Lesson 3 Hebrews 2 New International Version

1 We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. ² For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, ³ how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. ⁴ God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

⁵ It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. ⁶ 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?
⁷ You made them a little^[a] lower than the angels;
    you crowned them with glory and honor
⁸     and put everything under their feet.”^[b][c]

In putting everything under them,^[d] God left nothing that is not subject to them.^[e] Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them.^[f] 9 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.

¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ 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.^[g] 12 He says,

“I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;
    in the assembly I will sing your praises.”^[h]

¹³ And again,

“I will put my trust in him.”^[i]

And again he says,

“Here am I, and the children God has given me.”^[j]

¹⁴ 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— ¹⁵ and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. ¹⁶ For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. ¹⁷ For this reason he had to be made like them,^[k] 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. ¹⁸ Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Footnotes

b Hebrews 2:8 Psalm 8:4-6

h Hebrews 2:12 Psalm 22:22

i Hebrews 2:13 Isaiah 8:17

J Hebrews 2:13 Isaiah 8:18

 

• First Impression? 

I lost all my notes, and this write up is about two months after the lesson, but when I read this chapter, I am overwhelmed by the grace of being a child of God. It is such a great gift there for the taking.

• Drift Away – Why are Christians prone to drift away?

We are all still human and still prone to temptation by our sinful nature and while we have the power of the Holy spirit, we still have the weakness to deny following this best path.

•  Signs, wonders, various miracles – Which of these have you experienced and used in testimony?

I liked this question as I wanted to get the participants to take time to see the miracles that God had given them to share with others. God relates to each of us as diligently as we relate to Him and as the purpose for all creation is to glorify God, He is boundless in the opportunities He provides for us to do so.

•  Gifts of the Holy Spirit – Which of these do you have and how have you used them testimony?

Same as above only more being participatory rather than just watching. My main gift is teaching, but commitment to the truth that is God’s word has been more useful in sharing my life as a mechanism to glorify God.

• Subject to them – If the world is subject to us, what is our responsibility to it?

As often happens, we got derailed by the negative outcomes of some to make the scriptures gender neutral. I was trying to indicate that God needs us to help take care of our environment as well as love our neighbor.

• Do not see everything subject to them – What is not subject to them?

My goal was to indicate that God is still in charge and our efforts to remake the world to fit our wants is limited by the fact that we are not God, and while we want everything to be easy and perfect, we need struggles to make us who we need to be.

• Suffer death, taste death – When you ponder on Christ’s dying, what do you make of it?

Similar to how the movie the Passion of Christ sought to make the human side of Christ death more relatable, the question was to focus us not just on the greatness of the outcome, but the horror of what actually had to happen to save us.

• Brothers and Sisters – What does it mean to be a sibling of Christ and what does it not mean?

I wanted to point out how the greatness of enjoying eternity in heaven balances with the reality that we are not worthy.

• Power of death, slavery, fear of death – What power does death hold and what about those who do not fear death?

The idea here was that many simply do not understand the reality of death being eternal separation from God and torment. Once you can help others understand that, it is easier to get them to understand the gift God offers in salvation. 

• Help those who are being tempted – What help do you need? How do you get it?

The goal of the question was to remind us that we all need help, and we need to be seeking it out, not just waiting for it to magically find us. I need help with most everything and I find it in my wife, my kids, my accountability group, my mentor, my bible study group, my believing friends, my church, etc.