Sermon
#11 Hebrews
Notes
Title: CHRIST
THE CAPTAIN
OF OUR
SALVATION
Text: Hebrews 2:10
Readings: Paul
Windrel and Lindsay Campbell
Subject: The Necessity for Christ's
Suffering and Death
Date: Tuesday Evening January 18, 2000[1]
Tape # V-66a & V-67b
Introduction:
If you are taking notes, the
title of my message is CHRIST - THE
CAPTAIN OF OUR SALVATION. Our text will be Hebrews 2:10.
Hebrews
2:10 "For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons
unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through
sufferings."
Notice the first word in our
text - "For." It is
important. This word, "for,"
is a connecting word. It connects verse 10 with what has been discussed in the
previous verses. There the Holy Spirit sets before us the excellence and glory
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then, in verse 9, he tells us that Christ "was made a little lower than the
angels for the suffering of death...that he by the grace of God should taste
death for every man."
NOTE: As much as I cherish the
Authorized Version, I have to tell you that the King James translators flat
messed up here. The words "every man" simply should not be in verse
9. A far better reading would be "every
son. Both the original language and the context will bear me out. To
translate Paul's words as they stand in the King James Version would imply that
Christ died to redeem and save all men, which is totally contrary to the Word
of God.
To the Jews the death of
Christ on the cross as the sinners' Substitute was a stumbling block and rock
of offense. So when the inspired writer mentioned it, he immediately declared
the necessity for it in our text. That is the connection.
Proposition: In this 10th verse he is
declaring to us the necessity for Christ's suffering and death.
Divisions: As we look at this verse
of Scripture together, I want to call your attention to five things in it.
1. The Greatness of Our God.
2. The Purpose of God.
3. The Captain of Our
Salvation.
4. The Perfecting of Christ as
Our Savior.
5. The Necessity for Christ's
Suffering and Death.
I. First,
our text speaks of THE GREATNESS OF
OUR GOD.
"It became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all
things."
Here the Apostle declares that the Lord our God is the beginning and the end of
all things.
A. THIS IS A DECLARATION OF GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY.
The Lord our God is glorious
in his absolute sovereignty. This is what sets him apart from all his creatures
and distinguishes him from all the gods men have invented. He who is God rules
everything absolutely. All things are
for him, to do his bidding, to accomplish his purpose, to set forth his
glory. All things are for him because
all things are by him. In their origin, in their preservation, in their
purpose, and in their consummate end, all things are by him.
This is what the Scriptures universally declare. "For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom
be glory for ever. Amen." --
Rom 11:36 "All things are of God." -- 2
Cor 5:18 This will be the subject of God's everlasting praise. "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive
glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy
pleasure they are and were created."
-- Rev 4:11
1. This is a description of the
Triune God.
2. This is particularly a description
of God the Father, who made his Son perfect through suffering and death, in
bringing many sons unto glory.
B. THIS DECLARATION OF GOD'S GREATNESS AS THE SOVEREIGN
RULER OF ALL THINGS IS GIVEN TO ASSURE US OF HIS ABILITY TO SAVE.
In the matter of salvation,
we need One "by whom are all
things," because no one else can save. Who can create us anew, but the
Creator of all things? Who can keep us from falling, but the Preserver of all
things? Who can save us from the many perils we face in this world, but the
Ruler of all things? If ever we are brought to glory, it must be by that God
"by whom are all things. If you
and I enter into glory it will be by the work of him "for whom are all things.
1. In heaven's glory we shall forever adore and praise
our great God for the wondrous mystery of his grace, by which we are saved.
Everything in the great work
of salvation sets forth the splendor of the grace of the Most High God.
·
What do we see in election but his grace?
·
What do we see in redemption but his grace?
·
What do you see in regeneration and conversion but his grace?
·
What do you see in preservation, perseverance and glorification but the
grace of God?
In, salvation as well as in
creation, all things are of God, all things are by God, and all things are for
God. He works all our works in us, and unto him alone all praise must be
forever!
2. The greatness of God in his absolute sovereignty
assures us of his ability to do all his will.
