Title: Why All Man?

Text: Hebrews 2:5-18

FCF: We often struggle with Christ’s humanity.

Prop: Christ must be human to save us, so we must celebrate the Lord’s supper knowing this about the Lord.

Scripture Intro:

Turn in your bible to Hebrews chapter 2.

One of these days I will get to preaching through the book of Hebrews. It is an amazing book and I keep coming back to it over and over again.

But we must remain laser focused today. The scope of today’s sermon is not to provide the same depth and dissection we would normally in a sermon. Instead, we will cover these 14 verses from a very high level as we attempt to answer the question that may plague some during this time of year.

Why did Jesus have to be truly human? We hear the expression that Jesus was the God-Man or all God and all man… but why all man? Have you ever stopped to consider that? Why did Jesus need to be truly human?

Some might answer that question quickly – “well to understand our situation he had to be man?” To some degree this is true. Christ, in his human nature, grew in wisdom and understanding. But to attempt to apply this to His deity is actually an affront on the omniscience of God. Did He truly have to experience humanity to understand it? I think not.

Others may say he experienced humanity in order to give us an example to follow. I do not deny that Christ came to set an example, it is certainly true. But that cannot be the whole of it. And did Jesus really need to be human to do that? Could He not have simply appeared to be a man to guide us into a morally upright life? Indeed, some early church heresies like Docetism (doe- seat- ism) and Marcionism (Mar- see- on- ism) believed exactly this. He was fully God but only appeared to be like a man.

The writer of Hebrews will help us to see at least some of the reason that Christ had to be all man if He were to accomplish the mission that the Father gave to Him from before the foundation of the world.

I am in Hebrews 2 and I’ll start reading in verse 5. I am reading from the NET which you can follow in the pew bible starting on page 1348 or in whatever version you prefer.

Transition:

Alright so let’s dive in very briefly into the text, and see why Christ had to be human.

I.) Point 1 (5-8a)

a. 5 – For He did not put the world to come, about which we are speaking, under the control of angels.

i. In chapter 1, the writer compares Christ to angels.

ii. The writer of Hebrews is writing to a Jewish Christian audience who were tempted to abandon their belief in Christ to escape persecution.

iii. In Jewish theology, angels were revered. In some communities the arch angel Michael is actually elevated to be superior to the still coming Messiah.

iv. The writer of Hebrews addresses this head on by emphasizing that Jesus is the same as God the Father. He does so by quoting Old Testament scriptures which used the covenant name of God “Yahweh” as he is speaking of Jesus.

v. He begins chapter 2 by expressing the danger of neglecting such a Christ, since He has provided such a great salvation.

vi. So we begin in verse 5 with a further point showing Christ as superior to angels because God did not promise that the future Kingdom would be given to angels to rule.

b. 6-8a – instead someone testified somewhere : “What is man that you think of him or the son of man that you care for him? You made him lower than the angels for a little while. You crowned him with glory and honor. You put all things under his control.” For when he put all things under his control, he left nothing outside of his control.

i. Here the writer of Hebrews, rather than focusing on David’s writing in Psalm 8, he focuses on the content written by the Spirit of God – where the Lord gave us a peek into his creative order.

ii. Mankind for a time was made lower than the angels.

iii. Yet, God crowned man with honor and glory making Him in God’s image. God did not create angels in His image. He created man in His image.

iv. And also notice the phrase “the son of man”

v. What should we say about such a phrase? It is the title that Jesus most preferred to call himself.

vi. This phrase is both a description and a title.

vii. The description simply applies the attributes of a man onto the object (the son). To call someone a son of man is to call someone man-like. To call someone a son of thunder is to call someone thunder-like.

viii. But the title goes far beyond the description. No doubt when Jesus called himself “The Son of Man” many chose or assumed only the description. But the title has roots in the Old Testament as God hints at a new representative of mankind that will be acceptable to God to the extent that God will share His throne with Him. This is spoken of primarily in the prophesies of Daniel.

ix. Reading the New Testament we find the connection readily made by Paul and other apostles, in that Christ was the second Adam. He was our second representative. One that will kneel before the Father having completed the task given to Him by the Ancient of Days and in so doing, He will be accepted and given all authority over all creation.

x. This is the title “The Son of Man” to which Jesus referred to Himself, to which David wrote about, and to which the writer of Hebrews is now referring.

xi. Though Jesus, as the second representative for mankind – as the last representative for mankind – though He for a time was made lower than the angels – He too was crowned with glory and honor and given all authority.

Transition:

But it doesn’t seem like that is true. Jesus said that His Kingdom is coming and in fact that it is here. And yet – it doesn’t seem very “Kingdom of God and His Christ” out there does it?

