This is Hebrews chapter 2 verses 10 to 18. I would remind you that this is the Word of God. It is inspired, it is inerrant, it has been given by our Creator for our instruction and our edification that we might grow in His truth. Please give it your full attention. 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. 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. He says, I will declare your name to my brothers. In the presence of the congregation, 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 destroy 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 his brothers 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. Our God and our Father, as we come to this, your word this evening. How we pray, oh Lord, that by your spirit, Lord, you would open our minds to its truth. How we pray as well that by your spirit, you might apply that truth to our hearts. Lord, that we wouldn't just know this truth for head knowledge, but rather, Father, it might transform us, it might mold us, it might shape us, it might refine us. into those people whom you've called us to be. We ask this all in Christ Jesus' name, amen. You all know the story very well. We hear it often, particularly this time of year, the second chapter of Luke's gospel. It records the announcement of Messiah's birth to the shepherds, those shepherds who were in the same region, who were out in the fields watching over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them. the glory of the Lord shown about them. And think of that glory of the Lord, that radiance that belongs to the one who is our God, who is holy. That radiance that Isaiah witnessed in his vision of the temple that scared him to death. That glory that opens up the soul to see every impediment, to see every impurity, Every sin laid bare. And what else did they see on that evening? The multitude of the heavenly host. You know, it's interesting in our popular culture, this view that we tend to have of angels. And you've seen the drawings, you know, they're in white robes, little harps circle around their head and the wings. If you ever actually take time to go through scripture and you look at the occasions where people engaged angels, they tend to be pretty scared. When we're talking about the angels, the army of the heavenly host, the army of the living God, we're talking about incredibly powerful beings. And these shepherds saw this multitude of the heavenly hosts, the mighty army of the living God. Think about that. Everything they saw that night, the glory of the Lord laying them bare, the multitude of the Lord's heavenly hosts, everything that they saw, they had to believe that they were done for. That this God may have well been coming to contend with them for their sin. And yet, in a great reversal of expectations, instead of a message of judgment, what does the angel proclaim? He proclaims a message of good news, a message of great joy, the birth of a Savior, and on earth, peace to men on whom God's favor rests. Now, this evening, as we turn here to the book of Hebrews, chapter 2 and verse 10, we're going to spend some time examining just a little more what the coming of this Christ means for us, those of us who are united to Him, made one with Him by faith. To understand the full force of this passage, it helps us to set it in the context of the beginning of the letter to the Hebrews. So as you begin reading through that letter in chapter 1 verse 1 through to chapter 2 and verse 4, we see there that the author tells us that Jesus, the Son of God, He is not an angel. He says rather that he is higher than the angels. In other words, he's greater than these mighty beings we've just discussed. He is divine. This Christ is indeed God. Therefore, you must pay attention to what he says. And then we come to chapter two, verses five to 18, of which our text this evening is a part. And here the author says to us that Jesus, the son of God is not an angel, but this time he kind of goes in the opposite direction. He says, he is lower than the angels. In other words, he is also a man. And you need to understand the provisions that he makes for you as a man. Now you also need to understand the argument that the author is making here in the verses immediately preceding chapter 2 and verse 10. In verse 5 we read there that it wasn't to angels that God subjected the world to come. So we ask, well if it wasn't to angels then who is he given charge of the world to? Who is it for? The author goes on then to quote from Psalm 8, and he says that it's the man that God has subjected the world to come. Look there at verses six to the beginning of verse eight. What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels. You crowned him with glory and honor and put all things, that's emphatic in the Greek, put all things under his feet. Mankind, this of course is Psalm 8, a Psalm of David. Mankind who seems so minuscule. Do you feel minuscule at times when you go outside and you look into the night sky and you see all the stars and the vastness of the universe? It can certainly make us quite small when we compare ourselves to the vast nature of God's creation. Yet we see that what has God done? He has placed all things under his feet. Here what we see in Psalm 8, David is actually picking up and fleshing out the teaching that is in Genesis 126, where we read, God said, let us make man in our image according to our likeness and let them rule over the fish of the seas, over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. But it's also interesting, look now at the last of verse 8 there in Hebrews 2. Look at what the author says. Yet we do not see all things subjected to Him. In other words, we don't see Psalm 8 taking place around us in its fullness. Sure, we see glimpses of that. We see bits and pieces, but it's imperfect. And it's also been corrupted by sin. It's been corrupted by the fall. But here's what you need to understand, brothers and sisters. You need to understand that that doesn't change the fact that man's purpose is to be God's vice regents here in this place. Now look at how the author of Hebrews then goes on to relate Psalm 8, to Jesus in verse nine. 