Christ is Everything
Published by Stanley Pouw in 2024 · 17 March 2024
The goal for us at this point, as we come to the Word of God, is to consider the glory of our Savior, and so let us turn to Hebrews 2. And while this section of Scripture is worthy of careful, detailed explanation, we’ll try to hit the highlights. Now Hebrews was written to Jews. Some of them believed in Christ. Others were in the process of considering Christ, and they needed further clarification.
And there were other Jews who were just on the outside looking in. But to all of them, this letter is written to demonstrate that Jesus is the one true Savior of the world. So the writer begins in Hebrews 1 by declaring that Jesus is superior to angels. Angels are servants, verse 7 says, but to the Son, verse 8 says, “Your throne God, is forever and the scepter of Your kingdom is the scepter of justice.
God has anointed you” verse 9, “with the oil of joy beyond Your companions.” The only one above the angels was God Himself. This is an amazing declaration. Everything in creation bows to Christ, verse 13 says: “To which of the angels has He ever said, ‘Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool?” And the answer is to no angel. So Christ is superior to angels.
The Jews understood that angels were heavenly beings. They were associated with the work of God and the law of God. They worshiped the true God in holiness. So who is greater than the angels? If you’re going to suggest that this Jesus Christ is our Savior and He is our Redeemer, He has to be greater than men, because men cannot redeem themselves; and He is also greater than angels.
But the lingering question among the Jews is, “How could this man, Jesus, be greater than the angels, when He was a man and died? How could be the perfect Savior? How could He be the Messiah and be killed?” In 1 Corinthians 1:23 the apostle Paul says the death of Christ on the cross was a stumbling block to the Jews. How can you have the Messiah be human, and so human as to even die?
The writer has to answer that basic question. And what we learn is summed up in Hebrews 2:9, “We do see Jesus made lower than the angels for a short time so that by God’s grace He might taste death for everyone, and crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death.” Jesus Christ was born to die, born in human flesh for the very purpose of dying for believers.
Those soft baby hands, fashioned by the Holy Spirit in Mary’s womb, were made to take two great nails. Those tender feet, were to walk a hill and be executed in front of masses of people. That sacred head, was to wear a crown of thorns. Jesus was born for death. That tender body, wrapped in swaddling clothes in Bethlehem, was to be ripped open by a spear to reveal a broken heart.
That does not disqualify Him; that qualifies Him to be our great Savior. Man, created by God, would have dominion over the creation, but fell into sin and lost his crown. Man should be a king, but instead he is a slave, bound to sin and ruled by what he was designed originally to rule over. And into this situation came Jesus, to make men what God intended, to restore the crown.
So while the Jews were wondering how He could be the Savior if He’s a man and He died, the New Testament makes it crystal clear, repeatedly, that in order to be the Savior, He had to be a man, and He had to die. Dying as a man qualified Him to be our great Savior. As you look at verses 9 till verse 18, Jesus is presented as our great Savior by five images that are perfect.
First, He is our substitute; second, He is our Creator; third, He is our sanctifier; fourth, He is our Satan-conqueror; and fifth, He is our sympathizer. Now these are familiar to you as a believer, but beautifully and magnificently that all comes together in this particular text. Let’s look at verse 9, where we see Christ as our substitute, “We see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels.”
We learn from Hebrews 1 that Jesus was above the angels. The angels were ministering spirits, and He was the sovereign ruler who sat at the right hand of God. But for a little while He was made lower than the angels, this Jesus, because of the suffering of death. He had to taste death for everyone who believes. In other words, to redeem His people He had to die their death.
So the first reason Jesus came into the world was to taste death for everyone who believes, a substitutionary death. We understand that; that’s the heart of the gospel. It involved a humiliation. He was made a little while lower than the angels. Paul says Philippians 2: Being equal with God, He didn’t hold onto that; He gave it up and came all the way down to humanity, and all the way to death on the cross.
Why? To taste death for everyone who believes. He’s the only one who could be the substitute. He was guilty of nothing, and yet He tasted death for sinners. Galatians 4 says He came to redeem those under the law. Romans 8 says He came in the likeness of sinful flesh as an offering for sin. 2 Corinthians 5:15 says, “He died for all.” Only by the Son through death can any sinner be forgiven.
This was an act in verse 9 that was prompted “by the grace of God.” That is God’s motivation. Solely on the basis of God’s good pleasure, God’s free lovingkindness, He chose to send His Son as a substitute for sinners. And He was so successful at it that as a result of that substitutionary death, Jesus the Son of God was subsequently “crowned with glory and honor.”
Philippians 2 says God gave Jesus a name above every name, seated Him at His right hand, and validating His work. Rather than the cross needing an apology, the Savior had to be killed, and He had to be killed in the place of sinners. And so was this the plan, that God exalted Him, crowned Him with glory and honor. For thirty-three years, He was lower than the angels, to die as our substitute.
Secondly, the writer presents Jesus as our author. In verse 10, “For in bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was entirely appropriate that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, should make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” It was entirely appropriate that God in bringing many sons and daughters to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.
