Hebrews 2:1-4

Lord, here we go again!

Pray.

Think myself empty.

Read myself full.

Write myself clear.

Pray myself haught.

Be myself.

Forget myself.

Lord, let this message be a beacon for you. Let me be forgotten and invisible. Let them see and know you, only you.

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”

The word Gospel means “good news”. It’s pretty important to understand that. The Bible is not a book that tells us what we have to do to earn salvation, it is a book that tells us what God did to earn our salvation.

What he did was send Jesus. Jesus did for us what we could never do for ourselves and he paid for what we had done in his body on the cross.

God created human beings and intended for them to be ruling creatures. We were supposed to be under God but over everything else. We were supposed to rule over creation under the guidance and authority of God’s Word and to function as conduits for all the blessings of heaven.

That’s how it was supposed to be, but unfortunately, the Bible tells the story of how our first parents, Adam and Eve, fell into sin by choosing to rebel against God’s Word in order to become autonomous ruling creatures. Basically, they wanted to be gods unto themselves, deciding good and evil.

From that point on, humanity has been on a downward spiral moving further and further away from God and our original design and glory.

The heart of the Gospel is the Good News that Jesus has come as God in the flesh and has obeyed God perfectly and has therefore won the right to all the blessings God originally intended to give to men and women. Furthermore, through his sacrificial death on the cross, he has paid the debt that we owed to God for disobeying his commands.

There is therefore no need anymore for us to hide from God. In Jesus, we can come home and we can be restored. The climax of the Gospel is the great news that he rose from the dead and ascended into heaven where he now intercedes on our behalf.

He gives the Holy Spirit to all his people and he slowly but surely, changes our hearts, reforms our desires and teaches us how to be the children of God we were always intended to be.

For now, Jesus remains in heaven, changing the world one person at a time, but one day he will return and judge the world in righteousness. He will remove from this world all sin and all causes of sin and he will restore the cosmos to a state of peace, prosperity and flourishing and all those who have received him as their Lord and Savior will participate in his rule and enjoy his goodness forever.

Salvation

Hebrews 2:1–4 ESV

1 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, 4 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

v1-2

Have you ever “drifted” in the water? Just let the river or stream or whatever take you along for the ride? Going to the Buffalo river in my kayak and drifting along…easy to drift. But if I’m not careful, I could end up somewhere that I don’t want to be. It’s easy to just let the river take you. It takes little to no effort. It can be relaxing. Peaceful and Tranquil.

What about in class? Have you ever drifted away into a day dream, letting your mind wander while the world went by. Did you find yourself wandering what was even going on after you were brought back to reality?

Or how about drifting asleep. You lay in bed, thinking about the day, your friends, what wen well, what went not so well? The next thing you know is that it’s morning and your awake. you don’t remember falling asleep. You just did...

WARNING

What is the “therefore” there for?

Last week we discussed how Jesus was superior to the angels. Even though we have a “break” here, this is one continuous idea to be read together. So this therefore, is a continuation of the last passage that we went through last week.

So the “therefore” is there to point back to “those who are to inherit salvation”. It’s to remind the people of the importance of the message about Jesus. They appeared ready to desert Jesus for some trifling replacement! The writer of Hebrews was horrified to this prospect!

Pay Attention

Don’t Drift Away

In essence, its a reminder to those that have called themselves sons and daughters of Christ to wake up. Don’t doze off or get comfortable with your inheritance. There is a danger that if you do, you won’t represent who you claim to follow. Don’t get lazy!

Holman New Testament Commentary: Hebrews & James A. Because the Penalties for Neglecting Jesus Are Too Severe (vv. 1–4)

The readers needed to listen because the truths of the gospel were too important to push aside. Issues of spiritual life and death were at stake. Whatever they did, the readers must hold fast to Jesus.

Military dress—acceptable and unacceptable.

The message from the angels is not something to be taken lightly...

Hebrews 2:2 ESV

2 For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution,

Galatians 3:19 ESV

19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary.