II.) Point 2 (8b-15)

a. 8b – At present we do not yet see all things under his control

i. The writer of Hebrews concedes our point.

ii. But…

b. 9-13 – But we see Jesus who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by God’s grace he would experience death on behalf of everyone. For it was fitting for him, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For indeed he who makes holy and those being made holy all have the same origin, and so he is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying, “I will proclaim your name to my brothers; in the midst of the assembly I will praise you.” Again he says, “I will be confident in him” and again “Here am I, with the children God has given me.

i. Why is it that we say that death is the door to life for those who are depending on Christ alone?

ii. It is because Christ has already suffered our death of punishment. Sure, we may suffer physical death – but a physical death that leads to eternal death has already been paid by Him, for us.

iii. Indeed, because His death was commanded by God – by obeying He was given glory and honor because of His sacrificial death. His death was the door to His glory. So now we who are united to Christ are now crowned also with glory and honor after death.

iv. This is why to die is gain.

v. For Christ – to die was gain. So for us also – to die is gain.

vi. And so he is the pioneer. He is the forerunner. What He has done, we who are united to Him, will also do. That, my friends, is a great definition of a representative.

vii. Just as in Adam we all inherited a sin nature that doesn’t seek God though we did nothing to earn such a dubious characteristic… through Christ we inherit glory and honor through all HE has done and nothing we have done.

viii. And this brings us to the reason behind Jesus being human. It isn’t just an example. It isn’t just to understand us. It is more than that.

c. 14-15 - Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he likewise shared in their humanity so that through death he could destroy the one who holds the power of death, that is the devil and set free those who were held in slavery all their lives by their fear of death.

i. The power of death is held by the devil because he successfully caused the first representative to fall. He became then the father of all and secured death as the way to keep his children enslaved.

ii. God inverts all of this on its head. He sends His son as a second representative sharing all their humanity. He endures the Devil’s temptations remains the son of God and the Son of Man, dies the death of His people and secures their adoption and redemption to be children of God through Christ rather than children of Satan through Adam.

iii. Now death is not a door to more death and eternal slavery to the devil’s fate but rather a door to life and eternal freedom to Christ’s fate in glory.

d. 16-18 – For surely his concern is not for angels but he is concerned for Abraham’s descendants. Therefore, he had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in things relating to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. For since He Himself suffered when he was tempted, He is able to help those who are tempted.

i. God’s concern is not for those who are not being represented by Christ but for those whom Christ was sent to represent. Those of the promise. Those of the covenant. Those of His choosing. Not the angels. But the descendants of Abraham.

ii. So he had to be made exactly like them. Not just all human – but A Jew. Of Judah. Of Abraham.

iii. Being what He was he is now able to be merciful and faithful a high priest both offering atonement and also teaching all things related to God. Guiding in the worship of God.

iv. And helping all His people to endure temptation!

Conclusion:

And so we have the answer to the question “what is the reason that Christ had to be 100% man?”!

In order to be our second representative – our last representative – he had to be like us in every way – yet without sin. He had to die in our place. He had to obey in our place. In doing this – as a pioneer he could carve a path for us to God where no path existed before. And such a path was secured by His death! The path to sharing in His sufferings, His sinlessness, and His future glory is through His death and resurrection of His physical, human, body.

But has the church always recognized this? Has the church always seen Christ’s humanity as a necessary component of salvation?

This is an excerpt from the Athanasian creed, written in the late 200s AD. There are creeds older, but the exact nature of Christ’s humanity was not as defined as this one though they certainly believed what is written here.

“Now this is the true faith:

That we believe and confess

that our Lord Jesus Christ, God's Son,

is both God and human, equally.

He is God from the essence of the Father,

begotten before time;

and he is human from the essence of his mother,

born in time;

completely God, completely human,

with a rational soul and human flesh;

equal to the Father as regards divinity,

less than the Father as regards humanity.

Although he is God and human,

yet Christ is not two, but one.

He is one, however,

not by his divinity being turned into flesh,

but by God's taking humanity to himself.

He is one,

certainly not by the blending of his essence,

but by the unity of his person.

For just as one human is both rational soul and flesh,

so too the one Christ is both God and human.

He suffered for our salvation;

he descended to hell;

he arose from the dead;

he ascended to heaven;

he is seated at the Father's right hand;

from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

At his coming all people will arise bodily

and give an accounting of their own deeds.

Those who have done good will enter eternal life,

and those who have done evil will enter eternal fire.

This is the catholic faith:

one cannot be saved without believing it firmly and faithfully.”

Notice what is said at the very end. This is the universal church’s faith. And if you do not believe it firmly and faithfully you cannot be saved. Christ being All God AND All human was so important they were willing to declare that you could not possibly be united to Christ unless you believed it firmly and faithfully.

