 The title of our sermon this morning is Hail the Incarnate Deity. We're in part two of a two-part series on both the deity and the humanity of Christ. So Hail the Incarnate Deity, part two. If you're visiting with us online this morning, welcome to Cornerstone Baptist Church. We have taken a brief tour from our ordinary practice of sequential exposition verse by verse through books of the Bible, and we've done so to endeavor upon a study that we're calling the essentials, a series of introductory sermons on foundational theological subjects that we believe to be essential to the spiritual growth and maturity of the Christian. So in our study of the essentials to date, we have considered the doctrine of revelation, we've considered the doctrine of God or theology proper, we've considered the doctrine of man, the divine covenants, not in any way an exhaustive treatment of systematic theology by any stretch, but a simple short introduction to the basic content of our faith that we hold to be very precious and the content that we believe to be essential to growth and maturity for the Christian. The last week we began a consideration of the person and work of our Redeemer, the one through whom the great work of our redemption has been accomplished, namely the Lord Jesus Christ. We consider that work, that person in two parts, under the title Hail the Incarnate Deity, from a hymn famously of the same words, and we are looking at both in that the Deity and the humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ. We were introduced to the subject of his Deity last Lord's Day, and this morning we come now to the subject of his humanity. As we begin this time together, let me briefly begin our consideration of the humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ by reminding us of the critical importance of three affirmations of our faith. Last week we asked the question who is the Lord Jesus Christ? Who is Jesus Christ? And we answer that with three affirmations that are essential to our faith. One, it is essential to saving faith for the Christian to acknowledge, understand, believe, and embrace through faith that Jesus Christ is God. That is essential. Two, but not only that Jesus Christ is God. It is also essential to saving faith for the Christian to acknowledge, understand, believe, and embrace through faith that Jesus Christ is man. He is very God and very man. But not only that he is very God and very man. Number three, it is also essential to saving faith for the Christian to acknowledge, understand, believe, and embrace through faith that Jesus Christ is both God and man in two distinct natures and yet only one person. All of those three affirmations are essential to our faith as Christians. These affirmations are essential to saving faith in the sense that if you do not believe them, if you do not acknowledge them, as far as as is revealed in the scriptures, understand what's being said, believe what's being said, and embrace how God has revealed himself to us in scripture. Then you are not a Christian and the Lord Jesus Christ says you will die in your sins. It's very critical that we understand and embrace these things. The Baptist Catechism asked this question. It's question 24. Who is the Redeemer of God's elect? The answer? The only Redeemer of God's elect is the Lord Jesus Christ. Who, being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was and continue with the be, God and man in two distinct natures and one person forever. With that and with that reminder, let's go to our text. The text read in your hearing Hebrews chapter 2 and look there with me beginning at verse 10. Now Hebrews, this letter, is essentially a sermon and it's a sermon written for persecuted Jewish Christians who were being tempted to forsake Christ and to give up Jesus Christ and return to their roots in Judaism. So the main point of this sermon is this. Jesus Christ is the all-sufficient and only Savior for men. Jesus Christ is the all-sufficient and only Savior of men. Now in making this case, our author here begins by emphasizing the Lord's two distinct natures as we just read in our affirmations. The Lord Jesus Christ is very God and he is very man, yet he is one Christ, the only mediator between God and man. Think with me. In chapter 1 of Hebrews, he is the brightness of God's glory. He is the express image of his person of the same essence as the Father, the creator and sustainer of all things made, the promised Messiah of the Old Testament scriptures, the one to whom the Father says, your throne, oh God is forever and ever. And yet at the same time, in chapter 1, he is described as the one, the very one who has by himself purged our sins and sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. And we know that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins. Therefore then, in chapter 2 verse 9 in reference to Psalm 8 here, we see Jesus who was made, speaking of his humanity, he was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor that he by the grace of God might taste death for everyone. So that he who was God, chapter 1 became man, chapter 2, both the deity of Christ and the humanity of Christ. The God, God takes on flesh, God takes on human flesh and then God dies in the place of sinners. Foolishness, cry the Gentiles, right? A stumbling block to the Jews. The