Perfect Through Suffering
Notes
Transcript
Welcome:
“Do not let loyalty and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and of people. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight.” (Proverbs 3:3–5, NRSV)
In the name of the trustworthy Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, welcome.
Announcements:
Easter next week
†CALL TO WORSHIP Isaiah 57:15
Pastor Austin Prince
Starts with us all reading together:
Congregation: For thus says the high and exalted one who lives forever, whose name is holy,
Minister: “I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit.”
Congregation: We gather to worship you, O Lord. Come, dwell with us, work in us that you may work through us. Amen.
†PRAYER OF ADORATION AND INVOCATION
We praise and honor you, Lord God Almighty, for all your mercy and loving-kindness shown to us your people. We bless you for the goodness that freely chose us to salvation before the world began. We thank you for creating us after your own image; for redeeming us, when we were lost, with the precious blood of Christ; for sanctifying us by your Spirit in the revelation and knowledge of your Word; for your help and support in our necessities, your fatherly comfort in our tribulations; for saving us in the dangers of body and soul, and giving us so long a time of repentance. We acknowledge, most merciful Father, to have received these benefits from your goodness alone, and we implore you to continue to be gracious to increase our thankfulness to you, kindling our hearts with pure and fervent love. Help us not to receive your Word in vain, but graciously assist us always, in heart, word, and deed, to sanctify and worship your holy name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
†OPENING HYMN OF PRAISE #244
“A Mighty Fortress is Our God”
†CONFESSION OF SIN & ASSURANCE OF PARDON
“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8, ESV)
TIME OF SILENT CONFESSION
Minister: Father in heaven, forgive us for thinking so highly of ourselves.
Congregation: We often think that we are righteous by our own actions, forgetting that true righteousness comes only through the blood of Christ. We look at the failings of others and do not like to admit we are weak. We forget that true strength comes from the joy of the Lord.
Minister: Forgive us, Lord, for our pride and self-righteousness.
Congregation: We do not love others as we love ourselves, and in so doing, we fail to love you, the Creator of all. Forgive us, heavenly father, and in your mercy change our hearts and put our sins out of your sight. We ask this in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9, ESV)
CONTINUAL READING OF SCRIPTURE Numbers 10:11-36
Paul Mulner, Elder
THE OFFERING OF TITHES AND OUR GIFTS
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYERS
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
†PSALM OF PREPARATION #27A
“The Lord’s My Light”
SERMON Hebrews 2:5-13 // Perfect Through Suffering
PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION
Heavenly Father, may you grant us to comprehend your holy Word according to your divine will, that we may learn from it to put all our confidence in you alone, and withdraw it from all other creatures; moreover, that also our old man with all his lusts may be crucified more and more each day, and that we may offer ourselves to you as a living sacrifice, to the glory of your holy name and to the edification of our neighbor, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. — Zacharias Ursinus
Text Hebrews 2:5-13
5 For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 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 in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 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. 10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12 saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” 13 And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.”
AFTER SCRIPTURE
Intro
Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, writing to rouse his fellow humanists of the greatness of man, declares that:
A sacred pride should grip us of not being satisfied with the mediocre but to strive (for we can do it, if we want to) with the exertion of all our strength to attain the highest. Let us scorn what is of this earth, let us ignore what is of heaven, let us leave absolutely everything worldly behind us in order to hasten to the abode out of this world, in the proximity of the sublime deity. We do not need to think of stepping back. Of being satisfied with second rank, let us strive for dignity and glory. To attain the highest.
Disney says it much shorter than that — You can do anything: just follow your heart.
The truth is, there is a peculiar glory to man. We are unique in the universe — over the animals and the plants, we have creativity and language and art. We know that there is a great glory to man. And yet, we also know that there is a great feebleness to man. Man is acquainted with grief and shortcoming. All of mankind is connected to Adam and sin, and therefore our glory comes up short. We fall short of the glory of God.
So, what do we make of this mix of glory and brokenness? Can it be made right?
In our previous text, we looked at how we have a great salvation.
A salvation that the writer of Hebrews says that we can drift away from and neglect. What is that like? We said it was like losing your wedding ring and walking off without it. What is the ring? It’s the word of God. It’s the message that we have heard about the supremacy of the Son.
