The Word Made Fresh
1That is why we should pay strict attention to what we have heard so that we don’t drift away from it. 2If the message given to us through the angels is justified, and if every sin or disobedience is given a fair sentence, 3how would we survive if we neglect the offer of salvation? That offer came first through the Lord, and was verified by those who heard him, 4while God through signs and wonders and miracles approved it, and gave the gift of the Holy Spirit by his will.
5God did not turn over the world that was to be to the angels, 6but it has been said, “What are people that you are mindful of them? They are but mortals, but you care about them. 7You have made them a little lower than the angels, but have given them crowns of glory and honor 8and made them have dominion over all things.”
Of course, when God put all things under them, nothing was left outside their influence. So, we don’t see that everything is in subjection to them, 9but we do see Jesus, who for a brief time was also a little lower than the angels. Now, however, he is crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death so that, by God’s grace, he might experience death for everyone.
10Everything exists because of God, and it was proper for him to bring many of us to glory because the progenitor of our salvation was perfected through suffering. 11The one who blesses and those who are blessed belong to the same family, and therefore Jesus is not ashamed to refer to us as siblings. 12He said, “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters, and praise you before the congregation, and 13declare my trust in you.” And he declared, “I am here with the children you have given me.”
14Of course, the children share the same flesh and blood as did he, so that through death he might do away with the devil himself who brings death, 15and set free all those whose lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. 16We can be certain that he did not come to set the angels free, but rather the children of Abraham. 17That is why he had to become like his siblings in every respect in order to be a merciful, faithful high priest in God’s service so that he could offer himself as a sacrifice to atone the sins of us all. 18And because he himself was put to the test through suffering, he can help all those who are also being tested.
Commentary
1-4: The argument continues: if angels are in divine service, we must pay greater attention to their witness. If their message is valid, and if every sin is punished, and if we don’t heed the message, we cannot escape punishment. That message was handed down to us from the Lord Jesus “by those who heard him,” (this means that the writer of Hebrews and his readers are second generation Christians) and God punctuated the message by adding miracles, etc.
5-9: The coming world referred to here is that world of which the prophets spoke, where everyone will have God’s law written on their hearts and sin and death will be no more. That world, he says, will not be under the control of the angels, but under the control of God’s faithful ones. He quotes from Psalm 8 to make the point. The problem is that people obviously aren’t in control. So, the subjection of the world cannot be to human beings. Jesus, however, fits what was said in the psalm; he was made lower than the angels, at least for a time, and suffered, tasting death “for everyone.”
10-13: Jesus, the “progenitor of our salvation,” was thus made perfect through suffering, and his suffering made him a brother to us mortals. He then quotes Psalm 22:22, Isaiah 8:18, and 12:2 to show that the Lord Jesus was indeed made our brother.
14-18: Being like us and yet conquering the power of death makes Christ, therefore, conqueror of the devil. His act of conquest over death sets free all who feared death. In order to do so he had to become one of us “in every respect,” and that qualified him to serve as the high priest who makes atonement for our sins. (This, by the way, is the first time in the Bible Jesus is referred to as the high priest – it will become a major theme of the book.) His suffering was a test, and therefore he can help all who are tested.
Takeaway
If we try to follow Jesus all by ourselves we will inevitably fail. We have to belong to a group of believers who share the faith and help us to walk faithfully. Don’t underestimate the importance of others to your growth in the faith, and don’t underestimate your own importance to their growth.