Jesus is Able to Help Us

I’m a big Beatles Fan. Always have been. I started listening to the Beatles when I was around 10 because my older sister bought some of their records, and she let me play them. However, it wasn’t until much later that I began to realize why their music resonated with so many of our generation. It wasn’t just their upbeat sounds, their brilliant harmonies, or their clever lyrics. It was that many of their songs struck a chord with the human condition. One song in particular, hit a chord with me. It was the song Help. Just listen to the angst of John Lennon as he opens this song. He sings, “I need somebody, (Help) not just anybody, (Help) you know I need someone, (Help).
Now, I’m no John Lennon, but the cry of his heart echoes the cry of our hearts. We came into this world needing the help of someone. We spent the first few years of our lives totally dependent on the help of our parents in order to survive. After spending a week with all five of my grandkids, I was reminded of how helpless my grandboys, and my little four-month-old granddaughter truly are. They needed to be fed, clothed, and comforted; they needed to be fed, guided, carried and housed down; they needed to be watched over, disciplined, held and loved. They needed help 24 hours a day every day, all week long. They needed their parents help, their aunties and uncles help, and they needed their grandparents help every day.

Now, the funny thing about needing help, is that when we get older, we still need someone to help us. But how we need help changes. Now, we need help with things like financial planning. We need help navigating technology. We need our kids help to figure out our phones and computers. We need help when our water heater goes out. Ours died the day before we went on vacation, so we needed somebody’s help last week. Now, most of the time we can get the help we need. Sometimes we can help ourselves. Sometimes we can just google and find the help we need. And sometimes our spouse or a friend is able to help us.
However, there are somethings that only God can help us with. For example, every once in a while, we’re faced with our own mortality, and we are hit with the prospect of death. For a great many people, the fear of dying is a very real fear. Or what about the growing evil and unrest in our world. No matter how much we try to spin it, there are many people today who are filled with anxiety over what the future holds. Or what about the problem of guilt? Is there someone who can help you remove your guilt? Is there someone who can make you right? Or what about the feeling when no one can relate to what you’re going through. Is there anyone out there who can truly sympathize with your plight? And when you start to think of all the things we need help with, you can find yourself repeating the lines of John Lennon’s song: “I need somebody, (Help) not just anybody, (Help) you know I need someone, (Help). And the good news is that, yes, there is someone who is able to help, and His name is Jesus. And the help He gives us is found in Hebrews 2:14-18, our passage today. So, if you brought your Bible with you today, I want to encourage you to open it to Hebrews chapter 2, where we’re going to see how Jesus is able to help us with life’s greatest dilemma’s. The first of which is recorded for us in verses 14-16, where we’re going to see that…

1. Jesus is able to help us because He defeated death
Since the children share in flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil — and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels He helps, but Abraham’s descendants. Hebrews 2:14-16 This is the reason Christ came into the world as a man. He became just like us so He could break the power that the devil holds over every person who has ever lived.Think about this: Death is not merely an event that awaits us, but a power that rules over us. It’s a power that holds us with fear. Most of us try to ignore the reality of death. We may even busy ourselves with work or play, entertainment or travel; but most of our diversions are a simply an attempt to divert our gaze from the shadow of death that’s always there.

The fear of death is the power that the devil holds over us. Sin, of course is what gives the devil his power over us; but the power is death itself. This then is why Jesus took on flesh and blood to become just like us. The only way to destroy the devil’s hold over mankind, was to rob him of his weapon – death: physical death, spiritual death and eternal death.

You see, the devil has always known that God requires death for us because of our sin. That is the outcome of our sin. Our sin separates us from God. And the devil has always known that if he can keep you separated from God because of your sin, you will die and go out of the presence of God forever. So, he wants to hold this power over you until you die, for once you’re dead, the opportunity for salvation, the opportunity for life with God, will be gone forever. So, here’s the stark reality: humankind cannot escape after death. So, God had to take from Satan his only weapon, the power of death. And to do that, He had Jesus become one of us, so He could die for us, and then rise from the dead. So, when Jesus rose from the dead, He not only destroyed the power of the devil, but He also set us free from that power.

Listen to how John MacArthur explains how Jesus destroyed the power of death: “If you have a more powerful weapon than your enemy, his weapon becomes useless. You cannot fight against a machine gun with a bow and arrow. Satan’s weapon is extremely powerful. But God has a weapon even more powerful – eternal life – and with-it Jesus destroyed death. The way to eternal life is through resurrection, but the way to resurrection is through death. So, Jesus had to experience death before He could be resurrected and thereby give us life. Jesus’ dying destroyed death. How? He went into death, through death, and came out the other side, thereby conquering it. Then He could say, “Because I live, you also will live.” (John 14:19). The resurrection of Jesus Christ provides the believer with eternal life. It is the only thing that could ever have done it. Death is the power of Satan’s dominion, and when Jesus shattered Satan’s power, He also shattered his dominion.”

