Why Jesus Came

We have our favorite songs and we have our favorite passages at this time of year, don't we? And quite often those favorite passages show up on our Christmas cards and our greetings to one another. We hear them in song. And quite often they come out of Luke's gospel or Matthew's gospel. Luke chapter 2, the story of the birth of Christ being placed into a manger. I'll read it just a moment ago. The shepherd's coming to see what God had done. Matthew chapter 2, the story of Herod's attempt to do away with the Christ child when he's a little child and he's home there in Bethlehem. And so we're familiar with those chapter 2s that tell the story of Christmas, but there are another couple of chapter 2s in the Bible that really flesh out the meaning of the Christmas story. They are found in the epistles. In the gospels we have a couple of accounts that really give us the historical record of the birth of Christ. In the epistles we have the explanation. What it all means. Philippians chapter 2 is one of those chapter 2s and it really explains the meaning of Christmas as far as Christ is concerned. What it meant to him to leave the glories of heaven and humble himself and become a man and be obedient to death even to death of the cross. That sevenfold downward descent in humility. What it meant for Christ. But in Hebrews chapter 2 we have an explanation of why Jesus came that really focuses upon us. The explanation of Christmas and what it does for us. Why he came as regards us. And so I invite your attention to Hebrews chapter 2 this morning where we will talk about the birth of the Savior. I believe that Hebrews 2 is the greatest exposition in the Bible of the purpose as far as we're concerned how it relates to us, the purpose behind Christmas, the purpose for which Jesus came. We find the incarnation referred to several times in this passage. We hear that word a lot at this time of year in carnation. It comes from two words which mean literally in flesh. That Jesus came in flesh. He took up on him a human body and a human nature. He became one of us. In carnation. And there are three expressions in this passage that describe for us the incarnation. Just glance at them quickly with me because they help frame our thoughts this morning. Verse 9 of Hebrews chapter 2 says, but we do see Jesus who was made lower than the angels for a little while. That's one description. He was made lower than the angels. He joined us humanity in being just a rung lower than the angels for a little while. And then verse 14, the second description of the incarnation since the children speaking of humanity have flesh and blood. He too shared in their humanity. Second expression of the incarnation. He shared in our humanity flesh and blood. And then verse 17 is the third expression of the incarnation. For this reason he had to be made like them speaking of the human race fully human in every way. So he became fully human in every way. So those three expressions describe the coming of Jesus and what he came, how he came. The fact that he became one of us and took upon him himself human flesh flesh and blood. Partakers of our divine or our human nature the one who was divine the one who was God became man as well. That's what the incarnation is all about in the context here in the flow of thought. The writer of Hebrews is talking about how man was given the responsibility by God being his crowning achievement in creation. Man was then given the responsibility to rule over God's creation to have dominion over God's creation. But because of sin man has not been able to exercise that dominion as God intended. And so in verse 8 he summarizes that thought this way. He's going back to verse 7 speaking of man he says you made them a little lower than the angels who crowned them with glory and honor and put everything under their feet. In putting everything under them God left nothing that is not subject to them yet at present. We do not see everything subject to them. In other words sin made a mess of our capacity and ability to really rule over this creation as God intended us to. And then he goes on to say but we do see Jesus in verse 9. You see that ties the thoughts together. Sin has made a mess of God's creation. Man has made a mess of himself through sin but Jesus came to undo everything that we had done and that sin brought into the human race and into the creation. We do not see man exercising the dominion as he should but we do see Jesus. We do see Jesus. He came to undo everything that we had done. So the writer of Hebrews goes on to tell us what he did. Why he came. We do see Jesus. He came and these are the reasons why he came. These are the reasons for the manger. These are the reasons for the lowly life for his taking on humanity. These are the reasons why he left heaven. In this passage then we have three clear purposes mentioned for why Jesus came. Three purposes clearly mentioned. Again I want to draw your attention to them and then we'll look at them a little more fully. In verse 9 each of them is tied to one of the descriptions of the incarnation. Verse 9 we see Jesus who has made a little lower for the than the angels for a little