God Has A Face
Text: Heb. 2:14-18
Introduction
1. “We make such a fuss! Bring the baby into a room, and everything changes. Grandma reaches up. Grandpa wakes up. Conversation shifts from politics and presidents to Pampers and pacifiers. This time of year babies take center stage. And well they should. Is not Christmas the story of a baby?
2. Heaven’s seed enwombed in Mary.
Minuscule, yet mighty.
A fetus, yet a force.
God descends a birth canal.
Born.
Creator cradled in a Bethlehem barn.
Infant, yet infinite.
Asleep, yet a King.
God gurgles in Mama’s arms.
Baby.
3. This is the Christmas moment that shaped all the others to follow. On a starlit night in the company of sheep, cattle, and a bewildered Joseph, Mary’s eyes fell upon the face of her just-born son. She was bone weary, surely. In pain, likely. Ready to place her head on the straw and sleep the rest of the night away, probably. But first Mary had to see this face. His face. To wipe the moisture from his mouth and feel the shape of his chin. To be the first to whisper, “So this is what God looks like.” (Excerpt From: Max Lucado. “Because of Bethlehem (with Bonus Content).” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/546E_.l).
4. We hear all of the time about the Christmas miracle. But that Christmas miracle is not that baby Jesus was born, but that God became like one of us. However, the question we need to answer is why?
5. God became like one of us...
A. To Set Us Free
B. To Relate To Our Struggle
6. Let's stand together as we read Heb. 2:14-18.
Proposition: God loved us so much that he became like us so that he could save us.
Transition: The first reason he became like one of us is...
I. He Became Like One Of Us To Set Us Free (14-15).
A. The Son Became Flesh And Blood
1. Why in the world would the Son of God become like one of us?
A. Why would he put up with teething?
B. Why would he put up with puberty?
C. Why would he subject himself to sickness, disease and pain?
D. Why would he go through Freshman English? Okay maybe not.
2. The writer of Hebrews gives us the reasons why. First he says, "Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death."
A. Death is the common fear and final experience of all people, and only as a human being, made of flesh and blood, could Christ die because only by dying could he break the power of the Devil, who had the power of death.
B. His death and his return to life showed that death had been defeated.
C. Romans 6:9-11 (NLT)
We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. 11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.
D. Sin and death are interconnected: Sin results in death. Only by first breaking the power of sin could Christ then break the power of death. He accomplished both through his death and resurrection.
E. In those acts, Christ dealt the final blow to both Satan and death. Although Satan still holds great power over this world, he is mortally wounded. God allows Satan to work, but limits him.
F. Just as salvation is partly realized now and will be fully realized later, in God’s Kingdom, so Satan is still at work but will one day be destroyed (Barton, Life Application New Testament Commentary, 1016).
3. The Biblical writer goes on to say, "Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying."
A. The author does not explain how Christ's death does this but contents himself with the fact that it does. In doing so he stresses the note of victory that we find throughout the NT.
B. The defeat of the devil means the setting free of those he had held sway over, those who had been gripped by fear of death.
C. Fear is an inhibiting and enslaving thing; and when people are gripped by the ultimate fear—the fear of death—they are in cruel bondage.
D. In the first century this was very real. The philosophers urged people to be calm in the face of death, and some of them managed to do so. But to most people this brought no relief.
E. Fear was widespread, as the hopeless tone of the inscriptions on tombs clearly illustrates. But one of the many wonderful things about the Christian gospel is that it delivers men and women from this fear.
F. Revelation 1:18 (NLT)
I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.
G. They are saved with a sure hope of life eternal, a life whose best lies beyond the grave (EBC, 29).
4. He could not do this as God, he had to become like us; he had to stand in our place.
A. Hebrews 9:22 (NLT)
In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.
B. He had to shed his blood and he had to be one of us.
C. That's how much God loves us that he was willing to become like us.
B. Free From Fear
1. Illustration: Two explorers were on a jungle safari when suddenly a ferocious lion jumped in front of them. "Keep calm" the first explorer whispered. "Remember what we read in that book on wild animals? If you stand perfectly still and look the lion in the eye, he will turn and run." "Sure," replied his companion. "You've read the book, and I've read the book. But has the lion read the book?"
2. One of the great miracles of Christmas is that fear is destroyed.
A. 1 John 4:18-19 (NLT)
Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 19 We love each other because he loved us first.
B. By coming to earth Jesus destroyed the fear of death.
C. By coming to earth Jesus destroyed the fear of the unknown.
D. By coming to earth Jesus destroyed the fear of sickness and disease.
E. If Jesus perfect love gets rid of fear, then what are we so gripped with fear?
F. Let Jesus love so encompass you that your fear vanishes.
Transition: Another reason that Jesus became like one of us is...