This is how Jesus is able to help us. This is how Jesus is able to help you. Because Jesus became a man, He died on that cross to break death’s hold over you. So, the question I must ask today is this: Are you free from the chains of fear, knowing that Jesus made a way for you to bypass death and live forever in the presence of God?

That’s the good news found in Jesus. Jesus defeated sin and death on the cross. Jesus destroyed the power of him who holds the power of death – to set you free. Are you free from the fear of death? If you’re not, the way to freedom is through faith in Jesus. Put your trust in Jesus for He is the resurrection and the life. And when you trust in Him, you can hold onto His promise: “Because I live, you also will live.” (John 14:19). That’s how Jesus is able to help you. That’s how Jesus is able to help anyone. In fact, anyone you meet who hasn’t trusted in Jesus need his help, because they are still under the bondage of fear. Jesus is able to help free you from the fear of death, because He lives. That’s the good news found in Jesus. He is able to help us because He defeated death when He rose from the dead. Now, the writer of Hebrews is just getting started. Look at how else Jesus able to help us. Look at verse 17…

2. Jesus is able to help us because He made atonement for our sins
For this reason, He had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Hebrews 2:17 This is the second reason Jesus came into our world as a flesh and blood human being – why he had to be fully human in every way, and yet still be God. He became like us so He could help us by becoming our merciful and faithful high priest in service to God.

In becoming like us in every way, Jesus is now able to help you deal with the guilt of your sin before a holy God. God’s Word is very clear on this. In explaining the gospel to the Romans, Paul wrote: Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one” Romans 3:10. He goes on to write: “No one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.” Romans 3:20. Left to ourselves, none of us is good enough for heaven. Not one of us is righteous. None of us have the ability to make ourselves right with God because of our sin. So, Jesus became like us so He could do for us what we could not do for ourselves.

That is why Jesus became a man, so that he could become our “high priest.” Now, it is critical that we rightly understand the Old Testament’s teachings on the priesthood. In the Old Testament, the people of Israel looked to the priests for mediation before God. In particular, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest represented all the people before God and offered a substitutionary sacrifice on their behalf, so their sins could be taken away. Now, the book of Hebrews fully explains the relationship between Jesus and the priesthood in the chapters to come, but in this verse the author simply introduces us to the relationship. He presents the notion that in order to make a propitiatory sacrifice for the people, Jesus had to function as a priest; and in order to be a priest, the Son of God had to become a man.

So then, by becoming a man, Jesus is able to be the mediator between man and God and make atonement for our sins. Now, atonement is not a word we use much in everyday language, but it is what makes the good news of Jesus death on the cross good! Understanding the atonement can be confusing. So, I want to take a moment to clarify Jesus’ work on our behalf by making atonement for our sins. And to do that, I want to unpack two deeply theological terms to help clarify what Jesus did for us to remove our sins and make us righteous before God.

The first word has to do with the removing of our sins. That term is “expiation.” “Expiation” speaks to the washing away of sin. When Jesus shed His blood on the cross, He canceled the debt of our sin and made it possible for us to be forgiven. This is something impossible to do for ourselves. We are helpless to provide our own forgiveness. We cannot wash away the pollution of sin in our own hearts. Later on in this letter we will read, The law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Hebrews 9:22

It was the job of the priest to offer sacrifices for the forgiveness of sin. That’s what the high priest did on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16). First, he offered a bull as a sin offering for himself. Then he sacrificed one of two goats for the sins of the people. The blood of the goat that was sacrificed was sprinkled on the mercy seat to make atonement for the sins of the people, to cleanse the people of their sins. Then he took the second goat and lay both his hands on its head and confessed over it the sins of all the people of Israel. Then that goat was sent away into the wilderness bearing the sins of the people. In this way, all their sins were taken away so they could experience forgiveness. This had to be done every year.

But now, when Jesus shed His blood on the cross for the sins of the world, He only had to do it once. Here’s the good news of expiation: The shed blood of Jesus paid the debt of every sin you’ve ever committed, or every will commit. And the moment you trust in Him for your forgiveness, the debt of your sin is washed away once and for all. It is finished. Your debt of sin is paid in full. That’s expiation.

