WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.160 Amen. And if you would take your copy of God's 00:00:03.160 --> 00:00:07.019 word. Maybe one that you brought or one that's 00:00:07.019 --> 00:00:09.539 in the pew back there in front of you and open 00:00:09.539 --> 00:00:14.919 up to Hebrews chapter two. Looking at five through 00:00:14.919 --> 00:00:19.120 18. And as choir members are finding their seats 00:00:19.120 --> 00:00:21.960 and you're finding the scripture, I want to point 00:00:21.960 --> 00:00:24.839 out something here that in verse six of what 00:00:24.839 --> 00:00:28.449 we're looking at, it says. It has been testified 00:00:28.449 --> 00:00:31.929 somewhere. And then the author of Hebrews proceeds 00:00:31.929 --> 00:00:36.090 to share a scripture with us. But the testified 00:00:36.090 --> 00:00:39.450 somewhere within this passage is a curious thing. 00:00:39.509 --> 00:00:42.329 We may wonder, why doesn't the author of Hebrews 00:00:42.329 --> 00:00:45.490 tell us where all of these scriptures are from 00:00:45.490 --> 00:00:49.149 that are listed within the passage? And I think 00:00:49.149 --> 00:00:53.329 the reason for that is because once again, we 00:00:53.329 --> 00:00:56.270 are reminded that the author of Hebrews does 00:00:56.270 --> 00:01:00.250 not give his name within this book, and he is 00:01:00.250 --> 00:01:04.430 keeping the authorship focused upon the true 00:01:04.430 --> 00:01:08.250 author, that of God. And so let us see God's 00:01:08.250 --> 00:01:15.189 word now, Hebrews 2, 5 through 18. For it was 00:01:15.189 --> 00:01:18.590 not to angels that God subjected the world to 00:01:18.590 --> 00:01:23.540 come, of which we are speaking. It has been testified 00:01:23.540 --> 00:01:27.780 somewhere. What is man that you are mindful of 00:01:27.780 --> 00:01:31.799 him or the son of man that you care for him? 00:01:32.400 --> 00:01:35.140 You made him for a little while lower than the 00:01:35.140 --> 00:01:38.760 angels. You have crowned him with glory and honor, 00:01:39.239 --> 00:01:42.420 putting everything in subjection under his feet. 00:01:43.019 --> 00:01:45.620 Now in putting everything in subjection to him, 00:01:45.659 --> 00:01:50.500 he left nothing outside his control. At present, 00:01:50.579 --> 00:01:53.400 we do not yet see everything in subjection to 00:01:53.400 --> 00:01:57.519 him, but we see him who for a little while was 00:01:57.519 --> 00:02:01.500 made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned 00:02:01.500 --> 00:02:05.180 with glory and honor because of the suffering 00:02:05.180 --> 00:02:08.840 of death, so that by the grace of God, he might 00:02:08.840 --> 00:02:13.180 taste death for everyone. For it was fitting 00:02:13.180 --> 00:02:17.500 that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, 00:02:17.680 --> 00:02:21.300 and bringing many sons to glory should make the 00:02:21.300 --> 00:02:25.139 founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 00:02:25.879 --> 00:02:29.539 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified 00:02:29.539 --> 00:02:34.539 all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed 00:02:34.539 --> 00:02:38.979 to call them brothers, saying, I will tell of 00:02:38.979 --> 00:02:42.740 your name to my brothers in the midst of the 00:02:42.740 --> 00:02:45.780 congregation I will sing your praise and again 00:02:45.780 --> 00:02:50.680 I will put my trust in him and again behold I 00:02:50.680 --> 00:02:54.680 and the children of God the children God has 00:02:54.680 --> 00:02:58.439 given me. Since therefore the children share 00:02:58.439 --> 00:03:02.360 in flesh and blood he himself likewise partook 00:03:02.360 --> 00:03:06.099 of the same things that through death he might 00:03:06.099 --> 00:03:09.659 destroy the one who has the power of death that 00:03:09.659 --> 00:03:13.860 is the devil. and deliver all those who through 00:03:13.860 --> 00:03:17.900 fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 00:03:18.340 --> 00:03:22.039 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but 00:03:22.039 --> 00:03:25.620 he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore, 00:03:25.659 --> 00:03:29.039 he had to be made like his brothers in every 00:03:29.039 --> 00:03:33.000 respect so that he might become a merciful and 00:03:33.000 --> 00:03:36.580 faithful high priest in the service of God to 00:03:36.580 --> 00:03:39.139 make propitiation for the sins of the people. 