Hebrews 2:10-11 In bringing many children into glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.
 
DO you read this and know God’s expansive love for you? You can immediately see his love in the phrase bringing many children into glory. Think of it. Where were we?
   Stained with Adam’s sin, we were born cast from Eden, barred from God’s presence. We were dead in transgressions (Ephesians 2:5). We were alienated from God and were enemies in (our) minds because of (our) evil behavior (Colossians 1:21).
   But in his great love for us, God the Father delegated God the Son to bring many children into his glory, to come back home. These are not just a few people or a small chosen group to enter into a holy relationship with God. “Many” means a large, diverse number of people of all social classes, cultural and religious backgrounds. In the early church, God quickly brought thousands of people into his glory. Communities and countries began to change as God’s children loved God and loved others.
   How were they called? Jesus, the source of life became the perfect sacrifice. This does not mean Jesus had to suffer to become perfect. It does mean that Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for God’s many children. His suffering and death is God’s holy pathway to God’s glory.
   Our suffering Savior became our holy Brother. With love and joy he welcomes us into God’s family. Jesus is not bitter that he had to suffer such a horrible death for our souls. He does not complain that the Father gave him an unworthy mission or a work that was beneath his glory.
   But Jesus’ work on the cross is the means to a joyful family reunion. Through Jesus we have rejoined God into Eden’s holy relationship. God has fulfilled his promises and prophesies. Jesus has overcome the hateful sin nature that broke the family union. We can now be holy with God, together as one people.
   Again Hebrews returns to the Old Testament Scriptures that point to God’s victory. In Hebrews 12:12, he quotes Psalm 22:22 “I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises.”  And from Isaiah 8:17-18 Hebrews 2:13 And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me.”
   Praise God for the holy family reunion. Sing praises to Jesus. He is your perfect Savior. Trust him. He has led you into glory.

Hebrews 2:1-4 We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
 
WE have read in Hebrews the ways Christ is Supreme over all creation. We have learned that God values us, and his angels serve us as we live in our salvation and prepare for heaven. How then should we respond? “Therefore, pay more careful attention.”
   Pay attention to God’s teaching, so you stay on track. It’s easy to read the Bible and then forget what we read. We walk out of church and can scarcely recall the sermon’s main points. A problem confronts us, and we pay little attention to God’s wisdom to solve the problem. Drifting away is easy to do when we pay little attention to the pathway God has clearly paved for a blessed walk through life.
   The message spoken by angels is Hebrews’ reference to the law. The Jews’ believed and the apostle Paul wrote the angels had delivered the law to Moses: Galatians 3:19b The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator (Moses). The Jews needed to pay attention because the law bound them to a particular way to live and to worship God. Jews who did not pay attention to the law were judged under its penalty. Jews who paid attention to the law were judged into blessing. The law was just. God wrote it. God judged its obedience and disobedience.
   Dear church, pay attention to what God is telling you. Don’t drift mindlessly from such a great salvation. The LORD first announced in Genesis he would destroy sin through a Savior. He confirmed the promise through the prophets. The LORD then affirmed he had done so through the apostles. Pay attention to God’s words from ancient times, through the millennia and to this day.
   Pay attention. Hear God’s testimonies of signs, wonders and various miracles. Jesus gave these signs. The apostles gave these signs. Thousands fed, the winds stilled, the dead raised, the blind saw, the lame walked and people called on the name of the Lord to be saved.
   Pay attention. The Holy Spirit has distributed his gifts according to God’s will. Where do you find joy and purpose in the church? What is your heart’s passion to help people pay attention to God? Are you a teacher, caregiver, prayer warrior, an administrator, an accountant or a peacemaker? Ignoring your gifts, you pay little attention to God’s purpose for you. You will drift from his way into confusion and complacency.
   Paying attention is being purposeful. Pay attention to who you are: saved in Jesus’ blood by God’s grace. Pay attention to what you read and what you hear. You’ll learn what you need to know. Pay attention to those around you. They might help you, or you might help them. Pay attention to your Lord. He is paying attention to you.     
 

Hebrews 1:14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?  
 