while. Now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death. So that. That's the reason. That's the purpose. He became a little lower than the angels. So that. That's purpose number one. We'll get to it in a moment. Verse 14 the second description of the incarnation since the children have flesh and blood. He too shared in their humanity. So that second reason. And then verse 17 the third description of his humanity. For this reason he had to be made like them fully human in every way in order that. The writer clearly outlines the passage for us. He at three times expresses that Jesus became man and three times gives us a so that or in order that. Giving us the purpose for why he came. And so let's just unfold this morning what the writer of Hebrews describes for us and explains to us about why Jesus came. Purpose number one is very clear in verses nine through thirteen and that is he came. To suffer death look again verse 10 or verse nine. But we do see Jesus who was made lower than the angels for a little while. Now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death. So the view we have of Jesus now is one that is he's crowned with glory and honor. He's back in heaven. But he's back in heaven after for a little while being made lower than the angels and suffering death. And so you find this story kind of turned backwards here. But now we see him in heaven crowned with glory and honor. But the way he got there was first of all coming to this earth as a baby in the manger and growing up. To become a man who would then suffer death for our sins and then ascend back into heaven. That's how we see Jesus. But he did all of that notice the end of the verse. Here's the so that here's the purpose so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. He came to suffer death and that expression at the end of verse nine gives us the meaning of his death. The writer of the Hebrews says three things about the meaning of Christ's death in that statement. First of all he says that it was undeserved as far as we are concerned Christ's death is undeserved. You see what he says there in verse nine so that by the grace of God he might taste death. So his death as far as we're concerned is undeserved. We do not deserve what Jesus did for us. We do not deserve Christmas. We do not deserve the resurrection Easter. We do not deserve good Friday the crucifixion. We don't deserve any of that. God did not do that because we measured up to a certain level that he thought okay. I think I can do something for you and let you into my heaven. We don't deserve any of that. We are sinners by nature and by choice. And we don't deserve the free life that God offers through his son Christ. But his vice grace that he offered Jesus. It's by his grace that Jesus came. That means it is a free gift. He's offering us something that we cannot pay for. We cannot earn. We don't merit in any way. It is by his grace that he suffered death. So it is it is unmerited. It is undeserved. But the second explanation of his death and the meaning of his death is that it is unparalleled. It is unparalleled. So that by the grace of God he might taste death. Now we might get the wrong impression from that word taste. We might think of just a little sip of something or just a small bite of something enough to allow our taste buds to figure out what we've tasted. Just a little taste. But that's not the word that the writer of the Hebrews used. The word for taste here is a word which means to drink fully to the very bottom of the cup. To taste fully the word actually is using the New Testament of experiencing something completely. And so Jesus didn't just take a little nibble of death. He died a death unlike any other. It was unparalleled in its physical suffering. The suffering that led up to the cross and the actual crucifixion itself. The most horrible way to die ever invented by man. But beyond that the spiritual agony of the cross. It was unlike any other death because when Jesus died he was not dying because of his own sin. He was dying for your sin and my sin. He was bearing our sin. He was bearing all of the judgment and wrath of God for your sin and mine. He was separated from the Father. The one who throughout eternity passed had never been separated from his father. They had always enjoyed wonderful perfect fellowship. And now he is separated from his father as he becomes a sin offering for us. Even to the point that he cries out in agony from the cross. My God. My God. Why have you forsaken me? A death unlike any other. He is bearing God's wrath for us. He is literally suffering your hell and my hell for me and for you. He is suffering for us. It is an unparalleled death unlike any other death in human history. By the grace of God he drank to the full death. But not only is it unmerited, undeserved and unparalleled. It is also universal. It is unlimited. Universal notice what he says at the end of the verse. So that by the grace of God he might taste death, drink to the full death for everyone. Now some people like to try to limit that word in the book of Hebrews and other places. But it is simply gymnastics that are not called for. You cannot do that with this word. It means everyone. Jesus