00:03:39.699 --> 00:03:44.039 For because he himself has suffered, when tempted, 00:03:44.800 --> 00:03:48.360 he is able to help those who are being tempted. 00:03:49.539 --> 00:03:55.659 This is God's word. Let's pray. Father, your 00:03:55.659 --> 00:03:58.099 word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our 00:03:58.099 --> 00:04:01.039 path. Your word is true. Your word is living 00:04:01.039 --> 00:04:03.960 and active, sharper than any two -edged sword. 00:04:04.680 --> 00:04:08.050 And so I ask, Lord, that as it is all these things, 00:04:08.129 --> 00:04:12.050 would you now help us to understand and apply 00:04:12.050 --> 00:04:15.590 what is here for our sanctification, for our 00:04:15.590 --> 00:04:19.430 growth in Christ, these things we ask in his 00:04:19.430 --> 00:04:32.730 name. Amen. Why did Jesus die? Why did Jesus 00:04:32.730 --> 00:04:37.949 die? It's a simple enough question, right? One 00:04:37.949 --> 00:04:43.290 that a child, maybe a non -believer, maybe even 00:04:43.290 --> 00:04:46.029 a mature believer may ask from time to time, 00:04:46.170 --> 00:04:50.610 why did Jesus die? Well, there are several answers 00:04:50.610 --> 00:04:53.750 that we might give towards that question one 00:04:53.750 --> 00:04:57.529 Jesus died to save me from my sins. Yes, that's 00:04:57.529 --> 00:05:02.029 true Of course it is Jesus died to satisfy the 00:05:02.029 --> 00:05:05.769 wrath of God. Yes again, very very true Jesus 00:05:05.769 --> 00:05:08.269 died because the religious leaders of his day 00:05:08.269 --> 00:05:11.050 put him to death because they hated him Yes, 00:05:11.069 --> 00:05:14.509 that's true. And finally we might say Jesus died 00:05:14.509 --> 00:05:20.050 to fulfill prophecy Yes, all of those are true 00:05:20.050 --> 00:05:25.709 and very much so, but on a very basic level, 00:05:26.550 --> 00:05:31.490 drawing from the text, Jesus died to kill death. 00:05:32.550 --> 00:05:36.949 Jesus died to kill death. That, we might say, 00:05:37.250 --> 00:05:41.269 is the theme of this passage. But this passage 00:05:41.269 --> 00:05:43.629 does something interesting. You've seen all of 00:05:43.629 --> 00:05:47.069 the quotations that are in here as it draws upon 00:05:47.069 --> 00:05:50.389 all of these other texts to tell us the story 00:05:50.389 --> 00:05:54.709 of the death of Jesus. Other than maybe Matthew, 00:05:55.209 --> 00:05:58.470 Hebrews is the greatest New Testament book for 00:05:58.470 --> 00:06:01.449 interpreting the Old Testament. And here as we 00:06:01.449 --> 00:06:04.850 consider the death of Jesus, we should be taken 00:06:04.850 --> 00:06:10.519 back to Genesis chapter 3. For you remember what 00:06:10.519 --> 00:06:14.160 happens in Genesis chapter 3. There's this interaction 00:06:14.160 --> 00:06:19.879 between the serpent and between Eve and And what 00:06:19.879 --> 00:06:23.980 does Eve say? She tells the serpent what God 00:06:23.980 --> 00:06:26.560 has said Don't eat of the tree of the knowledge 00:06:26.560 --> 00:06:28.800 of good and evil for the day that you eat of 00:06:28.800 --> 00:06:35.480 it You shall surely die, right? You will die 00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:40.019 It was a promise that God gave to man if man 00:06:40.019 --> 00:06:43.019 ate of the tree and we know that Adam and Eve 00:06:43.019 --> 00:06:50.040 did. But here what we are getting at is that 00:06:50.040 --> 00:06:54.560 Christ reverses the curse. And how does he do 00:06:54.560 --> 00:07:00.600 it? How does Christ kill death? He does so by 00:07:00.600 --> 00:07:07.410 dying. In 1647, the Puritan pastor and writer 00:07:07.410 --> 00:07:11.170 John Owen wrote a very important book called 00:07:11.170 --> 00:07:14.850 The Death of Death and the Death of