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Hebrews Chapter Two

 
Lest We Drift Away (2:1-4)
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1. The author of "The Epistle To The Hebrews" was concerned about the
 spiritual well-being of his initial recipients...
 a. They were fellow Jews who had become Christians
 b. His concern is that they not drift back into Judaism
 c. He deals with this problem in two ways:
 1) By emphasizing the superiority of Christ and the New Covenant
 2) By a series of exhortations for them to remain steadfast
 
2. In chapter one we saw...
 a. The superiority of Christ to the prophets - He 1:1-3
 b. The superiority of Christ to the angels - He 1:4-14
 
3. Now we come to the first of several exhortations - cf. He 2:1-4
 a. In which we find a warning about the danger of "drifting"
 b. The figure suggested is that of a boat...
 1) Drifting along at an almost imperceptible pace
 2) Carried along in the wrong direction by a subtle current
 
4. In this lesson, I want us to examine...
 a. The reasons behind such an exhortation
 b. Various "currents" that can cause us to "drift away"
 c. The key to avoiding "drifting away"
 
[Let's begin, then, with some...]
 
I. REASONS FOR THIS EXHORTATION
 
 A. THE REAL DANGER OF "DRIFTING"...
 1. It is possible for us to "drift away" from our salvation!
 a. We can certainly "neglect" our salvation - He 2:3
 b. Later, we will learn that we can "depart" from God - He 3:
 12-14
 c. Also, that one can so "fall away" that it becomes 
 impossible to renew them to repentance! - He 6:4-6
 d. One can reach a point where the sacrifice of Christ is no 
 longer available for their sins! - He 10:26-27
 2. The danger of "drifting" is very real!
 a. It is possible for a child of God to so sin as to be lost!
 b. Otherwise, such an exhortation as this is meaningless!
 
 B. THE DIGNITY OF THE ONE THROUGH WHOM GOD HAS SPOKEN...
 1. As noted in He 1:1-2, God now speaks to us through His Son
 a. We have seen that this Son is:
 1) Superior to the prophets - He 1:1-3
 2) Superior to the angels - He 1:4-14
 b. We have seen that this Son is:
 1) The appointed Heir of all things!
 2) The brightness of God's glory, the express image of His
 person!
 3) Our Sustainer and Redeemer!
 4) The "Firstborn" who receives worship
 5) "God" enthroned and anointed
 6) The "LORD" (Yahweh) who is the eternal creator
 7) The "Sovereign", reigning at God's right hand
 2. When God spoke through angels...
 a. His word proved steadfast
 b. Every transgression and disobedience received a just reward
 - He 2:2
 3. How much more, then, when He speaks through His Son!
 a. Will not His word prove just as steadfast?
 b. Will not every unrepented transgression and disobedience
 receive a just reward?
 -- Dare we neglect the Word of God spoken through His Son?
 
 C. THE CONFIRMATION GIVEN THIS REVELATION...
 1. The word spoken by the Son was confirmed by His apostles 
 - He 2:3
 a. Individuals who were eyewitnesses - Ac 10:39-41; 2 Pe 1:16
 b. Men who endured much to serve Him - cf. 1 Co 4:9-13
 2. The word spoken by the Son was confirmed even more! - He 2:4
 a. By God Himself, through signs, wonders, and miracles 
 - cf. Jn 10:37-38
 b. By the Holy Spirit, with gifts according to His will 
 - cf. 1 Co 12:7-11
 -- Shall we neglect that Word to which such have born witness?
 
 D. WHAT WE LOSE IF WE "DRIFT AWAY"...
 1. We lose "so great a salvation"! - He 2:3
 2. It is a "great salvation", because it offers such things as:
 a. The forgiveness of sin
 b. Transformation of character by providing power over sin
 c. Assurance of God's fatherly presence
 d. A clear and peaceful conscience
 e. A glorious hope for eternity
 -- Dare we lose all this through "neglect"?
 
