Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (He 12:2). Amen.
What did they see when they looked around? Persecution of some kind. And it wasn’t getting better. That led to questions. What is happening?
What do we see when we look about. Problems of some sort. And it isn’t getting easier. That results in concerns. Why is this happening?
It makes no difference if it is the Hebrew Christians or us. They needed, we need, the letter of Hebrews. The eyes on our faces are valuable. The eyes of our faith are vital. And what do we spot? We see Jesus who completed his Father’s plan and who confesses his perfect family. We read from …
Hebrews 2:9-11
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus, our heavenly Brother who helps us,
I learned about it as a senior in college in psychology class. (That is a shout out to my liberal arts education.) It is called a “Rorschach test.” A person tells what they think an inkblot is when they glance at it. This test is to examine an individual’s characteristics and emotional functioning. That is the extent of my knowledge. That is because I know a little about a lot.
I don’t know if one of the blobs resembles a cross. But that is what the author of Hebrews holds out to us so that we hold on to it.
We See Jesus
1. Who completed his Father’s plan (9,10)
2. Who confesses his perfect family (10,11)
1. Who completed his Father’s plan (9,10)
In the Nicene Creed this morning, we asserted: “We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen” (CW p. 18).
His power is evident and he simply says, “Let there be,” and there was (Ge 1:3).
His wisdom is apparent as he carefully forms things in an orderly way—beginning with light and ending with mankind.
His love is obvious as he really institutes marriage—giving Eve to Adam: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh” (Ge 2:24).
All of that is true as we view our own bodies—how he has fashioned us. With the psalmist, we sing: “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps 139:14).
When our first parents believed the lie of the devil and sinned, that did not stop our God. He formulated a way to rescue all. That is the one the unknown writer points to. We see Jesus who completed his Father’s plan.
With our spiritual vision, “We see Jesus” (He 2:9). We pause for a moment to remember, to reflect on that name. Recall it was the angel who reported to Joseph about Mary’s miracle baby: “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Mt 1:21). Jesus translates as “the Lord saves.” That is what he did—according to the Father’s plan.
Jesus, true God, became true man. We also acknowledged that: “For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, was incarnate [In other words, “he was ‘in the flesh.’”] of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and became fully human” (CW p. 18). In the process, “we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels” (He 2:9). He gave up the majesty of heaven and was put in a manger in Bethlehem (Php 2:6-8). That must have been quite a sight as one of the messengers from on high stated to some scared shepherds at work: “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Lk 2:11).
But that was for a short time and for a specific purpose. “We see Jesus … now crowned with glory and honor” (He 2:9). He sits on his throne—having come out of his three-day grave and going back to his eternal position, deserving of all respect and reverence as THE King, exalted to the highest place (Php 2:10). “Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Php 2:11).
Why? All “because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone” (He 2:9). He didn’t sniff at it or sip it like if we are sampling something in another’s glass to find out if we like it. No. He drained the “cup of suffering” to its very dregs according to the Father’s will (Mt 26:42). He gulped down our guilt as he suffered our punishment on the cross—for our sin. The author highlights the fact that is “grace”—unmerited favor, a free gift. Jesus died “for everyone” (He 2:9). We can all contend individually, “In my place and for my sake and for my benefit. For me.” That is not selfish, but that is certain (He 11:1).
The Father did not sit back and let us flounder with our feeble, futile efforts. Quite the opposite. Not one thing that Jesus did was by accident. “It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering” (He 9:10). He is the Cause and Creator of the entire universe. And it was proper and appropriate that he deal with our sin. He sent his Son to be “the author of salvation.” Jesus didn’t just blaze a trail to heaven, he is the way to heaven (Jn 14:6). And Jesus reached the goal of rescuing us from Satan and sin like a when a team scores a touchdown. That is the objective. So Jesus’ pain gives us perfection. His cry from the cross is correct: “It is finished” (Jn 19:30). He has done it all. We see Jesus who completed his Father’s plan entirely.
2. Who confesses his perfect family (10,11)
It was in the Apostles’ Creed that we announce under the article of the Holy Spirit: “I believe in … the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints” (CW p. 19). Those who have been called together are a joining of holy ones. That is what the unnamed writer of Hebrews points out. We see Jesus who confesses his perfect family.
The Father through his suffering Son has succeeded “in bringing many sons to glory” (He 2:10). Sons—that is our status no matter what age or gender. And we have a never-ending home with him forever—by his side and in his presence (Jn 14:2,3). Jesus has provided it and prepared it by becoming one of us. “Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family” (He 2:11). Holy—free from sin and far from it. And so we often define it as “perfect” or “pure”—just like Jesus.
“So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers” (He 2:11). He is not embarrassed by us as one sibling may be of another because of something that they have done. (Who wants to be kissed by his sister?) No one is insignificant or irrelevant. It is hard to miss that in that short scene. The disciples wanted to push the little ones away, but Jesus pulled them close: He was not above them and they were not below him. “Let the little children come to me” (Mk 10:14). Jesus came as our brother and calls us his brothers. We see Jesus who confesses his perfect family eagerly.
To me, a blot of ink is more suited for an exhibition in an art gallery (even though I am not a fan of abstract art) than for an evaluation of a disorder. (I am not speaking against the medical profession.) But we have something concrete to stare at in the middle of persecution and in the midst of problems. We see Jesus who completed his Father’s plan to save us and who confesses his perfect family to claim us. That is no doubt what we see. Jesus. Amen.
Grace be with you all (He 13:25). Amen.
October 7, 2018
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