died for everyone. And those who see only a single intention in the death of Christ have missed the scope of what the Bible teaches. There are at least three intentions in the death of Christ. Clearly laid out in the Bible. One intention is to secure the salvation of what the Bible calls his people, his sheep, his church. Those who would come to trust him as Savior. And yes, he did die to secure the salvation of those who the Bible calls the elect. Those who would believe in him and trust him as Savior. That is one intention of the death of Christ. But it is not the only one. And that is where some people miss it. There are two other intentions clearly laid out in the Scriptures. And this is one of them. That Jesus also at least in some sense died for everyone. The Bible says the whole world is reconciled to him. He died for all mankind. There are some passages that even include both of those intentions in one verse. Like 1 Timothy 410, he is the Savior of all men, especially those that believe. So Jesus died in some sense. His death was sufficient. The payment that he made was sufficient for all people. That makes all people accountable to God. It makes possible God's common grace, the blessings that he showers on all people, saved and unsaved. And it makes the universal offer of the gospel legitimate. And the fact that we must respond and fake. This universal unlimited offering of Jesus for everyone includes. Yes, those who will eventually trust him. But it is more universal than that. And then of course the third intention for the death of Christ is to release creation from its bondage. All of creation is under the bondage of sin and the curse. And Jesus turned around all of that through his death on the cross. It's not yet been instituted, but it will be at his second coming. It's made possible through the cross. So there are several intentions in the death of Christ. The one that's focused on here is that universal intention to die for everyone. To make a sufficient payment so that the gospel call can go out unlimited to anyone. So that anyone and we can respond in faith. So this death of Christ is undeserved. Yes, we do not deserve it. It is unparalleled in its spiritual agony. And it is universal in its intent to make a provision for everyone. But then notice the writer goes on to describe Jesus came to suffer death. And here are the results of his death. Here's what that accomplished. The results of Christ's death versus 10 through 13, he lists three of them. The first is to complete salvation's plan. Jesus' death completes salvation's plan. Look at it in verse 10. In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Now notice, first of all, that the verse talks about the fact that Jesus is made perfect through his sufferings. Don't misunderstand that. It is not because there is some moral imperfection in Christ. There is something that he falls short of that's not finished out. And so he has to suffer in order to bring him up to that level. That's not the point. The word perfect means complete. And Jesus completed his identification with us as people. That's what the whole passage is about. Jesus completed his identification with mankind by taking it to the very end and including death. And so Jesus was made complete, full, whole. He experienced the whole gamut of human experience apart from sin. But he took that identification with us all the way to the end, all the way to death. And it was through his suffering, the suffering of death, that he completed in that sense, made perfect through his sufferings. But not only is Jesus completed through his sufferings on the cross, salvation's plan is completed by his suffering on the cross. The plan of salvation was not completed in the mind of God and eternity passed. It was certain then, but it was not completed then. The plan of salvation was not completed when Jesus came to this earth as a baby. If that's all you celebrate at Christmas, you only got half the truth. You're missing the whole reason for his coming. Because salvation's plan is not completed in a baby. It's completed in a suffering savior on the cross. The plan of salvation is not completed in Jesus' life, although he is a perfect example of how to live. Although his teachings are impeccable and perfect, it is not his teachings or his life that saves anyone. Salvation's plan is not complete in his example. You don't get to heaven by following the example of Jesus. You don't get to heaven by trying to live a good life and getting as close to his kind of life as possible. You don't get to heaven because salvation's plan is not complete in that. That's important in the process of getting to the finish. Jesus must be perfect or he cannot be our savior. But salvation's plan is completed when he dies on the cross. It is there that Jesus uttered those words. It is finished and inevitably tied with that is his resurrection to prove the reality of his death. And that his death was satisfactory to the Father. But salvation's plan is completed in the death of Christ. And so when Christ died and cried it is finished, he completes salvation's plan. But the second result of his death, the reason why he came to suffer death, is to