Mountain trail with cross overlooking alpine valley and snowy peaks
Bible, Hebrews, Jesus, Proclaim, Scripture, Witnessing

PROCLAIM HIS NAME

HEBREWS 2:12

“saying, ‘I WILL PROCLAIM YOUR NAME TO MY BROTHERS, IN THE MIDST OF THE ASSEMBLY I WILL SING YOUR PRAISE.’”

We are called to proclaim the name of Jesus wherever and to whomever we can. I guarantee you the world won’t do that. If anything, the world will only take His name in vain. Don’t you just hate it when you hear someone say in disgust, “Jesus!”? I sure do. I want to ask them, “Do you know what you just said?” I wouldn’t do that unless I knew the person well. Proclaiming His name should be a delight for us all. Don’t you agree?

Here in today’s verse, we find a Messianic quotation from Psalm 22:22. Barnes says this, “The word ‘name’ is used, as it often is, to denote God himself. The meaning is, that it would be a part of the Messiah’s work to make known to his disciples the character and perfections of God – or to make them acquainted with God. He performed this. In His parting prayer John 17:6, He says, ‘I have manifested Thy name unto the men whom Thou gavest Me out of the world.’” If Jesus spent His earthly years proclaiming the name of His Father, shouldn’t we do the same?

ASK QUESTIONS (Command to Obey, Promise to claim, Sin to avoid, Application to make, Something new about God)

I believe we can see a Command to Obey and an Application to make in our verse. One of my favorite verses about proclaiming Jesus is found in Colossians 1:28. “We proclaim Him, admonishing every person and teaching every person with all wisdom, so that we may present every person complete in Christ.” Isn’t that awesome? We have a part in completing others, with making them whole by proclaiming the name of Jesus. As we proclaim, the Holy Spirit is unleashed into their lives and draws them to Jesus which completes them. Hallelujah!

Another place we find this command and application is 1 Peter 2:9. You may have this verse memorized. If not, why not memorize it this week? “But you are A CHOSEN PEOPLE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR GOD’S OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;” Woo-Hoo! Proclaim His excellencies! Why? Because He “has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”! Don’t you want others to walk in light?

Let me encourage you today to tell someone about Jesus. I had the privilege to sit in on a couple of men’s groups this week who are studying just how to do that. It begins by knowing Him and His Word. As you do that, you cannot wait to share it with others. Ask the Lord to let you cross paths with someone who needs to hear this proclamation. You may just have a part in their completion process!

We are so grateful for You allowing us to be a part of proclaiming Jesus to the world. 

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Four adults conversing in a vintage living room
Ashamed, Bible, Family, Hebrews, Sanctification, Scripture, Unashamed

ALL IN THE FAMILY

HEBREWS 2:11

“For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for this reason He is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters,”

In the 1970’s there was a sitcom that aired for nine seasons, ending in 1979. In this sitcom, Archie Bunker, a bigoted taxi driver, lives with his wife, daughter and son-in-law. We got to experience life in this family as they dealt with Archie’s ongoing antics toward just about anybody who disagreed with his worldview. Archie’s love for his family, however, was never in doubt. Family was important to him.

Don’t you just love this verse today? Look at it. We are told 1) we are all from one Father and 2) He is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters. That is just a precious promise. The word “ashamed” is epaischunomai. It “describes the inner response of being embarrassed, disgraced, or reluctant to identify with someone or something.” (Topical Lexicon) Once you are adopted into the family of God through His sanctification, He will never be ashamed to call you “brothers and sisters.” The word sisters isn’t in the Greek text but is implied in the context. We are all in the family.

ASK QUESTIONS (Command to Obey, Promise to claim, Sin to avoid, Application to make, Something new about God)

The Promise to claim is clear to see, right? Because of His sanctification we are in the family. I just said that above, but it bears repeating. I can’t recall the number of people who think if they ever “mess up,” they have to earn their way back into the family. That is not how this works. It is clear that He will not be ashamed of us. Any parent can get disappointed at the action of a child, but none should ever be ashamed to call them their child. I know some of my actions displease the Father, but I am still His child – forever!

There’s an Application to make here, as well. If I am in the family, I need to live like it. I have a friend who was raised by his grandmother. She used to always tell him as he left the house, “Don’t forget your last name.” That meant he was not to do anything to bring shame on the family name. We represent God’s family. We need to remember that as we choose our words or before we do something that is perhaps questionable. Don’t shame the name of Christ!

