Mind the Gap

And if y'all would open up your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 2, verses 5 through 18, it's on page 1188 of your Pew Bible.

Hebrews 2:5–18

If you're new to Christ the King Church, we typically preach expositional sermons, which means we are preaching through books at a time, and we've just started preaching through the book of Hebrews.

Hear God's Word.

Verse 5, chapter 2,

For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking.

It has been testified somewhere,

What is man that you are mindful of him, or the son of man that you care for him?

You made him for a little while lower than the angels.

You have crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet.

Now, in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control.

At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him, 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.

For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.

For he who sanctifies, and those who are being sanctified, those who are sanctified, all have one source.

That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying,

I will tell of your name to my brothers.

In the midst of the congregation, I will sing your praise.

And again, I will put my trust in him.

And again, behold, I and the children God has given me.

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 lifelong slavery.

For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham.

Therefore, he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God,

to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Amen.

Has anybody been to London?

I see those hands.

I have not.

I want to be there.

There is a lot of people in the tube, the subway system of London.

There is tiled into the platform on the subway stations three words.

Mind the gap.

There's this gap between the platform station and the train that comes in.

And it says mind the gap because you don't want to fall into the gap.

You want to step onto the train.

And so you have mind the gap.

So say the Brits.

I think Americans would say don't fall in.

When it comes to the book of Hebrews, mind the gap means don't fall away.

The book of Hebrews is one long exhortation to hold fast to Jesus.

And we've got a gap to mind.

It's not the gap in London subway stations.

A little distance between a platform and a train.

It's the gap of time between Christ's first coming and his second coming.

His first coming, Jesus lived a sinless, perfect life.

He died on the cross for our sins.

He was raised from the dead, ascended on high.

And now he is exalted at the right hand of God, seated on his throne, carrying out his purposes.

That is his first coming.

And his second coming is when he returns to make all things right as the judge of all.

So we're living in between his first coming and his second coming.

We're in a gap.

We're living in the already but not yet.

And when you're living in the gap, you can lose sight of things.

Up until this point in the book of Hebrews, the author of Hebrews has been emphasizing that Jesus is totally God.

His divine nature.

He is the radiance of the glory of God.

He is the exact imprint of his nature.

And not only is he emphasizing the deity of Jesus, the Son, but he also aims us.

He shows us where he is right now.

He is, in verse chapter 1, verse 3, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high.

In verse 8, but of the Son, he says, your throne, O God, is forever and ever in heaven.

Verse 13, surely at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.

Not only is he God, he is exalted, reigning on high.

But here we are.

In between his first coming and his second coming.

And even though he's on high and we know that.

It doesn't feel like it sometimes, does it?

When you're looking at this world and you're like, that's not subjected to his reign right now.

That's not subjected to his reign right now.

This world can be such an utter mess.

And so here we are, living in the gap.

We know he's on high, but things don't look like it.

And that can give rise to some discouragement.

Even start to subtly question, like, is this true?

Is this worth it?

Do we press on?

How do we mind the gap?

And this morning, in Hebrews 2, 5 through 18, we're given three ways to mind the gap.

So that we don't drift, but draw near.

We draw near to Jesus.

We, first, we remember his cross and crown.

Second, we remember that his suffering has made us his siblings.

And third, we remember he helps us as our high priest.

And when we mind these things, when we remember these things, we're minding the gap.

And it protects us from drift and helps us to draw near to the one who tasted death for us.

So let's look at these three ways we are to mind the gap.

We're all living in the gap.

In between his first coming and second coming.

So we remember his cross and his crown.

Up until this point, as I've mentioned, the emphasis has been on the divine nature of Jesus.

That he's fully, fully God.

And as totally God, he's enthroned on high right now.

Exalted, surrounded by myriads of angels.

Our brothers and sisters in the faith are with him in his presence.

And the writer of Hebrews has been making the point that Jesus is God and exalted by comparing him to angels.

And to showing us that he's superior to angels.

And these extended quotations from the Old Testament, chapter 1.

We're going to see more here in chapter 2.

They're to show us that Jesus is greater.

But in this chapter, the author not only helps us to see the divine nature of Jesus and his exaltation.

He shows us the humanity of the Son.

That he was fully man.

And that he was humiliated.

His humiliation.

He suffered.

He endured the cross.

He died as a man.

Who experienced everything that we experienced for 33 years, yet without sin.

In verses 5 through 9, what we have is a quoting of Psalm 8.

And then in verses, at the second half of 8 and into 9,

you have the writer of Hebrews showing how Jesus has fulfilled Psalm 8.

And what we're going to see is his cross and his crown.

