Jesus Is Ruler Of All The Earth Series

Jesus is Ruler of All the Earth

Hebrews Chapter Two

Introduction:

There are two hundred and fifty-six names given in the Bible for the Lord Jesus Christ, and I suppose this was because He was infinitely beyond all that any one name could express.

Billy Sunday, in a sermon, “Wonderful,” quoted in The Real Billy Sunday

a. In the first chapter of Hebrews, the author established Christ superiority.

i. God speaks to us now through Jesus his Son.

1. There is no other Gospel.

ii. In chapter one, we clearly see Jesus’ superiority.

1. He is better than the prophets.

a. He is the Glory and Image of God

b. He sets at the right hand of God.

c. He has a better name.

2. He is better than the angels.

a. He is called Son.

b. He is worshipped.

c. He is king.

d. He is creator.

e. He is eternal.

b. In this chapter Paul will argue for the superiority of Jesus by showing that his humanity, and his suffering does not contradict his previous statements regarding his position in reference to angels.

I. A Superior Message v. 1-4

a. “give the more earnest heed”

A story is told of two men who got into conversation on a boat when returning from India. One was an English sportsman and the other was a missionary. The sportsman said, "I’ve been in India for 25 years, and I never saw one of the natives converted." "That’s queer," answered the missionary, "did you ever see a tiger?" "Hundreds of them," was the reply, "and I have shot dozens in the hunt." "Well, I have been in India for many years," said the missionary, "but I have never seen a tiger. But under the power of the Gospel of Christ, I have seen hundreds of the natives of India turn to the Savior!" You see, one loved hunting and was looking for tigers. The other loved individuals who needed God and was looking ways to bring them to Jesus! The Bible says, "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." \reference{Dan. 12:3}{Daniel 12:3} 252

i. This is simply a call to remember the Gospel.

1. The words “more earnest heed” in another translation is “pay much closer attention to”.

a. The Greek is προσέχω (prosechein), and it means not only to focus on a thing but also to act on it.

b. Peter in his epistle encourages his readers to know the Gospel of Christ so well that they can give an answer to every question.

1 Peter 3:15b

(15b) …. and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

ii. “should let them slip”

1. The American Standard Version

Hebrews 2:1 (ASV)

(1) ……., lest haply we drift away from them.

a. It is not the Gospel which slips from men, but men from the Gospel.

2. “From them”

a. “The verb pararuomen (παραῤῥυέω)can have several meanings. It is sometimes used as a nautical term meaning to “drift away,” as a ship not tied securely slips from its mooring and drifts away from shore to destruction. It can mean “to let slip away,” like a valuable ring slipping off the finger of a careless swimmer. It sometimes means “to take a wrong course,” like a crumb going into the windpipe and choking the person.”

b. The author is trying to tell the Hebrews not to let their persecution affect their focus on Jesus and his Gospel.

iii. The penalty for disobedience.

1. The “word” is the Law of Moses.

2. This “Law of Moses” was “spoken by angels”.

a. Angels are the messengers of God used to deliver Gods Decree.

b. The bible verifies to work of the angels in relationship to the Law of Moses.

Acts 7:53

(53) ye who received the law as it was ordained by angels, and kept it not.

Galatians 3:19

(19) What then is the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise hath been made; and it was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator.

c. Josephus (Ant. XV.5.3) has Herod remind the Jews that the noblest of the ordinances contained in the Law had been learned by them from God through angels. c.

3. Every commandment of the law had an appropriated punishment.

b. “How shall we escape”

i. Answer: We shall not escape.

ii. “Spoken by the Lord”

1. These early Jewish Christian never doubted the Old Law because they understood that it was from God.

2. The author of Hebrews is showing them that the Gospel of Christ should not be doubted on the same grounds that the Law should not be, i.e., because God authorized both.