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. Just a brief note, who is the everyone that he's gonna taste death for? Again, that's why it's so important for us to take into account the context of the passage. When you go forward into our verse, verse 10, it tells us who the everyone is. It's every one of the many sons that he intends to bring to glory. That's who the everyone is. So here we see Jesus. Notice he doesn't call him Jesus the Christ here. He focuses on his human name, Jesus. We see Jesus. We see a man, a representative of his people. And because he has suffered death, he has now been crowned with glory and with honor. If you go back to chapter one in verse three, we read there, after he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty in heaven. What does that mean? That imagery tells us he's reigning. He's the king. He is seated on his throne. So here we see in Jesus, who is not only fully God, he is also fully man. We see in Jesus that there is a man seated on the throne, ruling completely over this creation. He is the king of all. So you may look at Psalm 8. And you may look at David's words there and you may say to yourself, you know, we just don't see that now, at least not the way it appears to be intended. But here's what we do see. We see Jesus there. We see him sitting on the throne and because he is there, we have the guarantee that others of his same kind, we who are human beings. will also share in that reign with him. So if you are united to Christ by faith, then you see a picture there of your destiny. You see a picture of the reign you will enjoy together with the Messiah, our Savior. That leads us now into our verse this evening, verse 10. Please don't miss the first words there of the verse where it says, it was fitting that God for whom and through whom everything exists. We asked the question, what was fitting? What was fitting? Well, for the purpose of bringing many sons to glory that he should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Do you see what the author is doing here? He's doing what you and I ought to be doing. He's meditating on the way God has accomplished salvation. He is asking the question and he is contemplating, why did Jesus Christ suffer? Why was this suffering fitting to God? Well, since God is perfect in His holiness, in His wisdom, in His justice, in His goodness, if His plan of salvation actually involves Jesus being made perfect through suffering to bring these many sons to glory, then here's what we know. There is certainly something very fitting about that plan. In other words, what has taken place in the life, in the work, in the death, of our Lord Jesus Christ is consistent with God's character. It's consistent with his nature and his purpose. And we may look at this gospel message, we may see what he has done and we may say, you know, if I was in his place, that's not the way I would have done it. And you're right, it's probably not the way we would have done it. And oftentimes that's the point. The amazing thing about our God who is all powerful and almighty, is that he often chooses to demonstrate his incredible strength and power and purpose through weakness. the suffering servant who came, the Lord Jesus Christ. So to accomplish this goal of bringing many sons to glory, God made, quote, the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Again, we have to ask ourselves, what does that mean, that he was made perfect through suffering? Does it mean that Christ was somehow imperfect before his suffering? well that can't be all we have to do is stay in the context of the book of Hebrews look at what he says again in chapter 1 verse 3 Jesus there is called the radiance of his meaning God's glory and the exact representation of his that is God's nature in other words he is God he is perfect in every way there is no imperfection in him Well, if it doesn't mean that, does it mean that he somehow became imperfect or inadequate in some way, sinful maybe in some way as a result of the incarnation as he takes a human nature to himself? Well, let's look at a couple of other passages from Hebrews. Chapter 4, verse 15, he's called one who has been tempted in all things as are we, yet without sin. Chapter 7, verse 26, for it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners. Chapter 9, verse 14, Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without blemish. In other words, there was no imperfection in him. So what does this mean? What does it mean when it says he was made perfect through The author of Hebrews, if you read through the entire letter, you'll find that he actually likes this term. It's the Greek word, teleo, which means to make perfect. He actually uses it nine times throughout the letter. And to better understand how he's using it, his purpose, what he's trying to get across to us, we need to consider it in light of another