Hebrews 2
I. A Superior Person: Christ (1-6)
A. \\#Heb 1:1-3\\ Christ is superior to the prophets.
B. \\#Heb 1:4-14\\ Christ is superior to the angels.
C. \\#Heb 2:1-18\\ Explanation and Emphasis
1. \\#He 2:1-9\\ Understanding what Christ’s superiority over the
angels means.
2. \\#He 2:10-18\\ Understanding why Christ took on flesh.
Introduction - Chapter two is the first of several chapters which will draw
conclusions from the truths that have been given.
I. \\#He 2:1-9\\ Understanding what Christ’s superiority over the angels means.
A. \\#He 2:1-4\\ Christ’s superiority means we should listen to what we have
heard.
1. \\#1\\ The readers are challenged to listen carefully.
a. "Therefore" - Based on Christ’s superiority.
b. "we ought to give the more earnest heed" - The writer encouraged
his readers not to take lightly what they had heard about Jesus.
c. "lest… we should let them slip" - "Slip" means to allow something
to get away from us.
(1) The overall purpose of this book is to encourage the Hebrews
not to abandon Christ.
(2) One’s need for Christ, although very real, can slip away from
those who are fashioned with flesh.
(3) The writer was concerned that Satan and worldly cares might
allow the importance of Christ to slip by them.
Matthew 13:19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it
not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his
heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
Matthew 13:22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the
word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word,
and he becometh unfruitful.
2. \\#2-3\\ The message they have heard has eternal consequences.
a. \\#2\\ "the word spoke by angels was steadfast" - The Old Testament
demonstrates to us that the warnings spoken by the angels were
unfaltering \\#Ge 19:12-13, Ge 20:3\\.
b. Disobedience to their words resulted in "a just recompense of
reward," that is, a just punishment.
c. \\#3\\ "How shall we escape"
(1) If that be so, what hope would one have of alluding judgment
if he disobeyed words "spoken by the Lord… and them that
heard him"?
(2) Since Jesus is superior to the angels, logic would dictate
that the punishment of disobeying His words would also be
superior.
d. \\#4\\ "God also bearing them witness"
(1) Especially since God attested to the truth of what Jesus and
the apostles spoke with "signs and wonders… divers miracles…
and gifts of the Holy Ghost"?
(2) Gifts of miracles and tongues were primarily authentication
gifts. They authenticated the message being spoken.
B. \\#He 2:5-9\\ Christ’s superiority means that Jesus is Lord of all.
1. This section gives us another reason that Jesus is superior to the
angels (discussed in chapter 1), although that is not the primary
point of the author. Rather, his purpose was to show the importance
of heeding what we have learned. Even so, both purposes are served
by this text.
2. \\#5, 8\\ "unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to
come"
a. \\#5\\ The writer gives a comparison between the angels and Jesus.
The angels will not be masters of "the world to come."
b. The world being spoken of is at least the millennium earth if not
all of eternity itself.
c. \\#8\\ "Thou has put all things in subjection under his (Jesus)
feet."
(1) Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords \\#1Timothy 6:15\\
\\#Rev 17:14, 19:16\\.
(2) This is a title and task that He will share with no one,
especially not those who are inferior such as the angels.
(Of course, all are inferior to Him!)
3. \\#He 2:6-8\\ is a quote from \\#Psalm 8:4-6\\.
a. It is a prophecy of God making Jesus an lowly body for His earthly
work, then restoring the glory and power that Jesus had
surrendered sometime after His death.
b. The writer uses the text as proof that Jesus, not angels, has been
established as the Head of all things.
c. "he put" - The Father made Jesus the Head of all things by
returning to Him the power that was His before the world was
created.
4. \\#8\\ "he left nothing that is not put under him" - The writer speaks
in the present tense.
a. He understands that Jesus’ restoration had already occurred.
b. The Bible does not tell us when the Father returned to Jesus the
attributes that He had surrendered. Without being told, we do not
know if Jesus continued His post-resurrection ministry in His own
power or in that of the Holy Spirit. Regardless, Jesus would
have had His attributes returned soon after His ascension to
heaven.
5. "But now we see not yet all things put under him" - Even though Jesus
has been given all things, He has not yet claimed all things.
a. Sin still hurts, Satan still roams the earth, and the world is
still cursed.
b. Jesus will not claim all that He has purchased to Himself until
into the Tribulation.
Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in
heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord,
and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
6. \\#9\\ "But we see Jesus"
a. Even though all things have not been put under Jesus’ control, we
can still see things which demonstrate His power and position.
b. We can see that Jesus "was made a little lower than the angels" so
that He could suffer and die for all of mankind.
c. We can see that Jesus was "crowned with glory and honour." Jesus’
exalted position was seen by the miracles He performed while on
this earth, by the events surrounding His death, in His
resurrection, and in His ascension.
d. And we can see that all of this was done so that He could "taste
death for every man," providing salvation to everyone who would
call upon Him. This statement leads into the next section; that
is, to explain why Jesus was made lower than the angels.
II. \\#He 2:9-18\\ Understanding why Christ took on flesh. In quoting from
Psalms, the writer made several references to Jesus’ incarnation (i.e.
"madest" \\#He 2:7\\ and "made" \\#He 2:9\\). In this section, he seeks to
better explain why Jesus’ incarnation was of such humble means.
A. \\#He 2:9\\ Jesus was made lower than the angels to pay the death penalty
for mankind.
1. "that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man"
2. This is the most important of all reasons. Without a humble
incarnation, God could not have died for mankind.
3. Jesus is and always has been God, yet He desired to redeem mankind by
making the payment for our sins. The problem was how? God can
neither sin nor die. Hence, God created His own way.
a. God can not and will not commit sin, so God allowed the movement of
sin from one party to another through SUBSTITUTION.
(1) Substitution is the means by which our sins are placed upon
Jesus and His righteous is given to us.
(2) This was an act of great mercy for God. He did not have to
allow substitution. Had He not, you and I would have been
lost with no hope.
(3) The Old Testament practice of sacrifices is an illustration
of substitution and was given to Israel to teach them the
concept.
(4) However, God not only allowed sin to be moved from a guilty
party to an innocent party, He also allowed righteousness
to be moved from the innocent party to the guilty!
(5) God was not only interested in forgiving our guilt, He was
also interested in restoring us to our previous condition—
indeed, He has given us more though redemption than we lost
through sin.
(6) All of this is possible by substitution.
b. After creating a way to take our sins, God took on a body of
flesh so that He be the SACRIFICE for our sins.
(1) This is more to the point of what the writer is addressing.
(2) He was "made" with a humble body, one even lower than the
angels, so that He could die.
(3) Angels do not die, but humans who are guilty of sin do.
(4) By taking on the guilt of our sin (although not sinning
Himself), He could likewise take on the penalty of that sin.
(5) That is, if He were housed in a body that could die.
(6) Oh mercy of mercies! Our God made the body of Jesus of less
power than the angels that He might experience a death
which could redeem all of mankind!
B. \\#He 2:10-13\\ Jesus was made lower than the angels that He might be like
mankind.
1. \\#10\\ "For it became him"
a. That is, it was the appropriate thing for Him to do.
b. There are many "extra" elements in the wonderful gift of salvation.
(1) We have seen that in salvation’s plan, God took advantage of
the opportunity to do for us as much as could be done.
(2) What we have not often considered is that during the
commission of salvation’s plan, God took advantage to
experience as much about being human as He could experience.
2. "for whom are all things, and by whom are all things" - Seeing that all
things were made for Him and by Him.
3. "in bringing many sons unto glory" - That while He was bringing many to
salvation.
4. "to make the captain of their salvation perfect through suffering"
During Christ’s incarnation, God would also make the Captain of
Salvation perfect.
a. This is another of the many phrases in this Book which some might
say shows Jesus to be inferior to the Father.
b. The "perfection" that is spoken of in this verse is not limited to
Jesus. It could actually be applied to all three members of the
Godhead for they all experienced the incarnation and cross with
Jesus.
c. The incarnation allowed God to experience something that He had not
and could not experience before—suffering and death. Doing so,
according to this passage, "perfected" Jesus.
d. This does not mean that the Godhead was somehow inferior prior to
this experience for pain and death do not in any manner make one
BETTER. Rather, the thought is that it has made the Godhead
COMPLETE. By suffering, God has experienced all that can be
experienced, saving that of actually committing a sin itself.
e. "captain" - The word means prince, leader, or chief. The reason
the translators associated the Greek word with our word "captain,"
a relatively low rank, is likely because the captain stays with
his men. Generals send their soldiers into combat. Captains take
them into battle. Our Lord has not stayed in heaven and
commanded us to stand against our enemies. He has put on flesh
and lead the battle Himself.
f. What the writer has said in this verse is that the Godhead used
the occasion of the incarnation to experience something not
previously possible, but that is not the main point the writer
wants to make. He moves on to that in the next verse.