Spirit of God says that it was becoming of God to do such a thing. It was suitable to him. It was right. It was proper. Look at verse 10. Chapter 2 verse 10, it was fitting for him for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many sons to glory to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. It was fitting for him to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. It was fitting, proper, right, appropriate for God, the one for whom everything exists and the one by whom or through whom everything exists. It was worthy of him. It was right of him to accomplish his decreed purpose of bringing many sons to glory by establishing the Son of God as the captain of our salvation through suffering. We were created for him and we were created by him and so we were created to live for him, created to live by him to his glory alone, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us. So then it is appropriate. It's fitting then that we should be saved to his glory alone. But how are we saved? How are we brought to glory as verse 10 says? We're brought to glory by the captain of our salvation through the suffering of that perfect captain. The word is archegos, archegos means ruler. The founder you could say of our salvation, the pioneer of our salvation, the trailblazer, the one who went before us is the captain of our salvation. Verse 10 says that it was fitting, right, for God to make him perfect through sufferings. I think with me for a moment about that statement. Does that mean that Jesus Christ, the captain of our salvation, was imperfect before he suffered? No. It can't possibly mean that Jesus Christ was imperfect. Jesus Christ is the perfect sinless Lamb of God. Jesus Christ was in all points tempted as we are yet without sin. He was sinlessly perfect. The verb then in verse 10 to make perfect, that word means to make complete or to finish. In other words, the captain of our salvation brings his work to completion, his role as the captain of our salvation, his work in bringing many sons to glory is finished or made complete. It's made perfect through his sufferings. Do you see? Through his sufferings. It is necessary that the Christ would suffer and give his life a ransom for many. It was necessary that his life involved suffering. Now, verses 11 through 18, explain how that has fleshed out. No pun intended, right? Why the statement of verse 10? Why does our author lead in verse 10 with this statement? Well, the principal reason here in considering our audience is because the Jews misinterpreted or misunderstood the messianic text, the messianic promises of the Old Testament. They didn't get it. They didn't see it. They expected the Messiah, God's promised one, the Christ to come as a messianic king, as a conquering king, the one who would overthrow their oppressors, the one who would conquer the Roman legions, set up his kingdom on earth and rule from Zion, reign from Jerusalem. That's who they expected the Messiah to be. We think about text in Isaiah, for example. Isaiah chapter 9, verse 6. Listen. For unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given. What is that speaking of? That's speaking of his humanity, right? A child is born. A son is given. And the government will be upon his shoulder and his name will be called wonderful counselor, what? Mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace. What is that speaking of? Speaking of his deity. This one who is mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace is a child who is born, is a son who is given both humanity and deity. What they fail to realize is that this one who is mighty God and everlasting father is born as a child, is given as a son, is a man. Verse 7 of the increase of his government and peace, there will be no end. Upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, what's that speaking of? It's humanity, his descendancy from David. To order it and to establish it with just judgment and justice from that time forward and even forever, the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform that. What's that speaking of? It's deity. This one who is very God will come as a man. That's what the Old Testament teaches. And the Jews simply miss it. They misunderstood it. As a man then, he is appointed, this one is appointed to suffering. Think with me of Isaiah chapter 53. He was despised and rejected by men, what? A man. A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. We esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, afflicted. But this man was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon him and by his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed. He was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before its shears is silent, so he opened not his mouth. This man, the one who is ordained by God, the captain of our salvation, who would bring in many sons to glory, that man would suffer. He would suffer. To this day, Paul says, this misunderstanding is like a veil that remains unlifted over the eyes of the Jews as they read the Old Testament. But that veil is taken away in Christ. Amen? That veil is taken away in Christ. The Old Testament scriptures all point to the Lord Jesus Christ, right? As the Lord was walking with his disciples in Luke 24 and he was talking with them on the road to Emmaus as they walked. And the