The Purpose and Power of Christ’s Death and Resurrection

Paul Hamilton

Exposition of Hebrews • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

Hebrews 2:5–9

Incarnation

Jesus' Resurrection and Ascension

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Hebrews 2: 5-9 > Pray

In God’s providence, on this Easter Sunday, the text we come to in Hebrews focuses on the purpose and power of Christs Death and Resurrection.

The eternal Son of God took on flesh, was born a baby – Jesus of Nazareth– a real living person—he live a perfect life and was Crucified on a Roman Cross, falsely condemned, He died, was buried and rose from the dead and is exalted to right hand of the Father in all glory and honor!

Those are the basic facts of the gospel, and that victory is what we remember on especially on Easter –

but that victory is what we remember every Lord’s Day – Sunday by Sunday we remember Christ rose from the DEAD, on this, the first day of the week! That’s why the church, from the very beginning emphasized gathering on this day of the week, to remember what Christ has done for us.

This passage will help us understand better the why of the gospel. What was its purpose? What was its power?

So this morning we are going to look at this passage under two major headings – The PURPOSE of Christ’s Death and Resurrection and the POWER of Christ’s Death and Resurrection.

But before we jump into the exposition let’s get a handle on the text itself here.

This is a transitional section in the book of Hebrews, the writer began with the exalted reality of Christ, but he is shift back here towards the incarnation of Christ, Christ’s work – as a human man to accomplish salvation for us!

Back in Chapter 1 verse 13 focused on Christ putting all things under his feet – not the angels – then there was the exhortation we looked at last week.

He picks up that theme of subjection again to bring some clarity, he’s addressing an issue that the reader might be thinking…

If Christ is ruling and that’s so perfect, why and I’m struggling? Why am I suffering? Why is life not feeling fair? The writer will address that by pointing us more clearly to the reality of what CHRIST HAS DONE AND IS DOING. – the Purpose and Power of His Death and Resurrection.

We’ll be getting into the Already but Not Yet aspect of the Gospel here, ALREADY CHRIST has died for us and purchased our redemption but We don’t experience it fully YET… that is yet to come.

You see in verse 5, the writer explains that he is talking about the World to Come – the ultimate focus and effect of Christ’s work is experienced then… not yet.

That is the purpose of this passage, and he’ll be quoting a Psalm to make his point. A quote and interpretation is the structure.

By all this the writer is making sure we are not confused by our difficulties in life, we have to understand the TRUE PURPOSE and TRUE POWER of Christ’s work. Not some lesser thing, — Not money or Power, of pleasure here — he did something far more!! we need to understand what it was REALLY all for.

I. THE PURPOSE OF CHRIST’S DEATH AND RESURRECTION

Christ’s incarnation was necessary to…

A. Reverse Adam’s Failure

So where do we get that from this text? This passages is dealing with the big necessity and big results of the Gospel, the BIG PURPOSE of CHRIST’S WORK… so this is really big picture!

The focus of Christ’s dominion shifts to the future… the WORLD TO COME because Adam failed in his position as ruler of this present world. Check this out. The writer is using Psalm 8 to make his point

Hebrews 2:6–8 (ESV) — 6 It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? 7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, 8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.”

Now let me read a little more, reading verses 3-8 of Psalm 8. It’s in the notes, or you can turn in your Bibles.

Psalm 8:3–8 (ESV) — 3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? 5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, 7 all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, 8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

Now, in the context, when it was originally written, who is in view? Who is the man and Son of man? Made lower than the angels – but crowning him with glory giving him dominion over the works of God’s hands, all things the sheep, oxen, beast birds, fish… does that ring any bells?

Genesis 1:26 (ESV) — 26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Do you see the connection? This was the original purpose of mankind! When God created Adam it was so that he and all his children would have dominion over all of God’s creation. We were made to rule.

Now he was a little lower than the Angels… we’ll not deep dive into that particular pile of weeds, but the point we can all see, is that our purpose was to RULE. And when David wrote Psalm 8, this was the first level of meaning.

Humanity was made to rule and it is amazing that that is our position!! Humanity has this great privilege to rule over the world. And that is our roll still, we are just really, really bad at it.

Adam was made to rule, he was perfect and without sin but in that Garden, he freely chose to rebel, to sin. To eat from the TREE of THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL.

He chose to seek out and experience evil - to know and define good and evil for himself RATHER THAN, resting and trusting in GOD’s ways as the greatest GOOD.

So the one created to RULE FOR GOD, chose instead to RULE AS GOD – and in that came the ruination of us all.

So the writer of Hebrews here, he’s taking this Psalm written first about us, and applying this to Jesus… here is the SON of MAN – God incarnate - God as Man became a little lower than the angels, who has come to accomplish what we have failed to accomplish.

