| 1. The
Danger of Neglecting Salvation (Heb 2:1-4) After his lofty opening which
exalted Jesus to the highest position, the author now issues the first of
many exhortations: “Therefore we must
give the more earnest heed … lest we drift away” (Heb 2:1). The book of Hebrews stands as a clear
rebuttal to the Calvinistic heresy of “once saved, always saved.” The entire
epistle is an effort to drag weak brethren back from the brink of
apostasy. Not once does the writer
suggest that their salvation was a sham or pretense. In fact, he will expressly affirm their
fellowship with God (i.e., Heb 6:4-6).
If people were not predisposed to believe in eternal security, it
would never occur to them when reading passages such as Heb 2:1-4. The author
uses a “lesser to greater” argument:
if the Law of Moses (“the word spoken through angels”) carried with it
grievous punishments for violation, how much more the Law of Christ (“so
great a salvation”) if neglected? The
readers are offhandedly reminded of the abundant confirmation which had
accompanied the gospel. If they
drifted away, they could not blame it on a vague or garbled message from
God. 1. List the three-fold process by
which the gospel was delivered and established. 2. What was the express purpose of miracles
in the first century? 2. Jesus: The
Ideal Man (Heb 2:5-9)The author next turns to the subject of Jesus’
incarnation. This was hinted at by the
phrase “when He had by Himself purged our sins” (Heb 1:3), for such purging
could only be accomplished by vicarious sacrifice. This involved the Creator assuming the
likeness of men and temporarily being “made a little lower than the angels”
(Heb 2:9). What a demotion! But it was one He was willing to endure for the
sake of His creatures who had failed so miserably to rise to the level of
rule as He had wished (2:7-8). If man
is ever to reach the full potential for which he has been created, it will
only be through Jesus Christ who was “crowned with glory and honor”
(2:9). 3. What did Jesus taste for
everyone? 4. What was originally put
in subjection to man? What is not yet
under man’s control? 3. Bringing Many
Sons to Glory (Heb 2:10-13)Not only was it difficult for the Jewish mind to
accept the Creator appearing in fleshly form, it was especially repugnant to
think of their Jehovah God suffering.
Yet the author of Hebrews boldly affirms that such was a necessary
part of God’s plan. “It was fitting
for Him … to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings”
(Heb 2:10). If it is man’s lot to
suffer, then the Messiah would likewise suffer in order to completely bridge
the gap between heaven and earth: “For both He who sanctifies and those who
are being sanctified are all of one …” (2:11). “In bringing many sons to
glory” God created one fam-ily of sanctified people in which the shadow of
death. In that moment when the
bio-logical life of Jesus ended, atonement was provided and the devil’s
stranglehold over mankind was broken.
8. How did the devil have the power of death? Why then do men still die today? 9. Why should man not now fear death? 10.
Who does/does not benefit from the works accomplished by Jesus in the
flesh? 5. A Merciful and Faithful
High Priest (Heb 2:17-18) |