Christ from 00:07:14.850 --> 00:07:18.550 which I have gotten my sermon title today. The 00:07:18.550 --> 00:07:21.509 Death of Death and the Death of Christ. It is 00:07:21.509 --> 00:07:26.189 a masterpiece on what Christ's death does for 00:07:26.189 --> 00:07:30.319 those who trust in him. And as John Owen wrote 00:07:30.319 --> 00:07:33.000 that book, a lot of what he's reflecting upon 00:07:33.000 --> 00:07:35.660 is found in the book of Hebrews. No doubt, John 00:07:35.660 --> 00:07:38.459 Owen's commentary on Hebrews is one of the best. 00:07:39.899 --> 00:07:42.420 And so I'll be quoting from John Owen a couple 00:07:42.420 --> 00:07:46.319 of times, but as we move through this text about 00:07:46.319 --> 00:07:51.579 the death of the death of Christ here, I have 00:07:51.579 --> 00:07:53.939 three things I want us to ponder. One, there 00:07:53.939 --> 00:07:57.970 are questions. What did Christ do in his suffering? 00:07:59.689 --> 00:08:05.050 When did Christ suffer and for whom did Christ 00:08:05.050 --> 00:08:10.329 suffer? Now notice with those points, I am talking 00:08:10.329 --> 00:08:12.949 about the death of Jesus, but specifically I'm 00:08:12.949 --> 00:08:17.170 talking about the suffering of Jesus because 00:08:17.170 --> 00:08:22.389 Jesus didn't just die. There are a lot of ways 00:08:22.389 --> 00:08:26.420 that people die. Sometimes they go peacefully. 00:08:27.600 --> 00:08:30.699 We know this is not Jesus, right? He did not 00:08:30.699 --> 00:08:35.340 die peacefully. No, even before his death, he 00:08:35.340 --> 00:08:40.100 was sweating drops of blood and he was beaten 00:08:40.100 --> 00:08:42.919 and they mocked him and they put nails through 00:08:42.919 --> 00:08:45.519 his hands and his feet, the agony of the cross, 00:08:45.580 --> 00:08:49.299 but ultimately the greatest suffering that Jesus 00:08:49.299 --> 00:08:53.480 experienced. was suffering the full wrath of 00:08:53.480 --> 00:08:58.519 God put upon him in order to redeem us from our 00:08:58.519 --> 00:09:05.440 sins. The suffering of Jesus was in being forsaken. 00:09:06.120 --> 00:09:10.360 For he cried out, my God, my God, why have you 00:09:10.360 --> 00:09:15.759 forsaken me? And so we need to understand that 00:09:15.759 --> 00:09:18.909 as we talk about his death, we are talking about 00:09:18.909 --> 00:09:25.549 the most painful death anyone could ever experience, 00:09:25.690 --> 00:09:30.409 the wrath of God for all of us placed upon him. 00:09:30.889 --> 00:09:35.009 And so let us understand what Christ does in 00:09:35.009 --> 00:09:39.730 his suffering. Look at verse five. It says that 00:09:39.730 --> 00:09:43.350 God has not subjected the world to angels. And 00:09:43.350 --> 00:09:46.870 then it quotes Psalm eight, which we sang earlier. 00:09:47.279 --> 00:09:50.559 As we read Psalm 8 and as we read the text quoted 00:09:50.559 --> 00:09:54.279 here, we should be reading this with our minds 00:09:54.279 --> 00:09:58.779 upon Christ, how God subjected all things to 00:09:58.779 --> 00:10:02.120 Christ and yet at the same time, Christ has been 00:10:02.120 --> 00:10:06.559 made lower than the angels. Isn't that mind boggling? 00:10:07.100 --> 00:10:10.039 For a time Jesus is made lower than the angels 00:10:10.039 --> 00:10:14.190 and yet. At the same time, all things have been 00:10:14.190 --> 00:10:18.029 subjected to him. If you didn't know what Christ 00:10:18.029 --> 00:10:23.950 did in his suffering and in his exaltation, you 00:10:23.950 --> 00:10:26.870 might say, this is absolutely mind -boggling. 