God Speaks
So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. 2 For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished. 3 So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? 4 And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.
5 And furthermore, it is not angels who will control the future world we are talking about. 6 For in one place the Scriptures say,
“What are mere mortals that you should think about them,
or a son of man that you should care for him?
7 Yet for a little while you made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honor.
8 You gave them authority over all things.”
Now when it says “all things,” it means nothing is left out. But we have not yet seen all things put under their authority. 9 What we do see is Jesus, who for a little while was given a position “a little lower than the angels”; and because he suffered death for us, he is now “crowned with glory and honor.” Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone. 10 God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.
11 So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. 12 For he said to God,
“I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters.
I will praise you among your assembled people.”
13 He also said,
“I will put my trust in him,”
that is, “I and the children God has given me.”
14 Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. 15 Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.
16 We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham. 17 Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. 18 Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: Note: In posting last week, I neglected to mention this summary of the letter to the Hebrews. It should help the viewer to better understand the layout, principles, and purpose of this part of scripture. https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/hebrews/
Hebrews 2:1-2 warns that disobeying or neglecting the message of God delivered by angels was dealt with in a serious manner. Verses 3-5 explain that ignoring or neglecting the salvation offered by Jesus Christ and confirmed by signs, wonders, miracles, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was an even more serious offense. Verses 6-8 and 12-13 are references to passages in the Hebrew scriptures that verify that the Messiah was superior to angels but needed to be made like human beings. Verses 9-11 and 14-18 expound on what is happening now in heaven in regard to Jesus and why He had to suffer in order to rescue human beings from the fear of death.
Prayer: Dear Gracious Father, thank You for providing us with this letter of comparison and warning. Help us to learn that Jesus, God the Son, is superior to everything but You and to heed the warnings You give us in this written word. Previously, You gave us a steady word of instruction through angels confirming it with signs, miracles, wonders, and gifts of the Holy Spirit. You dealt severely with those who disregarded it. Now, You have given Jesus greater authority than they had because of His suffering and death on our [my] behalf. He was made completely like us so that we could be made whole and set free from the fear of death. Jesus didn’t do this to help angels but to help people who trust and rely on God like Abraham did. Because Jesus experienced temptation and death on our behalf but did not falter, He is able to bring us (fallen human beings) back into favor with God. Praise His holy name. Thank You, Jesus for all You have endured for us. Help me and others to live as if we really believe that is true. For Your glory, LORD. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will examine my own heart and mind to see if there is any way in which I am neglecting or ignoring the truth about Jesus found in scripture.
- I will show my respect for the privilege of having the scriptures by reading it at least once a day this week.
- I will look for and write down examples of signs, wonders, miracles, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit happening today.
- I will discuss with a friend how Jesus is superior to angels.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.