“Author” could be “pioneer.” The word archēgos is, in Acts, actually translated “Prince of life” when referring to Christ. So He, though placed in a lowly position for His time here, was always elevated as the sovereign Lord and Savior. God knew that if Christ was going to bring many sons and daughters to glory, there had to be someone to make perfect the author of salvation.
The cross was the masterpiece of wisdom. It demonstrated God’s hatred for sin. It agreed with His grace because it was an act of love to bring forgiveness of sin. It was fitting with His power. Christ endured a few hours of darkness, took the full fury of the wrath of God for all the people who would ever be saved through all of human history. He is the archēgos, the prince, the author and pioneer.
That word is interesting. It has to do with a person who begins something and takes other people with him. And in that sense, He is our creator and our King, and He brought us into His kingdom. He’s our leader. His ability to lead us to God, to show us the way to God, necessitated His suffering. That’s how the verse ends: “The author of their salvation was perfected through sufferings.”
So rather than death disqualifying Christ, it qualifies Him. Hebrews 5:9 says He is the source of eternal salvation: “He became to all who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.” So the writer of Hebrews is saying, as you look at Christ you understand that He is our substitute, and He is our creator. He is the author of our salvation, the pioneer, the one who leads us to God.
Thirdly, the writer wants us to understand that Jesus is our sanctifier. Verse 11 says, “For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.” He is the one who makes us holy. He is the one who makes us righteous. Christ is the sanctifier, we are the “sanctified”, we are the ones who are made holy.
Do we really share in this holiness? Verse 11 again, to this degree, that He’s “not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.” If you wonder what the level of your holiness is in the eyes of God, it is equal to that of Christ. Christ, you would assume, would have every reason to be ashamed of you, right? But He is not ashamed. Hebrews 11 says, “Jesus is not ashamed to be called their God.”
Christ has no shame in identifying with us, while we know that we don’t even deserve to be identified with Him. It is because we have been granted a covering righteousness that is so true and so real, a genuine righteousness, a righteousness that couldn’t be granted apart from sin being paid for on the cross. This is a childhood that is expressed even further in verses 12 and 13.
Verse 12 says, “I will proclaim your name to My brothers and sisters.” That’s Christ speaking to the Father. Isaiah 8 says: “‘I will proclaim Your name to My brothers and sisters in the midst of the congregation.’ Verse 13, “I will trust in Him. And here I am with the children God gave me.” There’s reference to Psalm 22. This is interesting, because He never called His people “brothers and sisters.”
He called them disciples, called them friends, and called them sheep. But as soon as He came out of the grave, He said to Mary, “Go to My brothers and sisters and say to them, "The cross and the resurrection declares Him to be the perfect Savior, sanctifier as well, who provides eternal sonship and daughtership for all who put their trust in Him; and the people, singing praise has the Messiah in their midst.”
In verses 14 and 15 we find another aspect: He is our Satan-conqueror. Verse 14 says, “Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through his death He might destroy the one holding the power of death—that is, the devil.” Our substitute, our author, our sanctifier, crushed Satan’s head, and crushed Satan at the cross. He did it through death.
Through death He conquered death. Through death He did in verse 15, “And free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death.” Satan holds people in guilt over their sin and produces in people the fear of death. The power of death here means “dominion.” That’s why Paul says to Timothy that Christ Jesus abolished death and brought life and immortality to light.
Matthew 10:28 says, “Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Now, if you’re afraid, and you’re not interested in witnessing for Christ, you’re not going to pay the price. No matter what you say, you’re probably not a Christian. Because if you love the world and you’re of the world, then you’re not of God.
So we’re trying to be like Christ. And being like Christ means we’re going to be treated like Christ. And there’s going to be a temptation to be afraid and pull back your testimony and shut your mouth and not be argumentative, and not say what ought to be said. And so, don’t be afraid. Fear has absolutely strangled testimony. People are afraid to say the truth; they’re afraid to be honest.
Lastly, He is our sympathizer. Verse 16, “For it is clear that he does not reach out to help angels, but to help Abraham’s offspring.” There’s no redemption for angels. They are holy permanently. They never die. Therefore, in verse 17, “He had to be made like His brothers and sisters in every way, so that He could become a merciful and faithful high priest, to make atonement for the sins of the believers.”
He was made like His brothers and sisters in all things: He was hungry, He was thirsty, He was overcome with weariness, He slept, He was taught, He grew, He loved, He was astonished, He marveled, He was glad, He was sad, He was angry, He was indignant, He was grieved, He was troubled, He was overcome. He exercised faith in His Father. He read the Scriptures. He prayed all night.
And then in verse 18, “For since He himself has suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are tempted.” He sighed when He saw a man in need; and tears fell from His eyes when His heart ached. He was like us. Why? So that He could come to the aid of those who are tempted. And Christ does that today for all believers that put their trust in Him and are tempted.
So the Jews may have thought that this Jesus was disqualified from being the great Savior, but the fact of the matter is He is the only one qualified, our substitute, our author, our sanctifier, our Satan-conqueror, and our sympathizer. Christ is all. He understands our needs, our joys, our sorrow and our struggles. So when you think about offering thanks for Christ tonight, think about Hebrews 2. Let’s pray.