Hebrews 2:1-4 Overwhelming Evidence
After establishing Jesus’ superiority over the angels we come to His message. Since the messages received from angels were reliable and important, because of His superiority, His message should receive more importance.
“Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it” (verse 1). To start with, what is the “therefore” there for? This “therefore” refers to the fact just established; Jesus’ superiority to the angels. So what Jesus said holds more importance that the whole list of what angels have shared down through history.
This DOES NOT make the previous messages brought by angels wrong or worthless. What it does mean is that Jesus’ message trumps all else. Because of the overwhelming evidence of His relationship to God, His message carries authority that the angels messages couldn’t.
I want to make sure that I’m saying this correctly. The messages brought to man through angels came directly from God. The Law given to Moses, the prophecies shared in the Old Testament, the announcement of Jesus’ birth. ALL these messages came straight from God’s throne and were delivered verbatim by the angels. There was nothing added or subtracted from the message. It was NOT like the game “telephone.” The messages lost nothing in the process. Those messages also held authority. They came from God Himself.
The difference was the delivery. Jesus, God’s only Son, delivered His message in person. He didn’t use an intermediary. Instead, He laid aside His royal robes and stepped down into humanity to deliver a message that required His personal touch. He did what no angel could do. He LIVED His message out day to day. He showed by example exactly what He wanted from us. He didn’t drop the message off and let man move on from there with its interpretation and implementation. He walked it out through every situation.
Man had already shown how screwed up we could get God’s messages. The addition of all the rules and regulations to the Mosaic Law is one glaring example of how our implementation and interpretation could go sideways. The misinterpretation and misappropriation of the prophecies is another example.
Jesus’ daily walk with His disciples was to ingrain His words more deeply than a simple delivery could. YES, His disciples missed a LOT of the meaning along the way. But it all made sense once His final pieces were laid. Like a puzzle, you can’t see the full picture until the last piece is inserted. You begin to see details along the way but there are still parts missing up until the end. Only when the last piece is placed is the picture complete.
The message of salvation that Jesus lived out from beginning to end is TRUSTWORTHY. It was delivered in person because it is of utmost importance. It also required a personal touch. Something angels couldn’t do. Only God Himself, in the form of His Son. And He left PLENTY of witnesses to this message who passed it on to us.
I will freely admit that we have added to this message too. With our religious systems we have added “our own spin” onto the meaning of His message. “You have to say these words…” or “You must be baptized like this…” or even “If you don’t do… then you are not really saved.” I think a lot of this is because the final pieces are still waiting to be put in our puzzles. Jesus clearly gave us the plan of salvation. Believe He is EXACTLY Who He said He was, that He came to do what NO ONE else could do, and that He offers His gift of salvation FREELY to ANY who would accept it. But our interpretation of the day to day example of working that out in our lives needs His help.
Are we listening to His Spirit? Are we hearing through a heart in tune with Him? Or are we hearing with hearts filled with expectations that filter the message OUR way? WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) in our world today? How would He speak to the issues we face now? What would He say to all our denominational divisions? I can’t guarantee my “pipeline” doesn’t have “debris” clogging the way, so I won’t even attempt to be the authority.
What I will say is, go to the source. Dig into His words. Look at how He lived His message out with us and follow HIS example. Keep following His example with your whole heart. But FIRST AND FOREMOST go to HIM and have a relationship with HIM. HE takes away the confusion through that intimate relationship. He promises to give us His Spirit to live in us daily and help us with the day to day living of His message. Knowing about Him and knowing Him are two TOTALLY different things! Ask Him to help you and He WON’T turn you down or disappoint you. And keep holding fast to that relationship until He lays the final puzzle pieces of your life or His plan; whichever comes first.
Thank You Lord Jesus for Your personal example. I would have loved to walk the streets with You while You lived it out. I’m CERTAIN I would have made as many, if not more, mistakes as Your disciples did. But I still would have loved sitting at Your feet in person. I love that You let me sit there through Your word. I love the stories You told! I love the explanations that You provided. And I LOVE the understanding that You Holy Spirit brings me NOW. Each time I come to You with an open heart, You fill it with Your presence and understanding.
THANK YOU for Your personal delivery of the MOST important message of all! That You love me and want a personal relationship with me. That You have an amazing FREE gift to offer us all; the gift of salvation, freedom from sin and eternal life with You. That is the gift that keeps on giving!!! Thank You for walking it out for me. I could never earn it on my own. It could only come from You and through You.
Thank You Holy Spirit for revealing that fact to me. Thank You for helping me each day to learn more of the details of Jesus’ amazing gift and how to apply His example to my life. Thank You for directing my steps each day. Help me remember always to listen to YOU and not filter what You say through my own expectations and insecurities. I HATE when my obstacles get in the way and I lose bits and pieces along the way because they get “hung up on my hang-ups.” Help me “clean out my pipeline.” Help me hear clearer each day the messages Jesus wants to share in my life. Put a “few more puzzle pieces” in place in my life please. I really enjoy watching the picture develop! Can hardly wait for the final pieces to fall into place!!!
