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They turn in your Bibles to Hebrews, 
chapter two. Hebrews, chapter two, we're going 
to focus primarily this evening on verses 14 to 18, the redemptive 
focus of the incarnation. Christ was incarnate. He came 
into this world, took on flesh, and he accomplished specific 
things. And that's what the Apostle is 
speaking about here in this particular section, the redemptive focus 
of the Incarnation. The larger context deals with 
the superiority of Christ over the angels, chapter 1, verse 
4, through chapter 2, verse 18. There are definitive biblical 
proofs found in chapter 1, verses 5 to 14. Verses 1 to 4 of chapter 
2 is a bit of an application for the people of God. Verses 
5 to 9 set forth the authority of Christ over the world to come, 
specifically the messianic age, both the already and the not 
yet. Then having spoken of the incarnation, 
death, and exaltation of Christ in chapter 2, verse 9, the author 
now expounds the redemptive focus of Christ's incarnation. So I'll 
just pick up reading at chapter 2, verse 1. Therefore, we must 
give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest 
we drift away. For if the words spoken through 
angels prove steadfast and every transgression and disobedience 
received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great 
a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord 
and was confirmed to us by those who heard him? God also bearing 
witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles and gifts 
of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. For He has not 
put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. But one testified in a certain 
place, saying, What is man that you are mindful of him, or the 
son of man that you take care of him? You have made him a little 
lower than the angels. You have crowned him with glory 
and honor and set him over the works of your hands. You'll put 
all things in subjection under his feet for in that he put all 
in subjection under him. He left nothing that is not put 
under him. But now we do not yet see all 
things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made 
a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned 
with glory and honor that he, by the grace of God, might taste 
death for everyone, for it was fitting for him. for whom are 
all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons 
to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through 
sufferings. For both he who sanctifies and 
those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason 
he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare 
your name to my brethren. In the midst of the assembly, 
I will sing praise to you. And again, I will put my trust 
in him. And again, here am I, and the 
children of whom God has given me. Inasmuch then as the children 
have partaken of flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared in 
the same, that through death he might destroy him who had 
the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those 
who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to 
bondage. For indeed, he does not give 
aid to angels, but he does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, 
in all things, he had to be made like his brethren, that he might 
be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to 
God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in 
that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to 
aid those who are tempted. Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, 
thank you for the scripture. Thank you for our Lord Jesus, 
the incarnate word. We thank you for his work on 
behalf of sinners. We thank you for his work to 
bring glory and honor to the Father. We thank you that he 
died and that he rose again, and now he's enthroned at your 
right hand. God, we know that he is supreme. He is over all 
things. He is the one in whom all power 
and authority resides. We thank you, Lord Jesus Christ, 
for so great a salvation. We thank you for this opportunity 
to gather to remember in a special way that great transaction by 
which God has saved his people from their sins. We just pray 
now that you would guide us in our study. We ask for Jesus sake. Amen. As I said, the author speaking 
here about Jesus Christ incarnate, Jesus Christ being the soul mate 
man, ultimately that exercises all authority and all dominion 
and all power. Christ has authority over the 
world to come, and then we see that this then flows into this 
discussion of the incarnation in verse fourteen. Inasmuch then 
as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, he himself 
likewise shared We'll get to the redemptive focus in just 
a moment, why he did what he did. But it's important for us 
to understand this reality, this doctrine, this truth, that Christ, 
God Most High, came into this world and took on the likeness 
of sinful flesh. in the language of Romans chapter 
8 verse 3. Now, of course, he himself was 
not sinful. Philippians 2 sets this forth 
as well. He humbled himself. He came in 
the appearance of a man. He came with our nature. He came 
with our body. He came with our flesh and our 
blood, as the Scripture here declares. He himself likewise 
shared in the same. There was an early heresy called 
docetism. Docetism taught that Jesus just 
appeared to be a man, but that's simply not the case. Jesus was, 
in fact, Jesus still is man, he is the God-man locally present 
at the right hand of the Father. When he comes again in glory, 
we will see the God-man, the glorious one, the Lord Jesus 
Christ. The Apostle sets this forth so 
that he can develop this theology and highlight why it is that 