00:10:26.950 --> 00:10:29.870 This is amazing what Christ has done, but sometimes 00:10:29.870 --> 00:10:33.029 we've heard it so many times that we are numb 00:10:33.029 --> 00:10:37.350 to it, that it doesn't have an impact upon us. 00:10:37.580 --> 00:10:40.980 But look at verse nine and let it have an impact 00:10:40.980 --> 00:10:44.620 on you. But we see him who for a little while 00:10:44.620 --> 00:10:48.480 was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, 00:10:48.960 --> 00:10:53.240 crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering 00:10:53.240 --> 00:10:59.039 of death, so that by the grace of God, he might 00:10:59.039 --> 00:11:06.210 taste death for everyone. This has a kind of 00:11:06.210 --> 00:11:09.889 first shall be last last shall be first idea 00:11:09.889 --> 00:11:13.909 to it the humility of Jesus in the incarnation 00:11:13.909 --> 00:11:18.429 to take on flesh and Ultimately to go all the 00:11:18.429 --> 00:11:23.029 way to the cross for us Friends, I want you to 00:11:23.029 --> 00:11:26.190 know this Christ did not come against his will 00:11:26.190 --> 00:11:33.129 He came willingly he came in humility to suffer 00:11:33.129 --> 00:11:39.490 and to die for you. He became incarnate to identify 00:11:39.490 --> 00:11:43.470 you with you in every single way, yet without 00:11:43.470 --> 00:11:49.210 sin. Look at verse 14. Jesus takes on flesh and 00:11:49.210 --> 00:11:53.649 blood. Jesus is not made from something that 00:11:53.649 --> 00:11:58.389 we are not made from. Jesus has the flesh and 00:11:58.389 --> 00:12:03.789 the bones and the blood flowing through his veins. 00:12:03.870 --> 00:12:07.970 He is fully God and yet fully man. But also look 00:12:07.970 --> 00:12:15.110 at verse 18. He was tempted as we are. He was 00:12:15.110 --> 00:12:17.970 tempted as we are and in that way Jesus does 00:12:17.970 --> 00:12:22.809 something that no other sacrifice could do, right? 00:12:23.950 --> 00:12:31.399 He was tempted, yet he didn't sin. Friends, Do 00:12:31.399 --> 00:12:35.580 you understand today that you have a perfect 00:12:35.580 --> 00:12:41.100 Savior? A perfect Savior in every single respect? 00:12:43.279 --> 00:12:50.480 I think the danger is that we sin so often that 00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:55.620 we can't even wrap our minds around what perfection 00:12:55.620 --> 00:13:01.059 looks like. We get so used to our own sinfulness 00:13:01.059 --> 00:13:04.100 that I think we give very little thought to the 00:13:04.100 --> 00:13:06.840 perfection of Christ. The Westminster Confession 00:13:06.840 --> 00:13:11.480 of Faith says that we sin daily in thought, word, 00:13:11.779 --> 00:13:19.019 and deed. Can you conceive of a day without sinning? 00:13:20.980 --> 00:13:27.269 Maybe if I'm in a coma. Maybe. Can you conceive 00:13:27.269 --> 00:13:30.889 of a Sunday morning and which you don't snap 00:13:30.889 --> 00:13:34.269 at your family member? Can you conceive of a 00:13:34.269 --> 00:13:39.070 day where you don't grumble against the providences 00:13:39.070 --> 00:13:43.730 of God? Can you conceive of an hour without doing 00:13:43.730 --> 00:13:47.710 that? Friends, I want you to know that you can. 00:13:48.549 --> 00:13:53.149 You can because Christ who is perfect has atoned 00:13:53.149 --> 00:13:57.370 for your sin and he has released you from enslavement 00:13:57.370 --> 00:14:02.429 to sin and you have the indwelling of the spirit 00:14:02.429 --> 00:14:08.950 within you. This is all possible because of the 00:14:08.950 --> 00:14:14.750 suffering of Christ, his humility to come and 00:14:14.750 --> 00:14:18.850 take on flesh and live perfectly. never breaking 00:14:18.850 --> 00:14:22.169 a single commandment. Jesus never had an impure 00:14:22.169 --> 00:14:26.769 thought. Jesus never gossiped. He never slandered 00:14:26.769 --> 00:14:29.769 anyone. He never grumbled against the providence 00:14:29.769 --> 00:14:33.889 of God. Every single day of Jesus, his earthly 00:14:33.889 --> 00:14:37.049 ministry was the same in this respect. He never 00:14:37.049 --> 00:14:43.009 ever sinned. No sin. And that glorious truth 00:14:43.009 --> 00:14:51.580 can help us with verse 18. Look there. For because 00:14:51.580 --> 00:14:55.419 he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able 00:14:55.419 --> 00:14:58.980 to help those who are being tempted. Here's where 00:14:58.980 --> 00:15:03.539 we should remember 1 Corinthians 10 -13. No temptation 00:15:03.539 --> 00:15:06.820 has overtaken you that is not common to man. 00:15:07.240 --> 00:15:10.299 And God is faithful and he will not let you be 00:15:10.299 --> 00:15:13.740 tempted beyond your ability. But with the temptation, 00:15:13.799 --> 00:15:16.799 he will provide the way of escape that you may 00:15:16.799 --> 00:15:21.919 be able to endure it. Jesus's suffering helps 00:15:21.919 --> 00:15:28.720 us in this way. But when did Jesus suffer? This 00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:31.659 seems like an obvious point during his incarnation 00:15:31.659 --> 00:15:34.840 and especially on the cross. But the timing of 00:15:34.840 --> 00:15:38.220 this matters because it gets at the glorious 00:15:38.220 --> 00:15:40.860 truth of the resurrection and the ascension. 