Later, at the Council of Chalcedon it became necessary to educate biblical teachers on the precise union of the two natures of Christ. Both His deity and His humanity. So, they wrote, not a creed, but a teaching guide for the topic.

The following then, is the Chalcedon Definition.

“Therefore, following the holy fathers, we all unite in teaching that we should confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. This same one is perfect in deity, and the same one is perfect in humanity; the same one is true God and true man, comprising a rational soul and a body. He is of the same essence (homousios) as the Father according to his deity, and the same one is of the same essence (homousios) with us according to his humanity, like us in all things except sin. He was begotten before the ages from the Father according to his deity, but in the last days for us and our salvation, the same one was born of the Virgin Mary, the bearer of God (Theotokos), according to his humanity. He is one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, and Only Begotten, who is made known in two natures (physeis) united unconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably. The distinction between the natures (physeis) is not at all destroyed because of the union, but rather the property of each nature (physis) is preserved and concurs together into one person (prosopon) and subsistence (hypostasis). He is not separated or divided into two persons (prosopa), but he is one and the same Son, the Only Begotten, God the Logos, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the way the prophets spoke of him from the beginning, and Jesus Christ himself instructed us, and the Council of the fathers has handed the faith down to us.”

Again, the definition concludes that this is the faith that was handed to them from the fathers. The apostles. And from Christ directly. To believe anything else is to be without hope.

And even to modern day we can see this teaching emerge, even in our New City Catechism.

Question #22 Why must the Redeemer be truly human?

That in human nature he might on our behalf perfectly obey the whole law and suffer the punishment for human sin; and also that he might sympathize with our weaknesses.

Christ must be all God AND ALL MAN – or we cannot be saved.

At this time I’d like to ask the Elders to come and distribute the bread and the cup to each who are here. For we have a correlation to make between this teaching that Christ came and was incarnated as a man. This thing we celebrate at Christmas time – the humiliation of Christ – His taking on human nature – it is far more significant than God giving us a gift. Oh, my friends – it is everything.

Let me pray before we make these connections.

Knowing then, that Christ being 100% human was absolutely necessary to our salvation, and approaching the table today to commune with Him – to be united with Him all the more – to grow in our faith and dependance on Him…

Of what significance is it that Christ said of the bread – “This is my body”?

If His death took our death – if His glory is our glory – If He is the pioneer of our faith, carving the path we walk behind Him by faith – what significance is it that He says “This is my body”?

The writer of Hebrews later says that it was His body, which the veil to the holy of holies merely represented, was torn in two so that we might enter into the holy presence of God.

Again, I ask you what significance is it that He says “This is my body”?

It is of eternal significance.

As we chew, break, crush, and consume this bread – as our body takes it in and converts it to energy – so also we are energized and enlivened by God the life-giver. We approach Him now, not as guilty sinners – not as wretches – but as sons and daughters. We walk between the broken body of Christ, we walk through the pierced side and enter as covenant partakers. We are His children. We are in Christ.

My friends – the body of Christ – being Human like us and having said body – He has made a way for us to follow Him right into the holy presence of God, from which we can receive mercy and find grace for help in a time of need.

Eat and remember! Eat and grow in your faith! Eat and be united to Christ and follow Him there to the presence of God.

And knowing the reason that Christ must be truly human, what is the significance of his statement when he says that this cup is the cup of the new covenant in His blood?

What does the bible say about blood? Blood is where the life is – which is why the Israelites were not allowed to drink it.

Blood is the object of repayment and guilt for taking life.

Indeed, death can only be undone by blood – for without the shedding of blood, no one can be forgiven. Strictly speaking then – no one is truly forgiven of their sin. Not unless they die. But as was demonstrated imperfectly, as a sign to those who performed sacrifices, and fulfilled now in Christ – a substitute can be acquired to be pardoned. Someone can take our place.

And in the book of Hebrews the writer tells us that Christ’s blood sprinkles us clean. He tells us that His blood is the signature on a will enacted after the death of the person who signed.

A will that installed the new covenant whereby God puts his law in the hearts of His people and changes their hearts. He makes them new and gifts them His Spirit to work out His commands and press them into His mold and follow His Messiah.

So when we take the cup and we know that this cup is the new covenant in His blood and that it took the actual shedding of the God-Man’s blood to secure not just our forgiveness but our entrance into glory – we partake in communion with His sufferings and His exaltation knowing that one day we will eat this meal again but WITH HIM.

So drink and remember! Drink and grow in your faith. Drink and be united to Christ and follow Him sprinkled clean of your sin and washed in His blood.

Having supped with Christ in the power of His atonement in which His Humanity and Divinity made a way for us to be free unto Him – and in knowing the eternal significance of Him being truly Human- I can, with more meaning than perhaps I ever have – wish you and all God’s true children – A very… Merry… Christmas!

Let us pray.