Christ did what he did. The complete identity of Christ 
with humanity is set forth repeatedly in this section. The Apostle 
Paul mentions this same reality in 2 Corinthians chapter 8. He 
says that Jesus became poor by addition. He became poor by adding 
to himself our nature. Second Corinthians chapter eight 
verse nine. It says, For you know the grace 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your 
sakes he became poor. He was rich as God. Almighty. He was rich as the 
second person of the Trinity. He was rich, yet, for your sakes, 
he became poor. How does Jesus become poor but 
by taking on our nature? What is our dignity? What is 
our excellence? What is our blessedness? For Christ was his poverty. And the reason for this is set 
forth at the final end of verse 9. That youth, through his poverty, 
through his incarnation, through his redemptive work, through 
his curse bearing, suffering on the cross, that you through 
his poverty might become rich. He became what he was not in 
order that we might become what we don't deserve. It is by grace, 
it is by virtue of Christ's work in the atonement, it is by virtue 
of Christ's incarnation that He comes and affects the plan 
of God in the salvation of His people. The Father chose a great 
multitude to save. He covenants with the Son. He 
gives them to the Son. The Son takes on the obligation 
of being the surety of the new covenant. The Son comes. in the 
likeness of flesh, in the full nature of humanity, and he lives, 
he dies, and he rises again. And this is then what the Apostle 
brings out in terms of the redemptive focus of the Incarnation. Notice first in verse 14. It is the destruction of the 
devil's tyranny. Verse 14, inasmuch then as the 
children have partaken of flesh and blood, he himself likewise 
shared in the same, that through death, through his death at Calvary, 
that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death, 
that is the devil. Now, we might say, well, God 
is sovereign. In fact, later in the book of Revelation, Jesus 
has the keys of death and Hades. How is it said that the devil 
here actually is the one who has authority with reference 
to this issue of death? John Owen does help us here. He says that the devil was the 
means of bringing death into the world. Remember Jesus' statement 
this morning in the scripture reading? The devil was a murderer 
from the beginning. It's not precisely what happened 
in the garden. The devil seized upon the temptation, 
and he engaged in murder with reference to Adam and Eve. Owen 
says, Sin and death being thus entered into the world, and all 
mankind being guilty of the one and obnoxious unto the other, 
Satan came thereby to be their prince, as being the prince or 
author of that state and condition whereinto they are brought. God 
having passed the sentence of death against sin, it was in 
the power of Satan to terrify and to fright the consciences 
of men with the expectation and dread of it, so bringing them 
into bondage. And God has ordained him to be 
the executioner of the sentence of death upon stubborn sinners 
unto all eternity. So one of the primary focuses 
or foci of Christ's redemptive work is to break the power and 
tyranny of Satan. Now, never forget this, Brethren, 
Jesus does this in his first coming. We're not waiting for 
Jesus to come and defeat the devil. We're not waiting for 
Jesus to come and finish the job. The Bible connects Jesus' 
first advent, his incarnation, his first coming with the breaking 
of the power of tyranny that the devil exercises over men. John chapter 12, just rehearsing 
a few of these passages so that we can praise God. We're not 
under the devil's tyranny anymore. John chapter twelve and verse 
thirty one, picking up at verse thirty. Jesus answered and said, 
This voice did not come because of me, but for your sake. Now 
is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will 
be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from 
the earth, will draw all peoples to myself." Notice that Jesus 
connects the casting out of Satan, not with his second coming in 
might and power and glory, but with his first coming in death 
and crucifixion and the ignominy of the cross. It is at that place 
that Christ is exercising dominion and power and defeat over the 
devil. Colossians chapter 1, the Apostle 
Paul highlights this reality as well. Passages, I hope, that 
are near and dear to your heart. The devil does roam about like 
a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. These texts, hopefully, 
are in your arsenal to resist him, to resist his temptation, 
to resist his overtures in your life. I'm sorry, Colossians chapter 
2, beginning in verse 11. In him you were also circumcised 
with the circumcision made without ends, by putting off the body 
of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, buried 
with him in baptism, in which you also were raised with him 
through faith in the working of God. who raised him from the 
dead, and you being dead in your trespasses in the uncircumcision 
of your flesh, he has made alive together with him, having forgiven 
you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements 
that was against us, which was contrary to us, and he has taken 
it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross, having disarmed 
principalities and powers. He made a public spectacle of 
them, triumphing over them in it. I wonder if we meditate upon 
or focus upon or delight in this truth as we are. Jesus isn't 
playing around in John 8 when he says, you are of your father, 
the devil. Make no mistakes about it, brethren. If you're not in 
Christ, you are of your father, the devil. That's not the life 
of liberty, joy, and happiness that they try to promulgate. 