WE have read of the angels’ power and authority. One way they serve God is to serve those who will inherit salvation.
   Salvation has both a now and future meaning. Your salvation is now as you confess your faith in Jesus. Also, the meaning here is that your salvation is your future home in heaven. As you live under God’s grace now, his angels minister to you.
   The 16th-century Reformer, commentator and teacher John Calvin said it this way, “The angels are the dispensers and administrators of the divine benevolence toward us; they regard our safety, undertake our defense, direct our ways, and exercise a constant kindness that no evil befall us.”
   One example is in 2 Kings, where warrior angels defend the prophet Elisha. The King of Aram has sent a large army to capture Elisha. As Elisha’s servant fearfully asked, “Oh, my lord, what shall we do?” “Don’t be afraid.” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 And Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. Throughout church history there are testimonies of such guardian angels protecting people. Others have witnessed angels rescuing one from an accident or leading people to safety.
   God’s ministering angels are the Sovereign Lord’s agents to answer your prayers. Pray for yourself and others that God will send his ministering angels to those in need. You can pray for your children and grandchildren that the ministering angels will protect them from evil. You can pray ministering angels will care for pastors who are tired and overcome with their responsibilities. You can pray ministering angels will comfort those who mourn and keep them close to God in their grief. Who needs God’s care? Pray for them.
   God loves you. He has saved you. He wants you to know he has created you to have a special place in his universe and in his heaven. Hebrews 2:7-8 quotes Psalm 8:4-6 to affirm this further:  You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor 8 and put everything under his feet.”
      God has given you purpose and authority. Live well into it as you obey his commands and receive his help. 

Hebrews 1:7  In speaking of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire.”
 
WE continue with Hebrews reference to Old Testament scriptures to prove Jesus’ superiority to the angels.
 
Verse 7 is from Psalm 104:4: Angels are God’s messengers. They are like wind that move throughout the earth following God’s orders and serving him. Wind and fire are strong. They also diminish and change direction. Angels can be gentle helpers. They can be strong warriors.
 
In contrast, Hebrews then quotes from Psalm 45:6-7 of Jesus’ eternal reign:
 
Hebrews 1:8-9 But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved  righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”
 
With the phrase he says, Hebrews is teaching us that God spoke the Old Testament scriptures. And what did God say? He says Jesus is the source of the angels’ work. Jesus is exalted above all creatures. Jesus’ throne represents his power. Righteousness is the means by which Jesus wields his power. His words are true. His judgments are complete. His salvation is unchangeable. Certainly angels do not have this authority.
   Verses 9 underscores Jesus’ perfection. He loved righteousness to the point he submitted to and suffered the cross. As a result, he is holy, set above all others. Jesus came to fulfill the law. His mission is complete until he comes again.  
 
Jesus is sovereign Creator:
 
Hebrews 1:10-12 He also says,

“In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 11 They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. 12 You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.”
 
These words from Psalm 102:25-27 reinforce Jesus’ eternal deity. He is Son, and he is Creator. He will reign when all the earth has passed away into the new heaven and earth.
 
The writer adds more evidence of Jesus’ Kingship from Psalm 110:1:
 
Hebrews 1:13 To which of the angels did God ever say, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet?”
This Psalm asks a rhetorical question. Not even the archangels, the highest order of angels, sit in God’s presence. Revelation 8:2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.
 
God has an ordered universe. Where do we, his church, fit into this order? The answer is next.

​Above the Angels
 
Hebrews 1:4-5 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. 5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father”? (from Psalm 2:7) Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”? (from 2 Samuel 7:14)
 
JESUS is the Son of God. This is the name the Father has given him. His name is superior to the angels. Why is this important to prove Jesus’ supremacy?
   Again, what we may consider obvious was not evident to the Jews, nor to anyone else in the beginning church. Jesus’ life as a man born in poverty, worked as a carpenter and died a criminal’s death are reasons many rejected him then and now. Hebrews wants all to know Jesus is higher even than the angels.  
   Angels are revealed in the Old Testament as God’s powerful messengers. They were in the Garden to protect the Tree of Life, so that man would not gain eternal life (Genesis 3). They are active in Sodom’s and Gomorrah’s’ destruction. The Angel of the Lord is revealed as a holy, powerful angel, causing great fear to those to whom he appears  (Joshua, Judges). Daniel tells us Michael led the angels in the war against Satan. Angels are God’s agents of judgment and salvation over the earth. And they  are below the Son of God.
   The Hebrews author then used seven Old Testament scriptures to prove his point. It’s good to use God’s Word to prove who God is. We’ll examine those in succession here and the next lesson.
   The first two in verse 5 were fulfilled in Jesus’ baptism and Transfiguration. On both occasions, the Father called Jesus, “My son.” (Mark 1:11, Mark 9:7 and 2 Peter 1:17). Mark’s and Matthew’s gospels witnessed the Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in Jesus. People began to learn what we are now reading in the New Testament. Jesus is God’s Son, named by God and prophesied to come through David’s line.
 
Hebrews 5:6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”
 
The is from Deuteronomy 32:43. Jesus is firstborn because he is the first resurrected from the dead. As firstborn of creation, Jesus has the title and the rights of being the Son of God. No other being can be equal to or surpass him. The angels worshiped him at his incarnation (Luke 2). They attended to him after Satan’s temptation (Matthew 4). They worship him in the heavens (Revelation 1).   
 
