Why? To Destroy The Power Of Death And Satan

I ask you to take your Bibles this morning, and once again, as we are doing this Advent season, look to Hebrews chapter 2. Hebrews chapter 2. I'm going to read the entire chapter, but we will be looking at verses 14 and 15 today. And I pray that the Lord will use it to help you understand something about Christmas and what God has done for us, as we remember what Jesus did.

Hebrews chapter 2. Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 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? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

Now 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 a little lower than the angels. You've crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet, under his control, under his feet.

Now in putting everything in subjection to him, He left nothing outside of 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, said 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 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 Father open the text of scripture to us today not only to greater understanding but to transform us help us now we pray for the glory of the name of Jesus whom we worship and the glory of your name the father of our salvation the glory of the Holy Spirit who has pointed us to Christ and magnifies him. Thank you now for your word in Jesus' name. Amen.

At a funeral this last week, Martin Cooper Sr. died and was laid to rest on Wednesday. Once more, just like countless times before, all the centuries that have preceded us, people sat in the presence of death. Death sat there as well like the supreme sovereign on his throne saying you will never escape my rule. And so people sat in his presence with broken hearts some weeping, some in quiet despair some with hearts filled with dread and fear.

What hope is there in the presence of such a powerful king? Hope can be found in one word, Christmas. Actually, Christmas and funerals belong together. No, no, no. I don't mean that this festive time of the year provides us some great distractions from our fear and our dread and our sadness. They belong together because Christmas should remind you that Jesus came to overcome death And by overcoming death he undid Satan and released us from our slavery to fear Look with me again at the two verses that we will examine today Hebrews 2 verses 14 and 15.

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. Why did the Son of Man leave the glories of heaven to walk among us as one of us? He did it, as we've seen in the last couple weeks, he did it to fulfill God's original intention for mankind. he did it to bring many sons to glory and then today as we look at these verses he came to overcome death defeating satan and freeing us from fear that is why jesus came he came to overcome death and by overcoming death he defeats satan and delivers us from our slavery to fear.

Now the first thing that the writer tells us is Jesus shared with us. Jesus shared with us. Because God has given Jesus many children, it says in the preceding verse, that He's come to bring many sons to glory and behold, I and the children God has given me, the words put in Jesus' mouth, then we have to ask the question, is there some kind of kinship between Jesus and these children of His?

Is there some kind of a kinship that puts them together so that God can identify Jesus and children and the children that God has given him? You know, I remember my first trip to Romania. That was in 2003. The first time I went to Romania, and our custom was to get there on the first weekend. We preach in churches. We have class the second weekend.

We all split up again and go to churches and preach, and then we come home. and I remember I went back with one of my students well a number of students from the village of Berchi in in southern Romania I went with Florinel to his church and I remember as we came to the house of his door his little daughter Deborah came running out the door She was four years old at the time And she just started jabbering and talking excitedly saying things in Romanian And I remember, this is how stupid I am, this is how American I am, I remember what I thought, I remember thinking, this girl is brilliant! She already at four years old can talk in Romanian. Now, actually I should have expected that, don't you think?

I should have expected that, because like her father, she's Romanian, she has the same blood, she has the same culture, she has the same language. She's one with her dad in that way. Well, so it is with Jesus. We should expect him to have some sort of kinship with us, since we have been given to Him as children. There ought to be something that we share.

There ought to be something that's true of both of us. And here's what it is. He shares with us our humanity. That's what He says at the beginning of verse 14. Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, since we're flesh and blood, since all of us here are flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same things. Our kinship is our humanity.

Jesus shared our humanity with us. Since we are flesh and blood, we should expect Jesus, who is our kin, to be flesh and blood as well. Imagine that. The second person of the Trinity, the second person of the Trinity, who for eternity, for eternity had enjoyed the praise and adoration of angels had to partake of our humanity in order to save us. It had to be that way.

