“Divine Suffering”

Hebrews 2:10-18

Best ministers…•In my opinion the best and the most qualified people to minister effectively to those who are suffering due to serious or terminal illness, financial or job loss, death of the loved one, or betrayal or failure of marriage, or struggle of addiction are the born-again believers who have been there, done that, and have overcome with the power of God

Best ministers…•Their testimonies and wisdom are from the heart, not up from brain level with page-thin borrowed knowledge. Pundits with book smarts cannot fathom what real people have actually experienced. •Only the God of Abraham offers comfort and the means of salvation to those in sin leading to suffering and eternal death•Because this God has experienced all we do

Best ministers…•One might wonder, “How could God go through men’s suffering? Didn’t the Bible say that He is Spirit? How can He know what I suffer without a human body and human heart?”•It’s a valid question. God the Father and God the Holy Spirit couldn’t, but God the Son, Jesus Christ, could and did. That’s Divine suffering for us.•Today, the Word will explain how Messiah became•one of us to underwrite our salvation without being subject to the power of death and give us the privilege of becoming God’s family

10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying,“I WILL PROCLAIM YOUR NAME TO MY BRETHREN,IN THE MIDST OF THE CONGREGATION I WILL SING YOUR PRAISE.”13 And again,“I WILL PUT MY TRUST IN HIM.”And again,“BEHOLD, I AND THE CHILDREN WHOM GOD HAS GIVEN ME.”

14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. 16 For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham. 17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for

the sins of the people. 18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.”

Hebrews 2:10-18 (NASB)

A. Perfect Through Sufferings•Vs 10-13,

10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying,“I WILL PROCLAIM YOUR NAME TO MY BRETHREN,IN THE MIDST OF THE CONGREGATION I WILL SING YOUR PRAISE.”13 And again,“I WILL PUT MY TRUST IN HIM.”And again,“BEHOLD, I AND THE CHILDREN WHOM GOD HAS GIVEN ME.”

A. Perfect Through Sufferings•Vs 10-13, The Greek word for ‘captain’ is “ar-che-gos” meaning, “one that takes the lead in any thing and thus affords an example.”•Better translation is leader-- Like the leader of a team in the middle of a thick jungle using a machete to hack tangled overgrown leaves and branches, leading the way to a safe destiny

A. Perfect Through Sufferings•Oxymoron?– “perfect through suffering”•Not trying to be heretical, but How do you perfect God who is already perfect?•Context– We are not talking about His deity, but His humanity– THAT became perfect through the same sufferings we experience walking through life’s “jungle”•Philippians 3:10

“…that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death…”

Philippians 3:10 (NIV)

A. Perfect Through Sufferings•V11 is fantastic in what it says…

“11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren…”

Hebrews 2:11 (NASB)

A. Perfect Through Sufferings•V11 is fantastic in what it says…•He, Jesus who sanctifies us joined us who are in the process of becoming holy by the power of the Holy Spirit as one. He identifies us as His brothers and sisters•It is not remarkable that we are not ashamed to associate with Jesus. But it is remarkable that He is not ashamed to call us brethren!

A. Perfect Through Sufferings•To show us further proofs, the author quotes three verses from the OT•Psalm 22:22, Isaiah 8:17, and Isaiah 8:18

“…He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying,“I WILL PROCLAIM YOUR NAME TO MY BRETHREN,IN THE MIDST OF THE CONGREGATION I WILL SING YOUR PRAISE.”13 And again,“I WILL PUT MY TRUST IN HIM.”And again,“BEHOLD, I AND THE CHILDREN WHOM GOD HAS GIVEN ME.”

A. Perfect Through Sufferings•To show us further proofs, the author quotes three verses from the OT•Psalm 22:22, Isaiah 8:17, and Isaiah 8:18•In each of these examples the Messiah is willing to associate Himself with His brethren, whether it is in a congregation of worship, a community of trust in the Father, or in the declaration of a common family association

B. Destroying the Power of Death•Vs 14-16,

14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. 16 For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham.

Hebrews 2:14-16, NASB

B. Destroying the Power of Death•Vs 14-16, There are people who insist that Jesus was not an actual human being, but a spirit in the shape of a man. Obviously they didn’t count His death in their calculation•Understand-- the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ explain to us His humanity and deity completely•Spirit beings cannot die

B. Destroying the Power of Death•That’s why no angel could be the atoning sacrifice for us; showing us that Jesus was indeed human•At the same time no mere human could raise himself from the dead•Only God can resurrect from the dead. Jesus claimed that He would and He did, proving to us that He is, in fact, God too!

“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”

John 10:17-18 (NIV)

B. Destroying the Power of Death•Let me make the death of Jesus clear. The Roman soldiers and/or the Jewish religious rulers didn’t kill Jesus• Actually, they were unable to•The Lord Jesus allowed them the circumstances so He could give up His life for our atonement•Our deaths are inevitable, but there is no longer any sting when we accept His free gift of salvation!

B. Destroying the Power of Death•When the author of this Book said, “through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil” in v14, he didn’t mean that the devil no longer has power over us•The Greek word for ‘destroy’ in that verse is “ka-tar-ge-o” which means “to render idle, unemployed, inactivate, inoperative”

B. Destroying the Power of Death•Satan is not destroyed yet, but he is disarmed from holding the power of death over born-again Christians because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ•The devil still is using the fear of death over us instead of the power of death•But for the unbelievers, they are still under the power of the devil and death

C. High Priest who Understands•Vs 17-18,

17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.”

Hebrews 2:17-18 (NASB)

C. High Priest who Understands•Vs 17-18, Unlike being only spirits as angels are, Jesus knew what it was to be a helpless baby who had to be nurtured; a growing child who had to be told what to do around the house•To be a maturing adolescent who was preparing Himself to start His earthly ministry •To follow instructions of His earthly parents•He knew the experiences of weariness, hunger, and thirst•He knew what it was to be despised, rejected, jeered at, lied about, and falsely accused•He understood our feelings of hurt and loneliness

C. High Priest who Understands•Vs 17-18, Unlike being only spirits as angels are, Jesus knew what it was to be a helpless baby who had to be nurtured; a growing child who had to be told what to do around the house•To be a maturing adolescent who was preparing Himself to start His earthly ministry •To follow instructions of His earthly parents•He knew the experiences of weariness, hunger, and thirst•He knew what it was to be despised, rejected, jeered at, lied about, and falsely accused•He understood our feelings of hurt and loneliness

Take Home!! 1. We have no need to fear death

and dying because Jesus overcame it!

2. Jesus is NOT ashamed to call us brother or sister. Are you ashamed to call Him Lord?

3. Jesus faced EVERY temptation as a man; we can overcome them too with the power of the Word!