Pioneer

Hebrews 2:1-18

Good morning!  Today, we are going to take a look at chapter 2 of the book of Hebrews.  Our series on Hebrews is titled “Jesus Is Greater,” and that is what the majority of the book is about.  The introduction of Hebrews in my study bible says, “The theme of Hebrews is the absolute supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ as revealer and as mediator of God’s grace.”
 
I think you can take just the first part of that sentence by itself.  “The theme of Hebrews is the absolute supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ.”  Jesus is supreme above the angels, above Moses or any of the prophets.  Jesus is supreme above Aaron and his priestly family line.  Jesus became the perfect sacrifice and passed through the heavenly sanctuary as high priest by His own blood.  Jesus has formed a better covenant for us, and He is the mediator of that covenant. 
 
Hebrews has been called “the book of better things” as the word better or superior pops up again and again.  All these better things have their origin in Jesus Christ.  Jesus is greater, and it is exciting to contemplate all that he has accomplished for us.
 
Hebrews has a little bit different style than the other letters or epistles of the New Testament.  There are likely several factors that contribute to those differences.  One factor is the writer’s intended audience.  Based on the strong focus on the Old Testament, the audience initially was people who were familiar with the Old Testament and the practices of worship under the Old Testament Law.
 
The focus audience wasn’t simply those who knew the Old Testament.  It was likely to ones who were like those Paul wrote to in Galatians.  People who were deserting the grace of Christ and turning to a “different gospel” which Paul then said, “was no gospel at all.”  At least some of the Galatians were turning to or turning back to the Old Testament Law and its observances.
 
The author of Hebrews is writing to people who were beginning to believe that angels and Moses and temple worship were of equal if not greater importance than Jesus.  The book of Hebrews then takes the Old Testament as its reference and uses many passages from it to explain the supremacy of Jesus.
 
Let us pray and then we will pick up with chapter 2 of Hebrews.
 
Lord Jesus, we are glad that You are supreme above all.  We are also glad that You took on flesh and became human so that You could rescue us.  Please teach us from Your Word today.  We look to You now in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
 
We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? – Hebrews 2:1-3
 
We start with a warning.  Pay attention!  In fact, pay the most careful attention.  Why?  So that we do not drift away.  Brian encouraged us last week to make time every day to listen to God’s message by reading and meditating on His Word, the bible.
 
Both Acts 7:53 and Galatians 3:19 confirm that the Old Testament Law was given through angels.  They in turn gave the Law to a mediator who was Moses.  And, we will talk about Moses in comparison to Jesus’ next week.
 
As to the binding nature of the Old Testament Law, I’ve been reading through Deuteronomy in my quiet times.  This week, I read chapter 28 where it lays out the blessings and curses that will follow depending on whether the Israelites fully obeyed the Lord and followed all His commands in the Law or whether they did not obey and did not follow all His commands.
 
There were definite consequences from either path.  From obedience, blessings.  From disobedience, curses.  Unfortunately, the Israelites often chose disobedience interspersed with short times of obedience when the curses resulting from their disobedience became unbearable.
 
We along with the earliest Christians need to be conscious, alert, paying the most careful attention, that we do not ignore Jesus and the better covenant He has brought us, our salvation.  The consequences of ignoring Jesus and His salvation are of the most serious nature.  Hebrews 10:31 says it this way, “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”  None of us want dreadful things.  Let us pay attention to Jesus.
 
This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Him. – Hebrews 2:3
 
The message of salvation comes by the Word of God, Jesus Christ (John 1).  Jesus went out preaching “Repent for the kingdom of God is near.” (Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:15, Luke 13:3, 5) In John 10:9, Jesus told His disciples, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.”   Jesus charged his disciples in Mark 16:16, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension into heaven, the disciples carried on sharing the message of salvation.  Those who heard and believed also shared the message, and the message of salvation continues to spread by those who have heard it from others, to this day.
 
The structure of this verse is one of the key places in Hebrews that seems to point away from Paul as the author.  The writer says that this salvation was confirmed to us by hearing others.  In this context, “us” includes the author.  Paul testified in several places to his own salvation experience which came through a personal appearance of Jesus Christ. (Galatians 1:11-12) So, it seems like none of the apostles including Paul were the writer of Hebrews.
 
God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will. – Hebrews 2:4
 
Jesus performed many miracles prior to the crucifixion which testified to the truth that He is the Son of God.  The book of Acts also recounts of healings and other miracles that also confirm the truth that Jesus rose from the dead.  Gifts from the Holy Spirt too confirmed the gospel and enabled it to spread faster and farther as a result.
 