[Just as those who neglected the word spoken through angels (i.e., the
Law of Moses) lost their "promised land", so there are grave
consequences for those who neglect the salvation spoken of by the Son
of God! Such "neglect" is possible when we "drift away".
 
Following the metaphor of drifting, what "currents" might cause one to
drift?]
 
II. "CURRENTS" THAT CAN CAUSE US TO DRIFT
 
 A. THE CURRENT OF "TIME"...
 1. In which we grow weary of doing good, a concern expressed in
 Ga 6:9
 2. As time passes by...
 a. We can gradually lose some of the fervor of our devotion 
  - e.g., Re 2:4
 b. We may begin to rest on past accomplishments, and cease 
 pressing forward - cf. Ph 3:13-14
 
 B. THE CURRENT OF "FAMILIARITY"...
 1. As we become familiar with the truth, it may seem common place
 to us
 a. We may lose its sense of novelty
 b. We may take it for granted
 2. Like the Ephesians we may lose our "first love" - Re 2:4
 
 C. THE CURRENT OF "SOCIETY"...
 1. The tides of modern opinion can easily induce us - 1 Co 15:33
 2. Bombarded by the secular humanism, false religions, and even 
 plastic "Christianity" offered as "truth", it is hard to 
 maintain the course!
 3. Such things can move us away from the simplicity and wisdom of
 our Lord! - e.g., 2 Co 11:2-3
 
 D. THE CURRENT OF "THE FLESH"...
 1. Our warfare is not only without, but also within - 1 Pe 2:11
 2. Our flesh is constantly waging war against our souls, and 
 against the Spirit who desires that we follow Him - Ga 5:16-17
 
 E. THE CURRENT OF "DAILY CONCERNS"...
 1. The constant pressure of daily cares, anxieties, duties, etc.,
 can distract us
 2. Jesus warned against this on several occasions - Lk 8:14; 
 21:34
 
[Any and all these things can slowly move us away from the Lord and His
great salvation if we are not careful! However, as we return to our 
text, we can learn...]
 
III. THE KEY TO PREVENT "DRIFTING AWAY"
 
 A. WE MUST GIVE "THE MORE EARNEST HEED"...
 1. Imagine yourself in a canoe, in a river with a slow moving 
 current...
 a. Failure to pay constant attention leads to drifting
 b. The drifting may be subtle, but often by the time you 
 realize it, it is too late!
 c. Last minute corrections may be made, but even then one may
 still run into the brush, crash into the rocks, or go over
 the falls!
 -- Only by giving earnest heed can that be avoided
 2. So it is with our salvation!
 a. We must be "diligent" to the task at hand - cf. 2 Pe 1:5,10
 b. There is no place to be half-hearted about this! - e.g., 
 Ph 3:12-15
 3. Note that we must give the "more" earnest heed
 a. We are to be more earnest than those who heard the word of
 God spoken through angels (i.e., the Israelites)
 1) Because we have the word of God spoken through the Son
 2) Which pertains to a salvation greater than that enjoyed
 by them
  3) To whom more is given, more is required! - cf. Lk 12:48
 b. Are you more earnest in giving heed to what you have heard,
 than those saints in the Old Testament?
 
 B. WE MUST GIVE SUCH HEED TO THE "THINGS WE HAVE HEARD"...
  1. The "things we have heard" refer to:
 a. The Word of God spoken through His Son
 b. The great salvation
 -- I.e., the gospel of Christ in all aspects!
 2. How can we do this?
 a. The Bereans provide a good example - Ac 17:11
 1) In the way in which they initially listened ("received
 the word with all readiness")
 2) In the way in which they followed up ("searched the 
 Scriptures daily...")
 b. Certainly through:
 1) Earnest attention whenever God's word is proclaimed
 2) Earnest study of God's Word on our own
 3) Earnest study in preparation for our Bible classes
 c. With the sort of study of God's Word...
  1) Entered into with a prayerful devotion to God - Ps 119:
 18
 2) Concluded with a prayerful desire to please God - Ps 
 119:10-11
 3. Are you giving "the more earnest heed to the things we have 
 heard"?
 a. Another year has past; how did you do?
 b. Another year is already started; how will you do?
 
