Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Jesus, Coach and Savior- Hebrews 2:10-18

I speak with many people who for a whole host of reasons prefer college football over professional football. Some cite that professionals are in it for the money and serving themselves rather than playing their heart out for the good of the team. Others seem to think that the soul of the game that is so prevalent in college football is lost in the fog of endorsements witnessed in the professional world. Others believe that the game is purer in college football because the entire team is involved instead of just a small group of players. However, one strident difference between college and professional football I want to draw attention to involves the role of the coach. With few exceptions, it appears as though the coach is more intimately connected to the team’s success in the college world than in the professional world in which owners and money men make decisions that are in some cases contrary to the advice offered by the coaching staff. In fact, some who coached in the NFL have chosen instead to coach college ball, freeing themselves from pre-madonna players and being micro-managed by those with little or no experience (Jim Harbaugh moved from the 49ers to the University of Michigan, Nick Saban from Miami Dolphins to LSU, Alabama, etc.). In college football, the coach is appreciated and plays a more intimate role in the outcome of a game as his strategy is executed by dutiful players who seek to serve rather than be served. In college football the coach can also be a savior in times of crisis, when something happens in the game that requires a different assortment of carefully designed plays.  While, we are not here to dissect college football dynamics, we can draw several analogies between the college football coach and Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. In fact, the list of credentials given in Hebrews 2:10-18 elucidates some of the same qualities one might find in a leader of a successful team.  As we are a team in the church, let us observe five reasons why Jesus is a fitting Savior, in fact, the greatest Savior of our lives and the only one capable of leading us to victory in the game of life.


I. Jesus Sacrificed for Men-2:10-13

As the preacher wraps up his case for Jesus’ superiority to the angels, he lays out five reasons why Jesus is a fitting Savior. The first reason is that Jesus sacrificed for men (as witnessed in verses 10-13). Although the idea of Jesus as a sacrifice is relatively common and fundamental to Christian teaching, this was a concept that proved to be a stumbling block to the Jews. Though the Jews, and Christian Jews of the first century had little difficulty embracing Jesus’ exalted status as Lord (see 1:1-2:9), Jesus’ humble position as a sacrifice was hard to grasp. However, this is absolutely essential to His role as Savior. First, the fittingness of Jesus’ sacrifice is described in verse 10, “for it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.”

It fits that the Creator and Sustainer of the universe be the one who appoints a Savior to bring many to glory. It fits, because of the punishment due to sin, that this Savior had to suffer to the point of death, taking on the consequence that the world deserved. It fits that the “sons” who take advantage of this sacrifice follow Jesus from earth to heaven (i.e. to “glory”). It also fits that the One who makes this heavenly journey possible for believers be called the “author of their salvation.” This word, “author” can also be translated “trailblazer” or “guide” emphasizing Jesus’ role in a new program of salvation for a new covenant people. However, the word also might be better translated “champion”—a word commonly used in Greek folklore/pop culture of that time. For example, Hercules was called a “champion” and “savior.” If this is the author’s intention, it is comparable to a preacher today saying that Jesus is “the real superman” (Guthrie, 107-08). Either way it is taken, Jesus blazed the trail from earth to heaven that all believers follow because of their faith in His suffering.  In so doing, Jesus has come to our rescue as a real hero on our behalf, rendering Him a unique and appropriate Savior.

That Jesus is a Savior for His people means that He relates to them in special ways, “for both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren” (2:11). In other words, both Jesus as the sanctifying agent and believers as those sanctified demonstrate by their sanctification that they are indeed related, playing for the same team. The solidarity between the Son of God and the heirs of God results in Jesus not being ashamed to call believers “brothers”/”brethren.”

Coaches who drafts players and players who play for the team are part of the same family. The coach who sets players apart by calling them to his team and the players who in their rigorous preparation are set apart reveal that they are members of the same family in the unique way that they play the game.

Jesus ‘sacrifice sets this team in motion and puts this unique family together, lending to His credibility as an appropriate Savior.

To highlight these sentiments of solidarity between Christ and believers, the preacher draws from two psalms in verses 12-13: Psalm 22:22 and Isaiah 8:17b-18. The first is Psalm 22 which states, “I will proclaim Your name to My brethren, in the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise…” (Heb. 2:12). Many early Christians believed that this psalm prophesized Jesus’ suffering (alluded to in verse 10) on the cross. This interpretive choice seems obvious when Jesus quotes the first words of Psalm 22 on the cross saying, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”. It is clear that, at the beginning of Psalm 22, the songwriter is not having a good day. However, when verse 22 of psalm 22 comes around, the songwriter takes a turn and begins a declaration of trust in which he expresses joy and praise for God’s attention to his cry for help. For this, the psalmist praises God saying that he will “proclaim Your name to my brethren” and that he will praise Him “in the midst of the congregation.”
These ideas of trust are reiterated by the next passage the preacher references, Isa. 8:17b-18, “I will put My trust in Him” and “Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me’…”(2:13). This quote also comes from a prophetic context. In Isaiah 8:14, the Lord God is described as a “stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall,” an idea applied to Jesus by the apostle Paul (see 1 Cor. 1:23). In the preacher’s use of this passage, he emphasizes trust in Jesus and His sacrifice and the subsequent familial relationship enjoyed between God and believers.

Jesus is a fitting Savior first because of His sacrifice that included suffering and allowed men to join his family. Those who are on his team, wear the same colors of sanctification that the coach endorses because of their understanding of the sacrifices made to draft them and train them to play uniquely for this elite squad—the church.   

