Bringing many sons unto Glory
Heb. 2:10-13
Introduction
In Hebrews 2:9, it is written that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by the grace of God should taste death for every man. In our text here, it tells us that His sufferings, humiliation, and death on the cross was consistent to the sovereign will of God and in bringing many sons unto glory.
I. Bringing many sons unto glory (Heb. 2:10)
A. The phrase “For it became him” carries the idea of being fitting, suited or appropriate. It implies that His suffering and death was the proper thing according to God’s plan. It was fitting for Jesus to die because it was according to the will of God. Without His substitutionary death on the cross, there would be no forgiveness of sins, no redemption. Without redemption, there would be no glorification. (Rom. 8:18, 29, 30).
1. In bringing many sons to glory this refers to the heavenly glory, which we are all undeserving. The glory which was long ago prepared for us. We become sons of God by adoption thereby becoming heirs of glory in heaven.
2. Christ is the captain of our salvation. Captain comes from archēgos and means a chief leader, author, captain, prince. In Acts 3:15 and 5:31, it is translated “prince “in Heb. 12:2 “author”, thus, He is the “Prince of life”, the “captain of our salvation”, the “author of our faith. Some commentators say it carries the idea of a pioneer—one who goes where no one else has ever been. Jesus is a pioneer, He tasted death for every man. Only Jesus could do that.
3. Perfect, in His Divine nature, Christ is already perfect, He was just, perfect and sinless here on earth as He was from eternity past. The word-perfect carries the idea of bringing something to a desired end. Christ’s sufferings perfected Him in that they made Him complete as our Saviour. He had to suffer and die in order to pay for our sins in obedience to the will of God the Father.
Illustration 1/Application: Glory
Glory is used in six ways in the Bible: (1) It means praise (Lk. 2:14; 17:18; Acts 12:23; 1 Cor. 2:7; Eph. 1:6). (2) It refers to God’s holiness, exalted magnificence, and divine perfection (Jn. 1:14; Rom. 1:23). (3) It refers to the splendor and wealth of a king and his kingdom (Mt. 6:29; 19:28; 25:31; Jn. 12:41; 17:5,22,24; Rom. 9:23; Col 3:4). (4) It refers to the brilliant light which surrounds the presence of God (Ex. 16:10; 40:34-35; Le 9:6,23; Num. 14:10; 1 Kings 8:11; 2 Chr. 7:1-3; Ezek. 10:4; Mk. 13:26; 9:29-31; Lk. 2:9; Rev. 1:16; 21:11,23). (5) It refers to beauty (Isa. 28:1; 63:1). When the Bible says believers will be with Christ in glory, it refers to all of the above-the praise, splendor, wealth, light, and beauty which are in Christ’s presence and kingdom. (6) It refers to boasting (1 Cor. 1:29,31; 3:21; 4:7; 5:6; 2 Cor. 5:12; Gal. 6:13). (D. Cloud)
II. Jesus Sanctifies (Heb. 2:11)
A. Jesus not only died on the cross for us (substitutionary death).
B. He is also the captain of our salvation
C. In addition, Jesus Christ is also our Sanctifier. The word “Sanctify,” “holy,” and “saint” are translated from the same Greek words. They mean to be set apart for special service. In the Bible many things other than people are said to be sanctified-the Tabernacle furniture (Ex. 40:10-11,13); a mountain (Ex. 19:23); food (1 Tim. 4:5). It is even possible for a believer to sanctify God in his heart (1 Pet. 3:15). Thus, to sanctify, or to make holy, does not mean to purify or to make sinless, but to set apart something for God and for His service.
When God saved us, He set us apart for His service. The Scriptures give us two causes of sanctification.
1. Christ sanctifies by His blood. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. (Heb. 13:12) The very moment one comes to Christ he is cleansed. The pure and perfect blood of Jesus Christ washes all sin away. This is the work whereby Christ Jesus is made unto us… sanctification… (1 Cor. 1:30) The believer is declared to be holy—he is set apart by God.
2. The believer is also sanctified with the word of God. Jesus in His High Priestly prayer said, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth”. (Jn. 17:17) Speaking of Jesus and the Church the Bible says, “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word”, (Eph. 5:26). As the believer grows daily and matures in Christ, he is progressively sanctified. This is where we become more like Christ as we are being conformed to His image. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2 Cor. 7:1) Christ is the Sanctifier. Through His Blood and His word, He sets us apart from the world and unto God.
Illustration 2/Application: Conversion of Sam Houston
From Texas history comes the story of the conversion of Sam Houston. At one time, the Texas hero was called “The Old Drunk.” While he was governor of Tennessee, his wife left him. In despair he resigned as governor and tried to escape his problems by going to live among Cherokee Indians. He stayed drunk much of the time. It is said that the Indians, as they walked through the forest, would have to move him out of the path where he lay in a stupor.