assure us of heaven. Jesus' death assures us of heaven. Again, verse 10, first part of the verse, in bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God for whom and through whom everything exists should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, that describes what happens to us after we trust Jesus as our savior. Salvation provided through Christ not only completes his death, not only completes salvation's plan, but it also assures us of heaven. Did you know that you will get to heaven not because you get yourself there? You know there are some people that believe once you trust Christ as savior, then you got to get yourself there. If you mess up, you could lose your salvation. You won't make it. The Bible puts the responsibility on us getting to heaven when we trust Jesus solely in the hands of God. It is God who gets us there. And in this passage it is Jesus who assures us. It is His job to bring those many sons and daughters to glory. It's not our job to get ourselves there. We don't hang on to Him, hoping we'll hang on enough to where we get there. He hangs on to us. We are in His hands. He keeps us eternally secure. Peter says we are kept by the power of God for that inheritance which is reserved in heaven for us. It is God that keeps us, not we that keep ourselves. And the assurance that I'm going to be in heaven someday, or you're going to be in heaven if you've trusted Christ, is not up to you, it is up to Jesus Christ. Once you trust Him as your savior, He promises to get you to heaven. He promises to keep you till you get to heaven. Jesus said in John chapter 6, of all those that the Father has given me, I will lose none. He said in verse 41, everyone who believes in me, I will raise Him up at the last day. We are sure of being in heaven because of Jesus' death, because of your faith and His death for your sins, that gives you the certainty. We call it eternal security that you will be in heaven someday. So the result of His death, that completes salvation's plan, it gives us a sure of heaven and then thirdly it gives us family relationship with God. A family relationship with God. My friend, it is only through the death of Christ that you enter the family of God. A lot of people misunderstand this, a lot of people believe in what's called the universal fatherhood of God, that God is the father of all people. And there is a limited extent to which He is, because He is the originator of the human race, He is the father of all, there's a limited sense of that. But the Bible, almost all the time it uses those family terms, speaks of being in the family of God, Him being our father, we being His children only through the death of Christ. That's the only way you get in the family of God. We are not in His family, He is not our father, we are not His children because we've been born into the human race. Just because you come into the human race does not make God your father, and it does not make you His child. That's the whole reason for the necessity of what? The second birth, the new birth, we're born physically into the human race, but we need a second birth, we need a spiritual birth. That's what Jesus explained to Nicodemus in John 3. You need a second birth, a new birth, regeneration, to be born again. And that only comes through Christ and His death on the cross, accomplished by His death. When you place your faith in Jesus and what He did for you on the cross, you are born again, you're born a second time. It's a spiritual birth this time, not a physical birth, but a spiritual birth. And you enter not a physical family, but a spiritual family. God becomes your father, you become His child. This is beautifully illustrated in the way Jesus spoke to and of His disciples before and just after His death. And these are so close together in time, there's only a period of a few days in the last week of Christ where all of these expressions are used. I want you to see them. John 13, 13, Jesus is in the upper room. And He says to His disciples in verse 13, you call me teacher and lord and rightly so for that is what I am. In other words, I'm the lord, you're the servant. I'm the master, you're the servant. So He called them servants. But later that evening in the same upper room in chapter 15 and verse 15, He would say this, I no longer call you servants. Because a servant does not know His master's business. Instead, I've called you friends for everything that I learned from my father I've made known to you. So I've taken you into my confidence. In other words, you're not just servants. Servants don't know the mind of the master and what he has in mind to do, but I've brought you into my confidence. And so you're not only servants, you're friends. But then Jesus would go to the cross the next day and three days later, He would rise from the tomb. The first person to see Him alive was Mary Magdalene and look at these words He spoke to Mary. In John 20, Jesus said, do not hold on to me for I've not yet ascended to the father. Go instead to my brothers. Not servants, not even friends. Go to my brothers and tell them, I am ascending to my father and your father to my God and your God. You see, Jesus has died and there's a