Hebrews 2:10-18. Why did Jesus come?? 26/12/10
(10) In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. {11} Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. {12} He says, "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises." {13} And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again he says, "Here am I, and the children God has given me." {14} 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-- {15} and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. {16} For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. {17} 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. {18} Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Christmas: What a great time of the year! A happy, joyous occasion, when we are able to relax and enjoy life for a while, with a break from our work and the partaking of some of the niceties of life. This is the season of festivity and goodwill: A time for the giving and receiving of gifts and good wishes; and now it is almost the bigger and better that will somehow make Christmas more special for us. Very much at the heart of it all however is us; Christmas is about us and what we do, our giving, attitude and the like. That is what makes Christmas, Christmas. Of course, that is if we listen carefully to what people are saying, this is no longer the underlying message of Christmas today, but is the message that has been presented by the world, once again.
Yes, for many, there is that knowledge that somehow Jesus is connected to this. Jesus is somehow the reason for the season. But it seems that more and more, it is not Jesus and who he is and what he came for that is central to Christmas: it is what we do and make of Christmas that makes Christmas special. Sadly, even within many churches this same thinking seems to be a growing trend.
So with this thinking about we need to again reassess what Christmas really is all about. Why is it that we can take Christ and Carol singing and the like out of Christmas and still have Christmas? Most importantly, why did Jesus come and be born all those many Christmases ago? What really is the reason for the season?
Now I am sure that when we are confronted with these questions, we can and will very quickly give answers that are probably fairly close to the mark. We can readily state that Christmas began with Jesus being born in a manger and that somehow through that, God loves us and thinks that we are special. In fact, we are so special and he loved us so much that he even went to the cross to show us what is meant by true love and what can be achieved when we live and love like Jesus did.
Sadly, more and more we are listening to Satan’s lies and shifting the focus away from Jesus and his death on the cross, to us as the centre of life and to what we do as of utmost importance. Our Christianity is even becoming more and more selfish and self-centred. Scripture tells us again and again that this rebellion against God is what brings problems and death on ourselves and our human race. This going against God and what he has to say to us in his Word is what has brought hardship and judgment on ourselves: and not one of us is exempt. Every one of us deserves everything that comes our way and more. We deserve death and God’s harshest judgement; in fact to be totally forsaken by God himself. That is why we fear death and try to find a way to avoid it. But we can’t. We are in slavery to death and we can’t get around it, as hard as what we try, or as much as we try to avoid thinking about it.. We are in big trouble indeed.
But that is exactly where the true message of Christmas comes in. That brings us to the real reason for Jesus’ coming to earth. God knows how dire our situation is, and comes to do something about it. Not because we deserve it, or that somehow we are good enough for him to do so. We had even destroyed that image of God that we were created with. But his love for us, despite all of this, meant that he wanted to do that which was necessary to rectify the situation.
So he sends Jesus to be born, as one of us. As our reading says: For this reason he had to be made like us 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.
He came born as a human being; the same in every way as you and I are, except for him having no original sin. He lived a normal, if not lowly existence. Born in a stable; his first bed a feed trough; soon after having to flee his home country and go to Egypt as a refugee: grew up as a carpenter; tested in the desert with temptations that we all would have succumbed to; rejected by his friends and village people; Hounded by the religious leaders of the day; and is put to death unjustly in the most horrible way. Yes, he was very much a human being as you and I.
Yet in the midst of this humanity, he was able to keep himself from falling into temptation and sinning, and so was able to be both a merciful and faithful high priest and the perfect sacrifice which takes away the sin of the world. He was able to offer himself to God the Father as the sacrifice which is able to atone; to make right that which is wrong, for the sins of the people. There is the reason for the season.
And, 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.
Yes, there is even more to his coming as a human being. By his death on the cross, he was able to destroy both him who drags us into problems and death, and the reason those things bind us up and get us all uptight and distraught. Through his death, he destroyed the devils power; for his power lay in being able to not only lead us into temptation and trouble, but he could then lay ‘the guilts’ on us and drag us down into despair and hopelessness. Then in particular, he is able to use death as his final conquering fear. Death is the end consequence of sin, and death is the punishment and rejection that we deserve for it. That is the power of death. That is the fear that is laid before us.
However, through Jesus death on the cross, that fear and certainty of death as punishment and condemnation has been broken. Jesus was punished in our place. He made atonement for the sins of all people. Now it is not our sin that condemns us. The only thing that now separates us from the love of God in Christ Jesus is our rejection of him and what he has made available to us. The power and fear of death has been destroyed. Forgiveness of sins and the assurance of life and salvation is now set before all.
Now we have been brought back into the family of God and assured that there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
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. And this is you and I that he is talking about. We are through baptism joined to Jesus Christ and all that he has done for us through his death on the cross, and thereby are assured that we are a part of God’s family now and forever. To God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ then, be all glory and honour now and always.
So what really is the reason for the season? Yes, Jesus came for the express purpose of dying on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. His suffering and death is the reason for the season. There is the greatness of Jesus and what he came for. 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. In Jesus suffering and death, he brought to completion what God had sent him to do. There is the perfection and greatness of Jesus Christ. There is the real meaning of Christmas.
All we are thereby left to do is to give all glory and honour to him who has done all of this for us. All we can do is now to focus on him and acknowledge that he alone is the author and perfector of our faith. He alone is the one who is all important in life. So to him then be all glory and honour now and always. AMEN.