Psalm 8 is a psalm about God giving dominion to mankind in order for mankind to represent God on earth.

To be fruitful and multiply.

To be his vice regents.

But we blew it.

Instead of making it about God, we make it about ourselves.

And so in steps Jesus as the perfect man.

The ultimate representative of humanity.

Because he's totally God and totally man.

And so what we see in verse 7 from Psalm 8, we read this.

You, God, made him for a little while lower than the angels.

Psalm 8.

Would you now look at verse 9?

But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus.

Do you see what's going on there?

Psalm 8 fulfilled in Jesus.

How did Jesus fulfill that?

How was he for a little while made lower than the angels?

Jesus walked the earth for 33 years.

The son of God took on human flesh.

Merry Christmas.

Happy incarnation.

And he walked this planet for 33 years.

Just a little while.

Made lower than the angels.

We're getting at the humanity of Jesus.

His humiliation in the Philippians 2, 3 through 11 cents.

He became a servant.

He took on flesh.

And he died.

He suffered death.

Because he was a human being.

And his death isn't like our deaths.

His death accomplished something.

He tasted death for us.

For everyone who's living in the gap who would believe.

The death is a way of talking about the cross.

Jesus endured the cross.

Totally God.

Totally man.

Tasting death for us as fulfillment of Psalm 8 as our representative.

The second half of verse 7 says,

You have crowned him with glory and honor.

And if you look at the rest of verse 9, it says,

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.

So not only was Jesus humiliated, became a man, suffered death, cross.

He also, following the cross, was exalted.

Raised to the right hand.

Crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death for us.

He had to experience his cross in order for him to be crowned king on high.

It's his exaltation.

So in this passage, in Psalm 8, we're seeing both his cross, humiliation, and his crown.

His exaltation.

He is totally God and totally man.

It's necessary.

He tasted death for us.

And then comes the gap.

Verse 8, we're Psalm 8.

Putting everything in subjection under his feet.

We now go into the explanation.

The writer says,

Now in putting everything in subjection to him,

and I believe the him is Jesus in this passage, in this verse.

He, God, the Father, left nothing outside his, the Son's, control.

And at present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.

We're living in the gap.

We're living in between his death, resurrection, ascension, and exalted crowning, and his return.

It doesn't look like everything is subjection to him because it's not.

But he is on high.

So what do you do?

When you're looking at this world and you just want to despair?

Look at the end of verse 8.

We do not yet see everything in subjection to him.

When we see everything not in subjection to him, what do we do?

Look at verse 9.

We see him.

We set our eyes on Jesus.

We set our eyes on the cross and the crown of our king.

And we realize that, hey, even though it may not feel like things are subjected to him, yet he is raining on high.

And we are one day closer to when all things will be subjected to him.

When his inaugurated reign culminates in fullness of peace on a new heavens and a new earth.

So when we're living in the gap, you know how you mind the gap?

You remember his cross and his crown.

You see things for the way they are, but you remember he's exalted on high.

Cross, suffer death, crown, exalted on high.

Enthroned on high.

Which brings us to the second way we mind the gap.

We remember his suffering made us his siblings.

This is an extraordinary passage.

When you woke up this morning, were you thinking about what Jesus is speaking over you?

You may not know it if you're watching CNN or Fox on a regular basis.

But Jesus is at work right now in the gap.

He's on his throne.

He's carrying out his father's purposes and will.

And when you are living in the gap and you're discouraged by what you see,

you need to remember he suffered to make you his brother and his sister.

In verse 10 we read this.

This is verses 10 through 13.

For it was fitting that he, God the Father, for whom and by whom all things exist,

in bringing many sons to glory, bringing many sinners into salvation,

should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.

It was God's Father's will that God the Son would suffer to make us sons and daughters.

It's extraordinary.

Now you might be reading that and you're like,

hold on a second, Pastor Mike.

Should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.

Time out.

Time out.

I thought Jesus was perfect.

I thought that Jesus was morally perfect in character and conduct 24-7,

365 days a year for his 33 years.

That little while he lived lower than the angels.

I thought he was perfect.

I thought he satisfied God's commands fully in the life he lived.

And he did.

He did.

Every thought, every word, every feeling, every act,

fully pleasing to God all the time.

He was on the planet.

Still is now.

So what is being talked about here?

If it's not his character, what are we talking about?

We're talking about his mission.

We're talking about his founding of salvation.

His accomplishing of our salvation.

In order for him to accomplish our salvation,

as the founder of our salvation,

he needed to suffer.

In order for him to suffer,

he needed to be fully human.

He had to die.

He had to suffer death.

