Sermon Audio

This year, our Christmas Eve Service will be at 10 am on Sunday. I look forward to celebrating our Savior's birth as we sing praises to our King, observe the Lord's Supper, and open God's Word together. Last Sunday, Cameron preached from John 1:6- 13, showing us the light of Christmas. On Christmas Eve, we will continue that passage and examine the glory of Christmas. "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). Although John 1 is one of the most familiar passages in the Bible, it should still amaze us that God would take upon Himself a human nature to bring salvation to sinners. The Son, the radiance of God's glory and the exact imprint of His nature, who upholds the universe by the word of His power (Heb. 1:3), became a man so that He might be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. For His birth in Bethlehem, myriads upon myriads of angels filled the skies, singing glorious praises to God. They celebrated this wondrous act of our gracious God, who humbled Himself to redeem us. This Lord's Day, which is also Christmas Eve, let us join their celebration and marvel at the Savior, who is God with us.

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CORRECTION: In the audio, Numbers 15:42-43 is referenced - it is actually Numbers 14:42-43

Salvation is Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of God’s rest. Having received the covenant promise by grace through faith in Jesus, there is no more work to be done. However, walking in faith as we trust in Jesus through the wilderness of this fallen world is a battle. The world, the flesh, and the devil consistently pull at our hearts and minds to draw us away from following Christ. That was happening to the Hebrew Christians to which Hebrews was written. They were suffering persecution and hardship, and the temptation to go back to the worldly safety of Judaism was strong. Hebrews 3 began with a very concise command. In Jesus, we are holy brothers with a heavenly calling; therefore, “consider Jesus.” Last week, we discussed what it means to fix our hearts and minds upon Him. As the writer continues, Hebrews 3:7-19 will bring one of the hardest warnings in the book. The readers are warned through these verses to beware of a hardening heart. The pattern of a hardening heart is given in verses (7-11) as the writer quotes Psalm 95:7-11. The Israelites who came out of Egypt show this pattern in the wilderness. Then, the readers are warned to protect themselves from a hardening heart (12-15). Finally, the reader must not presume this warning doesn’t apply to us (16-19), as the author demonstrates the same people who came out of Egypt in praise, joy, and glory were the ones who rebelled and died in the wilderness. Verse 19 shows us the real problem – unbelief. Using the wilderness wanderings as an example, the author of Hebrews exhorts the Christians, saying, “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God” (3:12). These Hebrew Christians were also traveling through the wilderness of persecution and suffering. When trial comes, will they do what the Exodus generation did and grumble, complain, and rebel? Would they wish to return to Egypt when they can’t find water, as that generation did? Or would they trust the God who has spoken in His Son? The seeds of unbelief can fester in any heart, which is why we are called to “exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (3:13).

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Salvation is Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of God’s rest. Having received the covenant promise by grace through faith in Jesus, there is no more work to be done. However, walking in faith as we trust in Jesus through the wilderness of this fallen world is a battle. The world, the flesh, and the devil consistently pull at our hearts and minds to draw us away from following Christ. That was happening to the Hebrew Christians to which Hebrews was written. They were suffering persecution and hardship, and the temptation to go back to the worldly safety of Judaism was strong. Hebrews 3 began with a very concise command. In Jesus, we are holy brothers with a heavenly calling; therefore, “consider Jesus.” Last week, we discussed what it means to fix our hearts and minds upon Him. As the writer continues, Hebrews 3:7-19 will bring one of the hardest warnings in the book. The readers are warned through these verses to beware of a hardening heart. The pattern of a hardening heart is given in verses (7-11) as the writer quotes Psalm 95:7-11. The Israelites who came out of Egypt show this pattern in the wilderness. Then, the readers are warned to protect themselves from a hardening heart (12-15). Finally, the reader must not presume this warning doesn’t apply to us (16-19), as the author demonstrates the same people who came out of Egypt in praise, joy, and glory were the ones who rebelled and died in the wilderness. Verse 19 shows us the real problem – unbelief. Using the wilderness wanderings as an example, the author of Hebrews exhorts the Christians, saying, “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God” (3:12). These Hebrew Christians were also traveling through the wilderness of persecution and suffering. When trial comes, will they do what the Exodus generation did and grumble, complain, and rebel? Would they wish to return to Egypt when they can’t find water, as that generation did? Or would they trust the God who has spoken in His Son? The seeds of unbelief can fester in any heart, which is why we are called to “exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (3:13).

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Jesus is better than Moses therefore, we are exhorted to "consider Jesus" so that we might hold fast to the confession or our hope.

Sunday, we continue in Hebrews 2 by examining verses 5-9. Though Hebrews 2:5-18 is a single unit, there is so much here that we will break it into two sermons. The overall point 5-18 demonstrates why it was fitting for the Son of God to become fully human and to suffer. The writer begins by showing God’s intent for mankind. He says it is not to angels that God has subjected the world to come. Then he quotes Psalm 8:4-5 to illustrate this. In Psalm 8, David wonders at the grandeur of God’s creation and marvels that God is mindful and cares for man. Even more incredible, God made mankind in his image (crowned with glory and honor) and gave humanity dominion over creation. Using this quote from Psalm 8, the writer of Hebrews anticipates an objection. Commenting on the Psalm, the writer says, "At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him" (Heb. 2:8). The Hebrew Christians were suffering for their faith. They were outcasts from their Jewish kinsmen and persecuted by fellow Jews and Rome. Dominion, glory, honor, and a crown seemed like the last thing they were experiencing. However, verse 9 is a pivot point in the chapter. Verse 8 says we don’t see everything subjected to him (man), but then verse 9 tells us what we do see. "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." The ESV obscures the writers point a little bit. The text of v. 9 says "him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, We See Jesus crowned with glory and honor. Jesus is man as he ought to be. Jesus has been crowned with glory and honor. Jesus has been given perfect dominion as He sits at the Father’s right hand until all His enemies are put under His feet. Jesus has accomplished what Adam failed to do. That is glorious news for suffering believers being warned not to drift from Christ. There is a world to come, a new heaven and a new earth, and by grace through faith, we are united with Jesus, who reigns over all. We are co-heirs with Christ. Holding to Jesus, even in the face of suffering, is better than any peace, rest, or comfort in this world. We don’t yet see all the glory and splendor of God’s intention for our lives and this creation, but we see Jesus...

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