In our study of Hebrews chapter two, we look at the fact that Jesus was human as well as the Son of God. This chapter reminds us that God came down as a man because that was the only way that we could be saved. In chapter one, we saw that Jesus was higher than the angels but here we see that He humbled himself and became lower than the angels for our salvation.
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We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
Anytime we see the word "therefore", we must look back to what we have studied before because what is to come is connected to that. Here, we are reminded that Jesus is God as He was higher than the angels. The "drift away" speaks to the fact that many will accept the fact that Jesus was a great man (which is true) but they will forget (deny) that He is the Son of God. It seems that we see that even more today as people call themselves Christians (disciples of Jesus Christ) yet deny the words that He said about Himself (Son of God). They, in fact, have drifted away from the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.
In the Old Testament, God used angels to deliver His instructions and disobedience (sin) resulted in punishment. Then, God sent His Son to save us because we could not live up to His standards. If breaking the law resulted in punishment, will not rejecting the salvation that is offered through His Son result in even worse judgment. Not only do we have what Jesus said about Himself but we also have the eyewitness accounts of those who walked the earth with Him and learned directly from Him.
God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
Here, we see that the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ was not only established by the words of the witnesses but by actions as well. Many times, we ask about the purpose of the miracles that we read about in the Bible and here we are given the answer as they all point to the fact that salvation through Jesus Christ is God's plan for us.
It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking.
Even though Jesus came as a man (lower than the angels), He has still been given authority over all of creation. He came as the lamb for our salvation but He is coming back as a lion to establish His kingdom.
But there is a place where someone has testified: 'What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet.'
We are reminded of the words of King David from Psalm 8. Here, David was talking about the fact that the Creator of all things placed man in charge of His creation on the earth. He could have put angels in charge but He did not. Jesus came as the perfect man and all of the earth responded to His instructions as a demonstration of this authority.
In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
Even though we look around us and see the rebellion of men against God and His Son, Jesus is still in control of all things. We see that God made Him lower than the angels when He came in the form of a baby. This baby grew up and is now crowned with glory because of His resurrection where even death was made subject to Him.
In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.
How was Jesus made perfect through suffering? He was obedient to the Father even to the point of death and so was the perfect sacrifice. This Sacrifice was sufficient to repair the broken relationship between God and men.
Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.
Not only did Jesus die for our sins but, when we believe in Him, we are adopted into His family. It is amazing how we can be taken out of shameful sin and elevated to a position in the royal family of God.
He says, 'I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises.' And again, ' I will put my trust in him.' And again he says, 'Here am I, and the children God has given me.'
This family was spoken of even in the Old Testament as we see here in the quotes from the Psalms and the prophet Isaiah.
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil -
We sometimes remember Jesus on the cross but forget all of the events that led up to that point. The Son of God left heaven to come to earth as the most helpless of humans, a baby. He suffered from all of the temptations that we face in life and yet remained sinless so that He could be the perfect sacrifice for us. When He rose from the grave, the power of death over Him and us was broken and the devil was defeated.
and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Because He broke the power of death through His resurrection, we are free as well. Our hope is that, like Jesus, we will be raised again to live with Him forever.
For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants.
Angels are not in fear of death because they do not die. It is man that faces death due to the effects of sin and so it is for our benefit that Jesus came in the flesh.
For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.
The high priest was a man that was the mediator between God and his fellow man. By being fully God and fully man, Jesus bridged that gap permanently with His sacrifice.
Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Jesus was tempted by the devil (see Luke 4) and did not sin. He became the perfect payment for our sins and overcame Satan by His resurrection. Therefore, He is able to save us from our sins. He also sent the Holy Spirit to live in us and to help us to overcome the temptations of the devil.
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