He had to taste death for everyone who would believe in him.

It was only through the suffering of the Son

that God would bring many sons to glory.

He would bring many sons.

He would gather many sinners

and adopt them into the family of faith.

Jesus had to suffer.

That's why in verse 11 we read,

for he who sanctifies,

Jesus,

and those who are sanctified,

us,

all have one source,

God the Father.

It's his will.

We all share one heavenly Father.

We are one family.

Jesus suffered to make us his siblings.

And so when Jesus says this,

verse 11,

that's why he's not ashamed to call them brothers.

The author of Hebrews is talking about Jesus

and the way he thinks about you and me.

He's not ashamed to call you brother and sister.

It's amazing.

It's an understatement.

Intentionally.

He delights in calling you brother and sister

because of what he's done for you

to make you his brother and sister.

For the joy set before him,

he endured the cross

and that joy being gathering

and bringing in the sons of glory

in restoration and reconciliation

to the Father,

our salvation.

He delights in what his death has accomplished.

I don't know what you were thinking

when he woke up this morning.

I don't know what you were thinking.

What happens if you wake up tomorrow morning

and the first thought that comes to your mind

is that the son who suffered cross

and was exalted crown,

he's not ashamed of you.

He delights in you.

In order to make that point,

the writer of Hebrews then quotes

two Old Testament passages.

And what's extraordinary about these two

Old Testament passages

is that the writer of Hebrews,

he puts them in the mouth of Jesus.

speaking of you and me.

Look at verse 11 again.

That is why he's not ashamed

to call them brothers,

saying,

so the author of Hebrews is saying,

it's like what he's about to say

is Jesus speaking of you and me.

And the first thing he says

is a quote from Psalm 22, 22.

And you know Psalm 22

because when Jesus was on the cross

and when he cried out,

my God, my God,

why have you forsaken me?

That's Psalm 22, 1.

And Psalm 22, 1 through 21

is a psalm about a righteous man

suffering for God.

And then in verse 22,

the psalm pivots

and it goes from humiliation

to exaltation and vindication.

And it's in verse 22

that the writer of Hebrews

puts it in the mouth of Jesus

about you and me.

Jesus is the I.

I will tell of your,

God the Father,

your name to my brothers,

us.

In the midst of the congregation,

I will sing your praise.

The congregation is the heavenly gathering

of God's blood bought.

But it's Hebrews 12, 22 through 24.

Right now, Jesus is in heaven

and he's boasting of what he's done

and saying,

God the Father,

I told your name to my brothers and sisters

who are all around our throne right now.

It's delight.

It's joy.

It's not ashamed of you.

It's amazing that he's saying this.

I was convinced that

many of you needed to hear that this morning.

He's not ashamed of you.

In the heavenly congregation,

he's delighting in you.

What he's done for you

to bring you to glory.

It doesn't stop there.

Because then we have another quote

from Isaiah chapter 8,

Isaiah 8 · chapter mention

17 and 18.

Again, the writer of Hebrews

is putting these words in the mouth of Jesus.

Jesus is fulfilling these.

And he says,

I, Jesus, will put my trust in him.

Isaiah 8,

Isaiah's been experiencing some hardship

and he is saying,

I will put my trust in him

and all these children that you've given me.

We're going to put our trust in you too.

And now,

the writer of Hebrews

is saying,

Jesus is speaking that

in fulfillment regarding us.

Remember when Jesus

was in the Garden of Gethsemane

and he says,

not my will,

but your will be done.

In the midst of suffering,

he put his trust in his Father.

That's what he's saying.

That's what he's getting at.

Jesus suffered faithfully

to make you sons and daughters unto glory.

And then again,

he says,

behold, I and the children

God has given me.

He's saying that of us.

He's saying,

I trust God

and these brothers and sisters

that I tasted death for,

they are going to trust you too.

We're all going to trust you.

Do you know this is a picture of

solidarity.

His suffering has made us

his siblings

and we're not going to drift away

in the gap.

We're going to draw near

and hold fast

and stand firm in the gap.

at the risk of diminishing

the significance of this.

Remember that movie,

High School Musical?

Zac Efron at the end

with his dynamic white outfit.

We're all in this together.

That's what this is getting at.

We're all in this together

because Christ's suffering

as a man

has made us his siblings.

He's not ashamed of you.

Not ashamed.

So when you're in the gap

and you're seeing this world

yet to be subjected to him

and you may just start thinking

maybe it's time to check out.

Maybe just to find an easier way.

Nobody really needs to know

that I'm a follower of Jesus.

Remember,

his suffering has made you his siblings.