You might hear Satanist sometimes and they say things like, oh, 
this is a life of liberty. It's freedom. There's not all 
these oppressive rules. There's not all these do's and 
don'ts received from Sinai that seeks to bind and restrict people. They somehow think that they 
have liberty. Well, we know that. And it ought 
to cause us to pity them and to pray for them and to rejoice 
in the fact that we are not in that bondage. We have been set 
free. We are no longer under the prince 
of the power of the air, the spirit of disobedience that works 
in the sons of men. We ought to praise God that he 
has done this particular activity on our behalf. First John, chapter 
3, repeats this blessing. Again, this isn't an isolated 
theme in the Scripture. It doesn't just pop up once or 
twice, but the death of Christ dealt the death blow to Satan 
and his tyranny. First, John, chapter three, verse 
seven, little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices 
righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous. He who sins 
is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. 
For this purpose, the son of God was manifested that he might 
destroy the works of the devil. They're great. You have to wait 
till the second coming. You have to wait for Jesus to 
come again in glory. He's done this at the cross. He has destroyed the devil at 
the cross. All that remains are some mop-up 
missions. The battle, the war, has been 
won. Brethren, be encouraged by the 
work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And he accomplishes this, as 
the text specifies, through death. Any bystander on that day unfamiliar 
with the Scriptures would have thought Jesus the loser in that 
transaction, would have thought that Jesus had met his match. 
When Jesus dies on Calvary in the crucifixion, it was the worst 
form of death, the most shameful way a man could go. And if you 
were watching that without any knowledge of the Bible, you probably 
wouldn't think victory. In fact, when he said, it is 
finished, you probably wouldn't have connected the dots that 
it is finished meant the redemption of his people, the glory of his 
father and the death of the devil himself. Brethren, this is how 
Jesus affects it. He's incarnate. He lives in obedience 
to the law. He offers himself willingly on 
the cross. And it's through that death he 
destroys the devil's tyranny. Notice, secondly, a corollary, 
a result. A benefit, a blessing that flows 
from this is the release of His people. Notice in verse 15, "...and 
release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime 
subject to bondage." There it is again. I don't know if you've talked to 
a lot of sinners. If you've talked to a lot of unconverted people, 
they think their life is one of freedom. It's just a crazy 
thing, isn't it? It's just a crazy turnaround 
way to live. They think they're the free ones. 
You tell them, yeah, I'm a Christian. Oh, you've got those Ten Commandments, 
those horrible, wretched commandments. I don't know if they say wretched. 
That's pretty much just a Reformed word used mostly to describe 
ourselves. It's always funny when the kids 
are at school and they say wretched. Teachers go, what? And they say 
magistrate. I mean, I think that's the only 
language that Reformed people use. magistrate, wretched, there's 
a whole vocabulary. We have been released from bondage, 
just go back there for a moment, Pastor Kim read it this morning, 
and I think it's important because it's what we're considering now. John, chapter eight, verse thirty 
one. Jesus said to those Jews who believed him, if you abide 
in my word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the 
truth and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, 
We are Abraham's descendants and have never been in bondage 
to anyone. How can you say you will be made free? Jesus answered 
them, Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a 
slave of sin. That's the Bible's commentary. 
That's the Bible's report. Men may think themselves free. 
Men may think themselves liberated. Men may think themselves arrived. But men, apart from Jesus Christ, 
are slaves to sin. They don't even know it. They're 
not even aware of it. They deceive themselves that 
in their slavery they're actually free men. Absolutely baffling. But Jesus goes on to say, a slave 
does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore, 
if the son makes you free, notice the language, you shall be free 
indeed. We are free from this bondage. 