Bible says that he opened up their understanding so that they could see and hear and understand what the law and the prophets and the Psalms said about him, right? The Old Testament is about the Lord Jesus Christ. This one who is God became man, and this man is appointed to suffering. Listen to Hebrews chapter 5. Turn there with me. Just flip the page. Hebrews chapter 5. Look there beginning at verse 5. So also verse 5, Christ did not glorify himself to become high priest, but it was he who said to him, you are my son. Today I have begotten you. As he also says in another place, you are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Who, verse 7, in the days of his flesh, do you see? When he had offered up prayers and supplications with vehement cries and tears to him who was able to save him from death and was heard because of his godly fear, though he was a son, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered. In other words, that one who is said of God, you are my son. In other words, of the very same essence of the Father, of the same being of the Father is the one who in the days of his flesh, verse 7, learned obedience by the things which he suffered. Verse 9, and having been perfected, you see the same theme there, right? Having been perfected, he became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him. Boy, that speaks to the essential nature of the incarnation to our salvation. Having been perfected through learning obedience by the things which he suffered, he became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him. By completing his work, by finishing his work, by being obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross, he brings many sons to glory. Verse 10, he is called by God as high priest according to the order of Melchizedek, of whom we have much to say and hard to explain since you have become dull of hearing. The Lord Jesus Christ is God the Son became man. His work completed through that which he has suffered as a man. The Lord Jesus Christ steps out of the majesty and the glory of heaven into a life of misery and woe so that through his suffering he learns perfect obedience to the will of God the Father and becomes obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Perfect to the end, obedient to the end, even through great suffering he never falters. He subjects himself to poverty, he subjects himself to betrayal, he subjects himself to scorn, to derision, to mocking, to hatred. He has nowhere to lay his head, his friends betray him, he suffers and perfecting and completing his work as the captain of our salvation he brings in many sons to glory. Now as a result then, notice with me Hebrews chapter 2 verse 11, look at verse 11, four or therefore both he who sanctifies, that one is our captain Jesus Christ. The one who sanctifies is our captain the Lord Jesus Christ. For both he who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified, those are all the sons who are being brought to glory, that's us. Those who are being sanctified, they are all of one. Praise God, awesome affirmation from Scripture. For which reason he is not ashamed to call them brethren. Wow, that just thrills my heart, thrills my soul to read that on the pages of Scripture about our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Now we are one together with him. We are of his body, he is our head, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus says of us, we are of his flesh and of his bones, of very flesh, of his bones. He is one with us, not ashamed to call us his brothers. In other words, he's not ashamed to share with us in our humanity. He's not ashamed to share with us in our humanity. We are the one who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one. And it's for that reason he's not ashamed to call them brethren, even though we've sinned. We've sinned against him, we continue to sin against him, right, to our shame. And he is not ashamed. In our ignorance, in our sin, in our folly, in our weakness, he's not ashamed to call us brethren. Saying, verse 12, I will declare your name to my brethren. Listen, in the midst of the assembly, I will sing praise to you. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, here I am, and the children whom God has given me. Think with me for a moment about this. The captain of our salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ, God manifested in the flesh. Our Lord, our Savior, sings for joy in the praise of God in the midst of the great assembly. He's singing for joy in the city of the living God, in the company of innumerable angels, in the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, that's us by the way. The Lord Jesus Christ will stand among us. He'll stand in our midst, the midst of those who he's not ashamed to call his brothers. And he will sing with joy to God, our Father, over us, sing praises to his name. Do you see that? It was for the joy that was set before him that Jesus Christ endured the cross, despising the shame. What was that joy? The joy of bringing many sons to glory, those whom he's not ashamed to call his brothers, those for whom he died. Do you see? He gave his life for them and brought them to glory. And now in the great assembly, he stands in the midst of them and sings praises to God. Zephaniah chapter 3 verse 17, listen, the Lord your God in your midst, the mighty one will save. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will quiet you with his love. He will rejoice over you with singing. It's an awesome thought, isn't it? When we sing praises to God, we're singing with him. So how should that inform our singing? Knowing that we stand there with our Lord, the one who's not ashamed to call us brothers, the one who has brought us to glory, thinking that in that great assembly, we will stand there in an innumerable host and sing praises to God with him. Amazing, right? What a glorious salvation, right? Being in his presence with him in the assembly singing praise to God. Staggering, right? To think about just beautiful. I longed for that time, for that to come. Lord Jesus, come quickly. But while he tarries, we have a taste of that right here, don't we? When we sing together, folks, that's one of the reasons too why I miss us being together in the corporate worship of God's people. This church, this assembly is just a small outpost. It's a little foretaste of that glory divine, right? Just a small, visible, unified, loving, blessed assembly that is a small picture of that great assembly. Those registered in heaven, the church of the firstborn, and when we sing, it's just a taste of what that worship will be like with him in heaven for all eternity. What a glorious salvation, right? What a glorious salvation from the filth and despicable degradation of our sin and our shame to singing the praises of our great God and Savior with the captain of our salvation, who delights in us as his brothers and rejoices over us with singing praises to God the Father, right? Isn't it true that there's more joy in heaven in the presence of God over one sinner who repents, right? And that's, in that text, those texts, that's not the angels rejoicing, that's God who is rejoicing, if you look at the text, right? God is the one rejoicing. What a glorious salvation. Doesn't that make you want to abandon everything and follow him, right? Heart, soul, mind, and strength. Just abandon life, abandon everything on this side of eternity to get there to be with him. Abandon your sin, abandon self-interest, live for him, put your faith and trust in him. Trust the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a glorious, glorious salvation. But how is this great salvation possible? How is it possible? Well, he's not ashamed to call us brethren because, look at verse 14, in as much of them as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared in the same so that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death that is the devil and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. I think with me about verse 14, the children of verse 14 are the sons of glory from verse 10. Do you see that, the connection? They are the ones who are being sanctified. Verse 11, they are those whom he is not ashamed to call brethren. Notice they are called children given to the son by the father. In verse 13, that's referring to the saints. That's referring to us, his people, right? Those children share koinoneo. They share in flesh and blood. In other words, they share a common human nature. They share a common physicality, flesh and blood. It's a description, if you will, of the human condition, right? Part for the whole, flesh and blood, to the human condition, what it means to be human. Points to our weakness, points to our creatureliness, points to our frailty. It's like Paul calling us clay pots, we are of dust, we are flesh and blood, flesh and blood. Now that word there for share, the children have partaken of flesh and blood, partaken, koinoneo, that word is in the perfect tense. Perfect tense meaning here that that's what we are and that's what we've always been. That's what's being communicated here by the verb. The perfect tense meaning that that's what we are and that's what we've always been. We have always partaken of flesh and blood and that's what we are now. We are flesh and blood. That's what we're going to be as long as we're alive on this side of eternity. We're going to be flesh and blood. We're going to get glorified bodies on that side of eternity when the Lord comes back. Right now we are flesh and blood and listen, in as much as the children have partaken or shared in flesh and blood, he himself, that's emphatic, he himself likewise partook or shared in the same. Now that word then that is translated shared in verse 14 when speaking of Christ is actually a different verb in the Greek. You don't see that in the English, often English translations, those two words are the same, they're synonymous, but here it's actually a different Greek verb than the one used of the children. This is speaking of Jesus Christ and he, not koinoneo, but he meteko, he partook or participated in the same. He partook of the same and the verb there, this is where grammar becomes important, right? We've got to be precise with the text. The verb has a different tense here. It's the arist tense, not the perfect tense. The arist tense of the verb is used to indicate that he began doing this at a specific point in time when he didn't do this before. It began at a particular point in time when he did not do this before. In other words, what we are, he became, do you see? And he likewise shared in the same flesh and blood. In other words, the author