Embracing Salvation Through the Suffering of Christ
Devotional
Day 1: Obedience Perfected Through Suffering
Jesus' perfection through suffering was not about correcting imperfection but proving His complete obedience and faithfulness. This makes Him the perfect leader to bring us to glory, having experienced and overcome the trials we face. His journey through suffering was a testament to His unwavering commitment to God's will, demonstrating that true leadership is forged in the crucible of adversity. As believers, we are called to follow His example, trusting that our own trials can refine our faith and deepen our reliance on God. [08:32]
Hebrews 5:8-9 (ESV): "Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him."
Reflection: In what current trial can you seek to emulate Jesus' obedience and faithfulness, trusting that it will lead to spiritual growth and deeper reliance on God?
Day 2: Unity Through Shared Suffering
Jesus' experience of suffering ensures a profound unity and empathy within the family of God. By sharing in the same sufferings as His brothers and sisters, Jesus creates a bond that transcends mere sympathy, offering genuine empathy and understanding. This shared experience strengthens the connection between Jesus and believers, allowing Him to be a compassionate and understanding older brother. As we face our own struggles, we can find comfort in knowing that Jesus truly understands our pain and walks alongside us in solidarity. [12:46]
2 Corinthians 1:5 (ESV): "For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too."
Reflection: How can you draw closer to Jesus today, knowing that He shares in your sufferings and offers you comfort and understanding?
Day 3: The Glory of God Magnified in Suffering
The sufferings of Jesus highlight God's glory by showing that even in the deepest trials, the worth of God's glory is what sustains and motivates. Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before Him, which was the glory of God and the salvation of many sons and daughters. This perspective invites us to view our own sufferings as opportunities to reflect God's glory, trusting that His purposes are being fulfilled even in our pain. [19:29]
2 Corinthians 4:17 (ESV): "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison."
Reflection: In what ways can you shift your perspective to see your current challenges as opportunities to reflect God's glory and trust in His greater purposes?
Day 4: The Call to Not Neglect Salvation
The greatness of our salvation is intricately tied to the glory of God. We are called not to neglect this salvation but to meditate on its glory and significance, ensuring we remain vigilant in our faith. This call to vigilance is a reminder that our salvation is a precious gift that requires our attention and devotion. By continually reflecting on the magnitude of what Christ has done for us, we can guard against complacency and deepen our commitment to living out our faith. [20:12]
Hebrews 2:1 (ESV): "Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it."
Reflection: What specific steps can you take today to ensure you are actively nurturing and valuing your salvation, rather than neglecting it?
Day 5: Invitation to Embrace Salvation
For those who have yet to believe, the invitation is open to embrace this salvation. God is moving in your life to hear His invitation, and believers are encouraged to treasure the salvation they have received. This invitation is a reminder of God's relentless pursuit of each individual, offering the gift of salvation to all who are willing to receive it. For believers, it is a call to cherish and protect the salvation they have been given, recognizing its immeasurable worth. [20:42]
Isaiah 55:6-7 (ESV): "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."
Reflection: If you have not yet embraced salvation, what is holding you back from accepting God's invitation today? If you are a believer, how can you more deeply treasure the salvation you have received?
Sermon Summary
In exploring the profound question of why God chose to save us through the suffering of Jesus, we delve into the book of Hebrews, which offers a deep meditation on the magnificence of Jesus Christ and the greatness of our salvation. The text in Hebrews 2:10 presents a surprising assertion: it was fitting for God to perfect the author of our salvation through sufferings. This notion of "fittingness" invites us to ponder the appropriateness of God's actions, encouraging us to engage deeply with the nature of our salvation.
The first reason it is fitting for Jesus to be perfected through sufferings is that it demonstrates His obedience and faithfulness under trial. Jesus, though sinless, was untested in suffering before His incarnation. His perfection through suffering was not about correcting imperfection but proving His complete obedience and faithfulness, succeeding where humanity has often failed. This makes Him the perfect leader to bring us to glory, having experienced and overcome the trials we face.
Secondly, the fittingness of Jesus' suffering is rooted in His desire to be a true brother to us. By experiencing the same sufferings as His brothers and sisters, Jesus ensures a profound unity and empathy within the family of God. This shared experience of suffering strengthens the bond between Jesus and believers, allowing Him to be a compassionate and understanding older brother.
The third reason is that the sufferings of Jesus magnify the worth of God. Everything exists for God, and the way Jesus' sufferings highlight God's glory is by showing that even in the deepest trials, the worth of God's glory is what sustains and motivates. Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before Him, which was the glory of God and the salvation of many sons and daughters.
In conclusion, the greatness of our salvation is intricately tied to the glory of God. We are called not to neglect this salvation but to meditate on its glory and significance. For those who have yet to believe, the invitation is open to embrace this salvation, and for believers, the call is to remain vigilant and treasure the salvation we have received.