I would never want to do anything that would bring shame on the family of God. One of my biggest heartaches is when I hear of another brother or sister in Christ who has yielded to temptation and brought ridicule on all believers by the world. If we all lived as worthy of our sanctification, we would see less and less of that. Agreed? Let’s all live like it. After all, we are all in the family.

I give You praise for adopting me into Your big, beautiful family.

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Ship captain using binoculars on a vessel bridge overlooking rough seas
Bible, Captain, Hebrews, Originator, Salvation, Scripture

CAPTAIN OF SALVATION

HEBREWS 2:10

“For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the originator of their salvation through sufferings.”

Many years ago, I worked for Florida Baptist Children’s Homes and had a coworker who was quite the jokester. He called me Commodore. He even photoshopped my official agency picture with me wearing a boat captain’s hat. I still have that picture lying around somewhere. The only boat I captained was a three person rowboat, lol.

You may ask, “Where do you see the word “captain” in our verse today?” The Greek word translated “originator” is arxēgós “from arxḗ, ‘the first’ and ágō, ‘to lead’ – properly, the first in a long procession; a file-leader who pioneers the way for many others to follow. Arxēgós does not strictly mean ‘author,’ but rather “a person who is originator or founder of a movement and continues as the leader – i.e. ‘pioneer leader, founding leader’” (HELPS Word-studies) The word can be defined as captain or prince.

ASK QUESTIONS (Command to Obey, Promise to claim, Sin to avoid, Application to make, Something new about God)

Do you see the Something new about God here? I have never seen Jesus as Captain, even though the full definition of the Greek word definitely describes Him. This word is only used three other times in the New Testament. It is used by Peter in his second sermon found in Acts 3:15 where it says, “but put to death the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses.” Later in Acts, we find it used again by Peter in 5:31. Right after Peter tells the high priest they have to obey God rather than men (verse 29), he says, “He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” Don’t you know those words really got under their skin?

The last time we see the word arxēgós used is later in Hebrews 12:2. “looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus began the Christian faith. He was the originator, the captain, the author. He set the example for us all to follow.

Can I point out one more thing in our verse today? It’s something that you might miss. We are told that God perfected Jesus through sufferings. Look at the last phrase again. It says, “to perfect the originator of their salvation through sufferings.” Jesus was already perfect, wasn’t He? Why did God have to use sufferings to perfect Him? MacLaren says it well. “Christ’s perfecting is not the perfecting of His moral character, but the completion of His equipment for His work of being the Captain of our salvation.” God completed His work through Christ through His sufferings. What a gift to us!

Father God, I give You praise for establishing Jesus as the Captain of our salvation.

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Plate of green peas seasoned with herbs on a rustic wooden table
Bible, Death, Glory, Hebrews, Honor, Sacrifice, Scripture, Tasting

TASTING

HEBREWS 2:9

“But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of His suffering death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.”

For several years I was one of the judges for our church’s chili contest when we lived in Chattanooga. Now, I love a good chili. So, I looked forward to tasting some of the best chili recipes in the church. However,…there were some chilis that were not so good. Some even were horrible. That sounds bad, doesn’t it? Fortunately, I can’t remember whose chili they were so I can’t name names, lol. Let’s just say it took a minute for my taste buds to get over those bad ones.

The analogy the writer uses here for Jesus’ sacrificial death is one that is employed by other writers in Scripture. We see these same words used by our Savior in the gospels (Matthew 16:28; Mark 9:1; Luke 9:27) where He says, “‘Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.’” This expression was a familiar “Hebraism” back then. As Barnes explains, “Death seems to be represented as something bitter and unpalatable – something unpleasant – as an object may be to the taste.”

ASK QUESTIONS (Command to Obey, Promise to claim, Sin to avoid, Application to make, Something new about God)

Let’s call this an Application to make. As believers, our taste buds have been changed toward death. When I was a little boy, my mama used to cook LeSeur English peas all the time. You know, those little green, round peas in a can. I hated the smell and the taste of those peas. Now, I love those peas. I even like them cold in a salad. Call me strange, but my English pea taste buds have changed.

That applies to our view of death as followers of Christ. Why is that? Because our taste buds have changed spiritually. The Topical Lexicon says this about the verb “taste” used in our verse today. “The New Testament consistently employs this verb to connect bodily sensation with spiritual reality. It invites every reader to move from observation to participation—personally to taste, and thereby to know, that the Lord is indeed good.” We see that spelled out clearly in the following verse. “Taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” (Psalm 34:8)

Now that we have new taste buds related to death, we don’t fear tasting it. I am not saying death is a pleasant thing, but it should not hold a bitter taste in our mouth. For the follower of Christ, death is just a portal from this world to our heavenly home. What is bitter about that? We will never taste a spiritual death as children of God. That’s the bitter death. Let’s do all we can to help people change their taste buds.

