We know that the Promised One came and God spoke through Him. He is the Son of God in eternity and in incarnation. He took the form of man, lived among us, died on the cross, was raised to life, and now offers everyone ‘so great a salvation’ by grace through faith in Him. Jesus made the invisible God, visible. We can know what God is like when we know Jesus. That is why the apostle said (Philippians 3:10), "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death."

Jesus sustains all things by the power of His word and He makes atonement for our sins through His death on the cross. Because He offered Himself as a sacrifice to obey the Father, Jesus has become much superior to the angels. The Law was given through angels, but Christ is superior to all angels. His name is above every name, and since He finished His work, He is now seated at the right hand of God the Father. By right of inheritance, He has received that highest position and most excellent name.

[Hebrews 2:1] "We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away." The writer gives a warning about the possibility of falling away from faithful living or turning aside from the truth of God’s Word to something less than the great salvation plan they already know about (which is Paradise without payment). It is the gift of eternal life by God’s grace through an enduring faith in Christ.

The original Greek for pay more careful attention has several meanings. It can be used for a ring that has slipped off our finger, a main point that has escaped our memory, a fact that slipped our mind or something that has thoughtlessly been allowed to become lost. It can also mean to carelessly moor a boat, so that the craft slips away from the dock (as the current or tide takes the boat further and further away from the shore). Deliberately committing serious sins is not as common as a slowly drifting away from God resulting from not listening carefully or not following obediently.

True believers are saved by grace, but they can fall from grace. They are justified by faith, but that faith can cease to exist. New Testament Christians are not under law, but living by the sinful nature results in spiritual death. No one is saved by works, but to reap eternal life we must sow to please the Spirit. God is always faithful to us, but we must be faithful to Him to the very end of our lives (to escape the lake of fire).

[Hebrews 2:2] "For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him."

Galatians 3:19 reminds us, "The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator." Angels, as messengers for God, brought the Ten Commandments to Moses. The main theme of Hebrews is that Christ is greater than all, and He alone is able to bring us to God. The message of Christ is more important than any other information. No one will escape God’s wrath who is indifferent, will not listen, or rejects the great salvation plan offered by Christ Jesus.

Eyewitnesses to Jesus’ ministry gave the message of salvation to these second–generation believers (who had not seen Jesus personally; just as we have not seen Him). We base our beliefs in Christ Jesus on the eyewitness accounts of the Bible. Jesus said (John 20:29) "Blessed are those who have not seen me and yet have believed." The Christian life is by faith and not by sight.

[Hebrews 2:4] "God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will." The word testified continues the thought that those who actually heard the Savior, then passed on His teaching to the next generation of believers. These eyewitnesses had the truth confirmed and endorsed by signs, by miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit. When fruits of the Spirit are seen in people’s lives, actions, or attitudes, we know that Christ is within. They are inspired by God to do their Christian duty toward others.

[Hebrews 2:5-8] "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 man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? 7 You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor 8 and put everything under his feet." In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him."

The writer quotes from Psalm 8:4-6 and is referring to all humans (not the Lord Jesus). In Hebrew, son of man means just man. God addresses Ezekiel as son of man eighty times in that book. God meant for Adam to have dominion over everything in the world, but that has not happened. We are not what God intended us to be. We give in to temptations, we are enslaved by our appetites, and we use our own efforts to obtain something we cannot keep.

[Hebrews 2:9] "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

Into this frustrating situation (we find ourselves), comes the Lord Jesus who dies for our sins, is raised to life and enters into glory. That death and resurrection to life is for everyone of every age and nation. Jesus died to pay our sin debt and came out of the tomb to set us free from yielding to temptations and to free us from enslavement to the sins that can easily entangle our feet (Hebrews 12:1).

