OUR GREAT DELIVERER

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.  (Hebrews 2:14-15)

No matter who you are or what you have done—none is without the need of salvation or beyond the reach of the Savior.  He is mighty to save.  Jesus came into this world to deliver us from sin and bring us into the family of God.  This is the theme of Hebrews 2.

We are DELIVERED FROM THE CURSE OF SIN (v.5-9).  This speaks of Christ’s incarnation as the Last Adam. Jesus stepped out of the splendor of heaven into this sin-cursed world and did so to reverse the curse as the Last Adam.  It was the first Adam—a man who brought the curse upon this creation and it would be another Man—God become Man—that would establish a new creation.  The writer stresses that it will be a Man, not an angel that will rule over the new world to come (v.5).  Verses 6-8 come from Psalm 8.  In that psalm, David looks into the vastness of the night sky, considers the countless stars, and is amazed that he a little speck on a planet which is but a tiny particle in the cosmos, could claim the attention of the Creator who made it all.  What grace is this!  Yet, it is true.  God knows you and cares for you.  He placed humans in this world to exercise dominion over the creation.  Jesus came in human flesh as the Son of Man.  He has not brought all things under subjection to Himself yet—but He will!

We are DELIVERED BY THE CAPTAIN OF SALVATION (v.10-13).  We have Christ’s identification as the Captain of Salvation.  Jesus has so identified Himself with us that as the Father sees Him, so He sees us.  The sinless One perfectly fulfilled His mission and in His suffering on the cross could cry, “It is finished!”  The expression, “the captain of…salvation” shows Him charging the gates of Hell, securing our freedom, and leading us victoriously, “bringing many sons to glory” (v.10)!  It is our position in Christ that makes us acceptable to Holy God.  As C.S. Lewis said, “The Son of God became the Son of Man that the sons of men might become the sons of God.”  We are now in the family of God and can call God our Father in Heaven!

We are DELIVERED FROM THE CAPTIVITY OF SIN (v.14-16).  This is Christ’s intervention as the Seed of Woman.  This expression is found in Gen.3:15—the serpent struck His heel, but His heel crushed the serpent’s head.  He became one of us that He might die for us.  Jesus didn’t come to redeem fallen angels, but sinful people.  He sets us free from the fear of death.  Jesus came in fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant.

We are DELIVERED FROM THE CONDEMNATION OF SIN (v.17-18).  That is Christ’s intercession as the Great High Priest.  He was the Priest and the offering.  He is “merciful”—willing to save; He is “faithful”—able to save!  “Propitiation” means that God is satisfied with the sacrifice.  His righteous wrath is appeased.  Our High Priest understands for He has walked among us.  Jesus knows what you’re going through.  He is not aloof from our affliction.  More than caring—wonderful grace that is—He is able to deliver you!

DAZED AND CONFUSED

 

For He crushes me with a tempest,

And multiplies my wounds without cause. 

He will not allow me to catch my breath,

But fills me with bitterness.  (Job 9:17-18)

Have you ever had a concussion?  I have—playing football in High School.  I was knocked out making a tackle.  I tried to tell the coaches something was wrong, but they didn’t believe me.  Finally, they put me on the sideline.  I was dazed and confused.

Job was that way.  He had been blindsided.  Blow after blow had driven him to the ground, so that he didn’t know which way was up.  His friends who came to comfort him, did anything but that—indeed, they condemned him!  They offered religious clichés and pious phrases—simplistic soliloquies that were nothing but so much hot air.  We hear a lot of that today.  Their basic premise was, “Job, you are suffering because you are a sinner, and if you would get right with God, then your problems would go away.”

We want life wrapped up in a nice little box of propositions and tied together with a ribbon of reason into a neat bow of certainty.  More often, life looks like the aftermath of Christmas morning carnage—the wrapping paper torn and scattered, the box ripped apart and the contents gone.  Meanwhile, we sit in the corner—shell-shocked.

Job had more questions than answers.  He goes through a series of them in the ninth chapter.  His “friends” have accused him of being a sinner, so he says, “But how can a man be righteous before God?” (Job 9:2b).  They have told Job to turn to God and he says, “If He goes by me, I do not see Him; If He moves past, I do not perceive Him; If He takes away, who can hinder Him? Who can say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’”  (v.11-12).  Job’s comforters have challenged him to understand God’s ways—as they certainly claim to do—and the sufferer responds, “How then can I answer Him, And choose my words to reason with Him?”  (v.14)  The three men, who function like prosecuting attorneys as they indict Job, tell him to come before the Judge and plead for mercy.  Job is dismayed and says, “If it is a matter of strength, indeed He is strong; And if of justice, who will appoint my day in court?”  What Job wants in the day he stands before the Judge of the Universe is a defense attorney, but he doesn’t know where to find one, and in despair cries, “For He is not a man, as I am, That I may answer Him, And that we should go to court together.   Nor is there any mediator between us, Who may lay his hand on us both.”  (v.32-33).

Thankfully, the New Testament responds to these questions with one word—Jesus!  We can be just before God by faith in Christ; though we cannot find Him, He seeks us; though we may not understand why we suffer, Christ knows what we suffer for He has also; He is the Mediator who has come to take God’s hand and our hand and reconcile us!  In our confusion, let us look to Him.  We may not have all the answers to our heartaches in this life, but we will have every tear wiped from our eyes then!  Jesus is all we need!