Later, he went to Texas, where he became the great hero of the Texas revolution when he routed General Santa Ana’s Mexican army. Houston’s battle cry, “Remember the Alamo!” helped win independence for Texas. He carried the daughter of a Baptist preacher and later trusted Christ, but he still had some of his old tendencies. One day as he rode along a trail, his horse stumbled. Houston spontaneously cursed, reverting to his old habit. Immediately he was convicted of his sin. He got off his horse, knelt down on the trail, and cried out to God for forgiveness. Houston had already received Christ, but God was teaching him to live in fellowship with him moment by moment. And as soon as the Holy Spirit made Sam Houston aware of his sin, he confessed it.
Darrell W. Robinson, People Sharing Jesus, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995), p. 17
Illustration 3/Application: For Dr. Gordon—Preach Christ First
When interviewing Dr. A. J. Gordon as a prospective pastor of a Boston church, the pulpit committee asked: “If you are called to the pastorate of our church will you preach against the cards, the theatre, and dancing?” “I will,” solemnly affirmed Dr. Gordon. He was called.
Months passed and he didn’t say a word against the cards, the theatre, and dancing. The official board of the church said, “Almost a year has gone by and you have said nothing against cards, the theatre, and dancing. We wonder why.”
Dr. Gordon replied essentially as follows: “Gentlemen, it is true that I have said nothing against these things, but I have preached Christ who is the only Savior from all evils. When He comes into one’s heart all evil things vanish from the life like the mist before the hot breath of the noonday sun.”
Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations: Signs of the Times.
III. The Intimacy of His Coming (Heb. 2:11-13)
A. “For which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Heb. 2:11). Notice that the moment Christ’s blood is applied, a relationship begins. Jesus is not ashamed to call us brethren. The text says that He is not ashamed of us. If we were to face the truth, we would be ashamed of ourselves. We are undeserving, unworthy, filthy, yet we have been declared holy and righteous, though at present, it is not so. We commit sin, we have continuous battle with the flesh and sin and there were times that the flesh wins, and we commit sin. The Apostle Paul has the same struggle also (Rom. 7:19). However, He (Christ) is not ashamed of us. If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. (2 Tim. 2:13) God will keep His promise regardless of the fact that so many of His children are unfaithful. God is faithful regardless of our failure. What a wonderful, gracious, merciful, loving, God we have!
B. “Saying I will declare thy name unto my brethren” this passage is found in Ps. 22:22 which prophetically describes Christ’ suffering during His crucifixion. The word “name” is used, to denote God himself. The meaning is, that it would be a part of Christ’s work to make known to his disciples the character and perfections of God the Father or to make them acquainted with Him. He did this in his parting prayer (Jn. 17:6) he says, “I have manifested thy name unto the men whom thou gavest me out of the world.”
C. “In the midst of the church I will sing praise unto thee”. The Messiah declares the name of the Father, not known fully as Christ’s Father, and therefore their Father, till after His crucifixion (Jn. 20:17), among His brethren (“the Church,” that is, the congregation), that they in turn may praise Him (Ps. 22:23).
D. I will put my trust in him; this term according to some commentators were taken from 2 Sam. 22:3, and Isa. 8:17. The argument here is, that trust in God is an attribute of men. Christ, by exercising it, makes himself one with men. By Christ’s reliance to God the Father during His earthly stay here, he fully identified Himself with us humans.
Illustration 4/Application: Le Crocodile
Rene Lacoste, the world’s top tennis player in the late 1920s, won seven major singles titles during his career, including multiple victories at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the French Open. His friends called him “Le Crocodile,” an apt term for his tenacious play on the court.
Lacoste accepted the nickname and had a tiny crocodile embroidered on his tennis blazers. When he added it to a line of shirts he designed, the symbol caught on. While thousands of people around the world wore “alligator shirts,” the emblem always had a deeper significance for Lacoste’s friends who knew its origin and meaning.
The cross, an emblem of Christianity, holds special meaning for every friend of Christ. Whenever we see a cross, it speaks to us of Christ’s tenacious determination to do His Father’s will by dying for us on Calvary. What a privilege to know Him and be included in His words to His disciples: “No longer do I call you servants,…but I have called you friends” (Jn. 15:15).
I can picture a friend of Lacoste seeing the little alligator on someone’s shirt, and saying, “I know the story behind that emblem. Lacoste is my friend.” And I can picture a friend of Jesus seeing a cross and doing the same. – DCM
Our Daily Bread, Sept.-Nov. 1997, page for October 5
IV. Conclusion:
Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was crucified, and died on the cross in obedience to the will of God the Father to bring us into glory which were prepared for us before the foundation of the world. Christ is the captain of our salvation and He is not ashamed to call us His brethren. The question is will you prove yourself worthy to be called one of the brethren of Christ? The decision will always be yours.