But for those who do not neglect salvation, but cling onto it. To those who trust in Christ, what is life like? What are we to expect? What about that glory of man? Is it still gone?
What does salvation do for us now? What about Christ’s reign now?
Look at our text today:
Rule of the world
“For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking.” (Hebrews 2:5, ESV)
Hebrews says that we are speaking about a new age, and the rulers of that age, the agents or executives of that age, are not the angels. He says, this is a the age that we have been speaking about. Where was he speaking about that? If you look back at Heb. 1:1-2, we remember:
“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.” (Hebrews 1:1–2, ESV)
It’s these last days that he is speaking of. The days right now. Christ has come in the flesh, died, and has been raised to life. We have this final word in the Son, so what does that mean for us as we live right now?
Well, the author quotes Psalm 8 and begins speaking about the glory and the role of man.
“It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet.” (Hebrews 2:6–8, ESV)
Psalm 8 marvels at humanity’s dignity—lower than angels yet crowned with glory, destined to rule creation.
But, how is that right? How is it that we are below the angels, but we will one day have everything under our feet?
Hebrews is giving us the answer to this unexplained tension from Psalm 8.
How this transfer happens from a rule of angels to a rule of men, is through the ministry of Jesus.
Look at v. 8-9
Seeing Jesus
“Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 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.” (Hebrews 2:8–9, ESV)
Here we have our connection point. It takes what was general about mankind from Ps. 8 and connects it acutely to Jesus. Jesus was made for a little while lower than the angels. He became like us — He became a man. But it was only for a little while. After suffering death and tasting death (that is, experiencing death to the full) as a man for men, He was crowned with glory and honor. And everything is in subjection to Him with nothing outside of His control. At present, however we don’t yet see that. We look around and can ask ourselves, really? Does it seem that all things are subject to Christ right now?
But the text says that when you don’t see Christ’s rule, yet you see Christ. What does that mean? It’s not like we are looking for Him physically. We see Him through His word with the eyes of faith. And that’s what we were getting at last week with our image of drift. We can drift from the word. We can drift from seeing Christ. We can look around and present and be completely dominated by fear and doubt, so we must look to Christ.
But what are we seeing when we look to Christ? And why are we still here if Christ’s work is already accomplished? Was anything of man’s glory repaired with salvation? What does His work accomplish for us now?
The text has been building a case about man’s glory and its connection to Christ. Look at how the text ties these threads together. Look at how it’s connecting and applying these themes:
Perfect Through Suffering
“For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.”” (Hebrews 2:10–13, ESV)
The text says “For” (or because), it was fitting that He, as he brings many sons to glory, was made perfect through suffering. The text is combining man and Christ together again. It is saying something about both of us together now.
Christ, in bringing many sons to glory, was made perfect through suffering. And that was fitting.
Now, perfect here doesn’t mean perfect in the sense that Jesus was deficient in some way and then grew to become improved or perfect. The impression should be something like perfectly validated.
It means that Jesus was presented with the suffering of humanity and he passed the test. He became a man and experienced the flesh, and he prevailed. He is the perfect man and perfect sacrifice for sins.
And this was fitting that suffering bore that out. This was right. Jesus’ ability to withstand the temptations that man faces drew out His unique glory. He was man who didn’t fall short. He was a man who was connected to His father and that relationship stood true.
And the text connects us to that same glory. It says in v.11, “for he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source.”
That is, they are one. ‘In him we live and move and have our being’ (Acts 17:28, ESV)
That means that as it was fitting that the one who sanctifies was made perfect through suffering, so it is that those who are being sanctified are made perfect through suffering.
Jesus brings us as sons into that glory. And it is done in much the same way that he experienced it.
And how was it that Jesus suffered? We know it was the cross, but there is also something else here that the text is pressing us towards. Not just the suffering of the cross, but the suffering of being a man. Look a little farther down to vv.17-18 that give us an insight:
“Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Hebrews 2:17–18, ESV)
We see that Jesus was like us in every respect. Our lives are full of falling short when temptation comes. Suffering is not only agony and pain but also being brutalized by our lusts and the flesh, by our temptations. We fall short, but He didn’t. And because He has gone through them, he is able to help with us who are being tempted now.