CONCLUSION
 
1. We have been blessed to receive "so great a salvation"...
 a. A salvation spoken to us first through God's own Son!
 b. A salvation then confirmed by God Himself, the Holy Spirit, and 
 those who heard Him!
 c. A salvation much greater than any offered before!
 
2. But please note carefully...
 a. One need not "reject" or "actively fight" against this great
 salvation to "receive a just reward"
 b. Those who simply "drift away" through "neglect" will also not 
 escape!
 1) Escape what?
 2) From what we learn later, it will be "much worse punishment"!
 - cf. He 10:28-29
 
Have you neglected this great salvation Jesus offers? If so, may this
first exhortation found in "The Epistle To The Hebrews" move you to
repent, and cause you to give "the more earnest heed" to the gospel of
Christ!

Advantages Of Jesus' Humanity (2:5-18)
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1. Following his warning against drifting (He 2:1-4), the writer of
 Hebrews continues to illustrate Jesus' superiority to angels...
 a. In the first chapter the emphasis was on Jesus' deity
 b. Now the focus is on Jesus' humanity
 
2. One can imagine the sort of objections that could be raised about 
 Jesus' humanity...
 a. When Jesus became flesh, didn't that make Him lower than the 
 angels?
 b. How then can it be said that He is superior to angels?
 
3. The response is that Jesus' humanity provided several advantages...
 a. In regaining man's lost dominion
 b. In bringing many sons to glory
 c. In disarming Satan, and delivering us from the fear of death
 d. In becoming a sympathetic high priest
 
[Yes, becoming flesh did not prove to be a handicap or a mark of
inferiority; rather, it served to make Him "perfect"! To see how, 
let's note how Jesus' humanity first...]
 
I. ENABLED JESUS TO REGAIN MAN'S LOST DOMINION (2:5-9)
 
 A. MAN ONCE HAD DOMINION OVER THE EARTH...
 1. At the beginning, man was given dominion over God's creation 
 - Gen 1:26-28
 2. David marveled that God set man over His works - Psa 8:4-6
 a. Even though man was made "a little lower than the angels"
 b. Yet God "crowned him with glory and honor"!
 
 B. MAN HAS LOST THAT DOMINION...
 1. As is rather evident: "But now we do not yet see all things
 put under him." - He 2:8
 2. As a result of The Fall, man lost his dominion
 
 C. JESUS, AS A MAN, REGAINED THAT DOMINION!
 1. Jesus was "made a little lower than the angels"; i.e., He 
 became a man!
 2. Because of His suffering of death, He was "crowned with glory
 and honor"!
 a. What man once had and lost...Jesus has regained!
  b. Those who are in Him share in that rule, both now and in
 the future!
 1) Seated at the right hand of God, Christ rules over all 
 - cf. Ep 1:20-22
 2) Those in Christ sit together with Him - cf. Ep 2:4-6
 3) Especially so, when we pass from this life to the 
 next... - cf. Re 2:26-27; 3:21
 
[Such dominion, both now and in "the world to come", was never given
to angels (He 2:5). Man had it and lost it. Becoming a man and 
suffering death enabled Jesus to regain that dominion for man!
 
By the same suffering and death, Jesus was able to "taste death for
everyone" (He 2:9). By the grace of God, then, His humanity also...]
 
II. ENABLED JESUS TO BRING MANY SONS TO GLORY (2:10-13)
 
  A. HIS SUFFERINGS IN THE FLESH WERE "FITTING"...
 1. God gave Jesus the task...
 a. To bring many sons to glory (to restore man to his position
 of glory and honor)
 b. To be the "author" (captain, pioneer, leader) of man's 
 salvation
 2. His sufferings in the flesh made Jesus "perfect" for the task!
 a. This is not to imply that Jesus was imperfect when He was
 on the earth
 b. The word "perfect" means to be "complete, effective,
 adequate"
 c. To be complete and effective as our Savior and High Priest,
 Jesus' sufferings were necessary - cf. He 2:18
 
 B. HIS HUMANITY MAKES HIM "ONE" WITH THOSE BEING SAVED...
 1. Even though He is the One who "sanctifies", and they are
 "being sanctified"
 2. His humanity (and suffering) makes them "all of one"
 3. Such identity with man makes Jesus proud to call us 
 "brethren"! - He 2:12-13
 
[The idea of Jesus as the One whose suffering in the flesh makes Him 
the perfect author of our salvation, and not ashamed to call us 
brethren, is expanded even further in the remaining verses of the 
chapter. Here we see that the humanity of Jesus...]
 