He had to lay aside his glory as God and become a man. Now he did not lay aside the essence of deity. he remained God but that glory was veiled as he took on human nature that's clear from chapter 1 of this book if you ever wonder about the deity of Jesus just read Hebrews chapter 1 it's amazing the claims that are made about Jesus in that chapter. When we come to chapter 2, the writer makes us and wants us and labors the point that Jesus is also everything that we are and experiences everything that we do because he shares with us our humanity.

He lived a life, a human life. He lived a life with all its weaknesses. Do you think Jesus ever felt physical exhaustion after a hard day of work? You need to think that way. He felt heartache. Do you think Jesus knew what it was like to have brothers and sisters who said hurtful things about him and to him?

You ever thought about that? Yeah. Jesus had brothers and sisters we can gather from the New Testament, and they no doubt said terrible things to him and about him to mom and dad. Right? Can you imagine Jesus getting in trouble because of what his brothers and sisters say? He's fully human.

Do you think Jesus experienced needs? Do you think he ever came in from outside so hungry that he could eat everything that was on the table? Yeah. And temptations. Do you think Jesus was ever tempted to be angry because the other boys and girls, or the other boys at synagogue school would make fun of him and taunt him? Think he was tempted to be angry?

Yeah. He was fully human. He himself likewise partook of the same things. you know what else he shared with us he shared death with us he shared death with us having lived under the curse he suffered the very embodiment of the curse which is death the apex the greatest thing that says curse he experienced that he experienced everything there is to experience in our humanity except sin.

He knew it all. He shared with us in our humanity and in death. But that not all that the writer says If that where he left the story we say great God knows what we feel like But you notice that in this verse these verses this death actually accomplished something You know, when someone dies, normally it doesn't accomplish anything, does it? Other than weeping in a funeral service.

That's all that gets done when you die. Not so with Jesus. His death is entirely, even though he shared death with us, his death actually accomplished something. It says this in verse 14, Jesus shared death with us in order to destroy the devil. Jesus shared death with us in order to destroy the devil. Now what does it mean, what does the writer mean when he says that the devil is the one who has the power of death?

I think too many people have misunderstood that to think that when death comes there must be Satan at work that that Satan can walk around and kill anybody he wants I don't believe that's what he's saying at all because the rest of the Bible doesn't allow us to say that the greatest example is in the book of Job do you remember the story of Job it says the sons of God came to present themselves to the to God and the sons of God they're in context obviously are angels and Satan appeared with them and God says where have you been? He goes, I've been walking to and fro over the whole earth. He says, have you considered my servant Job?

And he goes, he's blameless. And Satan says to God, well, yeah, he's blameless. Sure he is. He's rich. He has lots of children. Who wouldn't serve you when it's so good?

What did God tell him? Take his possessions. Take his children. But don't take his life. I mean, he even needed permission to do what he did, and he was prohibited from taking his life. Well, of course, you remember what happens next.

He comes back before God, and God says, look, Job hasn't cursed me. You said he was going to curse me. He didn't curse me. Satan says, of course he doesn't curse you. He's healthy. And so God says to him what?

You can afflict him, but what? Don't kill him. All right? Satan cannot inflict death at will. Satan is subject to God on that account. So what does he mean here?

I believe he means here the writer speaks here of the effects of Satan work What happened when Satan succeeded in bringing Adam and Eve to sin What happened? Death ensued. Satan's work in us has the effect of producing death. That is to say, Satan's work is always destructive and always leads to death. And so when Jesus came to die, he took that away for us who are his.

For example, look at 2 Corinthians chapter 4. Turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 4. Notice how this is explained beginning in verse 3. 2 Corinthians chapter 4, beginning in verse 3. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are, what? Perishing.

In their case, the God of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. you see what happens they're perishing and one of the reasons they're perishing is that the god of this world the ruler of this world has blinded them it results in their death now if we'd stop there it'd be a losing battle but notice what it goes on to say for what we proclaim is not ourselves but jesus christ as lord with ourselves as your servants for jesus sake. For God who said, let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. So when Jesus Christ is proclaimed, his death is set before you, what happens?