 
 
 

 
 

Hebrews 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
 
HEBREWS continues with the emphasis on Jesus’ supremacy. The word radiance means living wisdom. Jesus is living wisdom because he is the Word made flesh. He is the Light of the world to point the world to the Father. Jesus’ living wisdom is the effective knowledge that displays God’s glory. This is God’s supremacy evident power and authority over creation, including our hearts. 
   Jesus is the Son, who is the exact representation of God. Jesus said it this way in John 14:10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. This is unity of the Divine Nature. God and the Son are two persons in the one. The Son has come to reveal the Father. Jesus is sustaining all things by his powerful word. Through Jesus all things were created and are held together: Colossians 1:17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  
   The writer has defined Jesus as the one who both points to God and is exactly as God. This is another way to say he is Immanuel. Matthew 1:23 The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means, “God with us.” Jesus is not a representative of God. He is not a messenger or a prophet. He is God with us. He is divine in all of his being. There is no difference between the Father and the Son because the Son is the exact representation of God.
   Then we read of God’s remarkable expression of his mercy. Jesus, the divine God, provided purification for sins. He provided purification. Dwell on that a minute. From heaven came the divine God to cleanse us from all sin, so we might become God’s children. How good is God the Son to manifest himself to the world, so we will know God and know the way to be saved!
   With his work done, Jesus then sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Only the divine Son is qualified for such a high position.
   

Hebrews 1:1-2 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
 
FOR several months we have examined some of the Bible’s epistles from the apostles Peter, John and Paul and from Jesus’ half-brother Jude. Now we come to Hebrews, an epistle with an unknown author. But the letter’s purpose is clear. The first 10 of the 13 chapters center on Christ’s supremacy. Our first reaction to this may be to say, “Of course! Jesus is Lord of Lords. He is King of Kings.” But the first-century Jews, who received this letter, needed convincing. Abraham and Moses ranked as their primary God-appointed leaders. How could this crucified rabbi from Nazareth be greater than the patriarch and the prophet?
   Thus, the writer does what we have seen from the other writers. He begins to connect Jesus to their history.
   With “our forefathers” the writer first indicates he is a Jew. He has a common understanding of a shared history with the reader. He reminds them God has granted them the most privileged story in the human narrative. The author wanted God’s chosen people to be fully aware there were, indeed, many ways the prophets spoke to the Jews’ forefathers, through the prophets. Those methods include direct revelation  (Genesis 17:9 Then God said to Abraham…), visions (Ezekiel), dreams (Joseph) and miracles (daily manna for 40 years). No other people group has this foundation to its existence. This is a magnificent heritage that must always be present on each Jew’s mind.
   But now that time is ended. God’s Son has come in the last days. This is the new testament or the new covenant Jesus established at the Last Supper: Luke 22:19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” This is the last days because it is the last era of human existence on earth. The new heaven and earth is next.  
   Jesus will rule over the new heaven and earth because he is the heir of all things. He is God’s Son, who spoke the world into existence.
   This is extremely difficult for the Jews to understand. They had learned from Moses in Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. The doctrine of the Trinity, God three persons in one, is still unacceptable to the Jews.
   But it is God’s revealed truth that all should know. That’s why the Hebrews’ author carefully turns the page of God’s story to the new covenant. Moving from the past into the present will  help the Jews know Jesus is the only Way and the only Truth to reveal God’s Life to the world.
   Are you a Christian? This is  your story, too. Because you are a child of Abraham, you share the same story. Every messenger of God’s Word since Jesus’ ascension has had the responsibility and the privilege to show God to the world through Jesus.  
   Is Jesus supreme in your life? In your church? 

Jude 24-25 To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy – 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
 
THIS is the 17th lesson on Jude’s brief epistle. God’s Word contains a vast wealth of truth. It is good to stop and meditate on what is right and good for our lives. The LORD God Almighty displays a great love for us to show himself so plainly to his creation. Jude reveals some of God’s character in this benediction to close the letter.
   God is Protector and Helper. He is able to keep you from falling. Sometimes we talk of people who have fallen away from church, their faith and from God. Maybe that has happened to you. Why? God was left behind. That person rejected the means of grace: Bible reading and study, church attendance, prayer and fellowship. Leaving God behind, it is easy to fall from the truth.
   When we are in trouble, have faith challenges or simply do not know what to do next, we must remember Scripture’s powerful truths. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1) Jesus sent the Counselor – Advocate – Helper (John 16) to protect and strengthen you against adversity. You will stand firm and upright  when you seek the Lord and his righteousness. All his blessings will be added to your life. (from Matthew 6:33)
   God is Mediator. Through Jesus’ atoning death on the cross and the Spirit’s anointing you to faith, your sins are forgiven. Hebrews 7:25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. 26 Such a high priest meets our need – one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. What eternal blessing to know you will enter God’s glorious presence without fault and with great joy. Your sins are forgiven through your faith in Christ. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2)
   God is Glorious. Majestic. Powerful. Sovereign. From the Bible’s account of creation to its final words of the new creation, God’s Word declares his glory, majesty, power and authority. The universe bows to his decrees. He blesses those who obey him, and he curses those who reject him. God sets the standards of time and establishes his knowledge in the hearts of mankind. Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 
   God is Eternal. We are not entering a temporary home. Our destiny in Jesus Christ is to dwell with God, who has existed before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
   We worship a wondrous LORD God Almighty.