recurring pattern we see in the letter. again back to chapter 1 verse 3 I want you to notice the order it says after he had provided purification for sins then he sat down at the right hand of the majesty in heaven Note the order. What does he do first? Provides atonement, his suffering. Only afterwards, then, is there the glorification. Only afterwards is the exaltation. Chapter 2, verse 9. He's now crowned with glory and honor because he first did what? He first suffered death, suffering first, then glorification. And even in our text this evening, chapter two, verse 10, in bringing many sons to glory, that he should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Now here, the focus changes. It's not about his glory, it's about ours as his people. But note what comes first, his suffering. You see, when we're talking about Jesus' work, when the author of Hebrews is talking about Jesus' work, the pattern is always suffering first, then glorification or exaltation. In other words, without suffering, without this atoning work, there is no glorification. There is no exaltation. So being made perfect doesn't mean that he somehow obtained some moral perfection that he didn't have beforehand. He was always God. As God, He was always perfect. As a man, He was always sinless. Again, tempted in every way, as are we, but without sin. So the focus for the author of Hebrews is this. How was He made perfect as our Savior? In other words, what were the requirements that He met so that He could accomplish our Salvation To be a savior. The first thing he had to do Was to take a human nature to himself We see that there in verses 14 to 15 of our passage since the children have flesh and blood he too shared in their humanity So that by his death he might destroy 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 And then what did he do in the flesh? After his incarnation, he lived in perfect obedience to the will of the Father, lived perfectly under God's law for the elect. And he was even obedient at the end of his life to the death, to the point of death, suffering the wrath of God to pay for the sins of his people, sins laid upon his shoulders. If he had failed, In either one of those two requirements, his work would have been in vain. He would be no savior. But through his perfect obedience and through his suffering and atoning death, he fulfilled his mission. Praise be to God. He did all that was necessary to secure the salvation of his people. And look there in verse 11. at the resulting relationship between Jesus and those he makes holy. 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. Did you hear that? He is not ashamed to call us brother or sister. It means he's our brother. It means his father is our father. It means we're all part of the same family. And here's what's really incredible when you think about that and you engage that truth, it's when you take that truth and you put it next to what we're told about Him back in chapter 1 verses 2 and 3. where he's called the son, whom he appointed, the father appointed heir of all things, through whom he made the universe. He's the radiance of God's glory, the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he'd provide purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty in heaven. Do you realize who it is that we're dealing with here, brothers and sisters? The one who is the exact impress of God, the radiance of God's glory, who made the universe, who upholds it at every moment, even now as we speak, and he is not ashamed to call you brother or sister. That's a staggering thing. And yet that's what we're told here in this text. Now there's one final point I want you to see here in verse 10. I want you to look at the title that's given to Jesus. In the Greek, he is called the Archegos, Archegos. Now in your English versions, that'll be variously translated as author or founder or captain or leader. or pioneer. If you look at a Greek lexicon, you'll see two possible definitions. The first is one who goes first on the path, a leader, a prince, a pioneer. The second is one who causes something to begin, an originator, a founder, an initiator. You notice how all of those English translations actually pick up some of those ideas. As with any term, when we're translating from the original text, that carries a broad range of meaning, what's so important and to try to get it right is to take it within its context. In other words, what is it that the author intends it to mean in this context? With this particular title, I think the writer is appealing not only to a biblical context, be careful what I'm saying here, that is the most important thing, our biblical context. But I think he is also appealing to the cultural context of his day. Just look at the language that's used throughout that passage. Jesus is described, verse 10, bringing many sons to glory. Verse 14, so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is the devil. Verse 15, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. Verse 18, he is able to help those who are being tempted. or we could paraphrase those who are in desperate need. Doesn't that sound like a story of good versus evil with a hero and a villain and people who need help, who desperately need to be rescued? It's interesting in the Old Testament, the prophets often describe Yahweh as a divine warrior who arms himself to defend his people. So for example, in Isaiah 42, 13, we read this, Yahweh will march out like a mighty man, like a warrior, he will stir up his zeal. With