Easter is significant because Easter provides the opportunity to be freed from the power of death through Jesus death and resurrection...

Today I would like for us to spend our time together asking and answering the question "Why should I care about Easter if I don't buy the whole Jesus, Bible, church thing?" Why is Easter so significant? To answer these questions, I would like for us to spend our time together looking at a section of a letter that is recorded for us in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of Hebrews.

 

As the title of the book of Hebrews reveals for us, the book of Hebrews was written around 65 A.D. to the Hebrews, which were Jewish Christians who had never heard or seen Jesus in person, but had learned of Him as the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel had been proclaimed throughout the known world.

However, as the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel was proclaimed throughout the known world; and as people from throughout the known world responded to the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel by believing, trusting and following Jesus, persecution against followers of Jesus began to increase throughout the known world. However, while persecution of Christianity increased throughout the world, those who were involved in Judaism were not experiencing persecution.

And as a result of what was going on at this time in history, there were some Jewish people who stalled and stuck when it came to their relationship with Jesus and were considering bailing on following Jesus to return to Judaism. After all, Judaism was safe, while following Jesus was proving to be dangerous. Judaism was accepted by the culture of the day, while Christianity was opposed by the culture of the day.

And as a result of what the author of the book of Hebrews saw occurring among these Jewish people who claimed to want to follow Jesus but who had become either stalled and stuck, or were considering bailing on Jesus, the writer of the book of Hebrews wrote this letter to communicate a simple but profound message. And that simple and profound message involved the absolute supremacy and superiority of Jesus Christ and Christianity over Judaism.

The writer of Hebrews began his letter by proclaiming the absolute supremacy and superiority of Jesus as the messenger to proclaim God’s message to humanity. And because of the reality that Jesus had a position of absolute supremacy and superiority when it came to proclaiming God’s message to humanity, in the second chapter of the book of Hebrews, the writer of Hebrews encouraged and exhorted the Jewish readers of his letter to pay attention to the superior message of Jesus.

And it is in this context that we jump into this section of this letter that is recorded for us in the New Testament of the Bible, called the book of Hebrews, beginning in Hebrews 2:10-13. Let’s look at it together:

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. 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, saying, "I WILL PROCLAIM YOUR NAME TO MY BRETHREN, 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 WHOM GOD HAS GIVEN ME."

Now you might be thinking to yourself "What does any of that even mean?"  The writer of Hebrews is revealing the reality that what was suitable was for God, who is the source and Creator of everything that exists, found it suitable to lead those whom He chose to become His followers into the splendor and radiance that comes as a result of being adopted as a child of God. The writer of Hebrews then explained that how God chose to lead those whom He chose to become His followers into the splendor and radiance that comes as a result of being adopted as a child of God was to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. But what does that mean? 

The word perfect here does not mean to make perfect something that is not perfect. Instead, the word perfect here literally means to bring something to an end or goal. This word conveys the sense of demonstrating or providing the proof that something has accomplished a goal. In addition, the phrase “the author of their salvation” refers to Jesus as being the One who originated and began the rescue of selfish and rebellious humanity from their selfishness and rebellion that had separated them from God. 

And how Jesus originated and began the rescue of selfish and rebellious humanity from their selfishness and rebellion was through sufferings. The sufferings refer to the suffering that Jesus endured as He died on the cross for the selfishness and rebellion of humanity. The writer of Hebrews point here is that the suffering of Jesus on the cross for the selfishness and rebellion of humanity that proved and demonstrated that Jesus had accomplished the goal and plan to rescue selfish and rebellious humanity from their selfishness and rebellion.

When the writer of Hebrews states that “For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father;” this statement, if communicated in the language we use in our culture today, would have sounded something like this: “For Jesus, who includes a person in the inner circle of what is holy, and those who are included in the inner circle of what is holy all have one Father, who is God the Father”. With this phrase, the writer of Hebrews is revealing for us the reality that when we were outsiders when it came to having a relationship with God, God the Father brought us into the splendor and radiance of being adopted as a child of God through the suffering of His One and Only Son Jesus so that we could be insiders and a part of the family of God.

