Made Like Him
Hebrews 2:10-18 ·March 16, 2025· Joel Passmore
Part of: Hebrews, Toward an Enduring Faith
Pastor Joel Passmore continues a sermon series on the Book of Hebrews and tells us how Jesus stepped into humanity and in doing so, is uniquely suited to be our champion who delivers us.
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We are in a sermon series on the book of Hebrews called Toward an Enduring Faith. We're five or six weeks in now. This book is a sermon. It's written to Jewish Christians who were in hard circumstances. They had a crisis of faith going on. Look with me at Hebrews 10.23. This is a good summary of the whole book. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for he who promised is faithful. Now, it may just be because Jordan and Nick are here with a little Oakley, and we're all so thrilled for God's graciousness and God's gift to them that Oakley is here and that Jordan is doing well, and it's such an exciting thing.
A little over 17 years ago, I became a dad. And I remember Nicky starting labor in the evening. And then us going to St. Mary's after midnight, she doesn't remember if it was one or two, but it was sometime really late, going to St. Mary's because the contractions were spaced out short enough that it was time to go. The grogginess was all gone from me. The adrenaline was flowing, and I remember thinking one thing. It's go time. I knew the assignment.
I understood the assignment. I knew I had to step up and do whatever I could to help Nicky. She wanted to give birth naturally, if possible. She wanted to give birth naturally, if that's what the Lord willed. And my role was to help her get through that. I'd like to think I did a pretty good job overall.
You can ask her later. You can ask her later. Wait until I'm far away, and then you can ask her. I was by her side. I encouraged her. Words of encouragement. You're doing great. I dabbed her face. I helped her shift positions. She was laboring on all kinds of different positions. I helped her move around. I rubbed her back while she was laboring. I made sure the staff got her what she needed, what she wanted, what she could have. I held her hand, and I don't think I complained when she crushed it.
But I definitely was not a perfect support. There's no doubt that I wasn't a perfect support. There was one time where she told me to get off my phone. And that's, fellas, that's never good. If your wife tells you to get off the phone when she's in labor. For some reason, it didn't matter that I was texting family an update. I wasn't checking the scores. I tried to defend myself. But no, that didn't matter.
Another time during the labor, in the middle of labor, she was in this zen-like state. She was so quiet and, like, hardly even moving. And it was dark in the room. It was just, it was really quiet. And I turned to a nurse who was walking by, and I was like, is she okay?
And the nurse laughed at me. And she's like, oh, yes, sweetie. She's doing great. So I know it wasn't perfect, but here is the biggest shortcoming in my health. I had never given birth. And I never would give birth.
She was going through an experience that I would, that would always be foreign to me. Always. I had nothing really to relate to it. My health was always going to be limited by that, no matter how hard I tried. Now, we need help.
Today's passage is a great encouragement to us because it tells us how thoroughly, how deeply, how real it is that Jesus stepped into humanity, into our humanity. And therefore, because he did it, how significant his health is. My health was always going to have a shortcoming to Nikki because I could never have experienced what she was experiencing. That is not true about Jesus' health. That's the big idea of today's passage. So let's dive in. This is God's word for us.
Hebrews 2, starting in verse 10. Let's pay attention to the word of God. Let's receive it eagerly as God's speaking to us from a God who wants to help us, even now.
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. Pray with me. Lord God, we thank you for speaking to us, for giving us your word, for giving us your son, the ultimate, the highest word of God. We pray, Lord, that you would help us to receive eagerly what you have for us today, and that you would help us feel our need, but also see clearly how much you help, how strong and powerful and faithful and all-encompassing your help is.
Help us to run to it today, to run to you. In Jesus' name we pray. So this passage is really unique in the New Testament, because it shows us how thoroughly the Son of God entered humanity, and how good it is that he did it, and not just a good in concept, not just a good idea, but good for us. This passage gives us not one, not two, but three specific ways that his full humanity addresses the deep longings and the needs that we have. So Jesus was made like us.
Jesus is our brother who embraces us, our champion who delivers us, and our priest who helps us. Our brother who embraces us, our champion who delivers us, and our priest who helps us. If you're coming into today's sermon and Jesus is your Savior, I really hope that at least one of these three ways speaks to you today, speaks to the need that you're feeling today, the needs that you have right now, and that you leave today more grateful, more joyful, and more reassured of the help that he's bringing you through Christ.
