Hebrews 2

We pick up this morning in Ch 2. which begins with “Therefore”. When we see “therefore” we must look back to see what he is referring to, “why it is there for”.

So to review, we must recall who the audience is the writer is speaking to. Ideas? First century Jewish believers.

What were their concerns or issues?

What is the authors theme? Jesus is better than all.

Specifically, who? Prophets and Angels.

Why is Jesus better? Because He is God.

V1- Therefore we must give more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.

Why more give more earnest heed, which means what? We must take seriously and pay attention. See

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

lest we drift away.

Drifting naturally happens without an anchor to something solid. If we are not securely set in the superiority of Jesus, we will drift with the currents of the world, the flesh, and the devil.

The ancient Greek phrase for drift away comes from the idea “to slip” (Dodds). It was used for an arrow slipping from the quiver, for snow slipping off a landscape, or of food slipping down the windpipe to cause choking. It happens easily.

One doesn’t have to do anything to drift away. Our backsliding usually comes from slow drifting, not from a sudden departure.

How to boil a frog, very slowly..

V2 - For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward,

The word spoken through angels: This is a way to describe the Mosaic Law, which was received... by the direction of angels (). The idea is that the law was “delivered” to Moses by the hands of angels.

i. The idea that angels had a role in bringing the Law to Moses is found in , , and in . Josephus also repeated this idea in his ancient history (Antiquities, 15.53).

The word spoken through angels: This is a way to describe the Mosaic Law, which was received... by the direction of angels (). The idea is that the law was “delivered” to Moses by the hands of angels.

The idea that angels had a role in bringing the Law to Moses is found in , , and in . Josephus also repeated this idea in his ancient history (Antiquities, 15.53).

and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward,

In other words, the OT, Old Covenant is true. God said what He meant. The curses and judgments are all true. The bible story is very raw and open, there is a sure penalty for sin.

Vs 3 -4 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?

A greater word brought by a greater Person having greater promises will bring a greater condemnation if it is neglected.

If we neglect so great a salvation: The word ancient Greek word translated neglect is amelesantes, also used in (they made light of it). This refers to those who disregarded the invitation to the marriage supper. It means to have the opportunity but to ignore or disregard the opportunity.

This is a word to believers, not to the unsaved. The danger described isn’t rejecting salvation (though the principle certainly applies there also), but the danger is neglecting salvation.

Remember that Hebrews was written not primarily as an evangelistic tract, but as an encouragement and warning to discouraged Christians. It was written to those who neglected an abiding walk with Jesus.

So great a salvation: When we consider something great, we will naturally pay attention to it and not neglect it. If we do not consider something great, we leave it to convenience rather than to commitment.

i. The idea that angels had a role in bringing the Law to Moses is found in , , and in . Josephus also repeated this idea in his ancient history (Antiquities, 15.53).

Therefore, if we neglect something, we probably do not consider it great. Yet our salvation is great, because:

We are saved by a great Savior.· We are saved at a great cost. We are saved from a great penalty.

Spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed: This word was spoken by Jesus and confirmed by eyewitnesses.

Jon Courson’s Application Commentary Chapter 2

God also bore witness to those who came after Jesus—to Peter and James, to John and Andrew—as they spread the Good News of the gospel into further regions.

Then it was confirmed with signs, wonders, miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit given by God.

Jon Courson’s Application Commentary Chapter 2

…both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles…

Signs and wonders confirmed the Word that was shared evangelistically. I believe this is the way it needs to be, the way it’s supposed to be, the way it still can be. “Why aren’t we seeing greater expression of signs and wonders?” people ask.

I believe the answer is found in Mark 16, where Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel, and these signs shall follow: In My Name you shall cast out demons, speak with new tongues, and heal the sick.” About whom is Jesus talking? Not those who get together in the back hills of Kentucky to handle snakes, those who pass around a cup of poison, or those who say, “It’s Miracle Monday. Let’s all see signs and wonders.”

Dealing with poisons, overcoming snakebites, casting out demons, healing sickness are all linked to people who are on the mission field, people who are involved in ministry, people who are risking their lives and taking a stand.

How do I know this is the correct application? Because when I read the Book of Acts, I see the apostles out on the front lines—not in meetings surrounded by Christians where it was safe. As they were out in the streets, the Lord would bless them with miracles, signs, and wonders to confirm His Word in their missionary endeavors.

So, too, if you put yourself in a place of vulnerability for ministry, you’ll see God work with you. Personally, I am a bit appalled by those who say, “Signs and wonders are going to happen at our Signs and Wonders Convention. Pay a hundred dollars. Come and get your notebook, hear our speakers, and then we’ll all start shaking.”

I don’t buy it because I don’t see that anywhere in the Word. God will work with you. He’ll be a protection to you, and great things will happen around you—but not necessarily in the safety of the sanctuary or in the confines of a convention.

The humanity of Jesus Christ

For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. But one testified in a certain place, saying: “What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You take care of him? You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him.