He was faithful in his sufferings

and so we must be faithful

in our sufferings

for him in the gap.

We're all in this together.

He's not ashamed of you.

He shed his blood

to unite you to himself

under God.

Now imagine waking up tomorrow morning

and the first thought

that comes into your mind

is that Jesus is not ashamed

to call you brother,

sister.

It's just another way of saying

I am for you

all the way to the end.

The third way

in which we mind the gap

is that verses 14 through 18

we remember his help

as our high priest.

He's willing to help.

Living in the gap

in between his first coming

and his second coming,

that's not easy.

We have a lot of needs.

He's got a lot of help.

He's able to help.

He is willing to help.

Look at all the help.

Verse 16,

for surely it's not angels

that he helps

but he helps the offspring

of Abraham.

Look at verse 18.

At the end,

he is able to help

those who are being tempted.

He offers help.

There's two ways

in this passage

in which

he helps us.

In the face of death

and in the face of temptation.

He is our help

in the face of death.

Verses 14 through 16.

In verse 14,

we have again

this teaching

that the son

was completely human

in all that he was

yet without sin.

Verse 14,

since therefore

the children share

in the flesh and blood,

he himself likewise

partook of the same things.

Jesus took on flesh

and blood

because the people

he needed to bring

to God in glory

were made of flesh

and blood.

But we get afraid

of death.

We're afraid

of our deaths.

We're afraid

of other people's deaths.

Part of living

in the gap

in between

his first coming

and second coming

is all this death.

It can wreak havoc

in people's lives.

And Jesus

tasted death

for us.

In fact,

the death he died

puts death

to death.

Let me help you

see that.

That through death,

verse 14,

he might destroy,

better yet,

dethrone

the one who has

the power of death

that is the devil.

The devil,

the enemy

of our souls,

who is not

God's equal.

Well,

he exercises

his power

over death

through deception

and lies.

The condemning

power of death

is sin.

It's the sting

of death,

1 Corinthians 15,

56.

And so what

the devil loves

to do

is to accuse

people

of their

sinfulness

in order

to rub

your face

in your death.

But the death

that Jesus died

killed sin.

It removes

sin.

He dethrones

the devil

and the devil's

power

to make

false accusations

about your sin

freeing you

from death.

Jesus dethroned

the devil

by removing

sin.

His death

was propitious.

The death

that Jesus died,

the death

that Jesus

tasted for

everyone who

believed,

bore all of

God's wrath,

all of it,

for all of your

sin,

so that there

was no more

wrath and you're

completely forgiven

of your sin.

So Jesus,

through his death,

removes this

thing of death

which is sin

and he totally

dethrones the

devil in doing

so.

We learn in Mark

3 as well

that Jesus,

speaking of the

devil,

Jesus describes

him as a

strong man

and he has

come to bind

the strong man

and plunder

his house.

Jesus is the

great redemptive

plunderer,

you and me,

bringing sons to

glory.

He came for us.

Revelation 13,

the devil is

kicked out of

heaven,

down to the

earth,

where he is

now,

awaiting the

second death.

death,

we know the

truth of the

devil.

He's been

dethroned by

the death of

Jesus and

therefore we've

been delivered

from the fear

of death.

We no longer

live,

Christian,

Christian,

you no longer

need to live in

fear of death.

The sting has

been removed.

John Bunyan

talks about

death,

pictures it in

the pilgrim's

progress as a

final river that

must be crossed

and you will feel

it go up above

your head.

and then

instantaneously

you will be at

the gates of

glory.

Death doesn't

have the final

say.

Jesus does.

He holds the

keys to death,

Revelation 1.

He's the one who

said,

I am the

resurrection and

life.

Whoever dies,

yet shall he

live if he

believes in me.

He's dethroned

the devil.

He's delivered us

from the fear

of death.

Christ's death

has defeated

death.

Can I have an

amen?

Well, there's

another way he

helps.

He helps us in

the face of

temptation,

verses 17

through 18.

He's able to

help those who

are being

tempted,

verse 18.

And it begs

the question,

tempted to

what?

What kind of

temptation?

It could be the

temptation to fear

death,

but I think the

better explanation

is something that

he's just talked to

us about in

Hebrews 2,

1 through 4.

to not drift.

The temptation

is to drift,

to fall into

the gap,

to be

kind of

as an

exercise of

unbelief in

Jesus,

just to check

out and fall

away.

That's the

temptation.

temptation.

And he can

help us when

tempted that

way.

And I'm

guessing everyone

in the room,

when you look at

this messed up

world, despite

all of its beauty

from time to

time, you can

be discouraged.

We have help

in time of

need.

