Hebrews 2 - Jesus Was Tempted In Every Way Just Like We Are!

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Warning to Pay Attention

2 We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore so great a 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 by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

The preaching and teaching of the Gospel is the primary way we hear God's plan for us. The writer of Hebrews says the believers needed to "pay the most careful attention to what you have heard!" The angels spoke through the prophets and in other ways in scripture, but the message of salvation came through Jesus Christ. The message came first through Christ, when he walked this earth for three years, and then by the apostles who received the power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The preaching, teaching, signs, wonders and miracles confirmed what they had been taught. They were the living message of what Jesus said, "It is good for me to leave because you will do even greater things than me!"

 A reason many neglect their salvation is because they never see it as salvation. They see it merely as receiving something, not as being rescued from something.

Though we are saved once by what Jesus did for us on the cross and our belief in Him, we are in a sense saved every day from the power of sin, death, and the power of the devil. This is the sense in which Paul says, "Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling." Philippians 2:12

Salvation means deliverance from sin, which happens once through Jesus' once and for all sacrifice, but each day we are delivered from sin, as we obey God's Word and are led by the Holy Spirit. 

5 It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. 6 But there is a place where someone has testified: “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him? 7 You made them a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor 8 and put everything under their feet.”

This is a quote from Psalm 8:4-6. Though angels had power, they never were called to rule the world like man was. The charge given to Adam and Eve was to be fruitful and multiply and have dominion over the earth. Adam and Eve sacrificed all of that when they disobeyed God and broke their relationship with him. 

 “The divine purpose for the world is that man, not angels, is to rule in the future.” (Griffith Thomas)

In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. 9 But we do 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 the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 10 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.

Then, the author connects Jesus as the Son of Man, who became human in every way. Jesus did not appear to be human, he really was. 

t is Biblically wrong to think of Jesus as merely God or merely man. It is wrong to think of Him as half God and half man (or any other percentage split). It is wrong to think of Him as “man on the outside” and “God on the inside.” The Bible teaches Jesus is fully God and fully man, that a human nature was added to His divine nature, and both natures existed in one Person, Jesus Christ. - Guzik

Interestingly he says, "At present we do not see everything subjected to him!" With what has happened over the past 10 days in Israel, we really see that things are not under Jesus' control. The prince of this world glories in all of the violence and atrocities that have happened to thousands of innocent people. One day all of these terrorists will be subject to Jesus, who will be Lord over all. They will face the judgment they deserve now. 

Jesus as fully man was made perfect through his suffering. What does this mean? 

This is the ultimate illustration of the fact that real love, real giving, involves sacrifice. As David said: nor will I offer… offerings to the LORD my God which costs me nothing (2 Samuel 24:24). God’s love for us had to show itself in sacrifice and God could not sacrifice unless He added humanity to His deity and suffered on our behalf. - Guzik

Though Jesus suffered death as a man, he was raised in glory. He tasted death so that he could defeat sin, death, and the power of the devil once and for all on the cross. When Jesus cried, "It is finished", He had defeated the enemy once and for all though for a while the devil is still the ruler of this world. We live in the in time between Jesus' death and resurrection and His imminent return where all things will come under His rule. 

11 Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. 12 He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.” 13 And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me.”

Jesus made us holy by dying for us on the cross. Jesus can truly call us his brothers and sisters, because he was human. Note it also says, "We are being sanctified". We are made holy through Christ, but he continues to make us holy through the Holy Spirit, who lives in us and transforms us from the inside out. One day we will be completely holy, when we are delivered from sin and inherit our heavenly nature. 

14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

By becoming human and dying Jesus was able to break the power the power of death and the one who holds the power of death, the devil. We are freed from the slavery of the fear of death as well. We don't have to fear death anymore because of Jesus' victory on the cross. Jesus' death was not for the angels but for all of us. When the writer says, "Abraham's descendants", he means all people both Jews and Gentiles. 

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God. Romans 2:28-29

Finally, the author says something really important for us. Because Jesus was fully human, he was tempted and suffered in every way. Jesus knows what it is like to be tempted, so he can help us when we are tempted. The people I can relate to the most are people who are honest about their struggles and temptations. We give temptation more power when we deny it, or act like we are above it. Though Jesus never sinned, he was tempted to sin so he knows what it is like to be tempted. 

The biggest temptation Jesus faced was in the garden when he was tempted to not go through the suffering the cross would bring. He knew God's full wrath against sin would be poured out upon him on the cross. This is why he said, "Father if possible take this cup from me, but not my will but yours be done!"

The cup symbolized God wrath being poured out on Jesus on the cross. Jesus faced the biggest and most dangerous temptation the world has ever seen because to give into it would have prevented him from being the sinless sacrifice for us. If Jesus had sinned, he would have been able die for our sin. But thanks be to God that Jesus was tempted in every way but DID NOT sin. Therefore, when we are tempted we can go to him and he can give us the same power he used to overcome temptation through the power of the Holy Spirit!