We have been released. We have been brought out of darkness 
in the marvelous light. And specifically in the text, 
in verse 15, it says, release those who through fear of death 
were all their lifetime subject to bondage. People are afraid 
to die. I suspect that any Christian 
in here isn't afraid to die. You might be afraid of how you 
die. You might be afraid of the pain associated with your eventual 
demise. But the fact of leaving this 
world and entering into the presence of Christ, that shouldn't scare 
you. You should take 599 and sing 
it with gusto. The bride eyes, not her garment, 
but her dear bridegroom's face. I will not gaze at glory, but 
on my king of grace, not at the crown he gifted, but on his pierced 
hand. The land is all the glory of 
Emmanuel's land. There ought to be no fear of 
death in the believer. Again, hear me. There's fear 
of bears that might kill you. There's fear of pathogens that 
might kill you. There's fear of bullets that 
might kill you. The actual transaction of closing 
one's eyes and death to pass into the presence of the Lord 
ought to be the believer's hope and encouragement and joy. There's no more fear of death. 
Doesn't Paul do this in 1 Corinthians 15? Death, where is your sting? Grave, where is your victory? It's gone because of the finished 
work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And when we pass into the presence 
of the Lord, we have the certain knowledge that on that final 
day, God will indeed raise up our bodies, reunite body and 
soul, and fit us together to serve him forever and ever and 
ever and ever and ever. How can you be afraid? Here's 
what Calvin and Luther said. He who fears death, this is Luther, 
or is not willing to die is not sufficiently Christian. As yet 
such people lack faith in the resurrection and love this life 
more than the life to come. Calvin says, for though we are 
not now freed from death, yet in life and in death we have 
peace and safety when we have Christ going before us. But if 
anyone cannot pacify his mind by disregarding death, let him 
know that he has made but very little proficiency in the faith 
of Christ. This ought to be something dying 
in the believer, this fear of death. Christ has defanged it. Christ has taken the sting out 
of it. Christ has stripped it of its power. Death for us now 
is simply the passageway into blessed eternal life. That's good news. Do we sufficiently 
meditate on it? I think we'd have bigger smiles 
on our faces if we thought about this. I think this is how Paul 
functioned. Philippians 1.21, for to me to live is Christ and 
to die is gain. We're going to kill you, Paul. 
Great. I get more Jesus. We're going to let you live, 
Paul. Great. I get to go preach Jesus. We're going to throw you 
in a prison, Paul. Great. I just want my book so 
I can write letters to the churches and individuals about Jesus. 
This Paul is hard to deal with, right? You can't hurt him. When 
he's beaten in the marketplace in Acts 16, they're brought into 
the jailer's place, their feet are placed into stocks, and at 
midnight they're singing hymns of praise to God. How does a 
man do that? Stoic resignation. He's mastered 
his flesh. No, he's a believer in Jesus. He's a believer in Jesus. Even 
if the feet are in the stocks, the heart is in heaven. One of 
the church fathers said that. We can praise the Lord for that. 
The release of his people. Third aspect of this redemptive 
focus of the incarnation. It puts Jesus into the role of 
covenant mediator. Notice in verse 16, for indeed, 
he does not give aid to angels. The emphasis in verse 16 is not 
on the help that Jesus gives. He does give help. We'll see 
that in verse 18. The King James actually translates 
this more appropriately. For verily, he took not on him 
the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham. When we read the seed of Abraham 
in New Testament documents, hopefully our minds go back the promise 
made to Abraham. Hopefully, our minds go back 
to that glorious doctrine of covenant. Hopefully, our minds 
attach themselves to the promise God made to Abraham that in his 
seed, all the families of the earth would be blessed. The apostle 
tells us in verse 16, for indeed, or for verily, took not on him 
the nature of angels. The focus of his redeeming work 
was not on angels. There were elect angels that 
didn't fall. There were non-elect angels that 
fell. They're not in the scheme of 
redemption. They don't get saved. The fallen 
angels remained damned. No redemption for a fallen angel. But for fallen man, for sinners 
like us, Christ takes on the nature of man. Christ takes on 
that nature in order to bless the seed of Abraham. Christ lays 
hold of and appropriates, that is to say, he assumes human nature 
and makes it his own. The present tense, one commentator 
says, underlines the permanence of this union on earth and in 
heaven. He's still highlighting this 
reality of the incarnation, to be sure. He's still arguing against 
this idea that Jesus only appeared to be a human. But he is also 
calling in to his use this idea of what he will develop later 
in terms of the covenant, in terms of Christ being the surety 
of a better covenant. This idea, this relationship, 
this calling to attention, the fact that he takes on or he does 
take on this nature in order to give aid to the seed of Abraham 
helps us with that. Let me just read Hughes. He comments 
this way. The mention of Abrahamic ancestry 
here. however, denotes something more 
than that Christ was a Jew by birth. In taking to himself the 
seed of Abraham, he shows not only that he belongs to, but 
also that he is the fulfillment of the line of the covenant. 