Expiation provides the way for us to be forgiven, it is the cleansing part of atonement. But that’s only the half of it. Let’s look at the second word: “Propitiation” speaks to the satisfaction of God’s justice. When Jesus hung on the cross, God poured out His wrath against sinners on Jesus, thereby satisfying God’s demand for the just punishment of sin. Thus, God’s wrath was satisfied, and His righteousness was vindicated.

Here’s why this is what makes the good news so good: God is completely righteous and just. As a just God He must treat all sin with justice. If He does not treat all sin the same and give it the proper punishment it deserves, He would no longer be righteous. So, when Jesus, offered up Himself as the sacrifice for our sins, and God poured out His wrath on Him, His justice was satisfied. Now, when you trust in Jesus, God can declare you righteous! The moment you put your trust in Jesus, you are not just cleansed of sin, God no longer holds your sin against you. He declares you to be righteous because of your faith in Jesus. That’s propitiation. And the logic of propitiation makes the good news good. Without propitiation, there can be no gospel!

Okay, that’s the theology of the cross in a nutshell, and it’s a lot to take in. But let me make it simple: Because Jesus shed his blood for you, all your sin can be removed. And because Jesus took the wrath of God upon Himself, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. You are no longer under judgment. You are free, for you are now righteous in Christ! Woo Hoo!

That’s how Jesus is able to help you. That’s how He is able to free you from your guilt, cleanse your conscience and set you free. That’s how He is able to make you right with God. And all you have to do to experience this freedom and receive His righteousness, is to put your trust in Jesus. That’s the good news. Jesus is able to help us because He made atonement for our sins.

Okay, you’d think that would be sufficient for today, but there’s one other benefit from Jesus becoming like us, and that’s how the writer concludes this passage for us today. How else is Jesus able to help us?

3. Jesus is able to help us because He suffered when he was tempted Because He himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted. Hebrews 2:18 Don’t miss this last verse, for it is a real blessing to anyone who is going through it today. Here again, is a great proof of Christ’s full humanity. Jesus isn’t just the destroyer of death, or the one who takes our sins away. He’s also the one who can relate with you in your darkest moments. Jesus became one of us so he could feel everything we feel, experience everything we experience, so He could be our merciful and faithful high priest, who came not just to save us but to sympathize with us, and yes to help us when we are going through it.

When you have a problem, it is wonderful to be able to talk with someone who has already experienced it and come through successfully; someone who can help you. But sometimes there is no one who can truly relate with what you’re going through. Here’s the good news of Jesus becoming flesh and blood, just like us: Jesus didn’t come simply to die for us, He came to identify with us, so He could experience what we experience so He could help us.

Jesus experienced hunger, he was thirsty, He knew what it was like to be wiped out. Jesus knew what it was like to be angry, to feel betrayal, to grieve the loss of a loved one. Jesus experienced the emptiness of fame, the frustration of being misunderstood, and the alienation of being rejected. Jesus ached for the suffering and agonized over those who were ignored and broken. He experienced the disappointment of unbelief, the sting of resentment, and the desolation of loneliness. He felt the hatred of mockers, the wounds of the whip and the misery of the cross when our sin broke his heart. Yes, Jesus suffered when he was tempted. But because he’d himself suffered when he was tempted, there’s nothing you’re going through today that He’s not able to help you get through it.

You see, Jesus Christ, God’s own Son, became like us to be a total Savior, sufficient for the whole range of our needs. And because of His identification with our sufferings, how hollow, then is the ring of the world’s complaints against our God, crying out and asking, “Where is God?” Why doesn’t He do something to help us?”

If you’re willing to take a close look at Jesus, you’ll have your answer. For Jesus became one of us to help us. He became like us to help us in our weakness. He became like us to relate to our suffering. And now Jesus is able to help you because He knows what it’s like to be you. And now he can relate to whatever you’re going through, because he’s been there Himself

This is the Jesus who is able help us: He is able to help you because He defeated the power of the devil when He rose from the grave. His resurrection removed the grip that fear had on us. And now for anyone who trusts in Jesus, there is no fear of death.

He is able to help you because He made atonement for your sins. And now, no one has to carry the weight of their guilt or the fear of judgment, because Jesus shed His blood for you, to cleanse you of your sin, and Jesus took God’s wrath for you, so you wouldn’t have too, and so you could be forgiven and made right with God.

And He is able to help you because He knows what it’s like to walk in your shoes.

So, there’s just one question I have for you today: If Jesus is able to help you, are you willing to let Him? And if you are, then all you have to do is trust that He is able.