here is eliminating any distinction in that humanity that was shared by the children and that humanity in which Jesus Christ partook, right? At a point in time, in other words, the arist tense, at a point in time, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, the eternal Son became flesh and blood. He became a man. He became a man. In the same way that we are human, he became human. The God of Hebrews chapter one becomes the man of Hebrews chapter two. There are many, many, many heresies associated with the humanity of Christ. In fact, we don't have time to get into all those. The earliest heresies were associated, not with the deity of Christ, but with the humanity of Christ. And that was because mainly the onset of Gnosticism in the early church. You can even see that in some of the letters, the epistles of the New Testament. Listen to 1 John chapter four, verse one. This is the error that even John was writing about in this first John, this epistle. Listen, beloved, he says, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this, you know the spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. And every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard was coming and is now already in the world. You see the issue at hand, right, is the humanity of Lord Jesus Christ. That's why the apostles were saying, listen, we've handled him. Our hands have touched him. Our eyes have seen him, right? Jesus Christ was a human being in the same way that you and I are human beings apart from sin. He partook of flesh and blood. The word incarnation, it means in fleshment, means in fleshment. He took on flesh, subjected himself to human weakness, subjected himself to human development, subjected himself to human learning. He became a man. Listen to a few texts regarding this. Luke, turn there with me to Luke. Let's look at a couple of texts together. Luke chapter two and look there beginning at verse six, Luke chapter two, beginning in verse six. So it was verse six. The while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. Her there is Mary. She's about to have a baby. Who is that baby? The Lord Jesus Christ. Born of a woman. Formed, knit together in his mother's womb. I think about that with me for just a moment. Mary is a sinner. She later would call Jesus Christ her savior. She needs a savior. She's a sinful woman. And the Lord Jesus Christ, who is God, the Son became man, was born of Mary, a sinful woman. Verse seven, she brought forth her firstborn son, wrapped him in swaddling clothes. Why? Because he was cold. He was cold. He's human being. He's cold. The Lord Jesus Christ experienced being cold in spirit as the child grew. I'm sorry. She laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the end. Look at chapter two, verse 39. Drop down to verse 39. So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own city Nazareth and the child grew in the same way that you and I grew. The Lord Jesus Christ grew. He probably had growing pains like some of us have had growing pains. I don't know if you ever went through an awkward stage like some of us go through awkward stages, but the Lord Jesus Christ grew as a child just like we grow as a child. He became strong. The one who is omnipotent in his deity became strong in his humanity, strong in spirit, filled with wisdom. The one who is omnisapian, omniscient, was filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him. The spirit of God was upon him. The spirit of God would assist the Lord in his ministry, empower the Lord for ministry. Look at chapter two. Drop down to verse 51. Verse 51. Then he, the Lord Jesus Christ, went down with him and came to Nazareth and he was subject to them. He voluntarily subjected himself to their leadership or authority over him, but his mother kept all these things in her heart and Jesus increased in wisdom, increased in stature, and increased in favor with God and men. It's amazing to think about, isn't it? Lord Jesus Christ in his humanity. John chapter four verse six, Jesus was weary from his journey and so he sat down by the well at Samaria. John chapter four verse seven, Jesus was thirsty and so he asked the Samaritan woman for a drink of water. Matthew chapter four verse one, Jesus had been fasting and Jesus Christ was hungry and that's when Satan came to test him after fasting in the wilderness. It's interesting there in the temptation of Jesus Christ in Matthew chapter four that Satan comes to test or to tempt the Lord Jesus Christ and he does so. He tempts Lord Jesus Christ in his humanity by exploiting or attempting to exploit his deity. He says if you are the Son of God, the same essence as the Father, then command these stones to what? To become bread. Satan even knows that attempts to tempt the Lord Jesus Christ in his humanity. Lord Jesus Christ was hungry and does so by attempting to exploit his deity. Command these stones become bread. Adam failed in his time of testing in the garden. The Lord Jesus Christ succeeds where the first Adam failed. He subjects himself to human limitations. Matthew chapter 24 verse 36, he doesn't know the day or the hour of his return. He subjects himself to human emotions. Mark chapter one verse 41, he's moved to compassion by the leper. Mark chapter three verse five, he was grieved by the hardness of their hearts. John chapter 11, Jesus loved