The Son of God Became Man So Men Can Be Sons of God

Hebrews 2:5-18

Why did Jesus, the Son of God take on human flesh to be a man? So that he’d restore everything that was lost by Adam to those who believe in him. Because of sin, we’re in a state of misery. We sin against God and we sin against each other. And we deserve the just judgment of God - we saw that last week. But the Bible speaks of man as being the best of God’s creation - in fact, we’re commissioned by God to rule earth on his behalf. But we’re not doing such a good job because of sin. So Christ came to restore that dignity.

Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians living in a time when being Christian wasn’t respectable. They were persecuted by their Jewish relations for being Christians, and they were persecuted by Romans for worshiping an unauthorized God. And many wondered if they should continue with Christ. “Let’s just return back to Judaism!” This would solve the problem with their Jewish relatives and the Romans. They thought they could go back to their animal sacrifices for forgiveness of sins. But the writer to the Hebrews told them that they couldn’t do this. Only Jesus Christ saves man from sin - only he restores ultimate dignity back to man. No animal sacrifices can appease the justice of God. No mere creature, as our catechism says, can sustain the burden of God’s eternal wrath against sin. That’s why God himself had to come. We want to explore question and answer 15 today - “What kind of mediator and deliverer must we seek? One who is a true and righteous man, and yet more powerful than all creatures; that is, one who is at the same time true God.” Particularly, we’ll focus from Hebrews 2 on why the mediator must be a true and righteous man, in 3 points. Firstly, the Christian has a high dignity in the world to come. Secondly, Christ purchased this dignity God’s way. Thirdly, the 3 fold dignity that Christians have.

Firstly, the Christian has a high dignity in the world to come. In verse 5, the author writes - “For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.” God’s purpose for man was to have dominion over all creation. As great as the angels are, they were never intended to rule the world. God never gave them that mandate. In fact, mankind would one day rule over the angels. When God first created man, he said to them in Genesis 1 - “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” The repeated word is “over”. Mankind from the beginning was given authority over creation. And since the angels are part of the created order, man was to have dominion over them as well. But how can this be? Man is so insignificant! Verse 6 says, “But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?” Here he quotes from that certain place in the Bible - Psalm 8. There the psalmist considers the heavens - “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained.” That’s when he says, what is man that you’d even think about him? Man’s a speck. Why would you even visit, meaning, care for him? God, why would you, after creating the majestic universe care about a speck?

It’s because God intends great things for man. Man has a high dignity. Verse 7 says, “Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands.” God’s interested in man. For a little while, for a short time, God has made him lower than the angels. But man was created in God’s image. Angels were not. So while angels are quite exalted already, man’s destiny is to be higher. You’ve crowned him with glory and honor - you set him over your creation. But this dignity hasn’t been realized. Verse 8 says, “Thou hast 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 see not yet all things put under him.” Not yet! But it’ll happen. When? Verse 5 says this subjection of the world to man only happens in the world to come. Only when God recreates the whole world - when heaven and earth are one, when Satan, his demons, and all the unjust will be cast into the lake of fire - that’s when man will rule.

Right now, man is small. He’s sinful. But if he deserves only just judgment for his sin, as we saw in HCLD 4, how will he ever have this dignity? We’re weak. We can’t even tame all the animals now. And we don’t even have dominion here, how can man be over the angels? 1 Corinthians 6:2-3 gives us a clue - “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? Know ye not that we shall judge angels?” Men and women can only be rulers in the world to come, have dominion over all things including the angels, if they’re saints. This means that dominion in the world to come isn’t given to all men. It’s only give to those made holy by Christ - Christians. Paul is quite clear to identify that it’s saints. Only the sinner that’s made right with God will have that dignity.

Why? Because secondly, Christ purchased this dignity God’s way. How did he do it? He became a man. In verse 9, we are told - “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” This is the first time in Hebrews Jesus’s human name is used. Prior to this, the writer used the title Son, God, and Lord. Why Jesus? Because in him, as man, all of God’s promises to humanity would be realized. Heidelberg Catechism 15 says only a true and righteous man can be this mediator and deliverer. So God himself came as a man, to fulfill the destiny of man. God’s intended purpose for humanity is that man would have dominion over creation. But as our representative, Adam lost that privilege. Romans 5 says that through him, sin and death entered into the world and passed to all men, all have sinned. So Christ came to be the second Adam, so that many shall be made righteous. To be our true representative, this second Adam had to share in our condition - so for a little while, he became lower than the angels.

This was God’s plan. God’s way to purchase dignity for man was for him to die. “He, by the grace of God, should taste death for every man.” The reason why he took on a human body, which could bleed and die, in a way that the angels could not, was so he could taste death for everyone who’d believe. This is why verse 10 says no one else could do this. “For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” The NKJV reads like this - “For it was fitting for Him.” It fit God’s plan. Behind the birth and death of Christ was the very purpose and design of God. This was the way God would give man this ultimate dignity of ruling over the universe and angels. Only he was suitable to bring many sons to glory. And this glory was demonstrated by Christ himself. After he had tasted death for every man, Christ was crowned with glory and honor, verse 9. God took him to heaven and seated him at his right hand. Jesus Christ - God and man - rules from heaven today. Jesus would be their captain - the one who goes before and leads the charge. He would be the first man to go before us, to win the battle and get prize of dignity, so that they’d have that destiny too.

