Hebrews 2:1-18.  In yesterday’s reading we were introduced to the powerful “Son of God”.  The author used several Old Testament quotations to show his readers that this person was promised in the Jewish “Bible” and also to show that he was indeed God though also a man.  He also implied how important believers are to God, even angles are supposed to serve “serve those who will inherit salvation.”

In today’s reading the author hits the next point pretty hard to.  He continues talking about salvation and tells his readers to pay attention and not neglect what they have heard about salvation.  This message about how God would deal with the sin problem (See “The Old Testament Connection”) came to the us directly from Jesus (the “Lord” in verse 3) and was confirmed through “signs, wonders, miracles,” and the power of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers.  Verse 5 tells us that this message about salvation and the coming kingdom (remember the Jews were looking for a promised kingdom of which the Messiah or chosen one would be the forever king) was not entrusted to angles.  In continuing the contrast between the “Son of God” and angles the author uses another Old Testament quotation this time from Psalms 8:4-6.  In that Psalm, David is amazed that God cares at all about mankind.  In a twist the author of Hebrews applies the quotation to the ultimate son of man, Jesus (see Matthew 8:20 and Hebrew 2:9).   The author wonders, “Hey if everything was placed under the authority of the son of man how come we don’t see that.”  And remember he is talking about the promise of a coming kingdom where the Messiah will be the supreme ruler.  And if you read the “Intro to Hebrews” you might remember that the Jewish people of Jesus day were looking for the promised kingdom.  In fact at the time of the writing of this letter the Jewish people were engaged in a war against the most powerful empire on the planet, a war they would lose.  So this would be a very troubling time to any one who was born a Jew.  Maybe the Jewish Christians were starting to doubt their faith in Jesus, after all it had been more than 30 years since the resurrection.

Verse 9 gives the answer.  The truth is that Jesus did humble himself by taking the form of a man and dying on a cross (Philippians 2:8).  But that very action proved that he was God and was worth of the throne of the eternal kingdom upon which he was seated (See Philippians 2;9-11; Hebrews 1:3; 2:7,9).  The reason the physical kingdom was waiting is hinted at in verse 9.  He tasted death for everyone.  Peter told us in 2 Peter 3:9 that God want people to turn back to him and john told us in 1 John 2:2 that Jesus death was for all people.  Not all people will turn back we see that in the book of Revelation but that is what God is waiting for.  I think it was an old time pastor named J. Vernon McGee that said that God was waiting for the last person to get on the bus [to Heaven].

Verse 10 has sort of a double meaning to me.  In that verse we see the suffering of Jesus on the cross as proof of who he is, an idea we have already seen in Hebrew 1:4 where his actions proved that he was living up to his “name”.  But it also shows a link between us and Jesus.  In Philippians 2:7 we learn that Jesus set aside his divine power for a while and took the form of a human being (a form which he now has permanently).  In that form he died on a cross.  So we see a sort of second meaning, Jesus can relate to us and we can relate to him, we share in suffering.  Since Jesus lives in a flesh and blood existence he can relate to us and calls us “brothers.

Verses 12-14 are kind of interesting to me.  Years ago I asked a question in a Bible study and was basically told that it was too hard and not relevant.  I wanted to know if Jesus used his own divine power to live a sinless life or if he relied on the power of the Holy Spirit.  Actually either answer would be OK with me but since that time I have come to the conclusion that Jesus relied on the power of the Holy Spirit.  It’s not that he isn’t God it’s just that he used the same resource that he now offers to us.  Verse 12-13 seem to say the same kind of thing to me, “Hey look God took care of me, you trust him too.”  In verse 14 he even reaffirms that he is here for us.

Verses 14-15 further explain how Jesus had to become one of us to help us.  Verse 14 tells us that as a the perfect God-man he died in our place and verse 15 tells me that he not only paid the price but he did it in such a way that I could trust him.  Verse 16 tells me two things, Jesus death was for human beings alone and that it was for those human being who could be considered descendants of Abraham.  Romans 9:8 tells me that this is not about flesh and blood descendants but about people who believe like Abraham did.

Verses 17-18 make clear what I have already seen in the other verses.  Jesus became a man because only as a man could he pay the price for others; human death (death means separation and Jesus suffered both a physical death (separation of his body and soul) and spiritual death (his spirit from God the father)).  In verse 17 we see the mention of the high priest.  The high Priest was a guy under the Law of Moses who made and animal sacrifice once a year to “pay” for the sins of the Israelites.  If you read the “Intro to Hebrews” you might remember that this was only a symbol of the price for sin.  This sort of language would be very encouraging if the original readers were former Jewish priest being pressured to forget about Jesus and become good Jews again.  To know that Jesus was the fulfillment of everything their life had been about would be helpful.  Verse 18 goes beyond the mechanical paying for our sins to God though.  In that verse we learn that Jesus can “feel with us.”  That’s so cool Jesus not only paid for us but he cares about our feelings.

Again in a letter mainly to some religious Jewish leaders who had turned to Jesus we can find hope too.  God paid for all our sins.  This salvation that we are not to neglect was not to physical descendants of Abraham but it was to all who pay attention and do not neglect to respond to the story.  Anyone who believes in who Jesus is and what he has done is a child of Abraham and is a brother of Jesus.  Heaven is there for all who believe to inherit.  And when we are given trouble for following Jesus we can be sure he understands our pain.  He knows, he care, and he will help us through to the end.

Jesus thank you for caring.  Thank you for becoming like me so you could take the punishment that I deserved.  I know you know, help me hang in there.  Help me honor you with my life.