It is conspicuous by its absence.  The message of salvation is not conveyed by angels.  I’m not saying that means that angels aren’t still active in the affairs of people.  But it does not appear that angels have a direct role in spreading the gospel until the final battle in Revelation (14:6).  Perhaps the next passage gives us some hints why not:
 
It is not to angels that He has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. But there is a place where someone has testified: “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him? You made them a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor and put everything under their feet.” In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. – Hebrews 2:5-8
 
It is not to angels that God has subjected the world to come.  This fits with I Corinthians 6:3, “Do you not know that we will judge angels?”  Not only do the angels not have a higher place than Jesus.  They do not have a higher place than believers, humans who have put their faith in Jesus Christ.
 
Not only do we have this message from the New Testament.  The place where someone has testified is Psalm 8:4-6.  The psalmist is awed by how God has honored mankind, giving humans honor and glory and authority.
 
This passage also makes me pause and consider what was the point at which Satan’s pride came to the fore?  What couldn’t he be humble about?  Was it about humankind whom God had created after the angels but who would ultimately have a higher place?
 
At this time, we do not see everything subject to humankind.  Instead, humankind apart from Christ is in bondage or slavery to sin and to fear of death.
 
But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. – Hebrews 2:9
 
In chapter 1, we talked about Jesus’ supremacy as the only begotten of the Father.  Jesus is God the Father’s only begotten Son.  Jesus is the “exact representation of God’s being.” (Hebrews 1:3) Jesus was together with the Father and the Holy Spirit at creation.  “Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.” (John 1:3)
 
And yet, Jesus was made lower than the angels for a little while, 33 years to be exact.  Jesus suffered death on the cross and has risen from the dead.  He has ascended into heaven where he has been crowned with glory and honor for what He has done for us.  By God’s grace, Jesus tasted death but has overcome it for all who believe.
 
In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what He suffered. – Hebrews 2:10
 
All who believe in Jesus are brought to glory.  We have become children of God because of what Jesus has done. (John 1:12-13) Jesus is the pioneer of our salvation.  He is the author and architect of our salvation.  He is the leader and prince bringing about our salvation.  Wow!
 
Wow, part two … “it was fitting that God … should make [Jesus] perfect through what He suffered.”  Since Jesus is God from before the beginning, from eternity past, He is not and had not been morally or spiritually imperfect.  In becoming human what theologians call the incarnation, Jesus completed the work or perfected the work of salvation through suffering including His death on a cross.
 
But why was it fitting for God to make Jesus suffer?
 
Do you remember the story of David and the altar?  In II Samuel 24, King David is told to go up and build an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah to stop a plague.  David goes to the place himself.  Araunah comes to him and pays every respect to the King.  When he sees the king and his entourage approaching, he goes out to meet them and bows with his face to the ground.  When Araunah hears that David wants to buy his threshing floor, he offers it to David for free.  He says that David can have whatever he wants including oxen and wood for the offering.  David insists on paying for it, and then David says this, “I will not sacrifice … offerings that cost me nothing.”
 
This “fitness” of Jesus’ suffering is connected to God’s motivation for saving us.  Why did God save us?  Because He loves us.  Real love, real giving, requires sacrifice.  God could not complete the perfect sacrifice until He added humanity to His deity and suffered on our behalf.
 
The result of His suffering and sacrifice is amazing …
 
Both the One who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He says, “I will declare Your name to My brothers and sisters; in the assembly 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.” – Hebrews 2:11-13
 
Everyone who believes in Jesus is made holy.  Jesus and all who believe in Him are of the same family.  Going back to the conversation earlier about how our place will be above the angels.  It is because of this adoption that we have such a high position.
 
Jesus claims us.  Isn’t that amazing!
 
I read a funny story about Pat Boone yesterday.  Pat Boone is a singer, song writer, actor and other things besides.  He’s 87 years old.  His popularity was highest in the 50’s and 60’s when he was topping the charts and starred in several movies, but he’s still acting in films today.  You don’t need to know more to appreciate this story about what he calls his most embarrassing moment in life. 
 
In 1962, Pat Boone was in London for a Royal Film Performance where he met Queen Elizabeth II for the second time. He had met her following a performance four years previously.
 
At that second meeting in 1962, Pat is in this long receiving line.  Even though he’d met the queen before, he was still jittery and nervous.  Here comes the queen smiling and making quick pleasantries with people.  Some she knows, some she doesn’t.  Pat knows the correct etiquette that he’s supposed to bow to the queen, say, “Your majesty,” and wait for her to extend her hand.  If she does that, then he can take her hand and respond to any question or comment she might make.
 