Key Takeaways
1. The Fittingness of Suffering: Jesus' perfection through suffering was not about correcting imperfection but proving His complete obedience and faithfulness. This makes Him the perfect leader to bring us to glory, having experienced and overcome the trials we face. [08:32]
2. Unity Through Shared Suffering: Jesus' experience of suffering ensures a profound unity and empathy within the family of God. This shared experience strengthens the bond between Jesus and believers, allowing Him to be a compassionate and understanding older brother. [12:46]
3. Magnifying God's Glory: The sufferings of Jesus highlight God's glory by showing that even in the deepest trials, the worth of God's glory is what sustains and motivates. Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before Him, which was the glory of God and the salvation of many sons and daughters. [19:29]
4. The Call to Not Neglect Salvation: The greatness of our salvation is intricately tied to the glory of God. We are called not to neglect this salvation but to meditate on its glory and significance, ensuring we remain vigilant in our faith. [20:12]
5. Invitation to Embrace Salvation: For those who have yet to believe, the invitation is open to embrace this salvation. God is moving in your life to hear His invitation, and believers are encouraged to treasure the salvation they have received. [20:42] ** [20:42]
What does Hebrews 2:10 mean when it says it was "fitting" for God to perfect the author of our salvation through sufferings? How does this concept of "fittingness" challenge or affirm your understanding of God's actions? [02:27]
In Hebrews 5:8-9, how is the concept of Jesus being "made perfect" through suffering explained? What does this tell us about the nature of Jesus' obedience? [06:51]
How does Psalm 22:22 relate to the idea of Jesus being our older brother, as mentioned in the sermon? What significance does this have for the unity within the family of God? [13:01]
According to the sermon, how do the sufferings of Jesus magnify the worth of God? What role does the glory of God play in the context of Jesus' sufferings? [15:18]
---
Interpretation Questions:
How does the concept of Jesus being perfected through suffering enhance our understanding of His role as the perfect leader to bring us to glory? What implications does this have for our own experiences of suffering? [08:48]
In what ways does Jesus' shared experience of suffering with humanity create a deeper bond between Him and believers? How does this affect our relationship with Him as our older brother? [11:20]
The sermon suggests that the sufferings of Jesus highlight God's glory. How does this perspective influence our view of trials and challenges in our own lives? [19:29]
What does it mean to not neglect the greatness of our salvation, as emphasized in the sermon? How can this understanding impact our daily walk with God? [20:12]
---
Application Questions:
Reflect on a time when you faced a significant trial. How did your faith in Jesus' obedience and faithfulness through suffering encourage you during that time? [08:32]
Consider your relationship with Jesus as your older brother. How can you cultivate a deeper sense of unity and empathy with Him in your daily life? [12:46]
In what ways can you actively magnify God's glory in your life, especially during times of suffering or difficulty? How can you keep the joy set before you, as Jesus did? [19:29]
The sermon calls us to not neglect our great salvation. What practical steps can you take to meditate on its glory and significance regularly? [20:12]
For those who have yet to embrace salvation, what steps can you take to explore this invitation further? For believers, how can you treasure the salvation you have received more deeply? [20:42]
Identify a specific area in your life where you feel tested or tried. How can you rely on Jesus' example of obedience through suffering to guide you in this situation? [09:54]
How can you encourage others in your community to remain vigilant in their faith and not neglect the greatness of their salvation? What role can you play in supporting them? [20:42]
Sermon Clips
The book of Hebrews, greatness of Salvation, it is one long meditation on the magnificence of Jesus Christ and what he has wrought through his death and Resurrection for you and me. So if you want to know how do you not neglect your great salvation, let the book of Hebrews model for you how not to neglect your great salvation. [00:57:28]
The first reason for why it's so fitting that our captain, our Forerunner, is perfected through sufferings is that he needed to succeed at what we failed at, namely obedience through trial, dead by faith in his Heavenly Father. [10:01:20]
It is fitting for Jesus to be perfected through suffering and Lead many sons to Glory because this is a little bit difficult, hang on if you can get this it is unspeakably marvelously the will of God, the creator of all things. It is the will of God to have a family in which the brothers and sisters, the children, are so United, so empathetically United, so sympathetically United, so deeply personally lovingly United. [10:16:20]
The sufferings of Jesus magnify the worth of God more than anything else. Now why that sounds like it comes out of John Piper's theology rather than out of the text which is something I'm very afraid of doing, and so I want to show you and see whether you see what I see in this text. [14:57:19]
The reason the sufferings of Jesus magnify the glory of God and show that everything is for the glory of God is because what sustained Jesus Through suffering was the worth of the glory he was aiming for and bringing people to, which is the end of my sermon now here we are. [19:30:19]
The most precious, the most glorious, the most wonderful thing about our great Salvation And the reason we should not neglect it is because our Salvation is salvation for the glory of our great God from beginning to end is God in this great salvation. [19:47:00]
I plead with you as I will plead with you as long as we're in the book of Hebrews don't neglect this great salvation if you're an unbeliever in this room right now, would you please not neglect this great salvation. The reason you're here this morning is because God is moving in your life to get you to hear his invitation to you to believe this. [20:08:22]
To rest in this and I invite you to receive it, to believe it, to trust Jesus Christ, to embrace him as Savior and Lord and believer, don't neglect this great salvation be vigilant take what you've seen let Hebrews model for you how to meditate upon the glory of your great salvation. [20:33:54]
Although he was a son, he learned obedience from the things which he suffered, and now that's interpreted for us and having been made perfect so learning obedience and being made perfect are mutually interpreting, having been made perfect he became to all those who obey him the source of Eternal salvation. [07:05:59]
Jesus Christ came into the world as a human being, untested through suffering he'd never known a moment of suffering in all eternity. Would he obey under sufferings, would he hold true, would he be a man of Faith, would he rest in his father, would he be perfected in the sense that he proves through suffering he is whole he is complete. [08:01:56]
In leading many sons to Glory, the captain and the Forerunner needed to experience what we experience and succeed where we failed. We came into the world we're tested and failed over and over. We just sang it, what is that what did one of those verses say, tested tried and often failing. [08:48:06]
There's something fitting, fitting in the mind of our God let this minister to you right now about the nature of God, the nature of God that God God the maker of all things and the sustainer of the universe regards it as fitting that you have an older brother who can empathize with every weakness there's something that tells you about God. [14:18:12]