III. ENABLED JESUS TO DISARM SATAN AND DELIVER US FROM THE FEAR OF 
 DEATH (2:14-16)
 
 A. JESUS' DEATH GAVE HIM VICTORY OVER THE DEVIL...
 1. Through His own death and resurrection, Jesus "destroyed" the
 devil!
 a. The devil is still very active - cf. 1 Pe 5:8-9
 b. But though he once "had" (past tense) the power of death, 
 no more! - cf. Re 2:18
 2. His power greatly weakened by Jesus' victory over death, Satan
 will be destroyed for all time at the time of our own 
 resurrection! - cf. Re 20:10-12
 
 B. JESUS' DEATH GAVE US FREEDOM FROM THE FEAR OF DEATH...
 1. A fear that keeps many in bondage throughout their lifetime
 2. But the faithful Christian need not fear death!- cf. Ro 8:
 37-39; 1 Co 3:21-23; Ph 2:21
  3. Thus it is to the "seed of Abraham" (faithful Christians, cf.
 Ga 3:29), and not to "angels" that Jesus has given such aid!
 - He 2:16
 
[Finally, partaking of flesh and blood, suffering and dying on the
cross...]
 
IV. ENABLED JESUS TO BE A SYMPATHETIC HIGH PRIEST (2:17-18)
 
 A. JESUS IS A MERCIFUL AND FAITHFUL HIGH PRIEST...
 1. In coming to this world, Jesus was "made like His brethren"
 2. He became like man "in all things"
 3. This equipped Him for the role of a merciful and faithful high
 priest
 a. "In things pertaining to God"
 b. "To make propitiation for the sins of the people"
 c. We read later that the role of high priest involved 
 offering gifts and sacrifices for sin - He 5:1
 
 B. HE IS ABLE TO AID THOSE WHO ARE TEMPTED...
 1. He too has suffered, and been tempted, though we learn later
 He remained without sin - He 4:15
 2. Such suffering makes Him compassionate - cf. He 5:2
 3. Therefore those who come to Him can expect to receive mercy 
 and grace in time of need! - cf. He 4:16
 
CONCLUSION
 
1. What angel has accomplished such things as...
 a. Regain man's lost dominion?
 b. Bring many sons to glory?
 c. Disarm Satan, and deliver us from the fear of death?
 d. Become a sympathetic high priest?
 
2. All these things (and certainly much more) Jesus has done by virtue
 of becoming man...
 a. Yes, He became "a little lower than the angels"
 b. But in so doing, even His humanity makes Him far superior to
 angels!
 
3. With the first two chapters we see the superiority of Jesus...
 a. Over the prophets, as God's perfect spokesman
 b. Over the angels, by virtue of His deity and His humanity
 -- Why should we ever want to turn our back on such a Savior?
 
We have also seen that Jesus, who was tempted, who has suffered and
tasted death for everyone, is not ashamed to call us "brethren". Are
we ashamed to call Him "Lord"? Are we willing to serve Him as Lord?

－－《Executable Outlines》

Perfect salvation

What is man

You care for him

I. The danger of neglecting salvation

1. The first warning

2. Pay careful attention

3. Confirm the salvation

II. The Son superior to angels

1. Bring to glory

2. Being one in the Lord

3. Destroy the power of death

III. Help those who are being tempted

1. Not to help angels

2. Make like in every way

3. Make atonement for sins

－－ Chih-Hsin Chang《An Outline of The New Testament》