God brings the light to shine in your heart and delivers you from death. Look at Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2 verses 1 through 5 and you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked following the course of this world following the prince of the power of the air that Satan the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience among whom we also once lived in the passions of our flesh carrying out the desires of the body and mind, and were by nature children of wrath.

You see that? We followed the prince of the power of the air. The spirit who's now at work in the sons of disobedience. And as a result, what are we? we are under the wrath of God but God being rich in mercy I want you to think about that for a moment people who are enslaved to doing what they want to do when they want to do it have nothing to say about God or to God who care nothing for God who care only for themselves God has compassion on them.

We want to be compassionate to people who are weak. And our hearts melt. God's heart melted over people who spit in His eye and shook their fist at Him every day. And He felt pity for them. He is rich in mercy. Does that characterize you?

This is a whole other sermon. but does that characterize you in the face of rebels who hate god and treat you badly does your heart melt and say oh my they're headed for hell anyway back to our point but god being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses made us alive together with christ by grace you have been saved. You see? You see?

He has pulled the rug out from under Satan. He has made us alive. He has died for us. He has paid the penalty. And therefore, that which brings death has been taken care of. Look at John chapter 12, 27 through 33.

Some Greeks had come to Philip and said, Tell us about this Jesus. We want to know whether He's from God or not. One of the responses that Jesus made is this. Now is my soul troubled. Verse 27. Now is my soul troubled.

Well, then what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour, but for this purpose I have come to this hour. What hour? The hour of His death. I've come for this hour to die. That's why I've come.

Everything has been aimed toward this, that I would die. Notice. Father, glorify Your name. That a voice came from heaven. I have glorified it. and I will glorify it again. The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered.

Others said an angel has spoken to him. Jesus answered, This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Note, now is the judgment of this world. Now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

At the moment of his greatest weakness, God was glorified in this way. Satan was cast down and defeated. And by being lifted up, he would draw all kinds of people to himself. You see, Jesus, by his death, destroyed the power of Satan so that he could no longer inflict the blindness at will that produces death. so that He's no longer the Spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.

That Spirit is no longer at work in us, producing the death that descends on the children of wrath. He no longer rules the world by keeping people in darkness, since Jesus, by His death, casts out the ruler, and by His death draws people to Himself. Have you thought about that? You preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, crucified for sinners, and it draws people to Him.

That will draw people. And so Satan has lost his power. Satan accuses us, right? I love the book of Revelation chapter 12. That great accuser is cast down. What does he do?

Comes to God and he says, hey, they're sinning. They deserve to die. Right? He's the accuser. Kill them. They deserve to die. and God says, there is no basis for the judgment Your sins have been wiped away by the blood of my Son There is no reason that I will inflict that Make all the accusations you want.

She's mine. And I will not judge her. The power of Satan to bring death by his work has been defeated. by the work of Jesus' death. Well, he doesn't just leave it there, does he? Jesus shared death with us in order to deliver us from fear. Jesus shared death with us in order to deliver us from fear.

Verse 15. He came in order that he might destroy the one who has the power of death that is the devil, and in order that he might deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. Jesus shared death with us in order to deliver us from fear. Men and women, boys and girls, all fear death. They all fear death because of what it does.

When you died, you know that you die alone. even men on the field of battle die alone no one else will die for you you die alone death presents people with the unknown I've talked to people who says oh you know I was dead and I was floating above myself and I saw them working on my body and then I saw this great light and my mother was there and I heard her voice and so on and so on and yet, and yet, they say, what's going on? What's happening? What is that all about?

Even when there is a so-called vision, you don't know what it's about. Death brings the unknown. There's nothing. Nobody here knows what it's like to die. We know what happens afterwards, but we have no idea what death is like. What is it like to pass from death or from life to death.

What is that like? Nobody knows. It the unknown You know death always severs relationships The deepest most loving relationships are ended at death The closest friendships are ended at death This thought occurred to me a couple of years ago. And you know, some of you who are, I don't know, 55, maybe 60 and above, I don't know, but this thought occurred to me one day.

Thoughts usually occur to me while I'm driving somewhere. Maybe that's the only time I am alone with my head, but I love my wife dearly. I love my wife. But a day is coming when one of us will be gone before the other. You ever thought that thought? Some of you have done more than thought it.