Lazarus. John chapter 11 verse 33, he groaned in his spirit and was troubled. John chapter 11 verse 35, Jesus wept. John chapter 11 verse 38, Jesus again groaning within himself. He was sorrowful. John chapter 12 verse 27, Jesus said his soul was troubled. We all see the Lord Jesus Christ kneeling in the garden and sweating great drops of blood and anguish of soul over the cup that he would be about to drink for our redemption. So many other texts in the Bible that explain the same reality. The chief among these expressions of his humanity is the fact that Jesus Christ was subject to suffering and to death. To death the Lord Jesus Christ would die in all ways as we are yet without sin. Jesus Christ was a man. B. B. Warfield said this. He said the glory of the incarnation is that it presents to our adoring gaze not a humanized God or a deified man but a true God man. One who is all that God is and at the same time all that man is on whose almighty arm we can rest and to whose human sympathy we can appeal. We cannot afford to lose either the God in the man or the man in the God. Our hearts cry out for the complete God man whom the Scriptures offer to us. It may be much to say that it is because he is man that he is capable of growth and wisdom and because he is God he is from the beginning wisdom itself. It is more to say that because he is man he is able to pour out his blood and because he is God his blood is of infinite value to save and that it is only because he is both God and man in one person that we can speak of God purchasing his church with his own blood and unless God purchases his church with his own blood in what shall his church find a ground for its hope. The words apart from the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ we have no ground of our hope. Anselm famously asked the question why did God become man? Why did God become man? It's because God cannot die. God cannot die so God became man to die in the stead of sinners. Luke chapter 19 verse 10 the son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. John chapter 3 verse 16 for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Romans chapter 8 verse 3 what the law could not do into the law was weak through the flesh God did by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh on account of sin and he condemned sin in the flesh. Galatians chapter 4 verse 4 when the fullness of the time had come God sent forth his son born of a woman born under the law to redeem those who were under the law that we might receive the adoption as sons. It's amazing isn't it? Hebrews chapter 2 verse 14 says it this way in as much then in as much then as the children have her taken of flesh and blood he himself likewise shared in the same so that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death that is the devil and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. In our text in Hebrews chapter 2 there are two reasons here why God became man two reasons the first in order to destroy the devil to destroy the devil the word is catargeo to render ineffective to render inoperative useless to take him out of the way right the incarnation of the Son of God is the means of man's deliverance from this awful and terrible enemy not hearing this that it was in order to destroy the devil it might sound strange at this point to conceive of our deliverance in that way we're used to thinking of being saved from sin or saved from the wrath of God this first reason given in verse 14 is to destroy him who had the power of death that is the devil that may sound strange to conceive of our deliverance in this way but not when we remember the very first promise of the gospel in Genesis chapter 3 right verse 15 the promise the very first promise of the gospel was that the seed of the woman would crush or strike deliver a death blow to the head of the serpent and what is Jesus Christ come to do he comes to destroy the devil through the promised seed Adam's enemy would be put down by the second Adam he bound the strong man and plundered his stronghold right the Lord Jesus Christ says now has the ruler of this world been put down he has been cast down do you see this world has been put down this victory is in fulfillment of that promise that began in the garden in Genesis chapter 3 through his work incarnate Christ releases us from the grip of satan and what is the nature of that bondage the bondage that he wields or brandishes over us it's the bondage of a crushing tyranny of sin and death I think with me for a moment at the temptation of the devil man was conveyed from the kingdom of life and light delivered into the kingdom of death and the power of darkness that is the the dominion of the prince of the power of the air it is the dominion of the spirit that now works in the sons of disobedience he is called the god of this age the god of this perverse and evil generation in as much than his man is subject to sin and death man is subject to the one who had the power of death that is the devil and just the just wages of our sin is death those who sin are deserving of death and unless jesus christ comes back everyone listening to the sound of my voice will die we are under the dominion of the prince of the power of the the air in the kingdom of darkness apart from the person in work of the lord jesus christ and if you're in adam