THE PURPOSE OF CHRIST’S WORK was to fulfil this PSALM to Fulfill the original purpose of the creation of humanity.

TO RULE. So you see, the focus then shifts not to this world, this age. This has been polluted by SIN… the Man Jesus who is GOD became man in order to bring about a new age, where his perfect rule is experienced completely.

The first purpose of the incarnation and the death and resurrection of Jesus was to fulfill the duty of humanity to RULE over creation.

The second purpose deals with the effect of Adam’s sin… DEATH spread to all men.

THIS PRESENT EVIL AGE IS COVERED IN DEATH.

B. Reverse the Effects of Adam’s Failure

Christ reigns, verse 8 tells us, nothing is outside of his control – that sounds good. BUT we don’t see it YET. At present we do not see everything in subjection to him. We don’t SEE Christ ruling now, what do we see? Death! This is the effect of Adam’s RULE!

That contrast is what I want us to focus on!

when Christ is not ruling Death is reigning!

Romans 5:12 (ESV) — 12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—

Death has come because Adam sinned. It’s not just that we are failed rulers, we are actually cut off from Spiritual life and Dead!

Death covers the world because of that Sin, we are so used to it, but it is the invader, it is the anti-life, Life comes from GOD it is good, powerful, it is his breath… but death is the result of sin.

The holiness code of Israel emphasized that any connection to death made you unholy, - if you touched a dead body, if you were sick - you needed to wash – teaching them and us that DEATH DOES NOT BELONG – that is the result of sin.

It can have nothing to do with God! You can’t go to his temple if you’ve touched a dead body, until you’ve washed and sometimes waited a specified amount of time.

The ONLY exception was the sacrifice. the holy act of experiencing God’s mercy as another dies in the place of his people. Where God’s mercy washes over this foulest of effects of sins.

So, every time you see death, from a dead bug, to an animal on the road to your beloved family member – that should remind us…

DEATH DOESN’T BELONG HERE -- it is WRONG that is because of sin!!

That is the result of sin. And every time we sin, we lose our temper, think a lustful thought, lose control, the stench of death should fill our nostrils! IT STINKS! We’re playing with the evil that brings about death.

And that death is so potent that it has spread to all of us, we are all dead in our sins. That’s the language Paul uses to describe humanity…

Ephesians 2:1 (ESV) — 1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins

So God had to come into the world first to complete our purpose – to rule, but also to deliver us from Death.

This is Jesus as the second Adam, as the better representative, the perfect human. So you see the purpose of the incarnation is big! God had to enter into the creation as a human to complete the work of humanity that we could not complete and bring the life that we had lost. Make sense?

So now let’s consider the POWER.

II. THE POWER OF CHRIST’S DEATH and RESURRECTION

Here we’ll see the result, what did his incarnation, death and resurrection accomplish?

The writer moves on to interpret Psalm 8, by applying it directly to Jesus.

Hebrews 2:9 (ESV) — 9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

A. Jesus Is Crowned with Glory and Honor!

The first thing that the writer mentions is not about us. He died for you and for me! YES that is true… but above all he died for the glory of God!

It is ULTIMATLY JESUS who was made a little lower than the angels and it is JESUS that is ultimately crowned with glory and honor. We see him there, now in faith.

Paul prays that we might know this great power of God for us, which is the power that…

Ephesians 1:20–21 (ESV) —20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

Jesus is raised up as the righteous and perfect ruler! He now rules in glory and power and honor – and it will be seen perfectly in the Age to come. But we can see him there now.

Colossians 3:1–4 (ESV) — 1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

You can see him there now! He has done it! And he is coming back and we will see it everywhere then!!

But what makes that so rich is that He rules as a human – this is not some disconnected theology, but rooted the purpose of creation and the purpose of humanity. This goes all the way back to GENESIS – nothing is wasted!

When we see him there, sitting on his throne! we see everything is OK. GOD DID IT! We messed it up, but there is the proof the victory is won! Our mess was not too big for God to clean up! GOD’S PURPOSES STAND!

(if God can make good from the cosmic mess of Adam’s sin, - and God fulfills and accomplishes exactly what Adam messed up!!--- cannot we trust God with the mess of our lives? Our families? Our futures? JESUS IS SITTING ON HIS THRONE – You will be OK.)

Paul’s point in Ephesians is that the power that raised him form the dead and set him up to rule is the power that raises us up too! In Colossians – your life is already there!!

We can see that now! Yes, we see a world broken by sin, suffering failure and hurt, the necessity of the GOSPEL is still there, but in Jesus we see the HOPE! JESUS RULES! And heaven is sure – for all who believe on him!

