God Put Jesus in Charge of Everything
May 16, 2020
Commentary
The writer asks his readers to pay attention to the truth they have heard so that they won’t drift away into false teaching. In chapter one we saw Jesus as the Son of God, the creator and sustainer of the universe, the heir of all things, seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Now in chapter two we see Him in quite a different light. He is pictured here as the Son of man, suffering and dying for poor, lost sinners. The writer makes an urgent appeal for men not to neglect salvation (vv. 1-4). The warning seems to have been directed to non-Christians, specifically Jews, who had been intellectually convinced of the gospel but had failed to receive it for themselves. If the neglect and disobedience of the word spoken by angels was not left unpunished, much less will it be tolerated if we neglect the gospel which the Lord of angels preached, and was confirmed by the voice of the apostles, and with so many signs and wonders from heaven, and especially with great and mighty working of the Holy Spirit (v. 3). The author teaches us what man’s intended destiny is, how and why it was lost, and how it can be recovered through Christ:
- Man’s destiny revealed by God (vv. 5-8). When God created man, He made him lower than angels. Man is confined to the earth while angels have access to the throne of God.
- Man’s destiny restricted by Sin (v. 8b). The earth originally was subject to man but because of Adam’s fall man is now subject to the earth.
- Man’s destiny recovered by Christ (v. 9). Christ came to die for us that we might have life forever with Him.
Application
When I’m confused by present day events and anxious about the future, I need to remember Jesus’ true position and authority. He is Lord of all and one day He will rule on earth as He does now in Heaven. This truth can give stability to my decisions day by day.
Hebrews 2:1– 9 (NET)
1 Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For if the message spoken through angels proved to be so firm that every violation or disobedience received its just penalty, 3 how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first communicated through the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him, 4 while God confirmed their witness with signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
5 For he did not put the world to come, about which we are speaking, under the control of angels. 6 Instead someone testified somewhere: “What is man that you think of him or the son of man that you care for him?
7 You made him lower than the angels for a little while. You crowned him with glory and honor.
8 You put all things under his control.”
9 but we see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by God’s grace he would experience death on behalf of everyone.