And because of that reality, the writer of Hebrews explained that Jesus is not ashamed to call those whom He rescued from their selfishness and rebellion through his suffering brethren. Jesus is not too proud to call us His brothers and sisters. Jesus does not simply put up with followers of Jesus. Jesus does not simply hold his nose hoping and looking forward to the future version of us. Instead, Jesus embraces us and welcomes us as insiders who are His brothers and sisters in the family of God.

And to reinforce this reality, the writer of Hebrews quotes from several Old Testament passages that predicted and proclaimed God’s promise to send a rescuer, a deliverer, a Messiah, who would bring those who were far from God back to God. The writer of Hebrews quoted from Psalm 22:22, and Isaiah 8:17-18, to reinforce the solidarity and unity that we have with Jesus as a part of the family of God. The writer of Hebrews then begins to unpack why Jesus, who is God in a bod, would decide to come to the place where He could have such solidarity and unity with His followers as part of the family of God in Hebrews 2:14-16:

 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham.

In theses verses, we see the writer reveal for us the reality that, in order to demonstrate His solidarity and unity with His followers as a part of the family of God, Jesus took on flesh and entered into humanity. The word partook here, literally means to have a part or share in something. Since those whom God chose to rescue from the selfishness and rebellion that separated them from God had a human nature, Jesus willingly chose to enter into humanity and take on a human nature. Jesus, who was God, added to His Divinity humanity by entering into humanity as God in a bod.

The writer of Hebrews then reveals two different reasons why Jesus would choose to add to His Divinity a human nature and enter into humanity. First, Jesus chose to add to His Divinity a human nature and to enter into humanity so that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil. The writer of Hebrews point here is that Jesus willingly added to His divinity a human nature and entered into humanity so that His death on the cross would put an end to the power of the Devil to bring eternal death to those who were chosen by God to be rescued from their rebellion and become a part of the family of God.

Second, Jesus chose to add to His Divinity a human nature and to enter into humanity so that through His death He might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. You see, humanity throughout history has demonstrated a fear of death. Humanity throughout history has been intimidated and alarmed by the prospect of death. And humanity throughout history has been enslaved, or subservient to the power of death, as they lived their lives here on earth. And because of the slavery that the fear of death had placed humanity under, Jesus took on a human nature and entered into humanity so that He could set us free from the fear of death through His death on the cross.

The writer of Hebrews then reinforces what Jesus had done to set us free from the fear of death through His death on the cross by explaining “For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham.” Now this phrase, if communicated in the language we use in our culture today, would have sounded something like this: “for we would all agree that God is not so concerned about angels that He would extend such help so as to free the angels who had rebelled against God. After all, angels simply are servants who worship Jesus as King and minister to humanity, they cannot rescue humanity.  However God is so concerned and is so driven to help those of humanity that He has chosen to experience the fulfillment of the promises that He made to Abraham to live in relationship with Him as part of the family of God, but who rebelled against God, that He would have His Son Jesus take on humanity and enter into humanity so that He could die for humanity." 

And it is here, in this section of this letter, that we see revealed for us a timeless answer to the question “So what? Why should I care about Easter if I don't buy the whole Jesus, Bible, church thing?”And that timeless answer is this: Easter is significant because Easter provides the opportunity to be freed from the power of death through Jesus death and resurrection. You see, Easter is significant because Easter is about God the Father providing us the opportunity to be brought into the splendor and radiance of being adopted as a child of God through the suffering of His One and Only Son Jesus so that we could be insiders and a part of the family of God.

Easter is significant because Easter is about Jesus entering into humanity to become “one of us” and to proclaim God to us before dying for us. Easter is significant because Easter is about Jesus willingly entering into humanity so that His death on the cross would put an end to the power of the Devil to bring eternal death to those who were chosen by God to be rescued from their rebellion and become a part of the family of God.

And Easter is significant because Easter is about God the Father demonstrating His concern to help those of humanity who He has chosen to experience the fulfillment of the promises that He made to live in relationship with Him as part of the family of God that He would have His Son Jesus take on humanity and enter into humanity so that He could die for humanity.