Hebrews 2:5-8
Never Gave One
Outline:
I. \\#1:1-3\\ Meet the New Speaker
II. \\#1:4-8:6\\ The New Is Better
A. \\#1:4-14\\ Jesus Was MADE Better Than the Angels
1. \\#1:4\\ With a better NAME.
2. \\#1:5\\ With a better RELATIONSHIP.
3. \\#1:6\\ With WORSHIP, even from the angels.
4. \\#1:7-8\\ With a SCEPTER and a THRONE.
5. \\#1:9\\ With a better ANOINTING.
6. \\#1:13\\ With a better POSITION.
7. \\#2:5\\ With a KINGDOM.
B. \\#2:1-4\\ Listen to the New Spokesman
C. \\#2:5-8\\ (Con’t) Jesus Was MADE Better Than the Angels
D. \\#2:5-18\\ Jesus Was Honored Because:
1. \\#2:5-8\\ Jesus was the Man, honored because He was Man.
a. He was a Man who had the RIGHT to claim the Dominion.
b. He was THE Man who could Pay the debt for the
Dominion.
2. \\#2:9\\ Jesus was the Savior, honored because He paid
the debt.
3. \\#2:10\\ Jesus was the Unifer, honored because He
suffered to make the both the sanctified and the
Sanctifier one.
4. \\#2:14-18\\ Jesus was the Succourer, honored because He
took on the nature of mankind.
This is Bible study night so I want us to keep the flow of the entire
book as much as possible. In verse 5, the writer went back to where
he was when chapter 1 ended. \\#2:1-4\\ are an interlude, a small
section where the writer stepped out of his train of thought to tell
his readers the importance of listening to God’s new Spokesman, God’s
Son. Once He made that point, he returned to his line of thought, so
let’s remember what He was saying.
He was talking about Jesus’ incarnation, when Jesus was "made" into
something He was not, a Human.
Heb 1:4 (Jesus) being made so much better than
the angels…
But even when Jesus was made less, a Man, the verse says He was still
better than the angels. Obviously, the writer’s point was when Jesus
was His weakest and most human, He was still better than the angels.
Yet, some of Hebrews to whom he was writing were thinking about
walking away from Jesus to go back to an Old Covenant that, according
to folklore, had angels helping them but no Jesus! Doesn’t make
sense, does it? And that is the writer’s point.
Then the writer spent the remainder of chapter one telling how Jesus,
in His earthly form, was better than the angels. By my count, he
listed six ways:
1. \\#4\\ The Son has a better name.
2. \\#5\\ The Son has a better relationship.
3. \\#6\\ The Son has worship.
4. \\#7-8\\ The Son has a scepter and throne.
5. \\#9\\ The Son has a better anointing.
6. \\#13\\ The Son has a better position, the right hand of God
the Father.
That is six, the number of man. God could have stopped there, but He
did not. He gave a seventh, the number of completion and perfection.
So we have two trains of thought to ride tonight. We need to finish
what the writer started in chapter 1, then we need to get on board
the thought train of chapter 2.
I. The Chapter One Thought Train - Better than the Angels.
A. What is the seventh reason why/how Jesus is better than the
angels?
B. \\#2:5\\ The Son has the kingdom.
Heb 2:5 For unto the angels hath he not put in
subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.
6 But one in a certain place testified, saying,
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the
son of man, that thou visitest him?
7 Thou madest him a little lower than the
angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour,
and didst set him over the works of thy hands:
8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under
his feet. For in that he put all in subjection
under him, he left nothing that is not put under
him…
1. Notice how God honored Jesus.
a. \\#5\\ …gave to Jesus "the world to come."
b. \\#7\\ …crowned Him with glory and honor.
c. \\#7\\ …"set Him over the works of thy hands."
d. \\#8\\ …"all things in subjection under his feet."
2. God never gave any angel any kingdom—man did, but God did
not.
a. Angels were made to serve.
(1) They are ministering spirits.
(2) That is their purpose.
b. And it is probably why Satan, the highest most
powerful angel ever created, rebelled.
(1) He does not want to be the servant.
(2) He wants to be the master.
(3) Kind of like people, isn’t he?
c. And this also explains why Satan gets away with so
much in this world today.
(1) He is operating with OUR authority.
(2) In fact, I think God may have put more limits on
what the devil can do than He would have on us,
because Satan is sinful and evil.
(3) But the devil is operating on our stolen license
of authority.
(4) That should give us some idea of the power and
glory that God had intended to share with the
human race!
(5) We were going to have a pretty good existence.
C. So the writer listed seven reasons why/how Jesus—even when He
was as weak as any human, was still "made better than the
angels."
D. So choose Jesus.
1. That is the writer’s thought.
2. Don’t go back to the Old Covenant, even if it had more
angels in it than the New.
3. Stay with Jesus.
4. In the most simplest of terms, Jesus is better.
II. The Chapter Two Thought Train - Better Actions.
A. The next train of thought the writer rode on is what did Jesus
do to be honored so?