And it says that Jesus was tempted as a man in every way that we are.
Do you remember when we are told about Jesus’ temptation? That when he was in the wilderness and had fasted for 40 days, that satan tempted him with bread. Satan tempted him with his appetite and with dominion.
Notice how human and pedestrian, how ordinary that is. How irritable would you be if you hadn’t eaten in 40 days?
When do temptations seem to get to us the most? They get to us right there in that very human weakness and frailty.
How do you talk to others when you come home after sitting in Atlanta traffic?
How do you interact with your spouse when bringing up that purchase that they made that was too large, you just received three new bills in the mailbox, and you have to go to the bathroom?
How do you respond when the newborn has just finally fallen asleep and then your two year old runs into the room with pants on his head and yells, “pants hat”, and wakes the baby? (To pick a random example)
It’s in those moments of frailty that Jesus stood firm and proved the perfect man. He is perfected in the sense that he was faithful. But it is now our inheritance to do the same and be the same in Him.
In fact, it’s fitting that these things takes place — it shows Christ’s perfection, Christ’s validation, in us. He is working through us. He is ruling through us.
And to walk back to the start of this text and connect the dots, it is not to Angels that God has given these last days. Man was made lower than the angels, he had fallen short of the glory of God. But as Christ is raised, so is man in Christ. He calls us brother. That is, there are some people that you simply wouldn’t want to claim as family. You share no likeness and no lot with them. But Christ claims us. And He claims a likeness to our shared suffering and temptation.
And just as Jesus succeeded through the suffering of temptation by clinging to His father in that moment, so we too cling to the father. He is our father because Jesus has called us His brother. They have adopted us and made us one with them. We cling to them in these moments of life. And not only is that strength for us, but it is a demonstration of Christ’s perfection (that validation) through us. Though we don’t see everything under His feet now, we look to Him.
We see that His dominion is taking place in us. We see Christ is ruling through the church. We see, to connect to an image that we used last week, when the rains come and the floods rise, the houses of those in Christ still stand. And it is necessary, even fitting, that the storms come, that sufferings come, because it shows that our life in Christ is alive and redeemed. It calls the world to ask why our houses seem to stand when all others fall apart.
Suffering, it turns out, is not a mistake or some lame-duck period. It’s not that we have been saved and we are in an awkward waiting period until Jesus does something else.
We are a testament, a monument, of His glory. It is not to angels that belongs such a life, but to us. And that peculiar glory of man, that exaltation is fittingly expressed in our walking through the valley with Christ. Walking over the belly of the enemy as he lays defeated is a daily glory. Sufferings are still hard. And yes, we pray that we are lead faithfully through them, but they are there as a display of God’s vitality in us. We are being sanctified and perfected through suffering — a theme of Hebrews sanctification through suffering.
Remember 1 Corinthians where Paul says that the gospel doesn’t just come in word, but in power. That is the point.
Man may have fallen short of God’s glory, but as Christ works and redeems man, it is a glory to watch the fallow field begin to bear fruit again. It is a glory to see the curse overcome through Christ — to see the shackles of slavery broken in our lives. To watch you teenagers as you choose Christ over sin and death, and how that looks like faith over fear, faith over whining, to have faith as a parent even through mom is exhausted, to have hope that believes all things when the relationships are strained
For those in Christ, man’s glory is restored. Where Christ reigns, we reign with Him.
Feeling overwhelmed? Look to Christ. See the One who stooped to be your brother, now exalted over all. Look with eyes of faith at His rule through the church and find comfort.
Facing a suffering or temptation that feels unbeatable? Take heart—you’re in Christ, and He’s overcome the world. No sin, no chain can hold you back in Him. He is Lord of all.
Wondering why life feels like a constant battle, why Jesus hasn’t returned yet? Hold fast—it’s fitting that we enter God’s kingdom through many trials (Acts 14:22). Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, ESV).
Our glory as humans is to walk this life empowered by the Holy Spirit. We should expect, even embrace, the chance to face temptations and sufferings with God’s strength. In Christ, we are more than conquerors.
