2^nd Sunday after Christmas – January 4, 2009

This past week, the Christmas tree in our house was taken down, so off came the ornaments and lights. As my children helped to undress the tree, one of them asked, “Why are we taking the tree down? Is Christmas over?” I said to them, “No, we are taking the tree down because your brother can’t leave it alone.” Then, I patiently explained to them that Christmas is never over. I reminded them that the tree does not make Christmas, nor do the ornaments, or the lights, or the presents - Jesus makes Christmas.

Sadly, the world’s view is often that once the tree comes down, the presents are opened and the decorations are put away, Christmas is over. I pray that you have not bought into this world view because nothing could be further from the truth. Christmas is not over. The significance and meaning of it goes on all year. Especially when we remember that Christmas is about Jesus, who he is and what he did. You see, the birth of Christ that we have just celebrated can never be separated from the suffering of Christ that lies still months ahead in our church year. The Baby of Bethlehem is the future Man hanging on Calvary’s cross. Mary’s Son is the Source of our salvation, and Jesus could not win that salvation unless he was born. So today, we look back at the very first Christmas as we continue to celebrate Christmas, and answer the question: Why did God become man? And our text will answer that question with two parts: 1) To be the author of our Salvation, and 2) To be our brother. We read…

Hebrews 2:10-18 – 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. 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. He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises.” And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me.” 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. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 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. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Today’s words focus our eyes on Jesus, and to fully appreciate what is said of him, and what he did, we need to keep in mind who, and what he is. At the beginning of his letter to these Hebrews, the author writes, “In these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being” (Hebrews 1:2,3).” Jesus is the Son of God, the very image of God’s radiance, and the one through whom the worlds were made. Therefore, we know it is Jesus whom the writer to the Hebrews is speaking of when he says, “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.” Notice that the writer of this book calls Jesus “the author of salvation.”

That word “author” is used only three times in all the New Testament; twice in the book of Hebrews and once in the book of Acts. The Greek word means “founding leader, originator,” also, “the one who takes the lead in anything, the author.” To help us understand what is being said, it might be helpful to think of this translation, “one who established a way of salvation and leads people to it.” The gospel writer John described Jesus this way, “He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:2,3). Therefore, the Second Person of the Trinity, God the Son, was present and active in the creation of the world. But that Jesus is the author of our salvation is more than that. It was also the Son who was speaking to the devil immediately following Adam and Eve’s fall into sin. It was the Son who said that the offspring of the woman would crush Satan’s head. Still, Jesus being the author of salvation means more than him simply having a say in the plan of salvation, it means that he carried the plan of salvation out on our behalf. And in order for the Son to do this, the Son of God had to become our brother, the Son of Man, and he had to suffer.

That is the very point the writer to the Hebrews takes up next. “It was fitting that God…should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.” Perfect through suffering - doesn’t that sound a little strange? Think about it, the perfect Son of Man, perfected through suffering!? What can it mean? It of course does not mean that Jesus became perfect by a process. All of Scripture bears witness to the fact that Jesus was perfect. Perfect in his life and perfect in his work. What it means is this. Jesus came on a mission. He came to carry out a task. He came to bring about a deliverance. Jesus’ goal was salvation, and that goal was brought to perfect completion through suffering. It was in agony of body and torment of spirit that he resisted the tempter. It was with great sadness of heart that he was rejected by those to whom he had devoted his life, and for who sakes he was giving it up. It was with anguish that he fought the fierce battle of body and soul in Gethsemane. It was with indefinable suffering that he spent those 15 or 16 hours from the time of his betrayal to the utterance of the words, “It is finished.” That is what it means that Jesus was perfected through suffering. God the Father brought to completion the work of his Son through his horrible suffering and death.

You see, in order to carry out the work of saving sinful humans like you and like me, Jesus had to take on a human body. But in order to lead a holy life and to die an innocent death, that human body couldn’t be that of a sinful mortal. So crucial to salvation is belief in the fact of the two natures of Christ. So crucial is the virgin birth, the conception by the Spirit, the absence of sexual relations between Joseph and Mary before his birth. So crucial is the grace of God that sent Christ and the love of Christ that followed the will of his heavenly Father in becoming man. That is why Jesus had to become man, because the just and holy God could not bring men to heaven’s glory by ignoring their sins but by dealing with sin. So Jesus dealt with them, every last one of them. Yes, he dealt with those we hope no one ever finds out about as well as the ones every one knows about. He dealt with our most disgusting as well as our pet sins. He dealt with our sins of anger, our sins of hatred, our sins of greed, our sins of hypocrisy, our sins of arrogance. He dealt with every last one of our sins which testify to our worthiness of hell by fighting for us the very battle which we could not fight for ourselves.