beautiful progression in the relationship even here illustrated in Jesus referring to them first as servants, then as friends, but now brothers. The Bible makes it clear it is the cross that makes the difference. It is Jesus' death that makes the difference. John chapter 1 and verse 12 makes this abundantly clear, yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God. How do you become a child of God? Is God your father, yours child because you're alive and breathing? No. It's when you trust Jesus as your Savior. When you trust Him, what He did for you on the cross, that's what brings you into the family of God. That's what gives you the authority, the right to be the child of God. And so Jesus came, why did He come? He came to die, to suffer death. A death which is undeserved, unparalleled, universal, but a death which completes salvation's plan, a death which assures us of heaven and gives us a family relationship with God. That's why Jesus came. That's the reason for the manger. That's the reason for the babe. Jesus came to suffer death. But He came for a second reason, the writer of Hebrews goes on to explain, not only did He come to suffer death, to die for you and me so that we might be saved, and might become His children. He also came to defeat Satan. And verses 14 through 16 described this, notice what verse 14 says. By the way, it didn't read verses 11 through 13. Take my word for it, it talks about being the family of God, being the children of God. Three quotes from the Old Testament, make that clear in verses 11 through 13. But verse 14 says this, since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity. Here's the incarnation again. Here's Jesus becoming flesh. Why? So that? By His death, He might break the power of Him who holds the power of death. That is the devil. Now, I want you to notice, first of all, that this passage speaks of the power of death, Satan's power of death. Now, when the Bible talks about Satan having the power of death, it does not mean that he can inflict death at will. It doesn't mean that he has absolute power to inflict death, however, and whatever he wants to. The book of Job is a good illustration of that. Satan wants to harm Job, but he can't even touch his possessions or his family unless God allows it. And then Satan wants to affect his health, but he can't do that unless God allows it. He can't touch Job unless God allows it. Certainly can't take his life unless God allows that. And so, Satan does not have the arbitrary power of death. He does not have power that is totally at his disposal. But what the Bible means when it says he has the power of death is this. His kingdom in opposition to the kingdom of Christ is one of sin, darkness, and death. Jesus' kingdom is one of righteousness, life, and light. And Satan's is a kingdom of darkness and death and sin and bondage. That's how Satan operates. He introduced death into the human experience in the Garden of Eden when he tempted Adam and Eve to sin and they fell. And so death became a part of the human experience. He engineered that. He's the one that brought it into our experience. And he continues through his kingdom, his work on earth to promote sin and rebellion against God. He continues to blind people's minds to the gospel of light so that they remain in darkness. And if they die in that darkness and sin, they will experience eternal death, eternal separation from God. That's how he wields the power of death. So yes, he has power. It is the power of death. But Jesus came to defeat Satan. And look at what the passage says about Christ's victory over Satan. Verse 14, since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death. That is the devil. Jesus came to break his power. It is through the cross that he destroyed. Satan's ability to wield that weapon, the power of death. You say people still die, right? Yeah, but the sentence has already been passed. Death is defeated because of what Jesus did on the cross. And that was prophesied in the very first prophecy of Jesus coming to this earth in Genesis chapter 3 and verse 15, where right after Satan has tempted Adam and Eve and they have fallen and death and sin has been introduced into the human race. This prophecy is made. That there will come a time in this battle between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman, Satan himself, the seed of the woman being Christ. There will come a time in this battle. The prophecy says when the serpent will bruise the heel of the seed of the woman Christ. But Christ will crush the head of that serpent. So while Jesus is inflicted a temporary wound, the suffering of the cross, it is through that very act of suffering and dying on the cross that he crushes the head of the serpent. And Satan knew that the cross would be his undoing. Satan knew that Jesus' death would take the power of death. That weapon out of his hand and he would lose his power over mankind through the cross. And that's why he tried to keep him from going to the cross. That's why when Jesus was born, he instilled a murderous plot in the heart of Herod to try to take the life of Jesus. And every two-year-old and younger child in Bethlehem died. But God had warned Joseph