The Cross of Christ and Message of Deliverance

Let's start together to the letter to Hebrews and chapter 2, and we can read at verse number 14.

! Hebrews chapter 2 at verse 14.

Hebrews 2 · chapter mention

Since, therefore, the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things,

! that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to life long.

Slavery, and so on.

Now, once this evening to continue the study that we're doing and looking at the benefits of the cross of Jesus Christ,

and we are doing so because unless we understand what the cross means, then we're not going to appreciate the importance of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And as we read this letter itself, it reminds us of the way in which people were losing their way,

some were close to losing their faith, some were close to abandoning their faith because of what they were suffering,

and when the writer reads to them to address these difficulties,

he focuses primarily in the first half of the letter on the passion and work of the Lord Jesus.

So, in focusing on the passion and work of the Lord Jesus as the answer to our problems,

it's following the pattern that we see from time to time in the Word of God.

And as we look at this chapter itself, it reminds us that there is a context and that there is a goal,

and we see from verse 5 of this chapter that the writer is talking about the world to come,

and it's important for us to grasp that at the very outset.

We are in this world, but there is a world to come,

and the significance of Jesus is to be found in understanding this world and understanding the world to come,

and the only connection that we have between the two or the only way from this world into the world to come

that's described here is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

We read on further in the letter, and we understand something else about this people.

They were immature, and as we read at the end of chapter 5 and into chapter 6,

we understand that the writer could not speak to them of the depths and the riches of the Lord Jesus

because they were immature in their faith.

They were struggling with their faith because of the world around them,

and they were struggling also in their faith because they hadn't reached a mature understanding of the Lord Jesus.

And that again is instructive for us as we look this evening at this passage

and continue to think of the benefits of the cross of the Lord Jesus.

And we have seen the benefit of reconciliation.

We have seen the benefit of redemption.

We have seen the benefit of propitiation.

And tonight we want to look at the cross of Christ and the message of deliverance.

First of all, I want us to see that there is a reality we must learn to fear.

And in verse 14 we have that reality that through death,

it's a solemn thing to speak about death.

We have it throughout the Word of God.

Death is the end of our lives in this world.

It's when our hearts start, stops beating.

It's when our organs fail.

It's when there appears to be nothing.

And the writer in Ecclesiastes speaks of the way in which

the dust returns to the earth as it was,

and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

Death is the end of our visible lives here in this world.

And at the beginning of our service this evening,

I wanted to think for some time on the solemn issue of our death.

And if we're going to think about death in a biblical way,

we want to see there are three elements to death as the Bible brings it before us.

And the first of these is that death is physical.

There is that separation of body and soul.

It is physical in the sense that there is a tearing apart of the creation of God

in the sense in which body and soul are separated.

And such is the awfulness of death, physical,

that it is tearing apart the very thing that God has created in all of its beauty.

Death is physical.

We know that.

We see that.

And we need to remember the reality of death as physical.

Death is also penal.

The wages of sin is death.

Why is there death in the world?

Because of Adam's sin,

described by Paul in Romans 5.

Sin came into the world,

and death entered because of sin,

and death came upon all because all have sinned.

Death is penal.

It's a penalty of our covenant breaking.

And thirdly,

death is eternal.

It's described in the book of Revelation as the second death.

death.

It's described as the second death in the lake of fire.

We saw in the chapter we read this morning

the way in which Jesus himself speaks about eternal death.

The fiery furnace

where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

It's eternal.

It's permanent.

And when the Bible speaks about death,

the focus on death

is on the eternal aspect of it.

That it's a death that goes on

forever beyond the scene of time.

It's a reality.

And we know it's there.

And it's so easy for us to live our lives

as if this awful reality of death

did not exist.

It comes close to us in our homes.

And we become more aware of

its destructive power

as it affects us emotionally.

But it's too easy for us

to forget

and to go on living.

How should we respond?

How should we react?

To this reality of death.

Here the writer makes that clear.

That

those who

fear death

were subject to lifelong

slavery.

There is

a fear

and a phobia

that there is

a sense in which

all our emotions

and the whole of our beings

are in a sense to be

terror stricken

with

an awful thought

of what death means.