The Psalmist David sang, "[Whatsoever the LORD pleased], that
did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places. -- Psa 135:6 -- God himself says, "The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying,
Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so
shall it stand. -- Isa 14:24 -- "My counsel shall stand, and I will do
all my pleasure. -- Isa 46:11
We know that God always does
all his pleasure because he always, absolutely controls all things. If he did
not, we could never be assured of any promise or prophecy made by him.
So this is the first thing
taught in our text: THE GREAT GOD,
OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, WHO HAS PURPOSED OUR SALVATION, IS ABLE TO FULLY
ACCOMPLISH WHAT HE HAS PLANNED, BECAUSE HE IS THAT ONE "FOR WHOM ARE ALL THINGS, AND BY WHOM ARE ALL THINGS!"
We are assured that our God,
having put his hand to the great work of our salvation, will not withdraw his
arm from the work until he has fully accomplished his eternal purpose, to the
praise of the glory of his grace. This we confidently declare to every
believer, "He which hath begun a
good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. -- Phil 1:6
II. Secondly, our text asserts THE
GLORIOUS PURPOSE OF GOD.
Read the opening lines again. "For it became him, for whom are all
things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory. This
is the great and glorious, eternal purpose of our God. He is "BRINGING MANY SONS UNTO GLORY.
The Triune God undertook this great enterprise before the world began.
Everything he does, has done, or shall hereafter do is subservient to this
great work. This is what God is doing. He is bringing many sons unto glory!
The God of the Bible is a God of purpose. Everything he does is
according to his eternal purpose. And his eternal purpose is the salvation of
his people. There is a people in this world, a great multitude which no man can
number, many sons, whom God is
determined to bring unto glory.
Read the eighth chapter of Romans, verses 28-30. "And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according
to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many
brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he
called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also
glorified."
A. THERE ARE MANY THINGS INVOLVED IN THIS GREAT WORK OF
GRACE.
As we read the Scriptures,
we discover that this work of saving sinners involves many things. The more you
study this thing called salvation, and the more you know of it experimentally,
the bigger it gets. Salvation is a mighty big word. It is indeed a great work,
a work which none but God could do. It involves...
·
Election, Predestination and Adoption (Rom 8:28-30; Eph 1:2-5; II Thess
2:13-14)
·
Redemption, Forgiveness and Justification (Eph 1:7; Rom 3:24-26)
·
Regeneration, Faith and Holiness (John 3:5-7, 13-14; Heb 12:14)
·
Preservation, Resurrection and Glorification (John 10:28-29; John 5:28;
Rom 8:30)
B. In our text, this great work
which God almighty undertook in eternity, the work which God is now performing
and shall finish, is described as "BRINGING MANY SONS UNTO GLORY."
As the Lord God brought
Israel out of Egypt, across the Red Sea, through the wilderness, over the
Jordan, and into the land of Canaan, so he will bring all his chosen unto glory
by his own mighty hand of grace. The
ultimate destination of God's elect is glory, eternal glory! Not one of God's
elect will fail to attain it.
Not a hoof shall be left behind! Not one true believer in the Lord Jesus
Christ will fail to attain perfect, complete salvation at the right hand of the
Majesty on high. Wherever God gives
grace he will give glory. As he does not give grace by degrees, so neither will
he give glory by degrees! There are no back settlements in the heavenly
Canaan, where "second class saints" live! There are no slums in the
New Jerusalem! God is bringing his people into glory, not degrees of glory!
Whoever he was who devised
that abominable notion that there are degrees of glory and degrees of heavenly
reward to be given to the saints, depending upon their works on earth, knew
nothing of the gospel of the free grace of God in Christ!
John Blanchard was exactly right when he said, "Heaven is not a conditional
reward, but a consummated relationship."
1. Heaven is
a Glorious Place.
The Holy Spirit uses the
word "glory"
interchangeably with the word "heaven."
He makes the two terms synonymous. Heaven is a glorious place. Countless books
have been written about it. We sing hymns about it and preach sermons about it;
but really we know very little about it. "As
it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the
heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."
-- 1 Cor 2:9 -- We will never know the glory of glory until we are in glory.
2. In that glorious place
everyone follows Glorious Pursuits.
What are the saints doing in
heaven? I will not attempt to guess. But this much I know - THEY ARE SERVING GOD AND THE LAMB. "And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of
the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see
his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads."-- Rev 22:3-4.