So now she’s right there in front of him.  Pat bows and then looks up, and the queen declares, “We’ve met before.”  To his own shock and embarrassment, Pat blurts out, “We did?!”  He had meant to say, “You remember that?”
 
But that’s how it came out. Here was the queen of England reminding Pat that they’d met before and his response was the equivalent of saying, “I forgot,” or “Really? When was that?”
 
Pat said he was grateful for the Queen’s sense of humor noting she did laugh at his response.  He quickly corrected himself and said, “I didn’t think you’d remember.”
 
She said, “Of course, of course, I do,” and then she continued to speak about their first meeting.  The story is all the better because of the humility and graciousness of the queen in what could have been an even more awkward situation.
 
Pat Boone was shocked to know that the queen remembered him, and he was embarrassed that he mistakenly gave the impression that he did not remember meeting her when he had certainly not forgotten.
 
How much greater a separation in magnificence between Jesus, the creator of the universe and me, a sinner?  Yet, Jesus knows everyone one of us who has put our faith in Him.  He is not ashamed to claim us as His beloved brother or sister.  So, be ready when you meet him face to face.  He knows you and loves you.
 
The first Old Testament quote in the passage, “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises,” comes from Psalm 22.  The words Jesus spoke on the cross, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me,” also come from Psalm 22.  It is definitely a messianic psalm, a psalm about Jesus, the Messiah.
 
The other quotes come from Isaiah 8 and continue this theme in Hebrews of using Old Testament passages to communicate truth about Jesus.
 
Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might break the power of him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil-- and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels He helps, but Abraham's descendants. – Hebrews 2:14-16
 
Jesus became like us so that we can become like Him.  Jesus has broken the power of death, and He has proved it by His resurrection.
 
I find it difficult to articulate an explanation of how the devil holds the power of death.  The bible does not contradict itself.  Death is the result of sin. (Romans 5:12, 6:23) The devil is a tempter.  He tempted Eve in the garden, and she and Adam ate the fruit.  The devil continues to spread lies and tempt others to sin.  Jesus also says in John 8:44 that the devil is a murderer from the beginning.  So, it is clear that the devil is held accountable for his part in bringing sin into God’s creation.
 
Jesus frees those who were in slavery by the fear of death.  That’s anyone who comes to believe in His saving power.  I did see one commentary that noted believers are free of the fear of death, but not necessarily free of the fear of dying.
 
Since Jesus has taken on humanity as part of His nature, He saves people, not angels.  Someone asked me once if angels could repent.  I asked Fred because I wasn’t sure.  He gave me a simple yet verifiable answer.  Angels can’t repent because the bible doesn’t ever show that they can even through the judgment in Revelation.
 
As to Abraham’s descendants, we should not think that this means that Jesus only helps the direct blood line of Abraham.  Galatians does a good job showing the children or descendants of Abraham are children of the promise rather than children of the flesh.
 
If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. – Galatians 3:29
 
You can skip back and look at verses 26-29 together if you want a more complete picture of what is going on there.  Galatians 3:26 begins with the thought which we have already heard in Hebrews 2.  “You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
 
For this reason He had to be made like them, fully human 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. Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted. – Hebrews 2:17-18
 
Since Jesus helps us by overcoming death, He had to be made fully human.  We’ll come to more details of how Jesus has become the true high priest for us in chapter 4 and beyond.  In short, we can say that Jesus is both priest and sacrifice, perfect in every way.
 
Chapter 2 ends with a beautiful promise.  I would say that it is almost unlooked for amid all the eternal impacts we have been focused on till now:  breaking the power of death, making all believers part of the family of God, taking death upon Himself for all who have faith in Him, causing all things to be subject to Himself and eventually to all believers as well.
 
But God pays attention to our greatest needs as well as the smallest struggles we have.  Since Jesus suffered through temptations, He is able to help those dealing with temptation, all of us.
 
Yesterday, I found a magazine column I read back in 2002.  Time and again, that column has come to my mind.  I’ve tried to find it before, but so far, I hadn’t been successful.   That is until yesterday.  I will put a link to this column in the transcript, but I’m going to read it now.
 
Alone in the tunnel | WORLD (wng.org)
 
If you find that you’re in that cave of temptation, please remember.  You’re not alone.  Jesus has been there before, and He has emerged victorious.  Stand firm, in Him.  Let’s pray.
 
Lord Jesus, You are greater.  You are the Author and Perfecter of our faith.  You are the Pioneer of salvation.  We do not have words to describe Your glory and majesty.  Thank You for what You have done for us.  We love you.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.