Pastor Roger Atze
Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish
(10) In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. {11} Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. {12} He says, "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises." {13} And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again he says, "Here am I, and the children God has given me." {14} 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-- {15} and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. {16} For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. {17} 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. {18} Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Christmas: What a great time of the year! A happy, joyous occasion, when we are able to relax and enjoy life for a while, with a break from our work and the partaking of some of the niceties of life. This is the season of festivity and goodwill: A time for the giving and receiving of gifts and good wishes; and now it is almost the bigger and better that will somehow make Christmas more special for us. Very much at the heart of it all however is us; Christmas is about us and what we do, our giving, attitude and the like. That is what makes Christmas, Christmas. Of course, that is if we listen carefully to what people are saying, this is no longer the underlying message of Christmas today, but is the message that has been presented by the world, once again.
Yes, for many, there is that knowledge that somehow Jesus is connected to this. Jesus is somehow the reason for the season. But it seems that more and more, it is not Jesus and who he is and what he came for that is central to Christmas: it is what we do and make of Christmas that makes Christmas special. Sadly, even within many churches this same thinking seems to be a growing trend.
So with this thinking about we need to again reassess what Christmas really is all about. Why is it that we can take Christ and Carol singing and the like out of Christmas and still have Christmas? Most importantly, why did Jesus come and be born all those many Christmases ago? What really is the reason for the season?
Now I am sure that when we are confronted with these questions, we can and will very quickly give answers that are probably fairly close to the mark. We can readily state that Christmas began with Jesus being born in a manger and that somehow through that, God loves us and thinks that we are special. In fact, we are so special and he loved us so much that he even went to the cross to show us what is meant by true love and what can be achieved when we live and love like Jesus did.
Sadly, more and more we are listening to Satan’s lies and shifting the focus away from Jesus and his death on the cross, to us as the centre of life and to what we do as of utmost importance. Our Christianity is even becoming more and more selfish and self-centred. Scripture tells us again and again that this rebellion against God is what brings problems and death on ourselves and our human race. This going against God and what he has to say to us in his Word is what has brought hardship and judgment on ourselves: and not one of us is exempt. Every one of us deserves everything that comes our way and more. We deserve death and God’s harshest judgement; in fact to be totally forsaken by God himself. That is why we fear death and try to find a way to avoid it. But we can’t. We are in slavery to death and we can’t get around it, as hard as what we try, or as much as we try to avoid thinking about it.. We are in big trouble indeed.
But that is exactly where the true message of Christmas comes in. That brings us to the real reason for Jesus’ coming to earth. God knows how dire our situation is, and comes to do something about it. Not because we deserve it, or that somehow we are good enough for him to do so. We had even destroyed that image of God that we were created with. But his love for us, despite all of this, meant that he wanted to do that which was necessary to rectify the situation.
So he sends Jesus to be born, as one of us. As our reading says: For this reason he had to be made like us 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.
He came born as a human being; the same in every way as you and I are, except for him having no original sin. He lived a normal, if not lowly existence. Born in a stable; his first bed a feed trough; soon after having to flee his home country and go to Egypt as a refugee: grew up as a carpenter; tested in the desert with temptations that we all would have succumbed to; rejected by his friends and village people; Hounded by the religious leaders of the day; and is put to death unjustly in the most horrible way. Yes, he was very much a human being as you and I.
Yet in the midst of this humanity, he was able to keep himself from falling into temptation and sinning, and so was able to be both a merciful and faithful high priest and the perfect sacrifice which takes away the sin of the world. He was able to offer himself to God the Father as the sacrifice which is able to atone; to make right that which is wrong, for the sins of the people. There is the reason for the season.
And, 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.
Yes, there is even more to his coming as a human being. By his death on the cross, he was able to destroy both him who drags us into problems and death, and the reason those things bind us up and get us all uptight and distraught. Through his death, he destroyed the devils power; for his power lay in being able to not only lead us into temptation and trouble, but he could then lay ‘the guilts’ on us and drag us down into despair and hopelessness. Then in particular, he is able to use death as his final conquering fear. Death is the end consequence of sin, and death is the punishment and rejection that we deserve for it. That is the power of death. That is the fear that is laid before us.
However, through Jesus death on the cross, that fear and certainty of death as punishment and condemnation has been broken. Jesus was punished in our place. He made atonement for the sins of all people. Now it is not our sin that condemns us. The only thing that now separates us from the love of God in Christ Jesus is our rejection of him and what he has made available to us. The power and fear of death has been destroyed. Forgiveness of sins and the assurance of life and salvation is now set before all.
Now we have been brought back into the family of God and assured that there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
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. And this is you and I that he is talking about. We are through baptism joined to Jesus Christ and all that he has done for us through his death on the cross, and thereby are assured that we are a part of God’s family now and forever. To God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ then, be all glory and honour now and always.
So what really is the reason for the season? Yes, Jesus came for the express purpose of dying on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. His suffering and death is the reason for the season. There is the greatness of Jesus and what he came for. 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. In Jesus suffering and death, he brought to completion what God had sent him to do. There is the perfection and greatness of Jesus Christ. There is the real meaning of Christmas.
All we are thereby left to do is to give all glory and honour to him who has done all of this for us. All we can do is now to focus on him and acknowledge that he alone is the author and perfector of our faith. He alone is the one who is all important in life. So to him then be all glory and honour now and always. AMEN.
Pastor Roger Atze
Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish
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