A heart full of

a sense of

wanting to distance ourselves

from the reality of death.

death.

And wanting if it were

possible to

remove the whole

idea of death

from the whole

perspective of life

and from the experience

of humankind.

But the Bible

tells us

that a response

to the reality

of death

is to

fear it.

death.

And the writer

in this letter itself

reminds us

why we should

fear death.

In chapter 10

of verse 31

it is a fearful

thing

to fall into the hands

of

the living

God.

The fear

of death.

death.

death.

death.

And the more

you and I

in the

secularized

society in which

we live

the more

we're

sucked in

by its way

of thinking.

The more

the fear

of death

will be

lost to us.

And the more

we will remove

it from our

thinking.

And the more

we will

promote

things like

assisted

dying.

because we

fail to

appreciate

what death

is.

And we

initiate

we bring

a proposal

that's to be

brought into

the law of

the land

that is

aimed at

reducing the

suffering

of those

who are

dying.

And losing

sight of

the fact

that the

eternity

of suffering

in the

fire of

hell that

Jesus speaks

of is

unthinkable.

And we

need to

remind

ourselves

and remind

the society

in which

we live

that this

is the

reality of

death.

And that

without

faith in

the Lord

Jesus Christ

there is

eternal

suffering

beyond

life in

this world.

And that

is why

we ought

to fear.

And the

writer here

goes even

further than

that

through

because of

the fear

of death

they were

subject to

lifelong

slavery.

Death is

powerful.

Death

works like

a master.

Death

comes to

our door

and we

have no

control.

We cannot

resist.

We cannot

stop its

progress.

Subject

to

lifelong

slavery.

All the

days of

our lives.

This

should be

our

reaction,

our

response

to what

the Bible

describes

as death

and as

eternal

death.

And

sometimes

the whole

concept of

death is

like an

overcast

on

our

communities

because of

the solemnity

of it and

of the

tragedy of

it.

And we

want to

speak of

the reality

of death

sensitive to

all of

these things.

But the

Bible, and

God wants

us from

the Bible

to

understand

that

the

overcast

of the

skies

around us

is nothing

less

than

eternal

death

because of

our sin

and because

of our

lostness.

The

reality

that we

must learn

to fear.

Secondly,

there is

a relationship

that we

must learn

to appreciate.

And the

relationship

that we

must learn

to appreciate

is,

again in

verse 14,

since

there were

children

share in

flesh and

blood,

he himself

likewise

partook of

the same

things.

people

and the

picture that

we have

here is

oppression

outside of

the human

race,

looking down

on the

predicament of

the human

race,

and looking

down on the

predicament and

seeing that

humankind is

lost and

trapped in

death and

in sin

because of

rebellion

against God.

And that

external

passion that

is looking

down on

humankind in

that way is

no one less

than God

himself and

is here no

one less

than the

Lord Jesus

himself.

and if we

look more

closely at

the way in

which the

Lord himself

is looking

down on

the predicament

of humankind,

we notice

something that's

really important.

And the

important thing

is that God

is looking

down on

a particular

people amongst

the mass of

humankind.

And read

through these

verses.

And time

after time

we are

coming face

to face

with children.

We are

coming face

to face

with the

offspring of

Abraham.

We are

coming face

to face

with quotations

from the

Old Testament.

I will

tell your

name to

my

brothers.

I will

put my

trust in

him.

Behold,

I and

the

children

God has

given to

me.

What does

this tell

us about

God's

relationship

with

humankind?

These words

remind us

that as we

read the

words in

verse number

13 coming

from Isaiah

Isaiah 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8,

we understand

that there is

what the

Bible calls

a remnant,

that there is

a chosen

people.

And God

in this

image that we

have here,

external to

the experience

of humankind,

God's

looking down

on children.

He is

looking down

on his

family.

He is

looking down

on the

offspring of

Abraham.

He is

looking down

on those

whom he

has chosen,

not the

physical

descendants of

Abraham,

but those

whom he

has chosen

from before

the world

was,

and he

sees that

they have

flesh and

blood.