a shout, he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies. The powerful God who fights against his enemies and who fights for his people. The language here in Hebrews 2 brings out those Old Testament descriptions of Yahweh, brings them to mind. But here's another point. It also mirrors some of the descriptions that we see in the popular cult figures of the first century. That's the cultural context in which this letter was given. The mythical heroes of the Hellenistic world who descended to earth to help mankind. The most prominent hero figure in the first century in that Hellenistic mythology. Again, it's mythology made up in the mind of men. However, the most prominent figure was Hercules. Hercules, guess what Greek word was commonly used as a title for Hercules? Archegos. The title that we see here applied to Jesus Christ. But when it was used of Hercules or applied to him, its primary meaning was not author, founder, captain, leader, or pioneer. The primary meaning champion or hero champion or hero and in the context of this passage I believe that's the meaning that the author actually intends when describing Jesus in verse 10 what he is saying to his readers is you've heard about a lot of different heroes in this culture. But here's a story of a real hero. Here is a true hero in bringing many sons to glory. It was fitting to God, for whom and through whom everything exists, that he should make the champion or hero of their salvation perfect through suffering. And that hero is the Lord Jesus Christ. The Son of God came to earth to rescue his people. by taking a human nature to himself so that he might taste death, so that he might destroy the one who had the power of death. Verse 14, just a little note on that word destroy. Sometimes when we hear that word, we take it to mean to eradicate all evidence of something. That's not actually what the word means in the original. It means to put out of commission. It means he puts this power of death out of commission. There's still the experience of physical death. Death tolls one per person, last I checked. All of us at some point in time will experience it. We'll pass from this life into the next. But here's what Jesus has done. He has nullified the power of death. It cannot dominate. It cannot control. And by his death, Jesus has sucked the sting and the poison out of death so that we no longer have to live in fear of it. And here's the irony, brothers and sisters. How did he do that? By his own death. Do you see what he did? He took the weapon of our enemy and he used it against him. Jesus came with a frontal assault on sin and death. He acted decisively with violence to free his people. He didn't come to negotiate. He came as the champion, the hero to destroy our greatest enemy. And now that he has done that, there is no more need for his people to fear death. Verse 15 in our text. And if Jesus has destroyed the power of death, does that not make all the difference in the world in the way that you and I, who are the people of God, in the way that we view death ourselves? We are now set free from bondage to the fear of death because Jesus' violent assault on death and his victory over it brings us peace with God, peace with the living and holy God and guarantees our victory over the grave in him. Brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ is our champion. And at this time of the year, we celebrate the coming of our hero, his birth into this world as he took on flesh, that he could meet all the requirements necessary to earn our salvation. We who were enslaved, we who were helpless in our sin, we couldn't save ourselves. We were children of wrath. But the son of God stepped down from his seat of glory. that he might save his people. And the author of Hebrews describes him here in this portion of the text in much the same light as he did those mythical figures of the first century were described. But here is the difference, and it is so very, very important. Unlike Hercules, the story of Jesus is no myth. Here we are dealing with historical reality and historical fact. He assumed a human nature. He lived perfectly under the law. He died as a man. He bore our sins. He suffered the wrath of the Father. He died. He rose again. And where is he now? Our hero is seated at the right hand of God the Father. He is in the place of power and authority. And he invites you to trust in him. He invites you to embrace Him by faith. He invites you to join Him in glory. This is good news. We people who are in such desperate straits because of our sin, we have a hero who has saved us from sin and death. And if you embrace Him by faith, if you are one with Him by faith, then you too will enjoy the spoils of victory that he has earned for his people. Our God and our Father, how we thank you for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, how we thank you that he indeed is our hero. We so often throw around these terms and titles whimsically in our day, so much so that they mean nothing. But when we look at the Lord Jesus Christ in him, we see a true champion. We see a true hero because it is he alone who could save his people from their sins. Heavenly Father, I pray for each of us here who have gotten this glimpse of Jesus the Savior this evening, Lord, that you would touch our hearts and our minds, that we would embrace him by faith, that we would lay hold of him and never let go. and that we in our Lord Jesus would know the incredible joy of sins forgiven. And we ask it all in his precious name, amen.