Thus, in saying that Christ took to himself the seed of Abraham, 
our author places the incarnation within the perspective of the 
covenant. It's developmental. It is what 
he's doing. He's expounding what we find 
beginning in Genesis 315. This amplifies, it's filling 
in, it's commenting, it's theological interpretation. It's highlighting 
the unity and the blessedness of Scripture and showing us God's 
redemptive plan. It didn't happen in a vacuum. 
It wasn't a plan B. He didn't respond. He rather 
decreed all things. From the very beginning, he began 
to reveal these things. And in the fullness of the times, 
Christ comes as the seed of Abraham to effect that promise. That's 
what he wants you to get there. Again, he's going to develop 
this later in chapter 7 and 8 and 9 and 10. It's the surety of 
what? Of a better covenant, founded 
on better promises with a better hope. Not because the old one 
was bad, but because the old one had built into it obsolescence. God had purposed that the old 
would give way to the new. That there would be this blessed 
one who would come to effect all of the promises of God. They 
are yea and amen in him. Again, Hughes, thus in saying 
that Christ took to himself the seed of Abraham, our author places 
the incarnation within the perspective of the covenant of which the 
incarnate son is the focal point. He is the covenantal seed of 
Abraham and his people are one with him by spiritual incorporation 
into that same seed without respect to race or culture. In him, they 
are the many sons who are being brought to glory. Verse 10. Whom 
he is not ashamed to call brethren, verse 11. The children God has 
given him, verse 13. Delivered by him from bondage 
and death, verse 15. Those namely, who having received 
and believed in his name, he has given the power to become 
children of God. That's the reference there for 
us with reference to Abraham. Just by way of an aside, Sinclair 
Ferguson has a message called Christ the Worship Leader. Christ, the worship leader. It's 
it's blessed. Guess what his text is, verse 
12, chapter two. He develops this theme. I will 
declare your name to my brethren in the midst of the assembly. 
I will sing praise to you. That's Christ. Where do we see 
Christ in the book of Revelation? He's in the midst of the lampstands. He's a participant with his people. Christ the prophet, Christ the 
priest, Christ the king is with his people, aiding and assisting 
by his spirit so they may approach God with reverence and joy and 
may honor and worship him. When we come to church, it's 
primarily because we get to meet with Christ. Isn't that it? You've got to say, I love you, 
brethren. It's great to come here and see you. It's great 
to shake hands and talk and catch up and all of that. The primary 
reason why we assemble, though, is for Jesus. I imagine the Moose 
Lodge. I don't know if there's a Moose 
Lodge in Canada. Maybe because they're a hunting animal, there's 
not a Moose Lodge. In America, there's a Moose Lodge, and there's 
an Elk Lodge. All these sort of prey animals here. Maybe they 
don't have the consistent things here. But they all probably rejoice 
in the social element. I'm sure that's one of the things 
that would, you know, commend being a Lions Club member. I 
know there's a Lions Club. I pass by their thrift store 
every day. I'm sure that element is quite 
wonderful within the Lions. We get to be with each other, 
to hang out with each other, get to see one another, get to 
shake hands, get to get away for a little while and just be 
with people like us, fellow Lions. Kind of an interesting concept, 
but There's something more in the church, something deeper, 
there's something more vital, something more living, something 
more valuable. Christ says, I will declare your 
name to my brethren in the midst of the assembly. I will sing 
praise to you. Christ is with his people. aiding us and strengthening us 
and encouraging us and filling us with His Spirit so that we 
may approach the Father and engage in triune worship, coming to 
the Father through the mediation of the Son by the power of the 
Holy Spirit. This is what I think Paul develops 
in Ephesians chapter 2. We are the temple. We are the 
ones where God reigns, where God is in the midst of His people. 
That's blessed. You wake up on a Sunday morning, 
you don't feel like coming. Think about this. Christ is there. Jesus is present. Jesus is in 
the midst of the assembly. Whether we think it or feel it 
or not, the Bible declares it. We need to go with what's written. 