You have made him a little lower than the angels: In chapter one, the writer to the Hebrews brilliantly demonstrated from the Scriptures the deity of Jesus and His superiority over all angels. Now he demonstrates the humanity of Jesus from the Scriptures and applies the implications of Jesus’ humanity.

Significantly, the first false teaching about Jesus in the days of the early church did not deny that He was God, but it denied that He was really human and said He only seemed to be human. The heresy was called Docetism, coming from the ancient Greek word “to seem,” and was taught by Cerinthus, who opposed the apostle John in the city of Ephesus and whose teaching is probably the focus of and .

The angels were not intended to have dominion over all creation. Man was.

V6 - 7 a quotation from

4 ​​What is man that You are mindful of him,

​​And the son of man that You visit him?

5 ​​For You have made him a little lower than the angels,

​​And You have crowned him with glory and honor.

6 ​​You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;

​​You have put all things under his feet,

He left nothing that is not put under him: The writer emphasizes the point that God put all things (not some things) under subjection to human beings. This shows that Jesus must be human because God gave this dominion to humans, and Jesus exercises this authority.

V8 - 9 But now we do not yet see all things put under him. 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, might taste death for everyone.

The writer is stating problem - which is: all things are not put under Him now.

And gives the answer: Jesus had to become a human and suffer death for all.

V10 - 13 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying: “I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.” And again: “I will put My trust in Him.” And again: “Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.”

The captain of their salvation: Jesus is the captain – the leader, the advance – of our salvation. This has wonderful implications:

A captain makes all the arrangements for the march, and Jesus makes the arrangements for our progress as Christians.

A captain gives the commands to the troops – “Go” or “Stay” or “Do this.” Jesus commands us as our captain.·

A captain leads the way and is an example to his men, and Jesus does this for us.·

A captain encourages his men, and Jesus encourages us.·

A captain rewards his troops, and Jesus rewards His followers.

Perfect through sufferings: There was nothing lacking in the deity of Jesus. Yet until He became a man and suffered, God never experiencedsuffering.

“To make perfect does not imply moral imperfection in Jesus, but only the consummation of that human experience of sorrow and pain through which he must pass in order to become the leader of his people’s salvation.” (Vincent)

is not ashamed to call them (that is, us) brethren. He could not be our brother unless He was also human like us.

See:

 ​​Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him;

​​He has put Him to grief.

​​When You make His soul an offering for sin,

​​He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,

​​And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.

11 ​​He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.

​​By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,

​​For He shall bear their iniquities.

Vs 14 - 16 What His suffering accomplished as our brother

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham.

Jesus’ death accomplished the destruction of the devil and his power over death.

release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

The fear of death rules as a tyrant over humanity. Some try to make peace with death by calling it their friend. But Christians have no fear of death (though perhaps a fear of dying), not because death is their friend but because it is a defeated enemy that now serves God’s purpose in the believer’s life.

Jesus bids us to die, to die to ourselves. Sounds odd when what we want is life. But by living for Him we are released from bondage. If you don’t believe me, go to a funeral home, and sneak around the viewing rooms. Whisper into the ears of the corpses, “You’re going to get killed. The relationship isn’t going to work out. The finances aren’t going to come through. You’re not going to get the promotion”—and you’ll find it won’t bother them a bit because they’re already dead.

He does give aid to the seed of Abraham: The Father’s work in Jesus was not primarily for the sake of angels (though it is for the angels in a secondary sense according to ). The work was for the people of faith (the seed of Abraham).

Vs 17 -18

Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Made like His brethren: If Jesus were not like us He could not be our High Priest, representing us before the Father and making atonement (propitiation) for our sins.

Neither the Deity nor the Humanity of Jesus is negotiable. If we diminish either, then He is unable to save us.

That He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest:

The HP wore the names of the tribes on his breastplate and should when he went before God. The High Priest was therefore in constant sympathy with the people of God, carrying them on his heart and on his shoulders.

to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

Propitiation - gracious, merciful, reconciliation, apeasement

He Himself has suffered, being tempted: Some wonder if Jesus was really tempted. After all, since He was God (they reason), He could not sin – so His temptation could not be real. The writer to the Hebrews insists that not only was Jesus’ temptation real, but it was so real that He suffered under it.

Q - Is it possible for God to tempted?

Jesus knew the temptations of power and the temptations of pain. He knew the temptations of riches and the temptations of poverty. He knew the temptations of popularity and the temptations of rejection. He knew the temptations of the boy and the temptations of the man. He knew temptation from His friends and temptation from His enemies. He knew temptation from His family and temptation from strangers.

He is able to aid those who are being tempted: Because Jesus added humanity to His deity and experienced human suffering, He is able to help us in temptation. He knows what we are going through.

He is able to aid those who are being tempted: Because Jesus added humanity to His deity and experienced human suffering, He is able to help us in temptation. He knows what we are going through.

See: :

28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”