Lord, thank You for changing my taste buds. I have tasted and can say that You are good.

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The Riverview Café, est. 1994; signs read “Under New Management” and “Coffee Brunch Bakehouse Now Open!”
Bible, Scripture, Victors, Authority, Subjection, Victory, Hebrews

NOT YET

HEBREWS 2:8

“‘YOU HAVE PUT EVERYTHING IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.’ For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.”

Today’s verse is both exciting and frustrating to me. On one hand, I am excited that God has placed everything under the feet of Jesus. We’ve mentioned this before. He is Lord over all. But on the other hand, I am frustrated that this has not happened yet. The time has not yet come. We know the time will come sooner or later. I may not see this in my lifetime, but then again, I might.

The quote is from Psalm 8:6. We’ve seen the writer quote Psalm 8:4-6 in verses 6-8 of Hebrews 2. He makes it perfectly clear that “all things” are subject to the Son. He says, “He left nothing that is not subject to him.” I like what Matthew Poole says about the last phrase of this verse. “it is evident to our sense and experience, that though he hath obtained this sovereign dominion over all on his ascension, yet he hath not exerted his power in utterly subjecting and triumphing over his enemies at present, nor in reducing all his own people to subjection to him; yet this shall be gradually done in every age, and completely when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, to punish his enemies with everlasting destruction,”

ASK QUESTIONS (Command to Obey, Promise to claim, Sin to avoid, Application to make, Something new about God)

The Promise to claim is clear here. One day we will see this. 1 Corinthians 15:24-26 tell us so. “24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to our God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.”

Won’t that be a glorious day? Can you imagine a perfect kingdom ruled by a perfect ruler? No more elections to try and get a better President or Prime Minister or Governor. Jesus will reign supreme. He will reign with power and authority. He will vanquish all that is evil from this place and establish a new heaven and a new earth. We will see this one day.

I could also point us to a Command to Obey. Now, you may say I don’t see a command in that verse. And you would be right. But isn’t there one implied? If all things are going to be subject to Him, that includes us. We must subject ourselves to Him. We need to do that now. Don’t wait until that day. Subject yourself to Jesus today. Allow Him to rule your life supremely. You won’t be disappointed.

All things will be under Your feet, O Lord. I bow before You today.

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Newborn baby in manger with Mary, Joseph, donkey, and ox
Angels, Bible, Glory, Heaven, Hebrews, Humanity, Scripture

TEMPORARY STATUS

HEBREWS 2:7

“‘YOU HAVE MADE HIM FOR A LITTLE WHILE LOWER THAN ANGELS; YOU HAVE CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOR;’”

When I travel to other countries as part of my missionary role with Every Man a Warrior, I know my resident status there is only temporary. In most cases, I have applied for a visa which clearly states how long I can stay in that country. If I overstay my visa, I could be arrested and deported. Temporary means exactly that – temporary. Oh, but I know my status in heaven will be eternal one day. Isn’t that awesome?

We see the writer of Hebrews continue the quotation from Psalm 8 by quoting verse 5. As he applies this Old Testament verse to Jesus, he is stressing the point that Jesus’ earthly dwelling was indeed a temporary thing. He voluntarily took on a human form to complete the mission given to Him by His Father. That meant for this season, He was “a little lower than angels.” But don’t forget that the angels knew exactly who He was and were even present at His birth declaring so. (Read Luke 2:8-14)


ASK QUESTIONS (Command to Obey, Promise to claim, Sin to avoid, Application to make, Something new about God)

I am going to call this verse a Promise to claim. Why would I say that? Because God didn’t send Jesus permanently in human form. This was always going to be a temporary status for Him. His true nature was never in doubt. That’s a promise we can claim. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. We’ll see that later in Hebrews 13:8. There is no other religion that can state that about their founder or their god. Only Jesus!

I am reminded of Philippians 2:5-11. Do you know that passage? It says, “5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross. 9 For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Hallelujah! What a Savior! He came! He triumphed! He returned home! We also, as followers of Christ, will leave this world which is only our temporary home. Our real home is in heaven with Jesus. I get excited thinking about that, don’t you? Are you ready to go? I am anytime the Father calls my name.

Lord, thank You for the eternal status I will enjoy one day with You in glory!