ahead and they fled to Egypt saving the life of Jesus. Satan wanted him dead before he could get to the cross. It's the reason why he tempted him in the wilderness. If Jesus had fallen given into Satan's temptations in the wilderness, he would have become morally disqualified to be our savior. The cross would have meant nothing. There would be no reason for the cross. Satan was attempting to get him before he got to the cross. It's the reason why the Pharisees wanted to kill him, arrest him and kill him before he went to the cross. It was Satan's plan to avert the cross. It's why Satan tried to kill him in the garden of the, or the garden of Gethsemane. As his heart is literally on the verge of breaking and blust, drops of blood or pouring through his pores. But Jesus triumphantly goes to the cross. Satan is defeated right before Jesus goes to the cross. Within days of his death, he says this as he's teaching in Jerusalem in the temple. He says this in John chapter 12, and verse 31, now is the time. For judgment on this world, now the prince of this world will be driven out. Satan knew that Jesus knew that the cross would give the death blow to Satan and his power over death. And so Satan is today, as I speak, a defeated foe. Oh, he's still running around trying to create as much mess as he can, but he's already defeated. And the sentence will be carried out when Jesus comes back to set up his kingdom. Satan is a defeated foe. Christ's victory over Satan, but Christ's victory over Satan also assures another victory in verse 15, and that is Christ's victory over death. If he came to defeat the one who had the power of death, he also defeats death itself. Look at verse 15. And free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. Jesus came to defeat the one who had the power of death, but he also came to free people who were held in slavery by their fear of death. If you do not know Jesus as your Savior, if you've never trusted the one who came to this earth to die for your sins, if you've never trusted him as your Savior, you fear death. You say, you don't know that, John. Yes, I do. Think about it. Be honest. Be honest with your own thoughts. Do you ever think in the quietness of your heart what the experience of death will be like? Do you ever just wonder what death will be? Will it hurt? What will it feel like? What's going to happen to me when I die? That's part of the fear of death. Let me ask you to be honest with yourself. In your own thoughts, do you ever think about the fact that death means I'll be separated from my family? And could it be true what I've heard? I would be separated forever. If I've never trusted Jesus, that's a part of the fear of death. Think about it. Be honest with yourself. In your heart and your thoughts, do you ever wonder about the unknown about death? You know, death is like going over a misty waterfall. You can't see what's at the bottom. You don't know what's going to await you once you go over. Death is like that. You ever wonder about that? You ever fear that? You ever wonder what's going to happen to me when I die? That's part of the fear of death. In the quietness of your heart, when you're lying your head on your pillow at night, do you ever think about the possibility of eternal punishment? Do you ever think that could it be true? Could what I've heard actually happen? If I were to die, could it be that I would be eternally punished? Separated from God is hell, really true? Is there really a lake of fire? Is that going to happen to me? That's part of the fear of death. But Jesus came to take that fear away. And in defeating the power of Satan, he also defeated the power of the fear of death. Because if you know Jesus, you know what the experience will be like. The Bible talks about it a lot. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord immediately. Paul speaks of it as sleep. The body discoses to sleep. But we're immediately with the Lord. Our soul. Paul speaks of it as hoist and anchor and leaving for a new destination. If you know Christ, you know what the experience is going to be like. If you know Christ, you know that you won't be separated from your family forever. You'll be with those who know Jesus as their Savior. So there's no need to fear that separation. If you know Jesus, he's cleared up the mist at the bottom of the waterfall. You know what it's going to be like to go over the edge. You're going to very gently fall into the arms of the Savior. And wake up in heaven with him. The mist is cleared. You know what's going to happen. And there's no need to fear judgment, eternal punishment, because the Bible boldly makes this declaration there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ. What can separate me from the love of God? Nothing in this life or the next. Nothing. You see all the questions in the mystery about death have been answered through the death of Christ. And if you know him, the fear of death is gone. I understand that even believers when they approach death still may have a little anxiety as to what's going to happen. How am I going to feel in talking with my dad just a day or so before he died? He said, John, I'm not afraid to die. I know I'm going