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.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Hebrews 2:9
What is the central focus of Hebrews 2:9 according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Hebrews 2:9 focuses on Jesus Christ and His sacrificial death. He states, "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 everyone." The sermon emphasizes that understanding the cross requires understanding both who Jesus is and why He died.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say we should not feel sorry for Jesus on the cross?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that we should not feel sorry for Jesus because His death was not an accident but the very purpose of His coming to earth. He quotes Jesus saying to the weeping women, "weep not for me, but weep for yourselves." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes, "This is the mission. This is the climax. This is the central object of his coming into the world, that in order that he might taste death for everyone." Jesus came intentionally to die for us.
What does it mean that Jesus "tasted death" according to the sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that "tasting death" doesn't minimize Christ's suffering but actually intensifies it. He states: "The word taste doesn't minimize what happened there... What it means is this, that he really did experience it. He tasted it to the very depths and to the very dregs." Jesus fully experienced all the horror, bitterness, and punishment of death as the consequence of sin, drinking this cup "to the very dregs."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the purpose of Christ's incarnation?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones rejects the notion that Christ came merely to teach or provide moral guidance. Rather, "The whole object of his coming was that he might die upon the cross." He emphasizes, "The meaning, the object of the incarnation was that he might taste death for everyone." Christ's entire mission centered on His substitutionary death, not just His teachings or example.
What does the phrase "for everyone" mean in relation to Christ's death?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the word "for" means "on behalf of" or "for the benefit of." He explains: "He is dying there on that cross for one reason only. He has taken our place. He has taken our sins upon himself. He has taken our guilt upon himself." Christ acted as our substitute, bearing the punishment we deserved, so that we might be forgiven and saved.
How does Christ's death affect the way Christians experience death?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones states that because Christ tasted death for believers, Christians "will never taste death." He quotes Jesus saying, "Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die" (John 11:26). While Christians' bodies still die physically, they don't experience the horror, sting, and punishment of death. As Lloyd-Jones puts it, "Christians, in a sense, don't die. They simply fall on sleep... He has taken the sting out of death."
What is the ultimate result of Christ's death for believers?
The ultimate result is that believers will be "crowned with glory and honor" like Christ. Dr. Lloyd-Jones states that believers "shall be with him. We shall be like him. And we shall reign with him. We shall be glorified. We shall see him as he is, and we shall be like him." Christ's death secures for believers eternal life, resurrection, and a place in "a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness."
Why did God allow His Son to suffer and die on the cross?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes that it was "by the grace of God" that Christ tasted death for everyone. He defines this grace as "undeserved favor, love and mercy and compassion shown to those who are guilty, vile, wretched sinners, deserving nothing but perdition and hell." God's love and compassion moved Him to give His Son "that you and I might be forgiven, that you and I might be adopted into his family."
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.