That work of Christ, and the conversion brought about in our hearts by the Holy Spirit to believe that work of Christ, has now set us apart as God’s holy people. Now, the eternal Son of God, Jesus, and you and I are of the same family. God the Father is both Jesus’ Father and our Father. Jesus is now our brother. Notice how the writer to the Hebrews brings this out, “Both the one who makes men holy [that is Jesus] and those who are made holy [that is us] are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.” And again, “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity.” In order to carry out the work of salvation, Jesus had to become our brother in every way, and he did. He shared in our flesh and blood. He suffered. He died. And just look, and I mean really look, I mean look with believing and exuberant hearts at what he accomplished by becoming our brother.

First, the author writes, “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.” As our brother, Jesus has rendered ineffective the power Satan once held. Our sins condemn us. They tell us we have not obeyed God’s Law perfectly. They prove we deserve death and hell. That is the power that Satan once held over us. He waved God’s law back and forth, pointing at each Commandment and cackling, “You have not perfectly kept the first one, you have disobeyed the fourth one, who have committed sexual immorality, you have sworn falsely, ah ha, you have broken all of them. When you die you will be mine, all mine, to spend an eternity with me in hell.”

But Jesus, our brother, changed all that. He nullified the devil and neutralized his ultimate weapon of death. When Jesus died on the cross, he paid our debt of sin. He satisfied God’s demands concerning that law. While it is true that the wages of sin is death, it is also true that the gift of God is eternal life for all who believe in Jesus as Savior. Now, death is nothing more than Satan’s bark with no bite. Death is now something we need not fear.

“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.” Fear is a terrible thing. It paralyzes individuals and sucks the joy right out of life. The one thing in human life that has caused more fear and misery than any one other thing is death. It is the nightmare of the human mind and imagination. In every age. In every land. Among all classes. And why wouldn’t it be, when for the sinner, on the other side of death awaits the never ending, unimaginable pain of hell. But Jesus, our brother, changed all that. Death is no more a penalty. You see, in addition to his perfect payment for our sins, Jesus rose from the dead to declare his victory. As Paul says, “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).

Yet, there is more. Jesus also became our brother in every way so that he could serve as our High Priest. When we think of the High Priest, we think of the Old Testament Day of Atonement. On that day, the Priest would enter the Most Holy Place and sprinkle animal blood on the mercy seat. In this way sin’s removal and resulting peace with God was symbolized. With Jesus as High Priest, he did more than sprinkle animal blood. He shed his own blood, and not just to symbolize sin’s removal, but to actually remove sins deepest stain. His blood sends sin away. It completely wipes out the acts of disobedience from God’s book. The result: peace. Unadulterated, inexpressible, glorious peace. Peace that brings with it the very comforting truth, “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

Listen to that again. Drink in its comfort. Soak up its loveliness. Take in its magnificence. “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” As our brother, Jesus knows our temptations. He understands what we are going through. Yet, not only does he understand you; not only does he get what you’re going through; not only does he sympathize with your pain. HE CAN HELP! HE WILL HELP! So lay your burdens at his feet. Turn your eyes to him for help. Place yourselves into his almighty, all-knowing, all-caring arms. He will dish out the right amount of comfort at the right time. He will supply you with the needed strength. He will furnish you with the desired help. There is no doubt about it, for he was tempted, yet he came out triumphant.

So there you have it, the beauty and purpose of Christmas, so powerfully and so simply revealed. What is more, God did not have to do this thing. Jesus did not have to do this thing. There was nothing in us that compelled him. There was only love. So, please, please, don’t ever tire of it! Please, please don’t ever think Christmas is over! Please, please run from, detest, and drive out the world’s view of this Blessed Season. It is a message that has everlasting implications. It is a message of heavenly proportions. It is a message of eternal significance. When we see things in this light, God’s light, the sufferings of Jesus, His Cross, appears in an altogether different light. It is no longer a tragedy. Jesus was not a victim. He was God’s glorious Son, man’s glorious Hero, born as a human, for love’s sake, to redeem, to rescue, us, His brothers. That is why God had to become man. Amen.