to be with the Lord. I just don't know what it's going to feel like when I die. I don't know what the experience is going to be like. And I talked with him about some of these things and reassured him that we understand that we'll simply be in the presence of God. I don't understand what that transition is quite like myself, but I know where I'm going to be. And so there's no fear of that. Jesus came to defeat Satan and his power of death. That's why he came. It's a reason for the babe and the manger. It's a reason for Bethlehem. But not only did he come to suffer death and to defeat Satan thirdly, the writer to the Hebrew says he came to understand human experience. In God's mind, this is not really necessary. God understands all things. God knows all things perfectly. This is really for our benefit so that no one will ever be able to look up in God's face and say, but you don't understand. You don't understand what it's like to live on this earth. You don't understand the pain, the heartache, the trial, the difficulty. You don't understand all that. In Jesus incarnation, that is forever answered. God does understand and he understands it by experience. I want you to notice what the writer says about the depth of his understanding verse 17. For this reason, because he has come to free us from the power of death for this reason, he had to be made like them fully human in every way. Jesus took on a human body, a human nature, human personality. He did not send. He did not enter into the arena of sin in the sense that he personally experienced that. But he knows what human life is like fully made fully human in every way. And so Jesus understands everything you go through. He understands what it's like to be rejected. Jesus knows what it's like to walk into his hometown, go into the synagogue and teach and people look around and say, who did he think he is? We know his parents. We know his sisters and brothers. He's the carpenter for crying out loud. Who do you think he is? He knows that feeling of rejection. Jesus knows what it's like to be rejected by people he loved. As he rides into the city of Jerusalem, the Sunday before his death, the Bible says he's weeping. You know what he's saying? As the crowd is acclaiming him, the king, Jesus is saying how often would I gather you under my wings like a hen gathers or chicks and you would not. And he's weeping over the fact that his own people have rejected him. Jesus knows what it's like to be rejected. Jesus knows what it's like to be weary. He knows what it's like to walk to a long distance and sit down at a well of water and be absolutely parched with thirst and too weary to go another step and ask for a drink of water from a woman who comes to the well. He knows what that's like. Jesus knows what it's like to be so exhausted that he drops into a boat late one evening after an incredible run of ministry. And falls fast asleep so so exhausted and so out that even when a storm arises that causes those experienced sailors to think they may lose the ship he still sleep. He knows what it's like to be exhausted. He knows what it's like to be tried. He knows what it's like to lose a loved one. Before Jesus ever entered his public ministry the man to whom God had entrusted the responsibility of upbringing. God's son Joseph had died. He knows what it's like to lose someone very close. One of his best friends Lazarus dies in Jesus weeps with the family at the grave site. He knows he knows that human experience. The depth of his understanding of our human experience is incredible. But this text not only describes the depth of his understanding it also describes the result of his understanding. The result of his understanding human experience the reason he came was so that he might understand what it's like. The result of that is in order that verse 17 says here's the so that in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God. You see Jesus would live on this earth and then he would die for our sins. He would be resurrected and he would go back to heaven. And what he's doing in heaven now is he is our mediator. He is the one who stands between us and the father. Completely holy father and Jesus stands between us and him. And he prays for us. He intercedes for us. And he understands what it's like. So he's a merciful high priest. Don't have the view of God that even as a believer he's out to get you just watching for you to mess up and he's going to whack you. He's out to get you. I don't know. Jesus is in heaven understanding the Bible says that we are but dust knowing our frame and how we're made knowing what it's like to live life and the difficulties and trials and hardships of life. Understanding all of that. He's merciful. And you know mercy means that you don't just have pity on someone you reach out to help them. Mercy doesn't end with the mind. Mercy extends through the hands. And so Jesus reaches out to us as a merciful high priest. He understands what you're going through. But another result is that he might make a tonement for the sins of the people, the end of verse 17. To make a tonement literally means to be a substitutionary sacrifice, to make satisfaction, to take care of all the