They cast their crowns at
his feet. They sing his praise. They adore his grace. They make known to
principalities and powers the manifold wisdom of God in redemption. They gaze
upon the face of their beloved Redeemer, God, and Savior! All the pursuits of
heaven are glorious. There will never be anything low, base, or selfish done in
glory. There will never be any wearisome toil required. All is glory!
3. In that glorious place, with
its glorious pursuits, there are Glorious Pleasures.
There we will understand the
meaning of David's words: "Thou wilt
show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand
there are pleasures for evermore. -- Psa 16:11.
In heaven we shall live! Did
you ever try to imagine what the pleasures of God must be? What is that which
is called "the joy of the Lord?"
What is the infinite satisfaction of the Eternal God? What can be the bliss of
him who is Blessed God? I can- not imagine such things with my puny brain. Yet,
I know that it is this very joy, bliss, peace, and satisfaction into which we
shall enter in glory, when our Master says to each of his ransomed ones, "Well done, thou good and faithful
servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over
many things: enter thou into [the joy of thy Lord]." -- Mat 25:21
·
Chrysostom wrote, "If one man should
suffer all the sorrows of all the saints in the world, yet they are not worth
one hour's glory in heaven.
·
Paul said, "For I reckon
that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the
glory which shall be revealed in us.
-- Rom 8:18
·
Someone said, "Earth has no sorrow
that heaven cannot heal.
·
A. W. Pink wrote, "One breath of
Paradise will extinguish all the adverse winds of earth.
I am talking about glory!
Heaven is a place of glorious pleasure! As C.
S. Lewis put it, "Joy is the serious business of heaven. There are no
regrets in heaven, no remorseful tears, no second thoughts, no lost causes, no
sorrows of any kind! It is written, "God
shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death,
neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the
former things are passed away."
-- Rev 21:4
4. This glorious place, with
its glorious pursuits and glorious pleasures, shall be inhabited by Glorious
Persons.
Look at Hebrews 12:22-24. "But ye are come unto mount Sion, and
unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable
company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which
are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just
men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the
blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
·
God is there, Father, Son and Holy Spirit!
·
Christ, the Lamb, is there!
·
The Holy Angels are there!
·
The Spirits of just men made perfect are there!
There all the saints of God
shall be glorious, kings and priests unto God, arrayed as kings, holy as God
himself is holy, glorious as Christ himself is glorious. Well does the writer
of Hebrews use this word when he speaks of heaven - "glory." Heaven is GLORY!
C. OUR GREAT GOD WILL BRING ALL HIS SONS TO GLORY
DESPITE ALL THE DIFFICULTIES THAT LIE IN THE WAY.
Every believer shall
persevere unto the end because every believer is preserved by God himself.
Though ten thousand hells lay between us and glory, though ten thousand Satans
roared against us, not one of God's elect shall fail to attain unto glory,
because the glorious God has undertaken to save us! As Israel was brought from
Egypt into Canaan by a constant series of miracles, supernatural, unexplainable
works of God, so the believer's path is a path of constant, miraculous grace!
Ours is a miraculous life! God Almighty, himself, has undertaken to save us!
Can you get hold of that?
Our path is not easy, but it
is safe. Fight we must, but victory is sure. Temptations we must endure, but
our God will uphold us. Trials we must face, but God holds us with the right
hand of his righteousness. He feeds us, refreshes us, clothes us, fights for
us, protects us, upholds us; and he will bring us unto glory!
D. PERHAPS THE GREATEST WONDER OF THIS GREAT PURPOSE
AND WORK OF GOD IS THE MANY SONS HE HAS DETERMINED TO BRING UNTO GLORY.
"Ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after
the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the
foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak
things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of
the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things
which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory
in his presence." -- 1 Cor 1:26-29
God has chosen for his sons
and daughters those people whom most people on earth would be ashamed to call
their children. Those who are passed by by society, the depraved, the debased,
the fallen, are the very ones chosen by God, the very ones he is determined to
bring unto glory!
Illustration: Johnny's
# 60!
III. Thirdly, our text describes the Lord Jesus Christ as THE CAPTAIN OF OUR SALVATION.
God has purposed that he
will bring many sons to glory; but he has determined that he will do so by a
chosen Captain, a Captain greater than Joshua, who will fight for his people and
bring them safely into the Canaan of glory.
