Jesus our Brother | Hebrews 2-3 | Assistant Bishop Lee McMunn

I'm sure you know that in stadiums around the

world, it's pretty common to hear the same rousing

anthem after a sports team wins the competition.

I'm not singing to you. I am tone deaf. So I

will spare you from that. But you know the lyrics.

We are the champions, my friends, and we'll keep

on fighting till the end. We are the champions.

It's not a difficult one to learn. We are the

champions. No time for losers. Because we are

the champions of the world. And it starts to

be played. And when the song booms out from the

speaker system, you notice that it's not just

the players on the pitch, is it, who join in,

but the fans at home, the fans in the stadium.

Suddenly, everyone is shouting, we are the champions.

Pretty normal behavior. But when you stop and

think about it, it is a bit weird. What right

do the fans have to sing We Are The Champions?

We haven't done anything. We haven't put in the

effort. We haven't suffered the blows. We haven't

scored any goals. However, despite our passive

observation at the victory that has been secured

by other people, we still feel the right, don't

we? As we put down our can of Coke and our crisps

and our Maltesers, we... We have the right to

sing at the top of our voices. Not you are the

champions, but we are the champions. And I'm

glad we do this. I really am. Because despite

the focus in this country, not just this country,

but around the world, on the individual, despite

that, there does seem to be another story hardwired

into our bodies. And that is the joyful truth

that we can... rightly experience glorious benefits

from the victories secured by other people. There

is another story, or put another way, we do not

always have to be a personal champion. Isn't

that lovely? The good news is you don't have

to ace everything. You don't have to get 100

% everywhere. The good news is that we can have

representative... Champions who do the work for

us and through whom we benefit. Now, what you

see in Hebrews chapter 2, we meet the perfect,

Hebrews 2 · chapter mention

fulfilled champion that all of the Bible is preparing

us to meet. His name is Jesus. Jesus Christ,

the eternal son of God in human flesh. Jesus,

the victorious savior who secures a future. for

us that is both glorious and good jesus the one

who because of his victory does enable us to

sing we are the champion now i want to get us

to dive in let's dive in and let's enjoy i mean

let's enjoy the details like chapter two verse

Five, it is not to angels that he has subjected

the world to come, about which we are speaking,

but there is a place where someone has testified.

Don't you love that little sentence? You know,

when you forget the Bible reference, just, oh,

there is a place somewhere where someone has

tested. Put that in your exam, okay? What is,

you'll fail, but put it anyway. What is mankind

that you are mindful of them, a son of man that

you care for him? You made them a little lower

than the angels. You crowned them with glory

and honor and put everything under their feet.

So what you find in these verses is God's inspiring

vision for the place of humanity in the created

universe. And it is both amazing and surprising.

So we're told in the Bible that humanity is to

have a key role in the ongoing stewardship, flourishing,

and cultivation of the created order. We are

supposed to live in God's world. We're supposed

to enjoy a relationship with him, with each other,

and with the planet around us. And that honored

position, and it is an honored position, is not

because of our size, is it? It is not because

of our strength. We are tiny and weak. Now, our

honored position is because God has said it.

Because God has spoken. And we see the beginning

of that significant status at the very beginning

of the Bible, the opening chapters. of genesis

so genesis chapter one you read through the account

and god made this and it was good it was good

it was good and then you get to the creation

of humanity but no it's not just good it is very

good you get into genesis chapter two and then

all the animals are paraded before adam and all

sorts of reasons for that but but adam does name

them he does have authority over them he can

name them We mustn't misunderstand, of course,

God's loving stewardship for us over his creation.

It's not an excuse at all for tyranny, for pillaging,

for abuse. It is responsible leadership for the

created order. Now, at this point, you think,

wow, that is amazing. It's surprising. It's amazing.

It's honored. But how is it going for us? How

are we doing at that role? Are we winning or

are we losing? Or put a different way, what do

you see when you open your eyes? Well, I guess

it depends, doesn't it? It depends what kind

of eyes we're talking about. Are we talking about

the eyes of sight or the eyes of faith? Do we

start with the eyes of sight? What do they reveal

to us when we use these eyes to look at the world

around us? We'll look at how verse 8 continues.

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. So

we do not see everything subject to them. Yep,

that is our everyday reality, isn't it? Whether

it's fires or floods or winds or earthquakes

or diseases, any one of those has human beings

running very far away. We are powerless, we are

puny, we are scared. We human beings, we're not

living in harmony with God, with each other,

or the rest of creation. All around us, open

your eyes, you know it, we experience it. Chaos,

carnage, confusion, all around us. We are in

trouble, and no human committee, no human plan,

no human president has the power and the wisdom

to sort out the mess. With the eyes of sight,

we see a bleak picture that isn't getting better.

So what about the eyes of faith? And when I say

the eyes of faith, I don't mean the eyes of make

-believe. That's not what the eyes of faith are.

The eyes of faith is our convictional response

based on what God has said, what God has revealed

in the Bible. And therefore, the eyes of faith

means that we see through what he has said. That's

what it means, the eyes of faith. God says something,

you believe it by faith, and then you see the

world through what God has said. So what do we

see with the eyes of faith? Look at verse 9.

What do we see? We see Jesus, who was made a

little lower than the angels for a little while,

now crowned with glory and honor. because he

suffered death so that by the grace of God he

might taste death for everyone. It's the first

time in the book of Hebrews that the name Jesus

appears. It's quite significant, quite appropriate

actually, because the focus of Hebrews chapter

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2 is on why it was so essential for the eternal

divine Son of God to take on human flesh. And

the name Jesus becomes so significant because...

