Not Ashamed to Call Them Brethren
A Sermon on Hebrews 2:11
Originally preached Sept. 17, 1961
Scripture
11For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
Sermon Description
In this sermon on Hebrews 2:11 titled “Not Ashamed to Call Them Brethren,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches on the wonders of Christ and His shared inheritance with the redeemed. The theme of the book of Hebrews is the preeminence of Jesus Christ. The wonder of the gospel is that Jesus is not ashamed to call His people brethren. Though they are but humans, the Lord God calls them brethren because of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Dr. Lloyd-Jones proclaims that humans are the sanctified, and Jesus is the sanctifier. Yet He became a little lower than the angels in order to redeem them back to Himself. He became man while not ridding Himself of His Godhood. Because of Jesus Christ’s sacrificial condescension to humanity, His people can share in His wonderful, eternal, and glorifying inheritance. Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches that although God has made Himself one with His redeemed, He is also entirely separate. Jesus Christ is the bridge of the expansive gap between God and humanity. Jesus made a way for people to come to Him; He made a way for them to be brethren. And Jesus Christ is not ashamed to call them brethren. Dr. Lloyd-Jones wonderfully articulates that when Jesus came, the lawgiver came unto the law. He took upon the form of a servant. Because of this, He can be called Jesus the brother.
Sermon Breakdown
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The sermon text is from Hebrews 2:11 which states "For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren."
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The book of Hebrews was written to comfort and encourage persecuted Christians.
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Though the epistle addresses many issues, its central message is the preeminence of Jesus Christ.
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Verse 11 conveys that Jesus and believers share a common humanity ("all of one") but Jesus is the sanctifier and believers are the sanctified. There is a distinction.
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Jesus is fully God and fully man. He shares in human nature but is sinless. This is the mystery of the incarnation.
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Not all people are Jesus's brethren, only those who are sanctified - set apart for God. This refers to Christians.
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For Jesus to call believers brethren, he had to humble himself by becoming man and dying on the cross. He endured temptation, suffering, and death for his brethren.
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Jesus died and rose again in order to sanctify believers - to justify them, make them holy, and glorify them. This means reconciling them to God and making them God's children and heirs.
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Believers can take comfort knowing Jesus cares for them, sympathizes with them, and intercedes for them as their high priest. He is always able to help them.
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Jesus is not ashamed to call imperfect believers his brethren. This shows his humility, grace, and eternal love for them.
Other Sermons
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.