apart from the lord jesus christ you will die physically die spiritually subject yourself to the second death die eternally this great feat of our triumphant redeemer in verse 14 can only be accomplished through just payment for the wages of our sin which is death do you see that's how we accomplish the victory can only be accomplished through just page payment for the wages of our sin which is death itself doing that requires someone to enter into death and to die on our behalf that's what it requires overcoming death dying on our behalf overcoming death through a perfect sacrifice for sin and then conquering death and rising from the grave you see in death the lord jesus christ overcomes death that one who would accomplish such a task must himself be free from the penalty of sin he himself must be undeserving of that judgment he doesn't have the wages of death to pay doesn't have the debt of that curse to pay that one must be willing to die able to die to shed his own blood for the remission of sins and then that one who voluntarily willingly lays down his life must have the power to take it up again in resurrection he must have the power to take up his life thereby conquering death do you see no sinful son of adam could ever do such a thing impossible impossible and yet it's a human being that is required it is required that a human being born of a woman born under the law would accomplish such a task apart from the incarnation of the son of god we are in an entirely hopeless condition do you see it's so critical it's amazing to me like you you just read your bible and how many critical doctrines these eternal and significant truths are heaped one upon another in order for god all wise to to justify man to save and redeem his elect and be just and the justifier of those who have faith in his son it is an amazing salvation we stand in amazement at the wisdom and mercy of god the incarnation of the son of god verse 14 in as much then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood he himself likewise shared in the same so that through death he might destroy him who have the power of death that is the devil and number two first he came to destroy the devil second to deliver his people and two verse 15 to release those who through fear of death were all their lifetimes subject to bondage sin is the reason to fear death sin is the reason to fear death sin is that to which we are in bondage that causes the fear of death which is itself a bondage through his incarnation god the son becoming man we are set free from the tyranny of sin and death and the devil that which is the deadly weapon that was unsheathed by the serpent in the garden so to speak and thrust into the heart of adam and every son of adam who would follow is the deadly power of unforgiven sin deadly that's what satan has he is the god of this age he is said to blind the minds of the unbelieving lest the light of the gospel of the glory of christ who is the image of god should shine upon them satan orchestrating his affairs in this wicked world to keep us in bondage to sin and then satan is the accuser the adversary the prosecuting attorney he stands and testifies against you but if the penalty do your sin has been paid if you are forgiven in christ jesus our lord if you stand as one who is declared righteous through faith in the lord jesus christ then you are no longer an enemy of god you are no longer guilty there is therefore now no more condemnation you are in union with his son through faith and the devil has nothing further to say he's got nothing right he's got nothing how is this done it's done through jesus christ the god man philippines chapter two verse seven he made himself of no reputation he took the form of a slave and coming in a likeness of men being found in appearance as a man he humbled himself became obedient to the point of death even the death of the cross it's only through this that we can have peace with god amen therefore verse nine god has also highly exalted him given him the name which is above every name that at the name of jesus every knee should bow of those in heaven and of those on the earth and of those under the earth and then every tongue should confess that jesus christ is a lord to the glory of god the father in chapter two Hebrews chapter two verse 16 our author goes on to say for indeed he does not give aid to angels he does not give this deliverance does not give this aid to angels but he does give this aid to the seed of Abraham who are the seed of Abraham we are by faith by faith those who have the believing faith of Abraham are the seed of Abraham therefore look at verse 17 with me in all things he had to be made like his brethren so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest and things pertaining to god to make propitiation for the sins of his people in other words to divert the wrath the wrath that was once aimed at us with full fury has been set aside it's been averted it's been taken away and it's taken away in jesus christ why because jesus christ himself took all of that wrath absorbed the wrath that you and i rightly deserve he took that upon himself in his body on the tree to the point where in his humanity he sensed an experience of the forsaking of god right why why have you forsaken me verse 18 for in that he himself has suffered being tempted he is able