†HYMN OF RESPONSE #265
“In Christ Alone”
THE MINISTRY OF THE LORD’S SUPPER
Minister: Lift up your hearts!
Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord.
Minister: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
Congregation: It is right for us to give thanks and praise!
THE WORDS OF INSTITUTION Mark 14:22-25
And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
CONFESSION OF FAITH Belgic Confession, Article 35
Minister: This is a table for people of faith. Without faith, we cannot receive Christ here. Let’s confess what we believe about this meal.
Congregation: We believe and confess that our Savior Jesus Christ has ordained and instituted the sacrament of the Holy Supper to nourish and sustain those who are already born again and ingrafted into his family: his church.
This banquet is a spiritual table at which Christ communicates himself to us with all his benefits. At that table he makes us enjoy himself as much as the merits of his suffering and death, as he nourishes, strengthens, and comforts our poor, desolate souls by the eating of his flesh, and relieves and renews them by the drinking of his blood.
With humility and reverence, we receive the holy sacrament in the gathering of God's people, as we engage together, with thanksgiving, in a holy remembrance of the death of Christ our Savior, and as we thus confess our faith and Christian religion. By the use of this holy sacrament we are moved to a fervent love of God and our neighbors.
DISTRIBUTION OF THE ELEMENTS
Congregation sing #433
HYMN Amazing Grace! # 433
SHARING OF THE LORD’S SUPPER
PRAYER
†OUR RESPONSE #248
Let all things their Creator bless,
and worship him in humbleness,
O praise him, alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
and praise the Spirit, three in one,
O praise him, O praise him,
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
†BENEDICTION: GOD’S BLESSING FOR HIS PEOPLE
May the grace of Christ, which daily renews us, and the love of God, which enables us to love all, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, which unites us in one body, make us eager to obey the will of God until we meet again through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Grace Notes
Hebrews tells us that it was fitting for Christ, in bringing many sons to glory, to be made perfect through suffering. This doesn't imply that Jesus was imperfect, but rather that His suffering validated His perfection and demonstrated His ability to withstand every temptation that we face.
We, too, are brought into that same perfection— a validation of our redemption. Just as Christ was perfected through suffering, so too are we being sanctified and perfected through our trials. Our sufferings and temptations are not meaningless hardships or signs of God's absence, they are where Christ's power is displayed in our lives.
We are no longer merely fallen creatures, perpetually falling short of God's glory. In Christ, we have been raised up. He calls us His brothers, unashamed to claim us as family—familiar with all of our struggles. We share in His sufferings, but we also share in His victory.
This doesn't mean life will be easy. In fact, Hebrews tells us it is fitting that we enter God's kingdom through many trials. And these trials are not pointless suffering. They are where Christ demonstrates His lordship in our lives. Every temptation we overcome, every fear we conquer through faith, every act of love in the face of provocation - these are all testimonies to Christ's reign.
We are left here on earth not just to wait for future glory, but to be living demonstrations of Christ's vitality and lordship right now. Our lives become a testament to His transforming power.
This means we can face our struggles with confidence, knowing that Christ has overcome the world. It means we can "flex those muscles" of faith, stepping out boldly to live for Christ in every area of our lives. We're not just called to endure hardship - we're called to triumph over it through Christ's power. Something we should expect to do successfully in Him.
For those feeling overwhelmed by sin or temptation, take heart. You are in Christ, and no chain can hold Him back. He is Lord, and His power is at work in you.
For those wondering why life is such a constant battle, remember that it is through many trials that we enter the kingdom. But in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Our glory as humans is no longer just in our capacity for language, art, or creativity. Our true glory is found in our connection to Christ. As we face temptations and sufferings with God's strength, we display a glory that far surpasses anything we could achieve on our own.
Let’s not be content with mediocrity or give in to despair over our weaknesses. Instead, let us embrace the high calling we have received in Christ. Let us stand up and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, expecting and even welcoming opportunities to demonstrate Christ's lordship in our lives.
In Christ, we are redeemed, restored, and empowered. Our peculiar glory now is not just in what we can do, but in who we are becoming through Christ.
