The Cross of Christ
A Sermon on Hebrews 2:9
Originally preached March 27, 1959
Scripture
9But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
Sermon Description
There is no lack of content in Scripture about the cross of Christ. In this sermon given on Good Friday on Hebrews 2:9 titled “The Cross of Christ,” Dr, Martyn Lloyd-Jones presents various questions about this subject and answers them from the Scripture. Who is this person dying upon a cross? Jesus Christ, the brightness of God’s glory and the express image of His person, humbling Himself by coming in the likeness of a man, sojourning among humanity, and suffering and dying that He might taste death for everyone. What does it mean that He tasted death? On the cross He experienced – in body and soul – everything that is involved in death as the punishment for sin. Nothing was withheld. Why did He suffer such a death? The answer is given in one word: “for everyone.” He took the place of all, bearing the wrath of God for their sins upon Himself. What’s the result of His coming? The glorious result is two-fold: because Jesus suffered and died, He has been exalted, crowned with all glory and honor and power, and He has taken out the sting of death for all believers. He did it because God’s very nature is one of grace, compassion, and love.
Sermon Breakdown
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The passage under consideration is Hebrews 2:9 - "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that he, by the grace of God, should taste death for every man."
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The person dying on the cross is Jesus, the eternal Son of God, who humbled himself by becoming a man. He is both fully God and fully man.
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Jesus' death was not an ordinary death or an accident. It was the suffering of death - a unique, agonizing death that Jesus experienced in all its fullness. He tasted death for everyone.
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Jesus died in order to taste death for everyone. The whole purpose of the incarnation was for Jesus to die on the cross.
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Jesus' death means that he experienced the full punishment for sin. He endured the wrath of God and separation from God that sinners deserve.
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Jesus died for us, in our place, as our substitute. He took on our sins and guilt and received the punishment we deserve.
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Because Jesus died, he is now crowned with glory and honor. He is exalted and reigns over all.
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Because Jesus died, Christians will never truly taste death. We will never experience its full agony and punishment. We simply fall asleep.
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Because Jesus died, Christians will be crowned with glory and honor. We will reign with Christ in the new heavens and new earth.
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Jesus died by the grace of God. God sent Jesus out of love, mercy and compassion for sinners who deserve only wrath.
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.