This session was about Hebrews chapter 1 and chapter 2.
The author is answering: who is Jesus Christ in verses 1-4 - Jesus is greater than the prophets.
Verse 2: All things came to Him (heir of all) and all things came through Him (creation). The Alpha and Omega. He speaks with the full authority of God - "you have heard it was said, but I say to you."
Verse 3: ideas given to us to understand exactly what Christ represents:
1) radiance of the glory of God. Not a reflection but a shining forth
2) exact imprint - a stampor an impression. That would have been for them a perfect example for representation - a word picture. If you want to know what God looks like, look at Christ.
3) upholds the universe. The sustainer of all things. Two doctrines here about what God is like.
God as creator is self-existent.
God as sustainer is self-sufficient.
What does the author want us to see from these? Jesus Christ is Lord.
Verse 3: Jesus Christ as priest - making purification for sin, then as King sitting down at the right hand of the majesty on high. The right hand of God is meaning a position of power.
Verse 4: Jesus Christ is the inheritor of an excellent name: LORD. I AM. YAHWEH.
More interesting than angels. What? In the ancient world, angels and demons were a part of their belief system and ideology as it is for us today. The author is saying there's something better and greater than angels = Jesus! Angels are divine messengers. He's going to make his point by giving us 7 OT passages. Seven = completeness.
Verse 5: Quotes Psalm 2:7 and 2 Samuel 7:14. Why? To make the distinction that angels are not sons.
Verse 6: Quotes Psalm 97:7. Not only are angels not sons but they worship Jesus. Jesus is worthy of the worship of angels and men.
Verses 7-9: Quotes Psalm 104:4 and Psalm 45:6-7. What's the contrast he's making here? Angels are servants serving the Son who is enthroned forever and ever.
So, Christ is enthroned and angels are ministering servants. He is elevated and better (Christ is).
Verses 10-12: Psalm 102. What's the contrast here? Christ is superior. He is uncreated. Angels are created beings.
Verses 13-14: Quotes from Psalm 110:1. Read this Psalm. The author is assuming the readers know the context of what these scriptures say. The author is very familiar with scriptures. He's pointing out that Christ is seated at the RIGHT hand, no an angel. The image is a footstool: the King with his foot on the necks of the ones he has overthrown. A common image of subjection.
Angels minister to Christ and to us. He is correcting their misconception and raising their vision to the better thing namely Christ as supremely sovereign.
CHAPTER 2
Continues with this pattern and follows it up with a warning.
Verses 1-4: "therefore" "drift away". He's using nautical imagery. We must moore our boats so we don't drift away from the harbor of sound teaching.
"Much closer attention." He's saying "you have what you need but you've got to pay closer attention to it."
Good word for us too. Does the modern church today understand the supremacy of Christ? We don't even understand the trinity. Don't become cultural Christians. "The message by angels proved to be reliable" - what? They mediated the Mosaic covenant. What is the point he's making? God gave the law at Mt. Siani. Obedient = blessings. Disobedience = cursings. It was true and reliable. God does both and is faithful to both. Why do you need both transgression and disobedience? Transgression is an active sinning against a boundary. It's willfull. Disobedience is a sin of omission. Co-mission and omission.
Verse 4: Jesus performs miracle and the apostles als. What is the point of the warning here? He's saying "we've received a much better thing": a new covenant. He's saying "what do you think will happen to us who have received a much better covenant but tread lightly with it?" When we hear these warnings we can ask ourselves "does my life look any different than an intellectual ascent to God?"
Verses 5-8: Quotes Psalm 8:4-6. He's saying angels have powers and continuous access to the throne of God, not subject to death. Jesus, during His humanity, is limited so becomes a little lower than the angels.
Verses 8-9: Nothing is out of His control but it doesn't look like that right now. The author is saying - much like our world today. He's pointing them towards what is unseen.
Verses 10-11: How is the one who is already perfect made perfect through suffering? It's the idea of being made complete. It means as He suffered and suffered well, He was proven to be, shown to be perfect.
Verses 12-13: No summary.
Verses 14-15: Think about the things we are in bondage to are linked to a fear of death.
Verse 16: We are the offspring of Abraham.
Verses 17-18: A sympathetic high priest. His final point is that angels are not a part of the family of God like the children of Abraham are. Christ our brother!
Next: session 3 Chapter 3