There is

frailty.

He sees

failing.

He sees

death.

He sees

hopelessness.

The whole

environment

of humankind

as God

looks down

upon it

is one

of doom

and darkness

and one

that

looms

forward

to

eternal

destruction.

And that

whole

external

assessment,

if we can

call it

that,

is where

we see

the wonder

of the

relationship

into which

God has

come with

his people,

those whom

he has

come to

save.

And

because

children,

she and

flesh and

bird,

he

himself,

who is

the he

himself?

Who is the

writer referring

to?

No one

less

than

himself.

The center

of the

gospel,

the center

of our

salvation,

the one

described at

the beginning

of this

letter,

as the one

who is the

radiance of

the glory

of God,

who is the

express image

of his

person,

the exact

imprint of

his nature,

the one

whose throne

is forever

and ever.

He

himself,

the son

of God

looking down

on your

lostness

and mine,

and because

of the

predicament in

which we find

ourselves in

our lostness

and under

the shadow

of death,

he

partook of

the same

things.

the wonder

of the

son of

God

becoming

man,

the wonder

of the

son of

God

taking

our

human

frailty

and our

human

nature,

taking it

to himself,

the wonder

of the

son of

God

entering

into the

experience

of this

world,

to walk

its path

with us,

to walk

alongside

us,

to share

our griefs

and our

sorrows,

and in

particular

to come

alongside

us and

to be

able to

suffer,

to go

through the

death that

is the

penalty due

to us

for our

sin.

The

relationship

that we

must learn

to appreciate.

there is

the sense

through these

verses

of the

importance

and of

the

necessity.

There is

no salvation

for lost

humankind

unless this

great step

takes place.

and we

may speak

of the

birth of

Jesus.

We may

speak of

Jesus in

the manger,

Jesus on

the breast

of his

mother,

Jesus growing

up as a

12-year-old

in the

temple.

We may

speak about

the boy

Jesus and

the man

Jesus and

the preacher

Jesus,

but who

is he?

He is

himself.

He is

the son

of God.

come down

into

our world.

The son

of God

described

for us

by Paul

in Philippians

Philippians 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2.

The person

who was

in the

form of

God

did not

count

equality

with God

a thing

to be

grasped.

He

emptied

himself.

He

took the

form of

a servant

and being

found in

human form.

He humbled

himself

and became

obedient

to death.

How much

do you

and I

tonight

appreciate

who Jesus

is?

It's the

greatest wonder

that we have

in the

Bible.

It's the

greatest wonder

that we

can hear

over in

this world

God.

The son

of God

who sits

on the

throne

of the

universe

came to

be an

infant

in his

mother's

arms

in

Bethlehem.

Learning

to appreciate.

And as we

read through

the Gospels

we have a

story

and it's

so easy

for us

to hear

the story

to hear

about his

miracles

to hear

about the

things that

he said

and to

lose sight

of who

he

actually

is.

And

tonight as we

think of the

reality of

death

which we

must fear

if there is

hope for us

we need to

think of

the relationship

of the

son of

God

with us

and learn

to appreciate

the marvel

of his

coming into

the world

and walking

the face

of this

earth

with us.