to aid those who are tempted apart from his own suffering as a man there is no basis on which he can give aid to the seed of Abraham he suffers to make propitiation for the sins of his people he is the one mediator between god and men the man christ jesus listen to calvin it deeply concerned us that he who was to be our mediator should be very god and very man our iniquities like a cloud intervening between him and us having utterly alienated us from the kingdom of heaven none but a person reaching to him could be the medium of restoring peace but who could thus reach to him could any of the sons of adam all of them with their parents shuttered at the sight of god could any of the angels they had need of a head by connection with which they might adhere to their god entirely and inseparably what then the case was certainly desperate if the godhead itself did not descend to us it being impossible for us to ascend thus the son of god behooved to become our immanuel god with us and in such a way that by mutual union his divinity and our nature might be in him otherwise neither was the proximity near enough nor the affinity strong enough to give us the hope that god would dwell with us so great was the repugnance between our pollution and the spotless purity of god had man remained free from all taint he was of too humble a condition to penetrate to god without a mediator what then must it have been when by fatal ruin he was plunged into death and hell defiled by so many stains made loathsome by corruption in fine overwhelmed with every curse it is not without cause therefore that paul when he would set forth christ as the mediator distinctly declares him to be man there is says he one mediator between god and man the man christ jesus as paul would also say in romans chapter one born of the seat of david according to the flesh and declared to be the son of god with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead it's a wonder isn't it just a wonder a staggering awe inspiring wonder a great condescension god would take on flesh to tabernacle with us right the word who was with god and god was the word that word took on flesh he tabernacled among us we beheld his glory from the heights of heaven to the depths from the glories of heaven to the mud of this earth to the shame of our existence what greater salvation could be conceived of i mean you think about that like what more could we ask for what more could anyone anyone ask for that god would become man there is simply nothing greater i have no more to ask for it's why it's such a shameful rejection such a brazen rebellion to hear these words and to continue in sin to continue in faithlessness to continue in unbelief to continue in rebellion to continue in sin first Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 without controversy great is the mystery of godliness that god was manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit seen by angels preached among the Gentiles believed on in the world received up in glory do you believe that why would he do that he would do so in matchless love to save wretched sinners like you and me all praise honor and glory be to him who sits on the throne into the lamb forever and ever amen let's pray father in heaven we rejoice to call you lord we rejoice that you're not ashamed to call us brethren we rejoice that you have made us adopted sons and daughters in your kingdom in your household we rejoice at the person and work of our lord jesus christ may we would live in light of these glorious wondrous truths and praise and worship you we look forward to lord we long for that day when we stand in the general assembly the church of the firstborn with our lord jesus christ in our midst singing praises to you we long for that day to sing praises to you with that innumerable host until then lord may we take great joy in singing your praises here on earth and pray lord that we would cherish treasure our corporate worship together in doing that and we would long for it and we would long for our fellowship and we would long to be together knowing it's a picture of that beautiful host and we pray lord for your soon return thank you and you have taken upon yourself our humanity in order to destroy the devil and to deliver us your people it is a staggering great unfathomable truth and we revel in it lord we rest in hope in it and thank you for it please be with us lord as we go through this week now together and help us to remain in as close contact as we can help us to be a part of the body help us to labor to stay connected to be steadfast in the work of the lord knowing that our work is not in vain help us to be faithful to you during this time and help us to love one another during this time and help us to love you lord more and more fervently devotedly committedly during this time may it be for your glory lord we pray restore our corporate worship our fellowship together soon for your namesake we pray lord in accord with your will we know that you have called us to gather so we pray with the expectation of faith that you'll provide for that gathering and trust you for it lord but and we submit ourselves to your perfect time and your perfect will trusting lord that you intend all these things for our good the good of your church we love you we thank you for this time together in jesus name amen