00:15:40.940 --> 00:15:45.299 Look at verse seven. as it quotes from Psalm 00:15:45.299 --> 00:15:49.759 8. You made him for a little while lower than 00:15:49.759 --> 00:15:53.779 the angels. This refers to both status and to 00:15:53.779 --> 00:15:58.139 timing. That this was not for all of eternity. 00:15:58.440 --> 00:16:03.620 Why? Because Christ didn't stay dead. He rose 00:16:03.620 --> 00:16:07.279 and he ascended up to the right hand of the Father. 00:16:07.539 --> 00:16:10.519 So this points to the temporary nature of the 00:16:10.519 --> 00:16:13.970 sufferings of Christ. Not to the temporary nature 00:16:13.970 --> 00:16:16.470 of his incarnation for he is still fully God 00:16:16.470 --> 00:16:19.690 and fully man and still bears the marks of his 00:16:19.690 --> 00:16:23.370 suffering But this points to that Jesus came 00:16:23.370 --> 00:16:26.950 in the fullness of time and at just the right 00:16:26.950 --> 00:16:32.129 time died for your sins Because Jesus proclaimed 00:16:32.129 --> 00:16:37.799 what it is Finished there's nothing left to do 00:16:37.799 --> 00:16:41.620 it was once and it was for all who trust in him 00:16:41.620 --> 00:16:46.080 but friends as Christ had a limited window in 00:16:46.080 --> 00:16:50.600 which to suffer So you have a limited window 00:16:50.600 --> 00:16:56.120 in which to repent You have a limited time Before 00:16:56.120 --> 00:17:01.159 either you die or before Christ comes back you 00:17:01.159 --> 00:17:07.269 have a limited window to turn from your sin and 00:17:07.269 --> 00:17:12.289 turn to Jesus Christ. As Ecclesiastes says, there 00:17:12.289 --> 00:17:17.329 is a time to live and a time to die. You do not 00:17:17.329 --> 00:17:21.009 have forever on this. And so today, if you are 00:17:21.009 --> 00:17:25.910 indulging in unrepentant sin, this passage demands 00:17:25.910 --> 00:17:29.529 that you leave your sin in the dust and turn 00:17:29.529 --> 00:17:33.900 to Christ. Verse 17 says, he makes propitiation, 00:17:34.079 --> 00:17:37.920 which means that he satisfies the wrath of God. 00:17:39.079 --> 00:17:43.180 And that's good news because you don't have to 00:17:43.180 --> 00:17:47.720 bear the full wrath of God because Jesus already 00:17:47.720 --> 00:17:53.900 took it. Jesus has had the iniquity of us laid 00:17:53.900 --> 00:17:58.019 upon him, but you do not have forever on this. 00:17:58.079 --> 00:18:01.259 You might not even have the rest of the day. 00:18:01.740 --> 00:18:05.019 You might not even have the rest of this worship 00:18:05.019 --> 00:18:09.660 service today is the day of salvation right now 00:18:09.660 --> 00:18:14.099 and Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the 00:18:14.099 --> 00:18:18.000 word of Christ and you're hearing it right now 00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:23.940 So do not remain in your sin turn to Jesus And 00:18:23.940 --> 00:18:28.039 this helps us answer the third point today For 00:18:28.039 --> 00:18:33.450 whom did Christ suffer? Did he suffer for you? 00:18:33.450 --> 00:18:37.250 If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and 00:18:37.250 --> 00:18:39.630 the Savior of the world, then you can be assured 00:18:39.630 --> 00:18:43.869 that you are numbered in the company of the elect. 