wrath of God against us so that we can be saved. He did that. He came here. He knows what it's like and he died for us so that he might make satisfaction before God. And then the third thing that he does for us, the result of his understanding is that he helps us. He helps us. Verse 18 because he himself suffered when he was tempted. He is able to help those who are being tempted. You know, I suppose every father in this room has had deep compassion for his wife when she goes into childbirth. But let's face it, we really don't understand, do we? The only way we could fully understand is if we were somehow mysteriously in the providence of God allowed to go through those same experiences. And we actually experienced the physical changes, the hormonal changes, the pain of labor, the pain coupled with the thrill of delivering a child, of walking to death's door to bring new life into this world. Unless we can fully experience that, we can't fully understand. That's why Jesus came. He understands what you're going through. He understands what human life is like and how difficult it is, how hard it is, how disappointing it can be. He understands all of that. He's experienced it. And as he represents you and me before the Father now, it is with great mercy and with a helping hand. He reaches down to help us. Do you understand that's what Christmas is all about? That's the reason he came. Yes, to suffer death for us that we might be saved, to defeat Satan so that we wouldn't have to fear death anymore, to understand human experience, and be able to reach down that hand and lift us up. One of my favorite Christmas songs of all time is one recorded in 1994 by one of my favorite artists, Wayne Watson. It's entitled One Christmas Eve. It tells a story as Wayne Watson often did. It tells a story of a man who is a skeptic. And although the rest of his family knows and loves Christ, he doesn't. But something happens to him, One Christmas Eve, that changes that forever. This song is the story of what happened to that man. We're going to listen to it and put the words on the screen so you don't miss any of the story. He was a loving father, jealous of love this song. But all alone against him, both eyes, don't save your love this song. I would have used to listen at once, but only thought night. But I don't you worry, a virgin burden, no. I could anybody feel it. This Christmas Eve, the season's so intense, it's time to find your love. I'm going to know that it is that over in the spell of the shooting sun, and move with deep confessions. This is the story of what happened to that man. I'm going to know that it is that over in the spell of the shooting sun, and move with deep confessions. With a redeeming plan he wrote, and he tried and they could gather in to a young song, getting winter cold. The coldest tumble beat just tells, every hand awaits a man. Sometimes love and stress is living without fear. I hope he thought it's like an only plan. And what I can make you, I hope you stand, there's no one moment I want to say to you. The love is what I'll be, it would all be clear. The love is what I'll be, it would all be clear. I hope he thought it's like an only plan. And you don't be foolin' about it. If you like Christmas, use your all the way. You reminded him of devil truth, he denied you that didn't he? How Jesus born the Savior walked his earth in the mortal man? Another soul brought save me home and Christmas. You never see the same ugly. You never see the same ugly. You never see the same ugly. You never see the same ugly. You never see the same ugly. You never see the same ugly. Maybe you, like that man, or that woman, have sat through many of Christmas, gone through many of Christmas season. And you enjoy the family, you enjoy the tree and the presence and all of the Christmas atmosphere. But you've never understood Jesus came down here to be among us, to be one of us, so that he could deliver us, he could save us, and he understands what it's like. You never embraced that or grasped that. You've never trusted Jesus. My friend, if you would only trust Jesus, this Christmas would be different than any of ever experience. It will never be the same again. This Christmas season, please let Christ do for you what He left Heaven's glory to do. You will be saved. Your sins might be forgiven. He came to defeat Satan and remove the fear of death. And He came so that we might understand, He really does understand, our human experience. This Christmas could be different for you if you don't trust Him as your Savior. That's by one prayer. For those of us who in this room today may have denied, may have even been skeptical of the whole story that we hear at Christmas. God become man, virgin birth. Can anyone really believe that? Do I really need that? Do I really need a Savior? Lord, if there are those in this room who have never trusted Jesus and understood why I came, I pray that today would be the day when they lay us out whatever is holding them back, keeping them from making this the best Christmas ever. One where new life begins, where the hope of eternal life is theirs, and the fear of death is gone, in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.