A Fitting Plan

July 28, 2013 Evening:

Title: Made Perfect through Suffering

Old Testament Passage: Psalm 103 – Bless the Lord, O my soul …

Gospel Passage: Mark 11:7-10 – Hosanna to the Son of David

Sermon Text: Hebrews 2:10 “[10] 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.”

Sermon Point: Jesus, who suffered uniquely, is bringing many sons to glory through a fitting fellowship with the sufferings of the eternal Son of God.

[10] For it was fitting

The Lord has His ways. He does not act randomly. Coming to terms with His sovereignty is part of resting in Him. There is a lot of suffering in this world. Our consideration of that suffering requires our consideration of at least three points in the history of mankind: the fall of Adam, the cross of Christ, and the return of our Savior in glory.

There is something appropriate about the way that the Lord chose to save and perfect His people through His Son. Our seeing Jesus as real and His connection with us as real as a Suffering Servant of God will help us to embrace the fact that God is sovereign over all even though we have so many questions that may remain unanswered.

that he, for whom and by whom all things exist,

Let's start with God. Everything and everyone exist for God. And everything and everyone come into existence by God. What a mighty God we serve! Who can fathom His greatness? Who can understand the depth of the love of the Father? The glorious eternal Son of God became man, entering into this world of suffering. What love!

1. We do not exist for ourselves. We are not the center of everything. The God of love is.

in bringing many sons to glory,

It is the settled eternal intention of the Lord to bring many children into a realm that is so wonderful that it can only be called “glory.” Our time here on this earth, so infected with sin and death, is very brief. Heaven is home, the fulfillment of every good desire, and the absence of every stain that mars our present experience of joy.

2. God will accomplish His eternal plan. Our perfect home and family is coming here.

should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.

Jesus is the Founder of our salvation. He is the embodiment of eternal perfection, yet He is also a Man who had a pathway of life that traveled through suffering on the way to glory. God used the cross of Christ to bring His Son home, and to bring us with Him.

3. His sufferings secured eternal hope, the best help we could ever have in our suffering.

Application: In the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we can see the pattern for us, and the power of salvation. Give in to the purpose of the Almighty. Romans 5:1-5 says,

[1] Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. [2] Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. [3] Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, [4] and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, [5] and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.