Hebrews 2

Hebrews is incredibly difficult for me. Probably because it's so....logical. Anyways, I'm still really excited to be reading this over break because about two years ago, when I heard that my college church was going through the book of hebrews for bible study, I decided to purchase the book they were using, the NIV application commentary on the book of hebrews! Here I am two years later and I'm finally reading it with life group!

Better late than never, right?

Chapter 2. My questions after reading the NIV, NASB, and the message:
1. What message spoken by angels?
2. Salvation was a) announced by God, b) "confirmed" by those who heard (accepted?) [Message said that salvation was "passed on to us by those who heard it from him"]...different. Confirmed means those who heard it and testified to it. The audience of Hebrews did not hear Jesus firsthand. c) proven by signs, wonders, gifts of the H.S.
3. God has subjected the world to come to man.
4. What does it mean, "little lower than the angels?" talking of man or Jesus?
5. Jesus was made little lower than angels AND was glorified. Man was made little lower than angels and will BE glorified (it has not yet come to pass).
6. How was Jesus "perfected" by suffering? Verse 18- Jesus suffered when he was tempted. Jesus became the perfect mediator and representative of man to God (priest) because he too was tempted, tested, tried, suffered.
7. Jesus calls us his brothers.

Now here are some conclusions after reading the passage/commentary and some application in my own life:
1. The God of the bible is the same throughout it. Some christians have the mindset that the OT God was one of punishment and wrath while the NT God is one of grace and forgiveness. We see here that the author says, if the God of the OT and the old covenant did not spare punishment for a lesser revelation of salvation, what will he do now that there is a greater revelation through JC? (Rhetorical answer: the punishment will be greater.) The punishment for drifting is not specific but it is there.

For my own personal life, this is actually especially relevant. Sure, I don't face the same persecution and harsh life to turn from the true Gospel and true Christianity as the audience of Hebrews did. But I do very much face the materialism and pleasures of this world that tempt me to turn from the true Gospel and true Christianity. I like how the word is "drifting." It's something that happens, not necessarily intentionally, but slowly and gradually. To catch oneself drifting is very frightening. I do not want to drift back and forth but to be living with purpose, truth; I do not want to be told that according to the length of time I've been a Christian, I should be bearing more fruit (later on in Hebrews) but instead I'm still a babe. I want to be growing in God each year no matter how old I get.

2. Everything is subjected to Christ. And everything WILL be subjected to Christ. And Earth will be subjected to man. The kingdom of God has come but it is not yet complete. Here but not yet...

3. The incarnation is really important. Really. How fitting that we're doing this over Chrismas break! Without Christ becoming man, he would not be the perfect mediator. He would not be a perfect mediator between man and God if he did not know temptation, testing, trials, and suffering. He wouldn't be "the way" if he did not come, make himself one of us, and then showed us the way to the Father - living through trust. We would not be his children/brothers. Finally, he wouldn't have experienced death and conquered it if he didn't become human or "made little lower than angels."

Incarnational ministry. Hard stuff. Can I become like someone else, to try to understand where they are coming from, how they think, and what they think about Christ and try to point them to Christ from there?

I think this post is long and nerdy enough. Today, I was thankful for:
1. AAA saying that renewing my car insurance might be lower than the price they originally gave me.
2. The food that God provided me - Curry in the morning and subway at lunch and free cookies and coffee in the afternoon!
3. The encouragement/rebuke from Hebrews and from God.