1 Peter 1:4–6 (ESV) — 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,

There is a new age, and new world coming when we will know it perfectly and completely! But JESUS CHRIST rules now!! He is keeping you safe now. He will never leave you now. That is for now.

So, we could just sit back and think, Christ rules because he’s God and that is right and good. No, you see? Here is the point the writer is making, God always ruled over all things – you can’t actually change that, that was never in question, or threat… JESUS RULES BECAUSE HE IS MAN!

He is exalted as a HUMAN. Because that was what God made humans to be and what we lost to sin.

And as we believe in Christ and we are grafted in to Christ, united with him.. we rule with him.

Ephesians 2:4–7 (ESV) — 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Are the pieces click into place? We are raised up to rule, again that is not some disconnected theological point… Christ raises us up to RULE as we should have been ruling.

He washes us, sets us apart - cleanses us and making us suitable to be who we were made to be!

That is where we were supposed to be! And we blew it! We died with Adam, we lost it, we rebelled and deserve to be ruled with an iron fist, we deserve hell and punishment.

In Christ we are made TRULY ALIVE… we are restored to rule with him… but not fully yet. Death still reigns that enemy has not yet been fully put under his feet. But in the Age to Come we will rule with him forever, as we were meant to rule in the beginning.

That is what Christ has restored. That is the POWER of The GOSPEL – JESUS IS EXALTED – he who was made a little lower than the angels rockets far above them!! CHRIST JESUS RULES OVER ALL!

That is the power, that was his accomplishment. He reigns and he welcomes us to reign with him, restoring humanity to their position as rulers of God’s world. That is what is offered in the GOSPEL.

That is what is offered to you today if you will believe on him and turn from your tiny kingdom of self and mud and suffering and death and come rule with CHRIST!!

B. Jesus Conquers Death

We see two things in the last part of verse 9, first He was exalted because of his suffering and death. And then second by He tastes death for us…

1) Jesus Is Exalted Because of His Suffering

By enduring death, he conquers it and is exalted! The power of his sacrifice exalted him to the highest position! The name above every name!

Philippians 2:8–10 (ESV) — 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

This complete obedience of Christ earns or perhaps displays his right to rule – as the perfect human. Richard Phillips helpfully writes in his commentary:

“In raising Christ from the Dead, God the Father honored Jesus’ perfect obedience, vindicated his cause, accepted his sacrifice, and established his reign over the new humanity of which he is both Lord and forerunner, the firstfuits of God’s Harvest.” (62-63)

He is exalted, because his work is done. His work, was dying for us.

2) Jesus Tastes Death for Us

By the grace of God, Jesus tastes Death for everyone.

Now, let’s not miss the power of this by focusing on the caveats, but this does not mean that everyone will be saved, or Christ’s death made a possible salvation open to everyone. We must read this passage in the light of all Scripture.

Jesus taught us:

John 10:11 (ESV) — 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

He doesn’t lay down his life for the world, for those who reject him, but for his Sheep. Jesus tastes death for everyone – for all of his people, from every part of the world, every ethnicity, every tribe every nation.

This is the great salvation that we can boldly proclaim to everyone – not matter who you are if you will humble yourselves and turn from your sins you will find life in JESUS - he tasted death for everyone. So don’t let that unmoor you from your theology, let is excite your evangelism!

This is the great salvation we must not drift away from - it is only through faith in Christ that we have access to this life! IT is powerful enough for you! For the worst. Because..

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV) — 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

No matter what your sin is, He became sin for you, so that you might become the righteousness of God in him!! Is your sin greater that God’s righteousness!? NO! trust in him!

But friends don’t miss the wrongness of this. God became man, to become sin for us. That is a horror. Do you remember what I said about death having no place with God – it was unclean – it cannot come into God’s temple.

What does it say of God’s love that Jesus entered death, took sin and it’s death upon himself. The FOUNTAIN HEAD of LIFE – DIED!

That act – that shocking, powerful act echoed through creation – LIFE DIED!!! So the DEAD MIGHT LIVE! And that echo redounds to his glory! from the seeming victory of death – LIFE was restored and death was defeated!

HALLELUJAH!! And then what happens? From that seeming defeat, the chains break free! The dead are raised! Death loose – from that moment when it seemed that all life died, instead, life overpowered death and Gods’ children were forever free!

Christ Reigns now, but we don't yet see it fully. He is the FIRST BORN of the new creation.

When you believe on him, you are transferred from this shadow world and become a citizen of a better country, the NEW CREATION. From Death to LIFE.

There is our Home, Christ is our Identity and the GOSPEL is our life and our work.

To which age do you belong? Where is your home? Your hope and your identity?

This is the purpose and power of the GOSPEL! Believe on him, and LIVE!

Pray

Sing – Come People of the Risen King

2 Corinthians 13:14 (ESV) — 14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

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