5 For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels.

6 But one testified in a certain place, saying: "What is man that You are mindful of him, Or the son of man that You take care of him?

7 You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, And set him over the works of Your hands.

8 You have put all things in subjection under his feet." For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him.

9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.

10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation (1) perfect through sufferings.

11 For both (2) He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason (3) He is not ashamed to call them brethren,

12 saying: "I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You."

13 And again: "I will put My trust in Him." And again: "Here am I and the children whom God has given Me."

14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that (4) through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

16 For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham.

17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that (5) He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

18 For in that (6) He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Propositional Statement: Christ is our Champion every day of the year! At Christmas we celebrate Christ's incarnation, when the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, but we do not want to forget both the practical applications as well as the practical implications for every day of the year!

FCF: We all suffer. We need encouragement to persevere (whatever our circumstance). We need to trust our faithful God (just as Christ did, with the help of Christ). We need to know that we have One who truly sympathizes with your weaknesses, your struggles, your fears, your testings, temptations, etc. Your Champion stands before the throne of God as your representative and Mediator!

Introduction

Christmas is past now. Christmas is when we celebrate the Incarnation of Christ- - when the Word became flesh and dwelt among us! It is a new year and we go back to doing our "everyday routine" minus the celebrations, family get-togethers, eating, and decorating that uniquely characterize the Christmas time of year!

Well, now that we have taken down the Christmas tree, securely put away all of our baubles, bells, and bread pudding, let us not forget the Incarnation of Christ and it's significance for every day of the year!

The author to the Hebrews in our text wants to encourage the saints to continue looking away from themselves to the Author and Perfecter of their faith! He wants them to not feel the pain and discouragement that we often painfully feel each day of the year, particularly when we are undergoing a tempting and trying times.

We must be strong and know that Jesus is our Champion. The Incarnation of Christ and his earthly ministry was for us and it has both practical applications and implications for every difficult day of the year!

1. Christ perfected through sufferings Christ experienced suffering in his flesh, lived perfectly according to God's righteous standards and was raised for our justification. He experienced glorification after God made him complete or perfect through his sufferings. Christ is called our archegos, or our Captain, Pioneer, Champion, even, Pathfinder. He blazes a trail of salvation ahead of his people through suffering, that his people must follow him through.

   God prepared him for his sacrifice on the cross.

   
   
   • v. 10- God bring suffering to his people. He brought suffering to Christ, that is, he allowed it in order to achieve a greater goal. That is exactly what he is doing in our lives. Sufferings in our lives as Christians do not mean that God doesn't care, but exactly the opposite, he is making and conforming you to look and act like Jesus-who also was made perfect, that is fit, to be your perfect representative to bring you to glory.
     
     
   • Remember Rom. 8:28: All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
     
     
     
     • This means that Christ's sufferings are an example of God's great eternal purposes in our pain! Christ's sufferings, as well as our own today, are to glorify God and to make us more fit for heaven as the hymn says!
   
   
   
2. Christ our Sanctifier (the Consecrator of God's People) Christ was set apart and consecrated himself in order to save and redeem his people. This was done to sanctify us.
   
   
   • V. 11- Notice how Jesus and his people are linked together: He who makes men holy, and those made holy.
     
     
   • Notice the phrase of one in v. 11- Jesus and those he represent are from the same humanity. That is, Jesus was a Son of Adam, as well as a Son of Abraham. He was able to truly represent his people - because he was from the same common humanity.
     
     
   • Jesus was sanctified in order to achieve our salvation. Our salvation is to make us holy. His consecration of himself in his life and death on our behalf, has made a way for us to draw near to the throne room of God with boldness.
     
     
   • Remember: Sanctification is glory begun, and glory is sanctification completed."
   
   
3. Christ our Brother

   Christ was not ashamed to call us brethren. Although we failed the righteous requirements of the Law, he had every right to deny us for our sin and unfaithfulness to our Creator, but he was truly not ashamed of us.

   
   
   • V. 12-13- Quote from Ps. 22- Messianic Psalm of Christ's agony on the cross in his death, but this quotation is from the transition from suffering to glory. Quotations from Isaiah 8: Isaiah's trust when God's judgment fell upon Israel was in the LORD to bring about good. Isaiah's children in the midst of God's judgment was a sign that God was faithful to keep his promises!
     
     
   • We are God's children and Christ's brethren because of his work on our behalf.
   
   
4. Christ, Destroyer of Death and Devil

   Christ took the death that we deserved, picked up the sword to fight against our archenemy as our champion. We who had followed a creature, the Devil in disobedience rather than our Creator, Christ defeated death and the Devil by experiencing death upon the cross for our sins.

   
   
   • V. 14-16- Christ came where his people are "as they are" - flesh and blood- -truly human for the purpose of nullifying the power of the devil.
     
     
   • Remember man was to have dominion and rule over God's creation as his prince. Man rebelled against his Creator and followed the lead of a rebellious creature named the Devil, who enslaved man in bondage to sin and death. Satan, is the Accuser, and a Liar, and has consistently throughout the ages insisted that God bring about the death penalty that his creatures so richly deserve! Satan desired God to enact the death penalty immediately!
     
     
   • Christ our Champion came and entered the Strong Man's house, bound the Strong Man and was victorious over death and the Devil. Read Luke 11:14-22 (cf. Col. 2:14,15).
     
     
   • Our Hope because of this: Revelation 1:18:
     "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death."
   
   
   
5. Christ our Merciful and Faithful High Priest

   This made him fit to be our High Priest - our representative before the throne of God.

   
   
   • V. 17- Christ as our representative High Priest, makes a full and complete atonement for our sins and propitiation of God's wrath. Romans 3:23-26:

   23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

   
   
6. Christ our Sympathizer and Help in Times of Trouble:

   Testing and Temptation - He is our champion and there is nothing that we should fear knowing these truths. Just as the Hebrews were being tested and afflicted and were fearing death, so we go through many tests, temptations and afflictions, with the burden that we will all experience death. However, when we are given life in Christ, we are no longer slaves to sin and death. We have been raised with Christ and seated with him in the heavenly places!

   
   
   • V. 18- Jesus suffered throughout his entire earthly life. Examples:
     
     
   • Jesus can help you who are tempted today because he has perfect sympathy for you.
     
     
   • There is absolutely no need to fear death! Because of Jesus' death for you, death means blessing, peace, the presence of God - NOT judgment; death means liberation and joy, not bondage and pain.
     
     
   • What a source of strength for you today! To be assured that in the presence of God you have as your champion and intercessor, One who has known similar and even sorer temptations, and has withstood them victoriously, just because he loves you!