We need to go with what's stated for us. So that's the covenant 
nature, the covenant rule of Christ. And fourthly and finally, 
the redemptive focus of the incarnation is so Christ could serve in the 
office of high priest. 217 and 18, 217 and 18. It's a lot here. We'll just skim 
the surface. One commentator, Ellingworth, 
says this verse is the nerve center of the epistle, summing 
up its first clause, the discussion since verse 10 and announcing 
in the following subordinate clauses. I know that's a lot 
of highfalutin language, but the idea is that this verse summarizes 
the argument up to this point. and then sort of foreshadows 
what is to follow in terms of Christ's work on behalf of his 
people. Notice his role as a priest. 
Therefore, in all things, he had to be made like his brethren 
that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest and things 
pertaining to God. Faithful and merciful high priest. 
He's faithful in his execution of duties toward God, he's merciful 
to his gracious to his people. He's kind to his people. How 
does Christ execute the office of a priest? Christ executes 
the office of a priest in his once offering up of himself a 
sacrifice to satisfy divine justice and reconcile us to God and in 
making continual intercession for us. That's what a priest 
does. He does two things. He provides 
sacrifice and he intercedes, right? I mean, I'm sure he does 
a few other things along the way. That's the job description 
for the priest. Sacrifice, intercession. Sacrifice, 
intercession. What's the book of Hebrews taken 
up with? Sacrifice of Christ, intercession of Christ. His work 
as high priest for the people of God. Why was he incarnate? Why did he come into this world? 
Yes, to reign and be a king. He says that in John 18, 37. 
Pilate says, are you a king then? He says, for this cause, I was 
born. Only reference in John's gospel 
to the birth of Christ has to do with his crown, has to do 
with his royal office. For this cause, I was born. He says that to Pilate, a two-bit 
governor in a small province. So yes, certainly. Within the 
scope of this particular passage, the Incarnation brought forth 
Christ. Christ was brought forth in the 
Incarnation to serve and function as a high priest. Again, Philip 
Hughes says, the Son could not have represented men before God, 
offering as their high priest the sacrifice of himself on their 
behalf and in their place, had he not first become their fellow 
man. Representation requires identification. It's why the high priest on the 
Day of Atonement lays his hands on the scapegoat. He's identifying 
with it. He's confessing Israel's sin. 
And then he sends it out into the wilderness to expiate or 
remove that sin. Christ identifies with his people 
in order to represent us. He says, accordingly, the author 
or our author adds this further explanation that the son assumed 
human nature so that he might become what otherwise he could 
not be a high priest. By the incarnation, he becomes 
man. But his becoming man is also 
the prerequisite for his becoming a high priest. Praise God for 
that redemptive focus of the Lord Jesus. And then notice how 
he executes his task or his function as a high priest. Verse 17. Therefore, 
in all things, he had to be made like his brethren, that he might 
be a merciful and faithful high priest and things pertaining 
to God. Notice to make propitiation for the sins of the people. This 
is focusing on the element of sacrifice. In Christ's sacrifice, 
not only does He redeem us from the curse of sin, not only does 
He reconcile us unto His Father, not only does He provide salvation 
for us and the grand bigness of it, but He provides propitiation. Someday I want to do this. Have 
a piece of paper and ask you to write down what propitiation 
means. It has to do with wrath. It has to do with wrath. Christ is our propitiation. Paul 
uses this in Romans 3, 25, and 26. John uses it in 1 John 2 
and in 1 John 4. Here it is again in Hebrews 2, 
verse 17. The idea is simple. We deserve 
God's wrath. We deserve God's fury. We deserve 
God's anger. Whenever you start feeling pretty 
puffed up in how good you are, just think about what you really 
deserve in a moral universe governed by a holy God. If you ever start 
feeling puffed up, read through the chapter 5 of the Sermon on 
the Mount. Ask yourself, have I never looked 
upon a woman or a man to lust? Have I never murdered in my heart? 
Have I never called someone a fool or raka or engaged in character 
assassination? Have I really loved my enemies? 
Do I pray for them? Do I bless them? Do I do good 
to them? Whenever you're feeling proud, 
brethren, a good dose of God's law will hopefully humble you. 