The word that is translated
"captain" in our text is in
other places translated "author,"
and in other places "prince;"
but time will permit us only to consider the word as it stands in our text. God
will bring his sons to glory; but he will do so only by the Captain of our
Salvation, Jesus Christ. You cannot come to glory but by this Captain (John
10:9; 14:6)
Why is Christ called "The Captain of their salvation?" Let me quickly give you
seven answers to that question. Christ is called the Captain of our Salvation
because...
A. THE CAPTAIN HAS ALL AUTHORITY AND POWER.
The captain of an army is
invested with the authority and power of the king himself. The captain's word
is the king's word. The king's treasures are the captain's treasures. Even so,
the Lord Jesus Christ has all power and authority given to him for the saving
of his people. "Thou hast given him
power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast
given him. -- John 17:2
B. THE CAPTAIN MAKES ALL THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE
ARMY'S MARCH.
He decides what path the
troops will take, where they will camp, how long they will stay at any place.
And he supplies all provisions for them. Even so, our Lord Jesus Christ mapped
out our path in divine predestination, and supplies us with our needs and
directs our steps according to his wise and good providence.
C. THE CAPTAIN'S WORD IS THE LAW BY WHICH THE WHOLE
ARMY IS GOVERNED.
Soldiers are not allowed to
do each one what he chooses. The troops do not make up their rules of conduct
and principles of warfare as they go along. That is the Captain's business. In
the Church and Kingdom of God Christ gives the marching orders. They are not
optional. His Word is our law. He alone determined what our doctrine and duty
is, what our faith and practice must be; and he has given these things to us in
his Word.
D. THE CAPTAIN IS MORE THAN A COMMANDER, HE IS A
LEADER; THE CAPTAIN LEADS THE WAY.
Illustration: Stonewall
Jackson Leading His Troops
You will never go in any
path of duty, walk through any fiery furnace, go through any deep valley, climb
any high hill of difficulty, or endure any temptation, but where you will find
the footprint of the Crucified One.
E. THE CAPTAIN ENCOURAGES HIS MEN.
When the Lord Jesus appears
to us and we hear him say, "It is I,
be not afraid, that is all that is required to calm our hearts and sustain
our souls.
F. IT IS THE CAPTAIN'S DELIGHT TO REWARD HIS FOLLOWERS.
As David's spoils were
shared equally by all the army, the brave and the timid, the strong and the
weak (1 Sam 30:24), so the Lord Jesus Christ will bestow upon all the many sons
he brings to glory all the glory he has won.
1. We are heirs of God and
joint-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17).
2. That means that all the
glory which Christ now possesses as our Mediator shall be ours (John 17:5,22).
John 17:5 "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with
thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was."
John 17:22 "And the glory which thou gavest me I
have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:"
G. THE CAPTAIN IS RESPONSIBLE BOTH FOR THE ARMY UNDER
HIS COMMAND AND FOR THE VICTORY.
It is true, we are engaged
in a warfare. We must fight continually, resisting sin, contending with the
world, the flesh and the devil. But the battle is not ours. It is the Lord's.
Exodus
14:13-14 "And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye
not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will show to you
to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no
more for ever. (14) The LORD shall
fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace."
2
Chronicles 20:15 "And he said, Hearken ye,
all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus
saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great
multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's."
Christ, the Captain of our
Salvation, is the One responsible for our salvation; and "he shall not fail!"
IV. Fourthly, our text says something about THE
PERFECTING OF CHRIST AS OUR SAVIOR, AS THE CAPTAIN OF OUR SALVATION.
"For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all
things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their
salvation perfect through sufferings."
Christ was the Captain of
our salvation from eternity. He was our Savior from everlasting. But in order
to save us, in order to bring us to glory, the Lord Jesus Christ had to be
perfected as a Savior. He had to experience something himself if he would be a
perfect and complete Savior. What does that mean?
Listen to me carefully.
Christ was not made perfect in his character by suffering. He was always
perfect, both as God and as man. But he was made perfect officially, as the
Captain of our salvation. To perform
the office of a Savior, to save lost sinners from their just and righteous
condemnation, Christ had to
possess three things: merit, power and sympathy. The only way he could
obtain all three was by those things which he suffered, which consummated in
his death as the sinners' Substitute.