There is the name that the God's son is called

after his incarnation, Jesus. God the son with

human flesh. So what do we see about Jesus with

the eyes of faith? Well, first of all, what do

we see? We see Jesus fulfilling the original

purpose of humanity. Jesus is crowned with glory

and honor. And one day, one day, glorious day

it will be, everything will be under his feet.

Yes, he is currently ruling the universe, but

one day every knee will bow before the Lord Jesus

Christ. There will be no rebelling against his

loving authority at all. What a day. What a day.

And of course, Jesus Christ is in this position

as the God -man. Okay, that's because... Jesus

didn't strip off his flesh during the ascension.

So it's not that you have the incarnation, he

takes on human flesh, he lives, we've had the

cross, the resurrection, and then at the ascension

he goes, I don't need this anymore. No, he goes

as the God -man to heaven, which means right

now there is a human being at the heart of the

heavenly control tower. Now as great as that

is, and it is great, it isn't the only truth

we see with the eyes of faith. Look at 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.

Both the one who makes people holy and those

who are made holy are of what? Of the same family.

So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers

and sisters. He says, I will declare your name

to my brothers and sisters. In the assembly,

I will sing your praises to whom? To my brothers

and sisters. In other words, Jesus' great plan

is to bring sons and daughters to glory. And

I haven't even quoted that properly. His plan

is to bring how many? Many sons and daughters

to glory. And in the context of Hebrews chapter

Hebrews 2 · chapter mention

2, That is more than getting us to heaven. It

is to bring us to the position of glory, the

position of glory that has been announced, trumpeted,

and expected in Psalm 8, where humanity is crowned

with what? Glory and honor. Jesus is bringing

many sons and daughters to that place, to glory.

See, at the heart of... Jesus' plan is to bring

us to join him, our older brother, in the presence

of his father as we rule the world together.

Now to achieve that, at the heart of his plan

is his personal suffering. And you'll see that

repeated. Hear it as Chloe read the Bible to

us in Hebrews. Let me read out a few verses.

You'll hear, you'll see the consistent theme.

So verse nine, but we do see Jesus who was made

a little lower than the angels for a little while,

now crowned with glory and honor because he did

what? He suffered death so that by the grace

of God, he might taste death for everyone. Verse

10, in bringing many sons and daughters to glory,

it was fitting that God for whom and through

whom everything should make the pioneer of their

salvation perfect through what he. or verse 14,

since the children of 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. And if you haven't got it yet,

it's verse 18, because he himself suffered when

he was tempted, he's able to help those who are

being tempted. In other words, our champion,

the Lord Jesus Christ achieves his glorious victory

through his sacrificial death. And that is because

we need a savior. Not just an example. Because

we've got debts. We've got debts that need forgiveness.

And so before he could bring many sons and daughters

to glory, Jesus had to take our place on the

cross. But praise the Lord. He has. And therefore

our future is secure. I don't know what. God

has in store for you. Many of you will enter

into some sort of pastoral ministry in churches.

I don't know if anybody's ever told you this

before. Christian ministry can often look unspectacular

and unimpressive. It can frequently feel draining,

dull, and discouraging. I hope someone has given

you that pep talk. I hope there's another pep

talk as well, but there is a reality to this.

But I want to say to you, as you get involved

in pastoral ministry, when you live through those

days that are draining, discouraging, unspectacular,

unimpressive, and your mind begins to wander

and... You begin to ask the question internally

because you're not brave enough to ask it externally

just yet. Why should I stay? Why should I continue?

Why should I endure? Well, here is an answer.

For those days, for the deepest part of your

soul, everything you do is heading to that future.

Okay? That's where it's going. That is the reality

through the eyes of faith. Everything you do...

is part of the plan of Jesus Christ to bring

many sons and daughters to that glorious day.

And that keeps you going. It really does. How

do you keep your focus on that future day and

a highly pressurized existence where you're notified

all the time and distracted by everything? We'll

look at chapter three, verse one. Thank you,

Chloe, for reading chapter three, verse one.

Isn't it beautiful? Therefore. Therefore, holy

brothers and sisters who share in this heavenly

calling, what are we going to do? Fix your thoughts

on Jesus. Quite simply, fix your thoughts on

Jesus. Notice what it doesn't say. It doesn't

say occasionally when you've got a moment, glance

your thoughts on Jesus. No, you're to lock onto

him. like a missile defense system and never

let him out of your sights because Jesus is the

one who needs to be at the center of our existence.

Quite simply, we need less of us and more of

him. And that's because he's the victorious champion.

So I don't know the next time you're going to

hear it, what sporting fixture you'll be at or

you'll watch on the TV and you hear the sound.

We are the champions. Can I encourage you to

do something? Next time you hear those words,

just remember who is the champion. Just remember

what he's done. And because of what he has done,

there'll be one day that you will stand in a

greater stadium. In the presence of Jesus, your

older brother, in the presence of his father,

and we will sing properly in tune. with better

lyrics that we are the champions of the world.

Amen? Let's pray. Have a moment. What has God

been teaching you today? Although we thank you

for the bull. perfect salvation, once for all

sacrifice of the Lord Jesus. Thank you for his

perfect obedience and thank you for our unity

in him. Thank you for this glorious vision of

the future and thank you that we can be part

of it because of Christ to help us this day by

the power of your spirit to fix our thoughts

on Jesus. Amen.