00:18:45.349 --> 00:18:48.349 I've already mentioned John Owen. He wrote that 00:18:48.349 --> 00:18:53.549 book to speak about and against the erroneous 00:18:53.549 --> 00:18:57.670 teaching that we have free will to exercise faith 00:18:57.670 --> 00:19:01.569 on our own. rather than being drawn by the Father, 00:19:02.049 --> 00:19:06.150 John 6, rather than it being all of grace, Ephesians 00:19:06.150 --> 00:19:09.069 2, rather than it being ordained before the foundation 00:19:09.069 --> 00:19:11.569 of the world, Ephesians 1, and rather than being 00:19:11.569 --> 00:19:14.450 predestined according to Romans 8, J .I. Packer 00:19:14.450 --> 00:19:18.210 said here, where the Arminian says, I owe my 00:19:18.210 --> 00:19:22.710 election to my faith, the Calvinist says, I owe 00:19:22.710 --> 00:19:27.900 my faith to my election. And so really then what 00:19:27.900 --> 00:19:30.779 this passage is getting at as we consider for 00:19:30.779 --> 00:19:34.819 whom did Christ die, this is getting at particular 00:19:34.819 --> 00:19:39.599 atonement. You all have heard of tulip before, 00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:44.299 total depravity, unconditional election, limited 00:19:44.299 --> 00:19:47.839 atonement, irresistible grace, perseverance of 00:19:47.839 --> 00:19:51.680 the saints. I for one do not. care very much 00:19:51.680 --> 00:19:54.759 for the term limited atonement. I prefer particular 00:19:54.759 --> 00:19:58.700 atonement because we recognize that God has given 00:19:58.700 --> 00:20:04.960 people to Jesus for him to die for. And yet, 00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:08.180 as we consider particular atonement, we may have 00:20:08.180 --> 00:20:11.140 a question regarding verse nine. Look there. 00:20:12.660 --> 00:20:15.099 Look towards the end of it, at least within the 00:20:15.099 --> 00:20:18.750 ESV. It's at the end of this. as it says that 00:20:18.750 --> 00:20:24.849 he might taste death for everyone. He might taste 00:20:24.849 --> 00:20:28.210 death for everyone. That everyone word might 00:20:28.210 --> 00:20:31.410 trip us up. We might wonder what's going on here. 00:20:32.309 --> 00:20:36.369 We need to read this in context because Jesus 00:20:36.369 --> 00:20:40.630 has lived and died for the many sons of verse 00:20:40.630 --> 00:20:43.930 10. He has died for those sons who are called 00:20:43.930 --> 00:20:47.859 brothers in verse 11. He has died for those who 00:20:47.859 --> 00:20:51.279 are called companions in chapter 1. He has died 00:20:51.279 --> 00:20:55.299 for the congregation in verse 12 and verse 13 00:20:55.299 --> 00:20:58.539 for God's children and verse 16 for the offspring 00:20:58.539 --> 00:21:01.660 of Abraham. You see this is painting a picture 00:21:01.660 --> 00:21:06.539 of particular atonement. It's painting a picture 00:21:06.539 --> 00:21:11.250 of God's sovereignty in salvation. that those 00:21:11.250 --> 00:21:15.710 that Jesus has died for might be made holy and 00:21:15.710 --> 00:21:21.990 perfect with consciences made clean. Here again 00:21:21.990 --> 00:21:25.150 then from John Owen who said, there is enough 00:21:25.150 --> 00:21:30.430 in the death of Christ to save everyone that 00:21:30.430 --> 00:21:34.670 shall so do, meaning belief. leaving the purpose 00:21:34.670 --> 00:21:39.029 and counsel of God on whom he will bestow faith 00:21:39.029 --> 00:21:43.509 and for whom in particular Christ died. Friends, 00:21:43.910 --> 00:21:47.150 there is enough in the death of Christ to save 00:21:47.150 --> 00:21:50.150 every single one that the Father has given to 00:21:50.150 --> 00:21:53.369 the Son. Every son and every daughter of God 00:21:53.369 --> 00:21:56.430 will be brought to glory and it's made possible 00:21:56.430 --> 00:22:01.779 by the death of Christ. Jesus' death destroys 00:22:01.779 --> 00:22:04.440 the one who has the power of death, the devil, 00:22:04.440 --> 00:22:08.460 it says. And yet, even as we think about that, 00:22:09.380 --> 00:22:14.519 perhaps we are perplexed here. Because as you 00:22:14.519 --> 00:22:17.859 remember what the people were shouting about 00:22:17.859 --> 00:22:22.740 Jesus or to Jesus, they were shouting, crucify 00:22:22.740 --> 00:22:26.380 him, right? And you must think that as people 00:22:26.380 --> 00:22:30.359 yelled, crucify Him, this must have put a smile 00:22:30.359 --> 00:22:35.579 on the face of the wicked devil. Surely he could 00:22:35.579 --> 00:22:39.400 want nothing more than for Jesus to be made a 00:22:39.400 --> 00:22:46.579 curse. But didn't Jesus pray? Forgive them, Father, 00:22:47.039 --> 00:22:49.400 for they don't know what they're doing. Friends, 00:22:50.200 --> 00:22:53.240 they didn't know. True words have never been 00:22:53.240 --> 00:22:57.619 spoken. Augustine said, he used a phrase called 00:22:57.619 --> 00:23:01.220 Felix Colpa to capture this idea, which means 00:23:01.220 --> 00:23:06.140 the blessed fall. It was better that Adam fell, 00:23:07.519 --> 00:23:11.839 for in it we experience something better, something 00:23:11.839 --> 00:23:16.000 greater. Look at verse five. And I don't mean 00:23:16.000 --> 00:23:18.779 to relegate a doctrine like the new heavens and 00:23:18.779 --> 00:23:20.880 the new earth to just the last couple of minutes 00:23:20.880 --> 00:23:23.440 in the sermon, but there is more here than I 00:23:23.440 --> 00:23:26.259 could imagine. Look at verse five. For it was 00:23:26.259 --> 00:23:29.579 not to angels that God subjected the world to 00:23:29.579 --> 00:23:36.599 come. Jesus has gone to make a place for us, 00:23:36.619 --> 00:23:41.460 hasn't he? And yes, he's inaugurated these things 00:23:41.460 --> 00:23:46.619 now. He's set the ball in motion. He has said 00:23:46.619 --> 00:23:49.660 it is finished, but he has something glorious 00:23:49.660 --> 00:23:53.400 planned for us. And in his death, he secures 00:23:53.400 --> 00:23:57.420 for us something far better than we could ever 00:23:57.420 --> 00:24:01.759 imagine. Christ killed death so that the curse 00:24:01.759 --> 00:24:07.259 would be reversed. Lest you die now means lest 00:24:07.259 --> 00:24:16.789 you live and live in the world. to come. Now 00:24:16.789 --> 00:24:22.029 what do we do with all of this? Friends, an application 00:24:22.029 --> 00:24:25.490 of this that we can say is very simple, profound, 00:24:25.569 --> 00:24:27.789 straight to the point, and yet with everlasting 00:24:27.789 --> 00:24:31.210 implications. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ 00:24:31.210 --> 00:24:34.430 and you will be saved. His suffering was for 00:24:34.430 --> 00:24:38.589 you. If you hear nothing else today, hear that. 00:24:38.970 --> 00:24:43.200 Believe in Jesus. But if today you are in Christ 00:24:43.200 --> 00:24:46.339 and you are looking for sanctification, look 00:24:46.339 --> 00:24:52.539 at verse 11. When you consider your sin and misery, 00:24:53.740 --> 00:24:56.740 how you as a redeemed man or a redeemed woman, 00:24:56.880 --> 00:24:59.980 sometimes you feel like you can't get out of 00:24:59.980 --> 00:25:03.220 your own way in your sin. Well, Paul said it 00:25:03.220 --> 00:25:07.299 like this, I do not do what I want. I do the 00:25:07.299 --> 00:25:11.329 thing that I hate. The evil I do not want is 00:25:11.329 --> 00:25:15.890 what I keep doing. Paul can't seem to put his 00:25:15.890 --> 00:25:19.829 finger on exactly why he does these things, and 00:25:19.829 --> 00:25:24.289 we can't either. Yes, it's sin, but do you ever 00:25:24.289 --> 00:25:27.890 just wish or do you ever wonder why am I not 00:25:27.890 --> 00:25:30.950 further along in my sanctification than I am? 00:25:31.490 --> 00:25:35.349 Why do I continue to sin in these ways over and 00:25:35.349 --> 00:25:38.210 over again? Why do I still struggle with this? 00:25:38.480 --> 00:25:43.039 And what does God think of me? Friends, there 00:25:43.039 --> 00:25:48.839 is so much shame and so much guilt that we carry, 00:25:49.440 --> 00:25:54.380 like a backpack full of cinder blocks. And we 00:25:54.380 --> 00:25:57.960 think, I don't even want to show my face around 00:25:57.960 --> 00:26:00.799 the church. I don't even want to show my face 00:26:00.799 --> 00:26:03.000 around those people. What do they think of me? 00:26:03.240 --> 00:26:05.740 Will they ever talk to me again? Am I loved? 