There's the

reality

there's the

relationship

and thirdly

there's the

rescue

that we

must not

fail

to embrace

and in the

rescue that

we have

in these

words

there are

two elements

to it

and the

first part

of the

rescue

is that

there is

a great

overthrow

that a

kingdom is

being demolished

and dismantled

and the

writer tells

us that

again in

verse number

14

that through

death he

might

destroy the

one who

has the

power of

death

that is

the devil

there is

someone with

power

and we

need to

reckon with

the power

of Satan

the power

of the

devil

and the

way in

which he

is organized

in his

kingdom

and standing

up against

the kingdom

of God

he has

a controlling

influence

and power

in his

own

kingdom

and determines

what happens

in his

own

kingdom

he is not

outside the

authority and

the sovereignty

of God

of course

but he

has

the power

of

death

and we

might well

ask

how does

he have

that power

what does

that mean

that the

son

that Satan

has the

power of

death

he has it

because in the

words of

Jesus

he was a

murderer from

the beginning

he tempted

Adam and

Eve into

sin

and through

that temptation

which they

embraced sin

death entered

into the

world

and all of

the controlling

influence

of the

devil

is with

regard to

sin and

death

and his

influence is

such that

eternal

death is

also under

his control

and influence

and power

in that sense

that he

dominates

and domineers

all those

who live

in separation

from God

the one

who has

the power

of death

and so

if we're

thinking about

the reality

of death

the death

that we

the reality

that we

must fear

then here

is something

else that we

must fear

with regard

to the reality

of death

that the

devil

the serpent

the deceiver

the accuser

of the

brethren

the person

who is the

enemy of

God

and the

enemy of

the people

of God

that he

is the

one

who has

the dominion

of death

in his

hands

under

the oversight

of God

himself

and it

is

that power

and that

dominion

that is

overthrown

that he

might

destroy

the one

who has

the power

of death

it's

robbing

someone

of power

and of

influence

we can

think of

dismantling

of taking

something

apart

systematically

the son

of God

has taken

apart

the kingdom

of Satan

he has

done that

systematically

he has

dismantled

everything

that Satan

builds

and that

Satan

controls

we can

think of

him

disempowering

Satan

and that's

what the

son of

God

has done

he has

worked in

such a

way as

to prevent

Satan

from having

the power

and the

influence

that he

had

previously

we can

think of

him

deactivating

the very

power of

the kingdom

of Satan

and that's

so important

for us to

come to

the gospel

and to

understand

that the

power that

Satan has

over death

is deactivated

it's removed

or its

effectiveness

is now

removed

and

ultimately

he is

overthrown

he is

removed

forcibly

from power

by the

person

more

powerful

than

himself

and how

has the

son of

God

achieved

this

he has

achieved

this

through

the

cross

itself

that

through

death

he might

destroy

the one

who has

the power

of death

the

son of

God

the

Lord

Jesus

as he

is suspended

on

Calvary's

cross

dying

for the

sins

of the

world

as he

endures

the penalty

due to

us

for our

sins

and that

penalty

is exhausted

and removed

as he

turns away

the wrath

of God

and our

sins

are forgiven

the

pillars

on which

the

kingdom

of

Satan

stand

and is

built

they are

vanished

and they

are removed

and there

is nothing

left but

the

tumbling

ruin

of his

kingdom

destroying

his

power

doesn't

mean to

say

destroying

himself

he

still

remains

there

but

his

power

his

kingdom

is

overthrown

and

that's

the

good

news

of

the

rescue

that

we

have

from

the

cross

that

the

death

which

we

fear

in

its

physical

aspect

in

its

penal

aspect

in

its

eternal

aspect

and

that

we

find

ourselves

subject

to

lifelong

slavery

because

of it

that

fear

is

taken

away

through

the

cross

of

the

Lord

Jesus

as the

late

principal

Don McLeod

said

in his

book

Christ

crucified

the

paradox

here

is

that

Christ

destroyed

the

devil

with

his

own

weapon

that

in

the

death

of

Christ

where

Satan

thought

he

was

having

the

victory

that

where

he

thought

he

had

victory

turned

out to

be

his

defeat

and

his

overthrow

who

rejoice

in

the

cross

of

Jesus

Christ

because

he

has

overthrown

Satan

he

has

crushed

his

head

he

has

defeated

him

and

he

has

emerged

victorious

the

rescue

and

the

overthrow

of

Satan

and

there

is

the

rescue

and

our

deliverance

and

deliver

verse 15

and

deliver

all

those

who

through

fear

of

death

were

subject

to

lifelong

slavery

a

change

that

comes

about

because

of what

Jesus

has

done

on

the

cross

taking

us

from

one

place

transferring

us

into

another

place

it's

breaking

our

existing

relationships

with

sin

and

with

death

and

it's

giving

us

a

new

relationship

with

the

God

against

whom

we

have

rebelled

it's

taking

us

from

the

kingdom

of

darkness

into

the

kingdom

of

God

it's

removing

that

fear

of

death

it's

setting

us

free

!