And if you're coming into this sermon today and Jesus isn't your Savior, you haven't yet put your faith in Jesus, I hope, and I've been praying that at least one of these things, one of these three ways that I'm going to go over today, it makes you say, you know, I really do want that.
It makes you want to learn more about this one who became human for your sake. Because you were made for him. You were made to know him. You were made to receive his help.
So, he's made like us. Here's the first one. He is our brother who embraces us. Now, I'm really fascinated by family resemblances. I really, I don't know whether I'm the only one, but I really like noticing it. It just kind of makes me smile. Sometimes it's a blend. It's eyes and hair from mom and smile and nose from dad kind of combined into one human. Other times a kid will look like just a younger version of their parents, of like, you know, like one of their parents.
Just like a copy. Younger. But it's not just appearance. It's also mannerisms. It's also voice that kind of tells you where you're from. If you hear Nikki and her younger sister in the same room and they both laugh, they sound like the same person. Their laugh is identical. Not so much their voices, but their laugh. When I was a teenager, I remember walking across the church parking lot to my mom who was waiting in the car. And when I got to the car, I opened the door and I got in and I noticed she had been watching me and she goes, you know, when you were walking just then, you look just like your dad.
Something about the way I walked just kind of reminded her of that. It's also, it's not just appearance, it's not just mannerisms and voice, it's also personality. When I was working a long time ago, we had a cafeteria at the work site and I got, with my lunch, I got a big piece of cake because it was a day that ended in Y. It was such a big piece of cake that people were teasing me about it. I didn't cut it, by the way, it was pre-cut, I tried to tell them that.
It was such a big piece of cake, they were teasing me about it and so someone took this picture, right? Well, about four years later, Bree was doing, Bree was doing a little project at home making a Christmas tree out of an ice cream cone and green frosting and then this moment happened and we took a picture and I was like, I remember that. I did not coach her on that. Three years and nine months later, I mean, so yeah, sometimes you can tell who you come from.
Sometimes you can just tell that people are connected. Either by biology or just by sharing a household, right? It happens both ways. You can tell when people share a common source. But we think about Jesus and we're like, well, he's nothing like us. He's the glorious son of God. He was with God in creating the world. He's all-powerful, all-knowing. I'm nothing like him. But the preacher of this passage says that there's a commonality shared between Jesus and his people.
He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. To be sanctified means to be cleansed, to be set apart, to be made holy, to be made new. That's a biblical word you need to know.
He who sanctifies is Jesus. That's what the passage is referring to. And those who sanctified, those who are sanctified are those who by faith in Christ are cleansed from sin. He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. And that is God. It's God, the one who does the work. The one who sent the Son. We heard this earlier. Gavin read this earlier. To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
One source. The right to become children of God. By faith in Christ, we are adopted children. That is such a glorious and wonderful truth. This new family relationship, I'll tell you another truth, it's even more real and true and defining than your biological one. Than your household of origin. It's even more real than that.
By the way, in this passage, I just want to point out, you may see this at the bottom of your Bible. Every time you see the word brothers, the Greek there, it refers to a group of people that include both male and female. So you can equally read it as brothers and sisters. Okay? So brothers is here, it's meant to be gender neutral. In Christ, we are God's adopted children. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.
This is amazing. Remember, back in chapter 1 we heard this, he, Jesus, is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature. And he upholds the universe by the word of his power. And he calls us sisters and brothers.
That is amazing. The preacher then starts quoting scripture and he puts all of these scriptures in Jesus' mouth. Okay? Verse 12 is from Psalm 22. I will tell of your name to my brothers. In the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise. He's describing family worship with Jesus, our older brother, as the preacher and the worship leader of this family gathering. He tells us about our heavenly father. He tells us about our adoption in him and he leads us in praise in singing his name.
This is what Jesus does in the hearts and the minds of people who are his by faith. He's leading us in worship even now. Verse 13 comes from Isaiah 8. I will put my trust in him, Jesus says. Jesus is saying brothers, sisters, I trust of the father. I will put my trust in him, our older brother Jesus says. Him being God. So do the same. Be like me. Our older brother Jesus is saying. Be like me. Trust the father.