The Savior of men must have
such merit with God that God
can, consistently with the perfections of his nature and the requirements of
his law, reverse the sentence of condemnation passed upon those for whom Christ
suffered and died. He must have such infinite merit that we can through his merit
alone obtain all the blessings of grace and glory, without any works of our
own, without any merit of our own.
The Captain of our salvation
must possess all power, in
heaven and in earth, so that he may, by the sheer power of his will make
ignorant, depraved, helpless, miserable sinners, wise, and good, and happy. He
must have such absolute control of all things that he can make all things work
together for the salvation of his people.
Moreover, the Savior of men
must be able to sympathize
with, he must be able to enter into the feelings of, those whom he is to
deliver and save.
All these things are
necessary if the Son of God is to be a perfect Savior; and all these things
were obtained by him through the things which he suffered.
A. BY HIS INCARNATION HE BECAME A SAVIOR OF INFINITE
MERIT.
1. The Savior of men must be a
man, because man had sinned and man must suffer.
2. He must also be God, because
none but God has infinite merit to satisfy the claims of divine justice.
B. CHRIST OBTAINED THE POWER TO SAVE AS THE REWARD OF
HIS OBEDIENCE UNTO DEATH AS OUR SUBSTITUTE (John 17:2; Heb 7:25).
John 17:2 "As thou hast given him power over all
flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given
him."
Hebrews
7:24-25 "But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. (25) Wherefore he is able also to save
them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make
intercession for them."
C. THE SON OF GOD BECAME A
SYMPATHIZING SAVIOR BY THE THINGS HE SUFFERED AS A MAN FOR US (Heb 2:18; 4:15).
Hebrews 2:18
"For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to
succour them that are tempted."
Hebrews 4:15
"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the
feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."
D. THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS A PERFECT SAVIOR.
1. He has made a perfect
expiation of sin.
2. He has brought in a perfect
righteousness.
3. His holy heart is filled
with a perfect sympathy for his needy people.
4. He is a perfect example for
us to follow.
5. He has perfect power, he is
perfectly able to save!
V. Lastly, the Apostle
indicates THE NECESSITY FOR CHRIST'S
SUFFERING AND DEATH.
He suffered and died, he was
made a perfect Savior by suffering and death, because "it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all
things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their
salvation perfect through sufferings.
It was becoming to God to
save us in such a way. Indeed, this is the only method of salvation that is
becoming to the holy and just Lord God. This method of salvation, through the
merits of Christ's sufferings and death, is a salvation becoming to God because...
A. It glorifies all his divine attributes.
·
Wisdom and Immutability
·
Mercy and Truth
·
Righteousness and Peace
·
Love and Wrath
·
Grace and Justice
·
Kindness and Veracity
Nahum 1:1-7 "The burden of Nineveh. The book of the
vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. (2) God
is jealous, and the LORD revengeth;
the LORD revengeth, and is furious;
the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. (3) The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the
whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are
the dust of his feet. (4) He
rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan
languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth. (5) The mountains quake at him, and the
hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all
that dwell therein. (6) Who can stand
before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his
fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him. (7) The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them
that trust in him."
B. It will glorify him before Satan and all the demons of
hell.
Salvation by a Man will
forever glorify God and make a mockery of Satan who refused to be a servant to
man.
C. It will glorify the triune God in the eyes of all the
damned.]
You who perish under the
wrath of God will yet be made to see the glory of God in redemption. You will
yet see the glory of the gospel. You will forever acknowledge that your
condemnation is just.
D. Salvation by Christ, the sinners' Substitute will forever
delight the hearts and minds of the redeemed as we give glory to God forever in
glory.
"And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the
book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us
to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the
earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the
throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand
times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice,
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and
strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in
heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and
all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and
power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and
ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down
and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever." -- Rev 5:9-14
Application: I call upon you now, one
and all, to fall on your faces before this great God, our great Savior, the
Lord Jesus Christ in repentance, faith and adoration. Glorify him now and
forever as the sinner's perfect Savior, the Captain of our Salvation. Amen.