II. He Became Like One Of Us To Relate To Our Struggle (16-18).
A. To Be Made In Every Respect Like Us
1. Have you ever been going through a rough time and someone, as well meaning as they might be, look at you and says, "I know just how you feel!," and it takes everything inside of you to not get in their face and say, "No you don't!"
2. Well Jesus can honestly say to you that he knows how you feel.
3. In v. 16 it says, "We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham."
A. Angels were not the objects of God’s grace. God sent Jesus to die for people, the descendants of Abraham, who were lost in their sin.
B. Some believe that this phrase refers only to the Jews, but Jesus had explained that it was through faith in him that people became Abraham’s true descendants.
C. Jesus was born as a Jew, a descendant of Abraham. His death and resurrection offered salvation to all of humanity—both Jews and Gentiles.
D. Abraham’s descendants are all who share Abraham’s faith. Christ did not become an angel; he became a human in order to help humans (Barton, 1017).
4. Then the writer tells us, "Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people."
A. Jesus Christ became like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could become our merciful and faithful High Priest.
B. In the Old Testament, the high priest was the mediator between God and the people. But Jesus’ death and resurrection inaugurated a new covenant.
C. Under the old covenant, the high priests had to go before God once a year; Jesus’ death accomplished forgiveness once and for all for those who believe in him.
D. Christ performed perfectly and completely the duties of a high priest. Thus the writer calls him our High Priest, our representative before God. Jesus became like us in every respect except for the sinful nature—Jesus never shared in that part of humanity. Only in this way could he offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.
E. That sacrifice was his life. A holy God cannot overlook sin; thus, the sinfulness of humanity had to be punished.
F. In the Old Testament, God required his people to sacrifice animals (“perfect” animals, healthy and whole) to atone for their sins.
G. At the right time, God dealt once and for all with sin and its ultimate consequence—death and eternal separation from God.
H. Instead of sending all humanity to eternal punishment, God took the punishment himself.
I. Sin had to be punished, but Jesus shed his blood—gave his life—to take away our sins so that we wouldn’t have to experience spiritual death. His sacrifice transforms our lives and hearts and makes us clean on the inside (Barton, 1017).
5. Jesus can relate to us in our struggles because "Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested."
A. The sufferings Jesus endured enable him to help others.
B. "He himself" (autos) is emphatic. Contrary to what might have been expected, he suffered. The verb "suffered" naturally applies to the cross, but the context shows that a wider reference is in mind. Throughout his earthly life Jesus suffered.
C. Being what he is, temptation must have been far more distasteful for him than it is for us. The verb "tempted" sometimes means "tested," and here it might conceivably apply to the sufferings simply as trials to be endured.
D. But the verb is more often used in the sense of "tempt."
E. The author is saying that Jesus can help the tempted because he has perfect sympathy with them. He too has been tempted and knows what temptation is.
F. The words "he is able" are important and mean more than "he helps." Only he who suffers can help in this way. Jesus went all the way for us. He was not only ready to suffer, but he actually did suffer (EBC, 30).
G. Jesus truly does understand what you are going through!
B. He Understands
1. Illustration: “Why did God go through all this? A chief reason is this: he wants you to know that he gets you. He understands how you feel and has faced what you face. Jesus is not “out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help” (Heb. 4:15–16 MSG). Since you know he understands, you can boldly go to him. Because of Bethlehem’s miracle, you can answer these fundamental questions: Does God care if I’m sad? Look at the tear-streaked face of Jesus as he stands near Lazarus’s tomb. Does God notice when I’m afraid? Note the resolve in the eyes of Jesus as he marches through the storm to rescue his friends. Does God know if I am ignored or rejected? Find the answer in the compassionate eyes of Christ as he stands to defend the adulterous woman.2” (Excerpt From: Max Lucado. “Because of Bethlehem (with Bonus Content).” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/546E_.l).
2. Jesus understands what it's like to be one of us because He is one of us.
A. Hebrews 4:14-16 (NLT)
So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
B. Jesus knows what it's like to feel alone and abandoned.
C. Jesus knows what it's like to be afraid.
D. Jesus knows what it's like to be rejected.
E. Jesus knows what it's like to have friends turn on you.
F. Jesus knows what it's like to be stressed out.
G. If you're here today and you feel like no one understands you, remember, Jesus gets you!
Transition: Isn't it great to have a Savior who understands what it's like to be you?
Conclusion
1. We hear all of the time about the Christmas miracle. But that Christmas miracle is not that baby Jesus was born, but that God became like one of us.
2. God became like one of us...
A. To Set Us Free
B. To Relate To Our Struggle
3. “Does God understand you? Find the answer in Bethlehem.
Gaze where Mary gazed. Look into God’s face and be assured. If the King was willing to enter the world of animals and shepherds and swaddling clothes, don’t you think he’s willing to enter yours? He took on your face in the hope that you would see his.” (Excerpt From: Max Lucado. “Because of Bethlehem (with Bonus Content).” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/546E_.l).