And then the last scripture that he quotes he says, behold, I and the children God has given me. Jesus is wrapping his arms around us and he's saying, these are my people. This is my family. gather around. Quick. Somebody take a picture. We're all together. Do you have someone in your family who is always getting people together for a picture? Wherever you go? That's Nikki in our family.
She always says, but I want to have something to remember this by. I want us all to be together and have a picture of that. That's what Jesus is doing. He's saying, behold, look at my brothers and sisters. Don't we look great together? Take our picture.
And that is the concept that we should have. Because that's how Jesus feels about us. Listen, in a human family, there can be someone in the family who's kind of embarrassing.
Right? The uncle who seems to say the most embarrassing things at the worst time. the aunt who starts fights and holds grudges, leaving a broken relationships in her wake.
Whether it's because of who someone married or a huge mistake they made or weird habits or just being generally an unpleasant person. There can be a family member that you don't want to invite. You don't want to visit. You don't even want to talk about.
Remember in Canto? We don't talk about Bruno? Now here's the truth. In the family of God we can all feel that way. We can all feel like you know if there is a family member like that it's probably me.
After all we've done way worse. Right? And yet Jesus is never embarrassed that you are in the family. He's never embarrassed that you're in the family. He is not ashamed. not ashamed to call you brother to call you sister. He says look I know what he's done. I know how she acts. They are works in progress but they still belong to me. And he says that loudly and he says it proudly to the world. He says listen I know they're a mess. I'm working on them.
it's happening in the meantime they are still mine. They still belong to me. I am still their brother and don't you forget it. Friends that's what Jesus says about you. Do you know that?
He is not ashamed to call you brother and call you sister. If you belong to him by faith that's it. He is not real belonging don't we? We crave it. Not just come in but stand over there and try not to draw attention to yourself. We don't want that kind of belonging right? We want real belonging real welcome unashamed welcome and that's what we have through faith in Jesus a real welcome unashamedly and a new identity in him as his adopted child.
We should follow him we should be conformed to him we should obey him and we should meanwhile be assured by his embrace. He is working on us. We are works in progress but he is already unashamed to call you brother or sister.
And here's the second thing. Jesus is our champion who delivers us. To make us family Jesus had to set us free by going to battle with an enemy. That enemy is the devil verse 14 says. And the weapon that the devil uses against us is death. Death is like a saber in his hand and he rattles it and he shakes it to make us afraid.
Thinking of our mortality brings us fear. Fear of suffering. Fear of the unknown. And most of all fear of judgment. Fear of meeting our maker who knows all and sees inside the heart. Who knows everything we've done. Everything that we've thought. Everything we've said. We will try anything to subdue this fear. We try to distract ourselves with temporary pleasures or comforts. we obsess over our health and our weight and our appearance trying to if somehow extend our life just a little bit longer.
We build up a resume of good deeds and good behavior hoping that it spares us the worst of it because of how good will keep us from feeling afraid like someone who gets addicted to painkillers it's slavery we keep going back to the things that can make us stop feeling that fear this is what Satan wants that's why he rattles that weapon in his hand and he shakes it sometimes when there were two armies that were about to go to war it would be settled by contest of champions there would be one champion from one army and one champion from another and they would go out to the battlefield and they would fight and whoever won that decided the contest for both of those armies the champion that got defeated his army would surrender that's what that's what's happening when David fights Goliath it's a contest of champions two people who that battle is going to be decisive for all who they represent we need a champion we need someone that's going to go into battle and then the light turns on and the curtain is drawn and in walks the champion he is ready for the battle with this ancient foe he steps into the ring he takes off his cloak and his garments and we hear that announcement are you ready to rumble in this corner he says the serpent from the garden the fallen angel the great tempter leader of legions of demons the father of all lies Satan and in this corner a poor carpenter turned homeless rabbi with no apparent beauty your majesty despised and rejected by many a man of sorrows acquainted
