his experience or his memory. He knows what that feels like. And then you have a present tense verb. He is able to help. Because of a past event that created a continuing condition, he is able to help. able to help, whenever you read this. He is, present tense. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. This verse is a great comfort to many of you. It's very easy to take this verse out of context and say, whatever temptation it is that I face, Jesus is able to help me. That's a legitimate use of the text. That's a truth that is being taught here, but there is one temptation that's in the author's mind. We have to put this verse back into the context of the entire book of Hebrews. What is he talking about? Why does he introduce temptation? Jesus is able to help with all kinds of difficulties, but there's one particular one that's in his mind. The greatest temptation that Jesus faced, and that we all face, is unbelief, not believing God's promises, doubting that God cares, that God's even there, that God is good, giving way to the pressures of life and turn away from God. Well, God doesn't love me. He's not interested in me. He's angry. He hates me. I've disappointed him. He's going to make me pay for what I've done. I think this was part of the devil's temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. Turn away from God. Don't believe what God says. Listen to what I'm saying. The temptation that Jesus faced in the garden. The temptation that Jesus faced on the cross, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? It's that temptation to turn away from God in unbelief. But Jesus remained faithful to the end. He's a merciful and faithful high priest. And this is where we put the verse and all of this back into its context because of what Jesus has done, this is what God is not calling us to do, is to be faithful. Continue to believe, hold fast to what you do believe. Don't turn away from God in unbelief. Chapter two, verse one. We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard so that we do not drift away. Chapter three, verse 12. See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. Chapter 4, verse 14, therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. Chapter 10, verse 23, my favorite verse in the whole Bible. Hebrews 10, 23, let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess for he who promised is faithful. I mean, that's the message of the whole book of Hebrews. And that's why we're being told about the incarnation of Jesus here in chapter two. He was tempted in the same way. He knows what that is like to encounter trouble and perplexities in life and then want to turn away and do something else and to find escape in some other direction. But we're called not to drift, not to turn away, hold fast. Hold firmly, hold unswervingly. How do you do that? By faith. Again, a great theme of the book of Hebrews, why there's such an emphasis on faith. Go back to where we started, Hebrews 2 verse 9. But we do see Jesus. How do you see Jesus when he's not physically present? You realize when the author is writing this, he's writing to an audience who had never seen Jesus. You go back up to chapter two, verse three, the salvation, which was first announced by the Lord was confirmed to us by those who heard him. These people had never seen Jesus. This is another generation of people who are living after all of that history took place. But here he says, we see Jesus. How do you see Jesus when he's not physically present? It's with faith. But we do see Jesus. Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith for the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. He is able to help. Let's pray. Father, we pray that you would help us. Help our unbelief. Help us in the midst of our weakness, our pain and confusion. Help us to see Jesus. To see him for who he really is. the Word that was made flesh, the eternal Son of God, that faithful and merciful High Priest. Fill us with a stronger faith and fill us with that grace of perseverance that we will leave this place today and begin this new week of life resolved that we will hold fast we will hold unswervingly to the Lord Jesus Christ. And we pray this in his name. Amen.