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Smith-Wilson Family Tree: Progenitors John Smith (1680-1955) and Sarah Jones (1885-1960); Robert Smith (1910-1985) and Eleanor Davis (1912-1990), Mary Smith (1914-2002) and James Brown (1910-1980); grandparents Thomas Smith (1958-2015) and Catherine White (b. 1941), Linda Brown (b. 1940) and Richard Clark (1957-2010); parents David Smith (b. 1965) and Emma Johnson (b. 1965), Sarah Clark (b. 1970) and Mark Wilson (b. 1967); grandchildren Lily Smith (b. 1995), James Smith (b. 1998), Chloe Wilson (b. 2000), and Leo Wilson (b. 2004).
Bible, Family, Hebrews, Lineage, Scripture

THE SON OF MAN

HEBREWS 2:6

“But someone has testified somewhere, saying, ‘WHAT IS MAN, THAT YOU THINK OF HIM? OR A SON OF MAN, THAT YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HIM?’”

I am a son of man. I was born to James Willis as his third child and second son. I have Willis DNA running through my body. I am proud to be a Willis and carry my father’s name. I have passed that DNA down to my children and through them to my grandchildren. I have traced my lineage back to the early 1500’s in England. I am a son many times removed of William Willis from Yorkshire, England. I can’t deny my roots.

The writer quotes from Psalm 8:4-6 in today’s verse and the two following. Who is this “Son of Man” mentioned in our verse? The Hebrew actually reads “son of adam” pointing back to the original man. Jesus was, of course, in the nature of Adam as far as flesh and blood was concerned. Jesus never tried to disguise His flesh. He called Himself “Son of Man” over 80 times in the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). He came in the form of man to redeem man. That was the plan!

ASK QUESTIONS (Command to Obey, Promise to claim, Sin to avoid, Application to make, Something new about God)

These references to Jesus as “Son of Man” are really revealing. This is definitely Something new about God that Jesus wanted to show the world. Let’s take a look at a few of these. First, in Matthew 8:20 we read, “And Jesus said to him, ‘The foxes have holes and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.’” Later in Matthew 26:64 He really riles up the Jewish leaders when He said, “‘You have said it yourself. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven.’”

When Jesus healed the paralyzed man who was lowered through the ceiling in Mark 2:10, He says, “‘But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…’” Later in Mark 8:31 we read, “And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise from the dead.”

When Jesus visited Zaccheus in Luke 19, He concludes His visit by stating, “‘For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.’” I could continue listing these references for a long time, but you can dig those out yourself. That would be a great study – looking up every reference to “Son of Man” in the Scriptures. We have seen that Jesus embraced His humanity because He knew it was the vessel necessary to ransom mankind. Aren’t you grateful? I sure am.

Thank You, Lord, for sending Your Son in the form of Adam so that He could share His blood for us. 

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Christ enthroned in heaven surrounded by praying angels
Angels, Bible, Hebrews, Jesus, Scripture, Subjection

THE SUBJECTED WORLD

HEBREWS 2:5

“For He did not subject to angels the world to come, about which we are speaking.”

We all have our roles, don’t we? My role currently is husband, father and grandfather. In that role I have some responsibilities. As a follower of Christ in that role, I serve as Provider, Protector and Priest of my home. Am I perfect in those roles? Not even close, but I do try to serve to the best of my ability. I am subject to the Lord in all things. My wife chooses to subject herself (submit) to my leadership, but I would never lord myself over her.

Why do I bring that up? Because we see it stated clearly here that the angels have their role which does not include ruling over the world to come. They are God’s messenger, but the world to come is under the dominion of the Son.  The writer of Hebrews is going back to the discussion he had in chapter 1 where he showed Jesus was superior to the angels. Angels, in fact, are subject to Him. God never intended to give angels this ruling power.

ASK QUESTIONS (Command to Obey, Promise to claim, Sin to avoid, Application to make, Something new about God)

There has been a lot of talk in the past few years about angels. Some people have even come close to what I would call “angel worship.” We even talk about people getting their angel wings when they die. Let me state something clearly – we don’t get wings. We will not turn into angels when we get to heaven. We will be changed but not into angelic form.

There is Something new about God here. The Holy Spirit inspired the writer to clarify the roles in heaven. Jesus is the only One Who has the authority to rule over the world to come. Now right now we are told that Satan has dominion on this earth. I Peter 5:8 says he prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. But in the world to come, Jesus will reign. Hallelujah!