You've experienced it. That relationship is ended. it cuts off the memory of your life it cuts off the memory of your life in another generation the name Tim Pasma will have no meaning at all none people will walk through the cemetery and see my name on a gravestone and say I wonder who that guy was I even think about the grandchildren that God may give me in the future, they won't know me very well. They won't know me much at all.

Death ends a good life. A life of fun and food and love and work and learning and singing and everything that is life comes to an end. that's why people fear death because it has nothing but the curse in it now some of you are arguing with me in in your heads already and i'm just saying to you the only life that you've ever known is life on this earth you've been told something about the life that follows not much but even with what you know that's following i would bet nobody here is looking forward to dying. I'm not.

Because people fear death because nothing but the curse is in it. Need I mention that they wonder about judgment That people wonder about judgment What happens Men and women boys and girls all fear death but they fail in breaking the chains of that fear. They fail to break the chains of that fear. Do you see what it says here? I love this phrase because it just captures it.

When he says about that through the fear of death, We are subject to lifelong slavery. We're subject to lifelong slavery. And no one can break the chains of that slavery. No one, it seems, in this world. No one, it seems, in this world can take the chains of fear away. We do it.

You know how we do it? You know how people do it? They ignore it. They ignore death. You know, when you're sitting at Burger King and having a great time, you normally don't talk about death, do you? It's not a normal part of conversation.

Everybody knows that in polite conversation, you don't say, do you realize you're going to die someday? You know, you'd never do that, right? And not only do we ignore it, we try to paste some words over it. You know what? We don't say things like, yep, my mom died last week. What do we say?

My mom passed away. We're afraid to even say the word. Aren't we? Oh, he passed. Well, he passed a car, he passed a truck. What do you mean?

No, no. He's, you know, he passed away. We don't even say the word die. They keep their children away from funerals. They don't want children face to face with death, forgetting that those children are going to see them in the coffin. They don't want to go to funerals.

I'll go to visiting hours and I'll talk to you and keep my back to the coffin, but this whole thing about death, you know. And yet the thoughts don't go away, do they? They'll say things like, the memory of your dad will live on forever. No, they won't. No, they will not. Memories aren't going to live on forever. you inevitably forget.

They tell themselves the lie that God is a God of love who knows we're humans. He'll overlook our mistakes. Forgetting that death itself is judgment from God, and it reveals the anger of God. But worst of all, this is what people say, in order to try to shed the shackles of fear, they say things like this, death is just a natural part of life. You mean natural like eating, and drinking, and sleeping?

You mean natural like that? Is that what you mean? I don't ever remember having the emotional baggage that comes with death ever associated with eating and drinking the normal things of life. Have you? Do you feel like you're going to die because your parents say you can't have a Coke right now? Some of you say yes, but it's because you're young enough not to know what it means for someone you love to die. somehow the emotions associated with that natural part of life are much larger than anything else that's a natural part of life but all those attempts do nothing to free anyone from the overwhelming sense of fear as death raises its head but our text says this that by his death Jesus frees us from this relentless enslaving fear of death now we do not like death certainly we don't like death but those for whom Jesus died no longer fear it he has set us free from the enslaving fear of death he has broken the chains of the fear that plague us our entire lives by dying because Jesus took upon himself our humanity he could die for our sins for Christ also suffered once for sins the righteous for the unrighteous to bring us to God being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the Spirit Do you ever listen to the words that Jesus says Boy, I hope so.

You know, we always want to put Jesus in a box because the things He says are so radical, like, oh, I can't do that. But, man, you listen to the things that He says. And those who are connected to Him by faith have every reason to hope instead of fear. Consider John chapter 5, verse 24. I read this at every single committal service I have. When I'm standing next to the grave with that casket right here, I will always read a text that has this verse in it.

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. Do you hear what Jesus says to people who are in the chains of this relentless, this unending, this subjection to fear? He says, if you believe in Him who sent me, you pass from death. to life.