II. Jesus Became Flesh and Blood-2:14-15

The second reason Jesus is a fitting Savior is witnessed in His becoming flesh and blood. “…Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He himself likewise also partook of the same…” (2:14a). Jesus’ incarnation (His becoming man) allowed Jesus to “render powerless him who had the power of death, that is the devil” (2:14b). Inasmuch as the devil rules over the realm of this world, Jesus had to enter this world as a man to nullify the devil’s work. He did this by being fully man and yet totally perfect, never giving in to the myriad of temptations that were thrust in His direction and never not doing what he was purposed to do.

After living a perfect life, Jesus was the perfect sacrifice offered in his death for the forgiveness of sin.  The world had killed someone who didn’t deserve to die for the very first time, rendering Satan’s program of sin and death, null and void. Jesus did not die because of a natural consequence of sin, He died on His own terms for an entirely different reason—to be a Savior for His people. This is something that He could not have done without first becoming flesh and blood.

However, Jesus’ death on the cross did not only nullify the work of Satan, it also freed those who were enslaved to sin, “and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives…”(2:15). Before Christ, the world’s system prevailed in a program of wickedness that led to death. We had everything to fear in death because of sin. However, in Christ, “A believer’s fear of death no longer paralyzes and enslaves because Jesus has disabled death’s master. As our champion He has stormed the very gates of the enemy and laid hold of his stronghold, opening wide the doors of our captivity and pointing us to the path of freedom” (Guthrie, 111).  This victory, over Satan and the slavery of death came about because Jesus died as a man though He didn’t deserve it—rendering Him a superior Savior.

III. Jesus Serves as a Helper -2:16

As we look at the third reason for Jesus’ fittingness as a Savior we must remember what the preacher is addressing in the larger context. All of chapter 2 is dealing with Jesus’ superiority over the angels. As the angels cannot save, Jesus is superior to them. This theme is picked up again in verse 16, “for assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendants of Abraham.” In other words, all of the saving work of Jesus described so far, that He became man, lived a perfect life, suffered and died on a cross, etc. was not for angels, but for the spiritual descendants of Abraham—that is those who are of faith (See Gal. 3:7; Heb. 6:13-17). Jesus’ work was intended for mankind. Like a coach of an elite team is not obligated to help the stadium staff or teach courses at the college they belong to, Jesus’ focus is relatively narrow, helping believers by providing a pathway to victory on the field of life.

IV. Jesus Ministers as a High Priest-2:17

The fourth reason Jesus is a fitting savior involves His ministry as a high priest, “therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (2:17). With verse 17 and 18 the preacher makes a transition from exalting Jesus as above the angels to Jesus serving as the greatest intercessor. However, Jesus’ ministry as high priest is one of the many characteristics that sets him above the angels and makes Him a fitting Savior. This is why it is appropriate to mention this here.

As high priests of the ancient world were appointed from the human race, the greatest of all high priest also had to come out of the human race in order to make intercession on behalf of men and women.  This is why the preacher says, “he had to be made like his brethren in all things.” Therefore, Jesus’ incarnation was not only necessary to provide adequate sacrifice (see above), but it was also necessary for Him in order to serve as the greatest high priest who could intercede on behalf of His people before God.

One of the primary roles of the high priest was to offer sacrifice in the holy of holies to atone for the sins of his people each year. As the greatest high priest, Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice before God to atone for sin once for all! In fact, one of the reasons Jesus is the greatest ever high priest is because He alone can offer the greatest of all sacrifices, Himself!

V. Jesus Has been Tempted-2:18

However, Jesus is not the kind of high priest that is aloof and distant. Instead, He is the kind of high priest that sympathizes with us and our struggles/temptations as one who has Himself experienced the same, “for sine He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted…” (2:18). This is the fifth reason for His fittingness as a Savior.
Many of the best coaches are those who once served as players themselves (Urban Meyer, Nick Saban). As former players, they know in a more intimate way what their teammates are going through and can coach them accordingly. This is what Jesus offers in our lives. As the One who has lived as one of us, walked as one of us, and has been tempted as one of us, He is able to guide us in a greater capacity, rendering Him a most fitting Savior.

So What?


Jesus is the greatest of all saviors because of the following credentials: He sacrificed His life for men, became flesh and blood, serves as our helper, ministers as the greatest high priest, and has been tempted and yet did not fail. His intimacy with us as believers might compared to a head college football coach who is closely related to his team, in real (not just perceived authority) over his team, and acutely integral to the success of his team. Jesus is the greatest coach we could ever have in this life. However, many people live as though they want to be a part of the professional football world, complete with multi-million dollar salaries, an emphasis on individual player’s performances, and all of the hype and drama that comes with significant endorsements. These make life more about themselves, doing what is in their best interest, chasing after the things of this world. However, we live in a world of injuries, upsets, and unforeseen circumstances that cannot be overcome by money or people. In these moments, you are going to wish you had a coach and belonged to a team that listened well to him—a coach who can save the team from defeat by adapting to the situation at hand and leading all involved to victory. You are going to wish you had a coach to lead you who was willing to sacrifice on your behalf, someone who was willing to come to you in order to ask that you play on his team, someone who is willing to help you out and who has been in your situation before. You are going to wish you had a coach who could save you from the real bind in which you find yourself. That someone is Jesus Christ. Do you know Him? Are you yet playing on His winning team? 

No comments:

Post a Comment