And hopefully it will illustrate for you the demerit that sin 
deserves. The wrath and fury and anger 
and hatred of God most high is due us for our sin. We deserve 
the wrath and yet Christ comes and stands in our place. It's about right now we should 
all just do a backflip in our seat and say praise God. He took our wrath. He took our 
punishment. He took our judgment. On the cross, Jesus Christ suffered 
hell in our place. On the cross, God poured out 
his wrath. God poured out his anger, his 
vengeance, and his judgment due sinners. Christ propitiated it. Christ took it in himself. He 
didn't deflect it. He didn't send it away. He didn't 
put it on hold. He didn't hit the delete button, 
but rather he took it in himself. The father's fury, wrath and 
anger is poured out upon the son. It is due for us, but we 
have a substitute. See why we talk about substitutionary 
atonement. See what happens if you take 
substitution out of the gospel, you take substitution out of 
the cross. That's one of the aspects of 
its glory. Christ stood where we belong 
and he took the wrath of God on our behalf. That's what the 
apostle is getting at here. It is important for us to remember 
this aspect of the atoning work of Christ, to make propitiation 
for the sins of the people. He functions as high priest in 
that capacity, and then real practically, verse 18, for in 
that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to 
aid those who are tempted. He deals with the cross of Christ. 
He deals with that propitiating act of Christ at Calvary. He 
deals with the Godward reference. And now he says that our high 
priest is able to come to the aid of his people. It's amazing. We go from the heights of glorious 
theology in terms of propitiation and Jesus suffering the wrath 
of God on our behalf to our living rooms, to our workplaces, to 
our society, to our churches. In that he himself has suffered 
being tempted, he is able to aid those who are tempted. He's 
able to come to our rescue. John Owen says the great duty 
of tempted souls is to cry out unto the Lord Christ for help 
and relief. That's what the apostle is getting 
at. That's what the apostle wants 
to call attention to. Incarnation produces a glorious 
savior. A covenant mediator, the one 
in whom all the promises of God are, yea and amen. He functions 
as a high priest. He's faithful to God. Faithful 
in executing the obligations in terms of the covenant. He 
does everything he is supposed to do. He even says, it is my 
delight to do your will. Doesn't just go through it, but 
he does it delightfully. He does it joyfully. He sets 
his face like a flint to go to Jerusalem, Luke chapter nine. 
It's an amazing section of scripture, Luke chapter nine, the apostles, 
and they're coming to him and they're saying, Lord, Lord, Lord, 
you know, we want to be preeminent in your kingdom. He says, I have 
to go to Jerusalem. I got to be tried. I got to suffer. 
I got to die. It's an amazing juxtaposition 
of the way man thinks. Jesus sets his face like a flint, 
goes to Jerusalem. He does what God calls him to 
do in terms of his faithfulness, in terms of his mercifulness. He is able to aid those who are 
tempted. He's able to assist you in your 
daily life. He's able to come to your rescue. 
He's able to give the grace that you need. He's able to supply 
the spirit. He is there with you in the midst 
of trial and difficulty. That's what the book of Hebrews 
will develop as well. We get to the book of Hebrews 
chapter 11. What do we see? By faith, by faith, by faith, 
by faith, they did these things. They weren't better. They weren't 
more miraculous. They weren't more excellent. 
There was nothing intrinsically better about these men. It was 
by faith. They engaged in mighty exploits, 
they did these mighty deeds, they suffered horrible things 
by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. What's the emphasis? That is 
the way we ought to live as well. Well, brethren, we have a great 
high priest. The incarnation is something 
that undoubtedly we think of at this time of the year. We 
ought to appreciate in its biblical context. But to appreciate why 
it is that Jesus came as he did, we ought to appreciate the redemption 
was his particular goal. It wasn't just to make us happy 
or make us warm or make us feel good. It was to redeem us from 
the curse of the law. Well, praise God for his son. 
Praise God for this high priest and praise God that he paid it 
off. Well, let us pray. Father, thank 
you for the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for redemption in him. 
Thank you for propitiation and the fact that he has dealt with 
the wrath of God due for us. We praise you, Lord, that he 
said, why have you forsaken me in the ultimate sacrifice of 
himself on our behalf? Help us not to forget these things, 
God. Help us not to only think of 
them once a month at the Lord's table. But God, help us to recall 
these things each and every day. To realize that Jesus does give 
aid, that Jesus is a merciful high priest, that Jesus does 
intercede for us, that he has, in fact, destroyed the tyrant, 
the devil, that he has released us from bondage, that he has 
brought us into that blessed state of being sons and daughters 
of God Most High. We pray in his blessed name. 
Amen.