John chapter 6. Man, I love John chapter 6. John chapter 6, verses 37 to 40. Here again, Jesus is talking to a people who are being very stubborn with him. And here's what he says, all that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. You see that?

If you come to Jesus, do you ever have to worry about him accepting you? No. He will never cast anybody out who comes to him but he goes on with even better news than that for i've come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me and this is the will of him who sent me that i should lose nothing of all that he has given me but raise it up on the last day the it there is those group of people that god has given them i'll not lose one person.

Not one. But I will raise him up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father So he says how is that possible How is it that you not going to lose anybody How is it that everybody that you talking about is going to be raised from the dead Here what he says For this is the will of my Father that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life and I will raise Him up on the last day.

Eternal life. I don't have to fear death. Why? Because I possess something now that transcends death. It is this thing called eternal life. And it guarantees that on the last day I will be raised to live in a body that will never die again.

That will never be subject to disease. That will be perfect in every way. One last verse. Very familiar verse. John chapter 11, 25 and 26. Here's the story.

Jesus comes to Lazarus' funeral and Martha, you know how Martha is she's always that kind of, you know there's always Marthas amongst us and Martha comes to Jesus and essentially says this if you'd have come three days earlier my brother would not have died it's like Jesus you know what, I know you're powerful and so if you'd have come this would have never happened she's kind of mad right? she's kind of mad the whole thing could have been different if you'd arrived here day before yesterday my brother would still be alive but no you delayed and now he's dead you remember how Jesus responds to that? here's what he said Jesus said to Martha very familiar words I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live. And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.

Do you believe this? Even though he dies, he will live. now Jesus doesn't take away the fact that we may die but there's something else that happens we live we live I don have to fear death it doesn have the last word does it Jesus has the last word He took on our humanity He shared our death so that we can be free from the slavery to fear All who belong to Christ have no reason to fear death. All who belong to Christ know they have eternal life.

And even though he dies, yet will he live. Jesus has done it all. What do we have to do? Believe. That's it. Believe.

Right? You know what some people want to do? They want to have cryonic freezing so that when they figure out the cure to death, they can raise them up in centuries later and revive them so that they won't die. That sounds like a lot of work to me. Right? Sounds like you're taking a chance, too.

But here's what Jesus says. Just believe in me. and all of it is yours. You just cast yourself on me. And you never have to think about death again. You never have to worry about it. You don't have to be afraid of it.

Because anyone who belongs to me has life that will never end. Even though he dies, yet he will live. So you see, Christmas has an unbroken connection with death. can you think that thought Christmas speaks of the Son of God sharing in our humanity so that he could die and in dying he broke the chains that death wraps around us Christmas is the charter of our freedom Christmas is our declaration of independence Jesus has freed us from the one who accuses us and demands our death and God says my son paid there is no judgment there is none he has freed us from Satan and his power of death and he broke the chains of fear now listen I think that we have to ask the same question Jesus did of Martha do you believe this?

Some of you here, I don't know. I don't know all of you. And part of your stories, I'm sure I don't know. I'm sure of that. Some of you may be dying. All of us are dying, but some of you may be facing death.

You're pretty sure of it. You've got some diagnosis. Something is going on. I don't know. Listen, if you don't know Christ, I can see why you're afraid. But you cast yourself on the mercy of Christ.

You just believe, and He will deliver you. And you don't have to fear what's coming. even though he dies, yet shall he live. Do you believe this? Christian, do you believe this? Of all people, we should not be people of fear. The greatest fear of all is the fear of death, and if we eliminate that fear, there's no reason to fear at all, is there?

Christmas is our charter of liberty. Father thank you for the good news of the gospel We thank you for a Savior who frees us from the power of Satan and his ability to produce death We thank you and praise you and adore you for the fact that a Savior has come and by sharing in our humanity has broken the chains of fear that have enslaved us that we even in the face of death can have confidence. We can live life fully for your glory because when death arrives we have nothing to fear.

God help us I pray to more and more trust Jesus and grow bolder every day help us to that end we pray in the name of Jesus the resurrection and the life Amen