God’s message is Reliable

This message is that God’s message is too important to be ignored—it’s not from man but from God’s messengers. Jewish understanding associated the giving of the law with the work of the angels. Those who deliberately disregarded God’s Law faced death!

Hebrews: An Introduction and Commentary (ii) An Exhortation against Drifting (2:1–4)

In the present statement the dignity of the Law is demonstrated by the fact that any transgression of it will certainly be punished.

Numbers 15:30 ESV

30 But the person who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native or a sojourner, reviles the Lord, and that person shall be cut off from among his people.

Hebrews: An Introduction and Commentary

Bruce, Comm., pp. 28–29, shows that in this letter law is not presented as the antithesis of grace in relation to salvation. He calls it an anticipatory sketch of Christ’s saving work.

Retribution

This word “retribution” or mis-tha-podosia is used a couple times in Hebrews.

10:35 and 11:26 it means reward

Hebrews 10:35 ESV

35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.

Hebrws 10:35

Hebrews 11:26 ESV

26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.

Here, it is to awaken the conscience tot he grave consequences of neglecting the message of God. It is a “just” reward.

PAY ATTENTION

And then, the writer of Hebrews gives the first of several warnings in this book.

This isn’t just a book to be studied, it’s emphasizing practical significance.

Don’t slip away… “lest we drift away” literally like a piece of driftwood floating down the river.

v3

How shall we escape if we neglect such salvation?

It seems like the writer thinks that it’s highly probable that the readers were in danger of or already have begun to turn their backs on the Christian gospel.

If this is so, the greatness of the salvation only increases the tragedy.

Holman New Testament Commentary: Hebrews & James A. Because the Penalties for Neglecting Jesus Are Too Severe (vv. 1–4)

God’s Son himself brought the gospel into view. Anyone neglecting to respond to its serious appeals could expect to receive God’s severest displeasure.

Hebrews: An Introduction and Commentary (ii) An Exhortation against Drifting (2:1–4)

In common with other New Testament writings, Hebrews sees the non-Christian life as a life of continual bondage.

They would not escape divine judgement if they rejected such a great salvation.

v4

The proclamation of the Gospel was powerful of itself. But we also have the proclamation that God gave through signs, wonders, and various miracles to verify the Christian message. (; ; ; ).

John 2:11 ESV

11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

Jesus signs recorded in John’s Gospel led the disciples to believe in him. They pointed to the glory of Christ.

These signs and miracles were not secret. There was a huge awareness that was widespread.

But the signs and miracles were one thing…but God also gave the Holy Spirit to the believers.

Acts 2:14–18 ESV

14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: 17 “ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18 even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

God’s new plan had arrived and the presence of the Holy Spirit demonstrated the Christian Gospel.

Hebrews: An Introduction and Commentary (ii) An Exhortation against Drifting (2:1–4)

If these miracles were no more than myths, the writer to the Hebrews must have been grossly mistaken in recognizing in them the witness of God. The verb translated ‘bore witness’ (synepimartyrountos) means ‘bearing witness together with’ and must refer to God bearing witness to us. Indeed, the writer would not have appealed to miracles if there had been any possibility of the readers maintaining they had neither seen nor heard of them. He treats them as common knowledge.

Drifting away from that truth would be a foolhardy stunt.

Holman New Testament Commentary: Hebrews & James A. Because the Penalties for Neglecting Jesus Are Too Severe (vv. 1–4)

Why should we listen to Jesus? The penalty for ignoring or neglecting him has eternal consequences. After we die, we face the judgment (Heb. 9:27). Unless we have Jesus, we fail the judgment and the consequences are eternal. We must listen to Jesus and his message.

Jesus declared the good news by His:

· Jesus declared the good news by His:

Preaching

Teaching

Good works

Virgin birth

Sinless life

Personal example

Sacrificial death

Powerful Resurrection

· Two perspectives of salvation

Two perspectives of salvation

Christ’s saving work (already completed, ongoing future saving activity ())

Birth ()

Resurrection (; )

Ascension ()

Believer’s experience of salvation

Conviction of sin ()

Repentance (, ; )

Faith (, )

Confession of Christ as Lord (;