In verse 17,

again, we have

another reference

to the Jesus

taking on

humanity.

Therefore, he

had to be made

like his

brothers in

every respect,

every respect,

yet without sin.

Fully human.

Totally God,

totally man,

in one person.

And that

uniquely qualifies

him to be our

high priest.

This is the

first time in

the book of

Hebrews that

the writer of

Hebrews drops

high priest

language.

It's going to

show up 17

times in the

book.

It is the

unique contribution

of this book

of Hebrews

to the entire

New Testament

canon.

No other

writer in the

New Testament

talks about

Jesus as our

high priest.

It's only the

writer of Hebrews

and it is

glorious.

A high priest

is a go-between.

A go-between God

and a go-between

man.

And the high

priests of old

were sinners.

And so they

had to make

sacrifice for

themselves before

they could make

sacrifice for

men.

Not Jesus,

not the Son,

who's totally

God and totally

man.

He is the

perfect high

priest because

he's totally

God and

totally man.

It's amazing.

He's our

great high

priest.

And because

he's our

great high

priest, he

made propitiation

for the sins

of us as

people.

Not only is

he the

living,

exalted

high priest,

he himself

was also

the once

and for

all

sacrifice

for our

sins.

Cross,

crown.

That one-time

sacrifice that

our high

priest made

satisfied all

of God's

wrath for

your sin.

So that there

was no more

been forgiven

in full.

he's not

ashamed to

call you

brothers,

sisters.

He gave his

life for you.

And you know

what?

He gets us.

We have a

high priest who

gets us.

Verse 18,

for because he

himself has

suffered when

tempted.

He gets us.

For 33 years,

he lived on this

planet and

experienced everything

that we experience

yet without sin.

He gets us.

He gets us.

And that's why

he's so effective

at helping us

even when we're

being tempted

to drift

in the gap.

what do we do?

What do you do

when you realize

I'm being tempted

right now?

Either I'm

living in fear

of my own death

or the death

of somebody else

or I'm just

wondering if this

whole thing is

worth it.

What do you do?

You go to the

one who can

help.

You don't

turn from

Jesus in

those moments.

You don't

drift from

him.

You turn

to Jesus

in those

moments

and you

draw near

to him

in those

moments.

That's

where you

will find

help.

In the

very one

that you're

wondering

is worth

it,

you turn

to him

and you're

just honest.

Oh God,

I'm

fearing my

death today.

Oh God,

I'm

wondering if

I should

just operate

an excavator

for the rest

of my

life.

He

turned

to Jesus.

If you

would just

let your

eyes scroll

over to

chapter 4

verses 15

and 16.

For we

do not

have a

high priest

who is

unable to

sympathize

with our

weaknesses

but one

who in

every

respect

has been

tempted

as we

are

yet

without

sin

let us

then

with

confidence

propitiation

draw near

to the

throne

of grace

that we

may receive

mercy

and find

grace

to help

in time

between

his first

coming

and his

second

coming

when things

don't look

subjected

to him.

Time of

need.

Be honest

with him

brother.

Be honest

with him

sister.

He's not

ashamed

of you.

We're

living in

between the

first coming

and the

second coming

of Jesus.

We know

all things

have been

subjected

to him

but it

doesn't look

like it.

It doesn't

feel like

it.

We've got

to mind

the gap.

in order

to

mind

the gap

and avoid

drift

and avoid

falling

away

into

the gap

we look

to Jesus.

We remember

his cross

and his crown

we remember

his suffering

made us

his siblings

and we

remember

his help

as our

high priest

all throughout

this passage

in each section

there's a

suffering

reference.

death.

And the

only way

he could

suffer death

was by

being fully

human.

And so

we mind

the gap

by remembering

that Jesus

is totally

God

totally man

he is

on his

throne

and we

are one

day closer

to him

bringing

all things

together.

what a

savior

what a

king

what a

high

priest

what a

hope

let's

pray.

Thank you

Jesus

for becoming

a man

for

suffering

the way

you did

for us.

Thank you

for enduring

the cross

to make

us your

brothers and

sisters

to bring

many sons

and daughters

to glory.

Thank you

God that

you have

not left

us in the

gap by

ourselves

but the

Holy Spirit

is with us

drawing our

gaze to

Jesus again

and again.

Lord Jesus

thank you so

much for

being our

living help

in time of

need and we

know it.

God

would you

unite us?

would you

bring solidarity

to us

among us

around

our

crucified

and

exalted

king

Jesus

and that

we would

hold fast

to him

all the way

to the

end

because you

are so

worthy.

it's in

your name

we pray

Jesus

amen.

Amen.