00:26:06.039 --> 00:26:08.619 And what about God who is all -knowing? He knows 00:26:08.619 --> 00:26:13.000 everything that I do and say and think. Sometimes 00:26:13.000 --> 00:26:16.940 we might think Christ must be utterly repulsed 00:26:16.940 --> 00:26:23.660 by us. But friends, particular atonement isn't 00:26:23.660 --> 00:26:26.200 about Christ dying for the cream of the crop. 00:26:27.089 --> 00:26:31.630 Paul called himself the chief of sinners. Particular 00:26:31.630 --> 00:26:35.589 atonement is about the glory of God and his love 00:26:35.589 --> 00:26:39.369 displayed on those who had no hope whatsoever. 00:26:41.069 --> 00:26:44.589 Because he suffers in your place, he calls you 00:26:44.589 --> 00:26:49.910 brother. He calls you sister. Again, verse 11. 00:26:51.130 --> 00:26:54.549 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified 00:26:54.549 --> 00:26:58.400 all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed 00:26:58.400 --> 00:27:01.960 to call them brothers. Friends, Christ is not 00:27:01.960 --> 00:27:10.259 ashamed of you at all. He died for you. How could 00:27:10.259 --> 00:27:13.359 he be ashamed of people that he died for? He 00:27:13.359 --> 00:27:19.579 calls you brother. He calls you sister. He died 00:27:19.579 --> 00:27:24.299 on the cross to bring you into his family. But 00:27:24.299 --> 00:27:28.990 because that is true, The reverse also must be 00:27:28.990 --> 00:27:34.130 true. Christ is not ashamed of you. Are you ashamed 00:27:34.130 --> 00:27:39.730 of him? The same word that is used here when 00:27:39.730 --> 00:27:43.009 it mentions this word ashamed is the same as 00:27:43.009 --> 00:27:47.930 Romans 1 16. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, 00:27:48.269 --> 00:27:52.789 for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone 00:27:52.789 --> 00:27:55.829 who believes. to the Jew first and then to the 00:27:55.829 --> 00:27:58.890 Gentile. And so the application, friends, is 00:27:58.890 --> 00:28:02.210 this. Don't be ashamed of the gospel. Let it 00:28:02.210 --> 00:28:05.730 be ready on your lips. Be ready for the reason, 00:28:06.069 --> 00:28:10.809 for the hope that is within you. Since Christ 00:28:10.809 --> 00:28:13.250 has defeated sin and death and the devil, you've 00:28:13.250 --> 00:28:16.150 been brought into the family of God. Let us put 00:28:16.150 --> 00:28:19.890 our faith into practice by proclaiming the gospel 00:28:19.890 --> 00:28:23.740 to dying people. I like to quote Richard Baxter 00:28:23.740 --> 00:28:26.299 on this. See, you get two Puritans in one sermon. 00:28:26.680 --> 00:28:30.299 Richard Baxter said, Preach like a dying man 00:28:30.299 --> 00:28:35.759 to dying men. Friends, we are all dying. Our 00:28:35.759 --> 00:28:39.400 outer selves are wasting away, but though we 00:28:39.400 --> 00:28:44.700 die, because of Christ's defeat of death and 00:28:44.700 --> 00:28:52.400 the devil and sin, we will live. John Owen. knew 00:28:52.400 --> 00:28:57.000 the heartache of death. John Owen had 11 children. 00:28:58.039 --> 00:29:02.980 10 of them died in infancy. And the 11th, he 00:29:02.980 --> 00:29:06.019 still had to bury that child too. And he had 00:29:06.019 --> 00:29:09.940 to bury his wife. We are all acquainted with 00:29:09.940 --> 00:29:12.819 death. We are all suffering through the realities 00:29:12.819 --> 00:29:17.940 of the curse. We just celebrated, no we didn't 00:29:17.940 --> 00:29:21.640 celebrate, sorry. We just remembered 9 -11. and 00:29:21.640 --> 00:29:25.759 the 25th anniversary, and all of those who died. 00:29:26.980 --> 00:29:31.839 Friends, people are dying today because of terror, 00:29:32.779 --> 00:29:39.000 of war, of cancer, of all sorts of reasons. What 00:29:39.000 --> 00:29:42.680 can get us through such a tragic life in which 00:29:42.680 --> 00:29:47.079 there is all of these things? Friends, you who 00:29:47.079 --> 00:29:51.069 are acquainted with death, must be acquainted 00:29:51.069 --> 00:29:55.589 with Christ in order to receive the benefits 00:29:55.589 --> 00:29:59.190 of his death, to have the benefit of eternal 00:29:59.190 --> 00:30:02.970 life with him, resurrection, and the world to 00:30:02.970 --> 00:30:08.049 come. Christ has defeated death. Let's pray.