love

love

love

time

time

time

!

death

means

and

for

the

people

of

God

it

means

entrance

into

the

paradise

of

God

and

that

deliverance

ultimately

is

referred

to

in

verse

10

of

this

chapter

as

we

close

that in bringing many sons to glory

he is making

their saviour perfect through suffering

the founder of their salvation

perfect through suffering

that's the deliverance

taking

those whom he has chosen from

lost humankind

and bringing them into the paradise of God

taking many sons

many children

many

taking God's family

into the glory

the world to come in verse 5

the glory in verse 10

and the new heavens

and the new earth

that Revelation 21 speaks of

and that paradise

where we read that people will come out of great tribulation

in Revelation 7

and they will

enter into the new heavens

and the new earth

God himself will be present with them

as their God

they shall be his people

God will wipe away all tears

and death

shall be

no more

what a place

what a paradise

what a promise

and as we close this evening

what do you think yourself

what do you think of the rescue

of humankind by Jesus on the cross

what do you think of

the relationship of the son of God

with humankind

with yourself

what do you think of the reality of death

and can you

go home tonight

and say that you don't need to embrace

the Lord Jesus

say that you don't need the salvation that he offers

that you don't need the rescue

that he offers to you in the gospel

can you

possibly

go home

and say that

and I close with reading

the verses

at the beginning of

of this chapter

for since the message

declared by angels

proved to be reliable

and every transgression

or disobedience

received a just retribution

how shall we escape

if we neglect

such a great

salvation

there is no other

salvation

there is no escape

and the necessity tonight

is for you

and for me

to embrace this

founder of salvation

this deliverer of sinners

this victorious conqueror

on the cross

and to embrace him

and

to look

at death itself

and see it as

our gateway

to the paradise of God

and to the full enjoyment

of the blessing of God

throughout the endless ages

of eternity

to come

may God bless his word to us

we'll bow our heads in prayer

most gracious God

we seek to humble ourselves

before your word

the solemn nature of the truths

that you bring before us

in it

the solemn way in which

these

truths are impressed

upon our minds

help us

to receive them

as they are

help us not to

cloud over

their solemnity

help us

so we will not

forget the truths

that have been brought

before us

from my word

this evening

but give to us

a sense of our need

a sense of the

necessity of

embracing the salvation

that is ours

through faith

in

the Lord Jesus Christ

who loved us

and gave himself

for us

bless your word

to our hearts

we do pray

and watch over us

as we close this service

and as we go into

the remainder of this

your day

bless your word

and keep us

and may it be

the means of

informing your paths

each step that we take

in the week that is to come

as we

commit ourselves

to your care

hear our prayer

and accept us

we pray these things

for Jesus sake

Amen

the closing psalm is

psalm number 68

the Scottish Psalter

is on page 303

and at verse number 18

verses that describe to us

in a fitting way

something of what

we have been

considering together

from the letter

to Hebrews

psalm number 68

at verse 18

and we're singing down

to the verse mark 20

the tune is

Lingham

thou hast

O Lord

the most glorious

ascended up on high

and in triumph

victorious led

captive

captivity

we stand to sing

these words

to God's praise

to verse number 20

captive

Up on high, ascended up on high,

Handelschreier of Victorious Land.

Captive, captivity, captive, captivity,

captive, captivity, captive, captivity.

Thou hast received gifts for men

For such as did rebel

For such as did rebel

Yey, for them that caught the Lord

In midst of them I dwell

In midst of them I dwell

In midst of them I dwell

In midst of them I dwell

Blessed be the Lord who is to us

Of our salvation God

Of our salvation God

Who daily with his benefits

As plenteously doth Lord

As plenteously doth Lord

As plenteously doth Lord

As plenteously doth Lord

He of salvation is the God

Who is our God most strong

Who is our God most strong

And unto God

The Lord from death

The issues do belong

The issues do belong

The issues do belong

If you'll let me to go to the main door

After the benediction

Thank you

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ

The love of God

The Father

And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit

Be with you all

Now and forevermore

Amen

Amen

Amen

Amen