with grief Jesus of Nazareth he's been spat upon he's been whipped and the only crown that he has worn is a crown of thorns there he hangs naked and bleeding and thirsty people are this supposed champion his only words are words of compassion words of forgiveness and words of anguish because now even the father has turned away from him this battle is not going the way we expected what kind of champion is this who did God send what was he thinking the great enemy is laughing cheering the champion is gasping and struggling and dying Jesus what are you doing how could this be happening you were supposed to free us it looks hopeless and Satan looks like he's won he thinks he's won but he was wrong he was wrong because the death that Jesus died was for us 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 Satan's greatest mistake was forgetting Jesus had no sin to bear he forgot that part he had done nothing wrong when he was rejected by God when he died he was taking the punishment that sinners deserved he was winning the battle even though no one watching would have thought that he looks like a loser up on that cross but through his death he is a champion he is winning he has won that battle through his death because he took the punishment that we Christ if Christ is your savior there is no condemnation waiting for you after death after this life it's not waiting
for you any longer it's not in your future Jesus Jesus the champion has delivered you from the fear of death oh death where is your victory oh death where is your sting we mock him there's no sting now the weapon that the devil waves trying to scare us it's harmless it's a rubber sword it's a toy it can do nothing to us he looks silly waving it at us there's no sting in that sword any longer because Jesus has taken that sting for us for you Christian death is like that door in the back of should be content to stay here as long as God wants us to but when he wishes we do not need to fear to step through that door because he is waiting for us right on the other side to greet us and embrace us you don't have to fear walking through that door your father doesn't come to condemn you he comes to embrace you right there at that moment long ago a doctor told pastor charles wesley this he said i never met such people as yours none of them are afraid of death but are calm and patient charles told that to his brother john and his brother john said this our people die well i hope that's true for every christian that we die well but i also hope that we live well we can die well and we can live well freed from the fear of death living well doesn't mean living recklessly but living purposefully living with a mission looking not to the things that are seen but the things that are unseen living in freedom sweet freedom from the fear of death and what happens after this because the sting is gone
here's the last one Jesus is also our priest who helps us the champion of course he didn't stay dead he got up out of that grave on the third day because he was not just the son of man but also the son of God by by his eternal nature he had made full atonement the preacher puts it here in this passage he made propitiation for the sins of the people propitiation that's another fancy word but it's an important word to know it means that he cleared away all of our offenses against God by his own sacrifice he removed everything standing in the way of a reconciled relationship with the father that's what he did it by his sacrifice as an act of mercy towards us and an act of faithfulness to the mission that he was sent on he became a merciful and a faithful high priest in the service of God now with this little comment the preacher is about to go on a whole thing about Jesus being our high priest we're going to unpack that in the weeks to come but for now I just want to highlight something really important when you're in need of help anyone compassionate is really appreciated right that's that's pay for play stuff if you're going to help me you need to be compassionate but far better is someone who is compassionate and someone who has been where you are you don't have to explain or give background to someone who's been where you are you don't have to help them understand just so they can help you it is pure help from them to you when they have been where you been church Jesus has been
where you are he has been there he doesn't he didn't wave a magic wand from heaven to solve the problem he didn't just show up one day and high priest he had to be made like his brothers in every respect his brothers and his sisters in every respect he was born in poverty he learned to walk just like we did he fell down as he was learning just like we did he was a teenager and had to obey his parents even though his parents totally didn't get him just like we did he learned a trade and he probably hit his thumb with a hammer and got calluses and splinters just like we did during his ministry he didn't know what each day was going to hold he walked by faith just like we just like we do no one really understood him even his friends many people scorned him and he was tempted not just in the desert but every day of his life he was tempted to leave the path that his father was leading him on even though he knew that path was to give to people like you and me who face temptation every day this is why C.S.
Lewis wrote this only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it what temptation means does that make sense Jesus withstood it long after we laid down so he knows just how strong temptation is and that makes him the best help of whatever you're facing because he has endured he's the only person who knows how strong it is he faced it he suffered it he endured and he is with you right now to strengthen you with his power to remind you of the better things he has for you to tell you who you are in the future that he has called you to and he's also here to forgive you when you fail under temptation he's here in all those ways he is able to help and he is willing to help the will of God is to give us help every help we need to endure because his will is to save verse 10 tells us that God is bringing many sons to he's bringing many sons and daughters to he proves that every day his son was made like us to deliver us from the fear of death to bring us into his family and to help us endure what a great salvation we have through the one who was made like us