Passages To Eternal Rest Series

Hebrews 1 from the Easy-to-Read Version follows:

In the past God spoke to our people through the prophets. He spoke to them many times and in many different ways. And now in these last days, God has spoken to us again through his Son. He made the whole world through his Son. And he has chosen his Son to have all things. The Son shows the glory of God. He is a perfect copy of God’s nature, and he holds everything together by his powerful command. The Son made people clean from their sins. Then he sat down at the right side of God, the Great One in heaven. The Son became much greater than the angels, and God gave him a name that is much greater than any of their names.

God never said this to any of the angels:

“You are my Son.

Today I have become your Father.”

God also never said about an angel,

“I will be his Father,

and he will be my son.”

And then, when God presents his firstborn Son to the world, he says,

“Let all God’s angels worship him.”

This is what God said about the angels:

“He changes his angels into winds

and his servants into flaming fire.”

But this is what he said about his Son:

“God, your kingdom will last forever and ever.

You use your authority for justice.

You love what is right and hate what is wrong.

So God, your God, has chosen you,

giving you more honor and joy than anyone like you.”

God also said,

“O Lord, in the beginning you made the earth,

and your hands made the sky.

These things will disappear, but you will stay.

They will all wear out like old clothes.

You will fold them up like a coat,

and they will be changed like clothes.

But you never change,

and your life will never end.”

And God never said this to an angel:

“Sit at my right side until I put your enemies under your power.”

All the angels are spirits who serve God and are sent to help those who will receive salvation.

Hebrews 2 from the Easy-to-Read Version follows:

So we must be more careful to follow what we were taught. We must be careful so that we will not be pulled away from the true way. The teaching that God spoke through angels was shown to be true. And every time his people did something against that teaching, they were punished for what they did. They were punished when they did not obey that teaching. So surely we also will be punished if we don’t pay attention to the salvation we have that is so great. It was the Lord Jesus who first told people about it. And those who heard him proved to us that it is true. God also proved it by using miraculous signs, wonders, and all kinds of miracles. And he proved it by giving people various gifts through the Holy Spirit in just the way he wanted.

God did not choose angels to be the rulers over the new world that was coming. That future world is the world we have been talking about. It is written someplace in the Scriptures, “Why are people so important to you?

Why do you even think about them?

Why do you care about the son of man?

Is he so important?

For a short time you made him lower than the angels.

You crowned him with glory and honor.

You put everything under his control.”

If God put everything under his control, then there was nothing left that he did not rule. But we don’t yet see him ruling over everything. For a short time Jesus was made lower than the angels, but now we see him wearing a crown of glory and honor because he suffered and died. Because of God’s grace, Jesus died for everyone.

God—the one who made all things and for whose glory all things exist—wanted many people to be his children and share his glory. So he did what he needed to do. He made perfect the one who leads those people to salvation. He made Jesus a perfect Savior through his suffering.

Jesus, the one who makes people holy, and those who are made holy are from the same family. So he is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. He says,

“God, I will tell my brothers and sisters about you.

Before all your people I will sing your praises.”

He also says,

“I will trust in God.”

And he says,

“I am here, and with me are the children God has given me.”

These children are people with physical bodies. So Jesus himself became like them and had the same experiences they had. Jesus did this so that, by dying, he could destroy the one who has the power of death—the devil. Jesus became like these people and died so that he could free them. They were like slaves all their lives because of their fear of death. Clearly, it is not angels that Jesus helps. He helps the people who are from Abraham. For this reason, Jesus had to be made like us, his brothers and sisters, in every way. He became like people so that he could be their merciful and faithful high priest in service to God. Then he could bring forgiveness for the people’s sins, and can help those who are tempted. He is able to help because he himself suffered and was tempted.