And this had great significance to these Jewish Christians. The word “bringing” was significant to them - it would’ve jolted their memories. In Exodus 3:8, God told Moses that he saw the affliction of his people and would “bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.” And in Exodus 6:6, he’d send Moses to “bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.” And he’d show many miracles and as Exodus 7:5 says, to “stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.” God was determined to bring out many sons from Egypt, and the way he’d do that was by a miracle - by the death of the first born of Egypt - to motivate Pharaoh. Yes, the Israelites were just as guilty of judgment - their first born should’ve also died. But God provided a substitute for them - a lamb that was sacrificed. That was God’s way. And here, God’s way was to provide a perfect and righteous man - Jesus Christ - to deliver sinners through his sacrifice and make them sons with dignity. One day they shall rule. Revelation 5:9-10 says, “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” They are delivered to rule the earth. No other mere creature will do - no lamb will do but a perfect God man.

Now, how did Jesus feel about becoming a man and sacrifice? He was happy to do it. Verse 11 tells us - “For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren.” Jesus wanted to be one with us so that he could represent us. 2 Old Testament passages are quoted to prove it. Verse 12 quotes Psalm 22, “Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.” Jesus stands in the midst of the congregation of God’s people and identifies himself with them. God became man, so that he could identify himself with us. Not only was he a man, he did what men had to do. Jesus lived by faith. Verse 13 quotes Isaiah 8 - “And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.” He had to learn to trust in God. He had to pray. Why did he do this? So that we would not be alone - “behold I and the children which God hath given me.” We are not alone - Christ has come to be with us. As verse 14 says, since we were flesh and blood, he had to become flesh and blood to be our champion. Representation requires identification. You can’t join the Singapore Armed Forces unless you are a citizen or a second-generation permanent resident. So the mediator had to be a man.

Thirdly, we see the 3 fold dignity that we have as Christians because of Christ. The first dignity we have is the freedom from the fear of death. Verses 14-15 say, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” We’re told that Jesus nullified the power of the devil, which is the power of death. But does the devil have the power of death? Isn’t it God? Deuteronomy 32:39 says, “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.” It can’t be both God and the devil, right? So when it says the devil has the power of death, it means several things. Satan has the power to use death and judgment to scare people, because death came about by sin, and the devil is the origin of sin. But the Christian is freed from judgment, his sins are forgiven, so he doesn’t need to fear death.

A few days before his death, F. B. Meyer, the pastor, wrote a good friend: “I have just heard, to my great surprise, that I have but a few days to live. It may be that before this letter reaches you, I shall have entered the palace. Don’t trouble to write. We shall meet in the morning.” He called death a palace. He had no fear. A mature Christian is persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The second dignity Christ obtained is that they will not be judged. Verse 17 - “Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.” Why did he become a man? In order to be a High Priest - a mediator - to make reconciliation. More accurately, it’s the word propitiation. God is angry with sin and sinners. Ephesians 2:3 says by nature, we’re children of wrath. But Jesus’ sacrifice resulted in God removing that wrath from us.

And our third dignity is victory over sin. Verse 18 says, “For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.” Jesus, as man, has gone through temptation in a way that we never have gone through. We’ve never been as tempted as severely. When we’re tempted, we give in after awhile. But Jesus is the only man who when tempted, resisted until the end. So he has faced the full-force of temptation. He was tempted again and again to abort his mission, but he endured. And in the end, he triumphed over all temptation when he went to the cross. The greatest qualification of a mediator is that he never sinned - he’s perfect and righteous - but that he was a man - he understands temptation. So because of that, he gives us victory over sin. When we’re tempted, we don’t have to give in. It’s not inevitable. Sin, the devil, death (thanatos in Greek) is not inevitable! When we are tempted, Jesus the man can help us have victory over temptation. So how can we escape judgment, the fear of death, and have victory over sin? As Heidelberg Catechism 12 asks - how can we escape this punishment? God demands his justice be satisfied by full payment - either by ourselves or through another. By Jesus himself paying the penalty. Since we can’t, Jesus himself has paid the penalty. That’s why he became fully man, to be a mediator to represent us - to be our champion and captain.

There are some applications for us this evening. For those who are not Christians - my words are simple. You’re sinners. Can you bear the punishment that he’ll pour on you for your sins? Are you able to be received into favor again? You can’t - God’s punishment is eternal. Only an eternal God can bear the eternal punishment of God. You need a man to represent you and to restore to you dignity. The God-man himself - Jesus Christ alone - can do that. If he’s not your champion, no one else can.

For those of you who call on Christ. If Christ is your champion, are you relying on him for help in times of temptation? He’s won victory for you - you have ultimate dignity - one day you’ll be perfectly victorious. So why do you give into your sin? Why do you not strive to live as he did? Do you take his suffering for granted? If he can help you overcome sin, why don’t you cry to him more? You have a champion! Why in your Christian life, do you try to do everything yourselves. Why do you serve by your own strength, be holy by our own effort, and behave as if you have no champion when you slip up - like you’re still condemned?

Dearly beloved, look to Christ afresh. He’s your champion - the God-man who restores you dignity, by himself giving up that dignity for a season, to be mocked, spat upon, hit, whipped, and slain. So that on that final day when we are crowned with that glory, and clothed in white, ruling over the world, we will cast our crowns before the throne and worship him that sits on the throne forever and ever.