Our Small Town Summits theme for 2024 is “Our Extraordinary Christ.” All six Summits in the New England states will include expositions from Hebrews as we see together that the supremacy of Christ is rocket fuel for a joyfully tenacious life and ministry. In light of this theme and goal, our Small Town Summits Articles for 2024 will highlight one chapter of Hebrews each month.

Small-town pastor, I’m pretty sure you have at least a few reasons to quit. I’d be surprised if you’re experiencing zero criticism from your community and church, no internal uncertainties and anxieties, no people who are making life difficult for you, and a complete absence of disappointments and regrets. I’d be shocked if all your ministry ventures are working out as you’d planned, if you have more than enough volunteers, and if you’re not sure what to do with all the money that’s flowing in. Suppose I’m wrong and life and ministry are blissful for you right now. Fifteen years of pastoral work has taught me that, if all is well, it may change tomorrow. Troubles don’t often announce themselves in advance.

In the face of many and varied challenges, what do we need in order to persevere in glad obedience to Christ and fruitfulness in ministry? What can keep us going?

In the first article of this series on Hebrews, we saw that pressing in (to an extraordinary Christ) strengthens us in pressing on (in faith and ministry). We celebrated our extraordinary Christ as he’s described in Hebrews 1:1-3. He is exalted above all. He owns everything, created everything, displays God in everything, upholds everything, and forgave us for everything. What a Christ! Hebrews 1 demonstrates (through the use of seven Old Testament quotations) that Jesus is greater even than angels – that he is in fact exalted to the very throne of God. You can’t get any higher. That Hebrews 1 vision grounds the author’s call for persevering faith. Chapter 2 begins by urging readers, “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it” (see 2:1-4). We press on by pressing in.

And here’s some good news: the greatness of Christ isn’t the only reason to persevere in Christian life and ministry. The condescension of Christ is a powerful reason, too. I recently heard someone pray, “Our Father and our God, you sit high, you look low.” I like that prayer. But Hebrews 1-2 shows us something even more amazing. The Son of God doesn’t just look low – he actually comes low himself. That’s the message of Hebrews 1-2.

The down elevator

If you’ve ever ridden a high-speed elevator to a lower floor, you may have had the sensation of leaving your stomach 10 stories above you. The downward lurch is disconcerting. Reading Hebrews 2 is like pushing ‘down’ and saying goodbye to your stomach for a while.

The author of Hebrews, reading the description of humanity in Psalm 8, sees in it a description of Jesus (the ultimate human being). God has put all things in subjection to Jesus, leaving nothing outside his control. That’s glorious! However, we don’t see it yet, in this fallen, rebellious world. Instead, “we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9). Don’t miss that description. The one who is greater than angels (Hebrews 1) was made lower than them for a little while (Hebrews 2). The elevator is going down. In fact, verse 9 tells us it stops only at death.

Jesus travels from the dizzy heights of being the radiance of God’s glory (1:3) to “the suffering of death” (2:9). That phrase “the suffering of death” prevents us from envisioning a clean, noble, heroic end. No, it’s a messy, bloody, shameful, brutal death by crucifixion. Importantly, verse 9 is the first time in the book of Hebrews the name of Jesus is used. The author emphasizes here his humanity and humility.

And the rest of Hebrews 2 continues to emphasize Jesus’ condescension. It says he’s not ashamed to call his people “brothers,” to identify with them as those who are, together with him, called and chosen by God the Father (verses 11-13). This deep unity between Jesus and his people has massive implications both for Jesus (verse 10) and for Jesus’s people (verses 14-18). It means that Jesus will qualify to be a great high priest through his death (verse 10). And it means that Jesus is able to deliver his people, destroy the devil, become “a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God,” and help his people when they’re tempted (verses 14-18).

The up elevator

Stunningly, the author of Hebrews claims in 2:9 that it was because of the suffering of death that Jesus was crowned with glory and honor (cf. 1:3). When the elevator goes back up, it goes all the way up. But how can that be? Why is Jesus crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death? How can shame lead to glory? Verse 9 indicates that it’s due both to the origin and the purpose of his death. Jesus’ death occurred “by the grace of God.” God was directly involved, expressing his sovereign grace through the cross. And Jesus’ death had a purpose: “so that…he might taste death for everyone.” His death was substitutionary (2:9) and propitiatory (2:17). So, after he completed his work, God exalted him to the divine throne.

How lovely the servant heart of Christ is. Obeying the Father, he suffers in the place of his people and is crowned with glory and honor.

Our extraordinary brother

Just think of this, small-town pastor: Jesus is happy to call you his brother. He’s glad to come alongside you. Having traveled to the depths and touched bottom, he came back up. And he’s not ashamed to call us brothers.

In order to persevere in life and ministry, we need help against the devil, the enemy of our souls. Jesus’s death ensures the devil’s destruction (verse 14). We need deliverance from fear, forgiveness for sins, help against temptations. Jesus our brother gives us all those things (verses 15-18). He sympathizes with our weaknesses (4:15). Here is solid ground for a life of persevering faith and joyful ministry (see the call to persevere in Hebrews 3). Jesus’s humbling guarantees all the help we need.

When you’re tempted to give up, instead look up to the exalted Christ and see him on his throne (Hebrews 1). And then look beside you, to the Christ who calls you brother – the one who suffered when tempted, humbled himself to death, and therefore is able to help you in your weakness. Look to our extraordinary brother.