5. \\#11\\ "For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are
all of one"
a. "he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified"
(1) Two parties are mentioned here.
(a) One is the Scantifier, that is Jesus.
(b) The other are those who are sanctified, that is the
redeemed.
(2) This phrase describes the redeemed both before they were
saved and after.
(a) Before salvation, they were not sanctified.
i. The word SANCTIFIED means HOLY, SEPARATED, or PURE.
ii. Before salvation, we were unclean because of our sin
and separated from God.
(b) After salvation, they are sanctified.
i. Salvation has changed our very state of being before
God.
ii. This imputed state is given to us by substitution.
iii. While on the cross, He took on our state of unholy
and, for all of eternity, we took on His state of
holy.
(3) This phrase also tells us who changed our state from unholy
to holy.
(a) The "he" of this verse is Jesus Christ.
(b) Jesus Christ is the One who carried out this action.
b. "are all of one" - Jesus took on an inferior body to be one with
us in relationship and nauture.
(1) We are one with Jesus in relationship.
(a) The Bible teaches us that sin separated mankind from the
Creator.
Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your
sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
Proverbs 15:29 The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the
righteous.
(b) But Jesus, coming in a fleshly body to die make the
payment for sin, restored the broken relationship.
Ephesians 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down
the middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments
contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making
peace;
(2) And as Jesus took on our nature to die, we take on His nature
to live for all eternity.
2Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are
passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ,
and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not
imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word
of reconciliation.
(3) Because of Jesus’ work, we are united with Him forever.
c. "he is not ashamed to call them brethren"
(1) The end result is not only that we are one with God, but
also that our Lord is not ashamed of us.
(2) This is not because we have changed for the better, for we
are still sinners who sin.
(3) It is because of the completed and glorious work of Christ,
which washed us and made us as if we had never sinned.
6. \\#12-13\\ To back up the writer’s assertion that Jesus is not
ashamed of His new brethren, he quotes from several passages.
a. \\#He 2:12\\ is a quote from \\ Psalm 22:22\\.
b. The first part of \\#He 2:13\\, "I will put my trust in him,"
is difficult to match verbatim in the Old Testament, but there are
several passages where a commitment is made to trust the Lord
\\#Ps 44:6, 55:23, 56:3, 11\\.
c. The second part of \\#He 2:13\\ appears to be quote from
\\#Is 8:17-18\\. This is another passage where from reading
the Old Testament passage, one would not get the impression the
passage was in any way Messianic. Yet, Hebrew’s writer, in
applying it to Christ, indicates that it is.
C. \\#He 2:14-15\\ Jesus was made lower than the angels that He might deliver
mankind from death and Satan.
1. \\#14\\ "that through death he might destroy him that had the power
of death, that is, the devil"
a. A third reason is stated for Jesus’ humble incarnation.
b. That Jesus might destroy the devil and the power of death he holds
over humanity.
c. This deliverance was accomplished by the resurrection.
(1) While we speak of Jesus’ death as payment for our sins, God’s
plan did not end there.
(2) God gave Jesus back His life, making Him the firstborn from
the dead \\#Col 1:15\\.
(3) Now every believer will follow the trail that Jesus blazed
for us—first into death but also into the resurrection.
(4) Because of the resurrection, the power that Satan had over us,
death, has been broken \\#1Cor 15:55-57\\.
2. \\#15\\ "who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to
bondage" - By destroying the lasting effect of death, Jesus has freed
us from the fear of death.
E. \\#He 2:16-18\\ Summary
1. \\#16\\ "he took on him the seed of Abraham" - The writer again
emphasizes that Jesus did not take on the body of an angel, but the
same kind of body that the children of Abraham have.
2. \\#17\\ "Wherefore in all things" - So that in every respect, our
Savior might be "like unto his brethren." The humble body of Jesus
allowed Him to suffer, to die, to redeem, and to reconcile man to God.
3. "that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest" - This topic
will be discussed later in the book, but here the point is made that
by suffering with mankind, our Lord now understands experientially
what mankind goes through, thus making Him a High Priest who can
serve both God and mankind with faithfulness and mercy.
4. As High Priest, Jesus will "make reconciliation for the sins of the
people." That is, He will apply the blood to our sins so that we
can be "brought back" into fellowship with God.
5. \\#18\\ "For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted" - Since
Jesus experienced suffering and temptation….
6. "he is able to succour them that are tempted"
a. The word SUCCOUR means to give aid, comfort.
b. Jesus can identify fully with us and the victim, as well as, with
God as the Judge.
c. He is indeed the perfect candidate for our High Priest.
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