[Hebrews 2:10] "In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering." Jesus did not come into the world to obtain social status or political power, but to suffer and die so we could receive this great salvation (bringing many to glory). Jesus’ servant-attitude is difficult for us to comprehend because we (so often) have the wrong motives and are interested only in getting (rather than giving; helping ourselves rather than helping our brother). In bringing us to glory, Jesus blazed the trail to God and then invites everyone to follow.

[Hebrews 2:11] "Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers." The righteousness of Christ (by our faith in Him) makes us holy. We are then children of God and will, (by that same enduring faith in Him), share in the same inheritance with the Son.

Jesus said He was going back to heaven to be with ‘His God and our God’ (John 20:17). Jesus is not ashamed of us, so we can never be ashamed of Him (Luke 9:26; Mark 8:38). "If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels."

[Hebrews 2:12-13] "He says, "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises." 13 And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again he says, "Here am I, and the children God has given me."

The writer quotes from Psalm 22:22 [a Messianic psalm] and Isaiah 8:17-18. Since God accepts all believers as His children, Jesus calls us His brethren. Jesus prayed (John 17:11), "Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name -- the name you gave me -- so that they may be one as we are one." Our steadfast faith in Him causes Jesus to declare we are brothers.

The Sanctifier and the sanctified now have one Father. Also, the Sanctifier [the Lord Jesus] is not ashamed to call the sanctified His brothers. It is humbling to have God’s Son call us brothers and sisters (and not be ashamed of it). Now that we are God’s children and Christ’s brothers, we should live like it. Since Jesus is not ashamed of us and God is not ashamed to say, "I am their God," we should never be ashamed of Them and should be overwhelmed with gratitude (for that unmerited favor).

[Hebrews 2:14-15] "Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy 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."

To share in our humanity means we have all things in common and are in partnership with Him. We, by nature, are flesh and blood, but Christ was not. Thus, He willingly added our nature to Himself so He could die in our place, (and so we might have the divine nature that was not part of us). 2 Peter 1:4 reminds us of the promises we were given, so that, "through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."

Christ’s death on the cross destroyed the power of the devil. Satan knows that if anyone remains in sin (and does not repent), they would some day die and go to the lake of fire forever. Satan desires to hold on to us because he knows that once we pass from this earth, the opportunity for salvation is gone forever. No one escapes after death. God had to destroy him who holds the power of death, and for that purpose, Jesus came into our world.

Whoever has the most powerful weapon, wins the battle. Satan’s weapon is extremely powerful, but God has a more powerful weapon in the resurrection of His Son (who conquered death). The way to eternal life is through resurrection, but the way to resurrection is through death. Jesus had to experience death before He could be resurrected (and thereby give us life). "Because I live, you shall live also," (John 14:19).

[Hebrews 2:16] "For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants." Angels do not experience death and have no need of redemption, so it would be Abraham’s seed who are helped and in need of redemption. In Galatians 3:26-29 we are told of our new family. It is our second birthday when we are reborn into God’s family of believers.

"You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise."

[Hebrews 2:17-18] "For this reason he had to be made like his brothers 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."

Jesus identified Himself with us, and through this identity, He is able to sympathize with us. It is almost impossible to understand another person’s troubles, unless we have been through similar troubles, ourselves. A person who has never sorrowed, cannot really understand another person’s grief. Jesus knew our sorrows and He faced our temptations, so He knows the help we need and He is able to give it.

When we have a problem, it is very helpful to talk with someone who has experienced the same problem. We know, they know. Since we all have a sin problem, it is great to be able to talk with the divine Son of God who already experienced all we have gone through and more. Jesus became our Sympathizer (as well as our merciful and faithful high priest). Jesus experienced everything we have and to a degree that we will never know. But Jesus never sinned, so He met every temptation that was presented. The final result was victory!

Our Lord and our God knows where we hurt, when we are weak, and how we are tempted. He is the God we can go to (not only for salvation but also for sympathy). He is our Savior, our Substitute, our Sanctifier, and our salvation-Author. His victory over Satan, is our victory in Christ!