Jude 22-23 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear-hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
 
MERCY is one of God’s character traits. Here is a definition from McClintock and Strong Encyclopedia: “Mercy is a virtue that inspires us with compassion for others, and inclines us to assist them in their needs. The works of mercy will be acceptable to God as Christ has promised us in Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. It is not enough that mercy comes from human motives, but it must be from God. Mercy must come from truly holy motives. In Scripture mercy and truth are commonly joined together.”
   Maybe the most common expression of mercy is in Psalms 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (KJV) Other versions say “goodness and love” (NIV) or “goodness and unfailing love” (NLT) Mercy is the result of a goodness that comes from God’s love.
   Jude says that mercy must be our response to those who have doubts of Jesus’ teaching and to those who do not believe. Jude places these people in three categories.
   First, goodness must motivate us to show mercy to those who doubt. We’ve all experienced some level of doubt in God’s Word and his magnificent love for us. Sometimes we have trouble seeing him as we walk through dark valleys or watch loved ones suffer. When people express doubt regarding any aspect of God, we have the opportunity to extend mercy to their hearts. God’s mercy will grant us patience to help them understand what the Bible teaches regarding their questions.
   A second group to whom we extend mercy is those who are believing the false teachers. We must snatch others from the fire and save them with the Bible’s truth. Bible knowledge is necessary to douse the flames of unbelief that may have been ignited in some hearts and minds. Sometimes it requires another to join you, so you can help people understand God’s truth.
   The third group is those who are corrupted with evil and deny God’s Word. But Jude issues a warning. As we speak to those who deny God’s truth our mercy must be mixed with fear. This is a caution to be wary of their motives. Some are very persuasive in their arguments. We do not want to become caught in their traps of deceit stained by corrupted flesh. Sometimes, we must turn from those whose throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. (Romans 3:13 quoting Psalms 3:9) As we know, there are many who will never listen to the truth. Our work is to tell the truth. The Spirit will use our words in God’s will. We cannot be so consumed by unbelievers that they diminish our zest for the Lord.
           Be grateful and ever mindful of God’s rich mercy toward you. Ephesians 2:4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. Be merciful. Share God’s grace with those who doubt or deny his truth. Perhaps you will be the instrument of his rich mercy to save that person.  

Jude 20 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.
 
WHEN you listen to sermons, study the Bible and read books and lessons on the Christian life, what should you do next? Your answer to this question is essential to your Christian life.
   As Jude closes his letter, he guide the church into the right response to the false teachers among them. He makes two points in this verse: build and pray.
   We can understand Jude’s instruction to build yourself up in your holy faith when we examine Ephesians 2:18 For through Jesus, we both (Jews and Greeks) have access to the Father by one Spirit. 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
   The prophets and apostles have revealed the most holy faith. This is the complete understanding of God from the entire Bible. This is called the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27).
   The testimony of God comes from all that is written in Scripture. Holy faith is true faith set apart from doubt, complacency and disobedience. Such faith builds your Christian life when you begin with God’s Word as explained through his chosen messengers. Building requires full attention to this truth foundation. When you read and hear God’s Word you have the material to build your life into a strong temple of the Living God. Jude’s point is that we cannot be effective Christians if we leave what we learn in our minds. You must be responsive and responsible to the whole counsel of God.
   This life is possible when you pray in the Holy Spirit. Some get uncomfortable with this phrase because it has often been used to refer to praying in tongues. But Jude is simply referring to Spirit-empowered prayer. Paul helps us understand this in Galatians 4:6 Because you are sons and daughters, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” Praying in the Spirit is praying with the Spirit’s help and power. We are not to be as the false teaches who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. (Jude 19)
   Praying in the Spirit means you 1) pray to know God’s mind. 2) your peace and joy rests more on your love for God than his response to your petitions. 3) you rejoice that you have such access to God, regardless of the circumstances around you. 4) you pray in expectation of his will to be done in his good pleasure. 5) you pray in thanksgiving of God’s great mercy to hear your voice among the vast nations. 6) you pray with a listening heart, aware the Lord is also talking to you.
   There is always a good deal of “noise” in the world that wants to detract us from God’s holy faith. Know God and understand his voice. You will hear him more clearly and completely when you build your faith on its true foundation. In this way you can consistently and truly live in God’s full council in the Spirit’s power.