While angels (both good and evil) have subjection over the present world, I know where my help comes from. Psalm 121:2 tells us, “My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.” Even in the midst of trials and temptations on this earth, I know He is my help. I don’t rely on angels. I don’t rely on luck. I rely on Him. How about you? Look up, not for angels, but for Him.

I am so thankful, Lord, that You are the One Who will rule over the world to come.

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Sunbeams break through clouds over a rugged mountain valley with stone homes
Bible, Gifts, Hebrews, Holy Spirit, Miracles, Scripture, Signs, Testify, Wonder

A TESTIFYING GOD

HEBREWS 2:4

“God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders, and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.”

Can I get a witness? Have you ever heard someone say that during a church service? I have more than once. I may have even said it myself a time or two. By asking that, the person is seeking collaboration of what they are saying as truth. I have never asked that unless I knew I was stating truth from God’s Word. After all, there is no other true truth. Can I get a witness?

The writer of Hebrews is telling us in verse 4 that God is confirming the message that the angels and His Son had given was from Him. How? By signs, wonders, miracles and gifts of the Spirit. There is a similar verse in Mark 16:20. “And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.” God has always been a testifying God.

ASK QUESTIONS (Command to Obey, Promise to claim, Sin to avoid, Application to make, Something new about God)

Here we see several things that are Something new about God in the way He testifies. Let’s look at each of them. Albert Barnes does a great job of defining each of these. He says, “The word rendered ‘signs’ – sēmeion – means any miraculous event that is suited to show that what had been predicted by a prophet would certainly take place.” In Matthew 12:38 some Jewish leaders even asked Jesus to give them a “sign” to show His authority.

Barnes goes on to say, “A ‘wonder’ – teras – denotes a portent, or prodigy – something that is suited to excite wonder or amazement – and hence, a miracle. The words together refer to the various miracles which were performed by the Lord Jesus and his apostles, designed to confirm the truth of the Christian religion.”

God used various “miracles” like healing the sick or raising the dead to point towards His authority of saving power. And of course, we know that “gifts of the Holy Spirit” were given to believers to show how the Spirit can and did work through them. We see these clearly in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11. Paul starts out there by saying, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.” Then goes on to list the gifts. What is(are) your gift(s)?

God is still testifying to His truth today in various ways. Do you believe in miracles? Have you witnessed a sign or a wonder? We cannot put anything outside the parameters of God. Look for Him and allow Him to testify in your life.

I am so thankful, Lord, that You have testified, are testifying and will testify of Your truth and Your supremacy.

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Firefighter assists a man beside a burning car as emergency crews respond
Bible, Escape, Hebrews, Rescue, Salvation, Scripture

NO ESCAPE

HEBREWS 2:3

“how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard,”

We have all seen the videos of people being rescued from floods or fires. I saw one recently where a woman was trapped in a burning car after an accident. She was freed from the wreckage just in time by a police officer and some regular citizens who jumped in to help. She had one way to escape that burning vehicle. She had to rely on those doing the rescuing. She could not do it herself.

We are posed a question in today’s verse that you have probably heard preached. It is pretty simple. How can we expect to escape the consequences of sin unless we accept that great salvation? The word “escape” occurs eight times in the New Testament. The Topical Lexicon says it, “communicates a decisive, often miraculous deliverance from danger or judgment.” We only have one way of escape – Jesus.

ASK QUESTIONS (Command to Obey, Promise to claim, Sin to avoid, Application to make, Something new about God)

This passage today shows us a Sin to avoid. What is that sin? Spurning the Gospel, denying the offer of salvation. That is the only unforgiveable sin. If we deny that, we have no hope. The word “neglect” in our verse literally means “pay no attention to.” You can’t do that and expect to make it to heaven. Just as the woman in that burning car couldn’t expect to survive if she refused the help of her rescuers, we cannot expect to escape judgment unless we yield to our Rescuer.

I also see an Application to make here. We have an obligation once we have received this great salvation to spread it far and wide. We need to look for those trapped in the burning fires of sin and offer them the way of escape. I love 1 Corinthians 10:13 which reads, “No temptation has overtaken you except something common to mankind; and God is faithful, so He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” Notice it says, “the way of escape.” The definite article is there in the Greek. There is only one way of escape, not many as the world declares.

The beautiful thing about this “great salvation” is that it is free for the asking. We simply have to believe and receive as John 1:12 says. That does not mean we just name it and claim. No! Believing and receiving requires us to follow and obey. If you are thankful for your “great salvation,” live like it and invite others to join you.

Father God, I am so thankful for the free gift of salvation that was offered to me and for Your Spirit’s wooing of me.

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