1. We know WHO Jesus is, and that He is to be honored for
that above all else.
2. But what did Jesus do?
a. It may sound too elementary to even discuss, but some
of those reading this book are lost, and they need to
know.
b. What did Jesus do that the seven honors mentioned by
the writer were bestowed upon Him?
c. And more specifically, what did Jesus do that the
kingdom is His?
B. Jesus was honored because of His BIRTH.
1. He is THE MAN.
a. \\#Gen 1:26\\ God gave dominion to mankind.
b. Man lost it to the devil, but it was man’s right—not
God’s—to challenge the devil to receive it back.
c. So Jesus was made A Man/
2. Jesus was a MAN with the RIGHT to reclaim that dominion.
a. David described Jesus’ coming in Psalm 8.
b. The Hebrew writer quoted part of that Psalm.
Heb 2:6 …What is MAN that thou art mindful of
him? of the Son of Man, that thou visitest him?
7 Thou madest him a little lower than the
angels…
c. The two inspired writers described Jesus as made a
little lower than the angels.
d. Many beings are lower than the angels, but what being
is a "little" lower? MAN.
e. As a Man, Jesus had the right to reclaim the dominion.
f. But Jesus was not just a MAN, He was THE Man, the only
Man who could pay the debt to reclaim the dominion.
3. Jesus was THE MAN who COULD claim the dominion.
a. Sin is what cost mankind the dominion: sinlessness
will be required to reclaim the dominion.
b. But all of Adam and Eve’s line was tainted by sin, so
one had to be born of mankind without Adam’s sin.
c. Hence, the virgin born Son of God!
(1) Born of Eve so as to be a Human.
(2) Born of God so as to be sinless.
d. Jesus THE ONLY MAN who could reclaim the dominion.
4. So Jesus is not just A Man. He is THE Man. The One and
ONLY Who could reclaim man’s dominion.
5. I don’t mean to blow your mind, but since God knew what
was going to happen when He gave man dominion over the
world, He also knew that ultimately He would receive it
all back, even the creation that He gave away.
a. God knew man would not keep it.
b. God knew that Jesus would purchase it back.
c. God knows that when Jesus as THE MAN receives
rulership over all creation, He will give it back to
Him.
1Co 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued
unto him, then shall the Son also himself be
subject unto him that put all things under him,
that God may be all in all.
d. Of course that might have been what a sinless human
race would have done as well; but eventually, it will
all be God’s to do with as He delights once again.
B. Jesus was honored because of his DEATH. He is THE SAVIOR.
1. I told you in chapter 1 that some have trouble accepting
Hebrews 1:4 because they have a hard time comprehending
that the Almighty God could be made into anything at all.
a. After all, He is the Almighty God who is complete and
perfect in every way.
b. At that time, I told you that—as hard as it may be
us to comprehend—God’s Son wanted to BE more and to
DO MORE.
(1) He wanted to be human so He could die.
(2) He wanted to be weak so He could suffer.
c. This is another of the many verses that make that
clear.
Heb 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little
lower than the angels for the suffering of death,
crowned with glory and honour; that he by the
grace of God should taste death for every man.
2. While we humans want to escape death at all costs, Jesus
desired it and allowed Himself to be "made" into LESS, a
human Being, so that He could do MORE, "taste death for
every man."
a. God made the penalty for sin extremely high because it
was never His plan for man to pay it.
b. It has always been God’s plan that He would pay it,
and He has.
3. Though Jesus was made better than the angels even in
His human form; because He was human, He could do
something that not even the angels could do.
4. He could DIE.
5. Now, as the Savior, He is worthy.
a. He is worthy of the all honor God has bestowed upon
Him and if there were more that could be given to
Him, He would be worthy of that too.
b. The honor that is His is not a mere gift to Him.
c. He paid a heavy price for it.
C. Jesus was honored for His SUFFERING. He is the UNIFIER.
1. The next two verses take that thought and go a bit deeper
with it. (That’s hard to imagine for the waters we are
in are already plenty deep!)
Heb 2:10 For it became him, for whom are all
things, and by whom are all things, in bringing
many sons unto glory, to make the captain of
their salvation perfect through sufferings.
11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who
are sanctified are all of one: for which cause
he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
2. Again, Jesus wanted to be human so that He could die, and
He wanted to be weak so He could suffer.
a. Most Christians understand why He wanted to die, but
all of us stumble some when it comes to why He wanted
to suffer.
b. But why did He want to suffer?
3. Two thoughts are given:
a. \\#10\\ To make the Captain of our salvation perfect.
(1) As hard as it is to say it, I said it a few weeks
ago and I will say it again.
(2) By becoming less, a Man, in one sense, God became
MORE.
(3) God made man capable of feeling what God could
not.
(4) God knew what pain, weakness, dread, and hurt
were by His omniscience, but He did not know
these things experientially until He became a
Man.
(5) While God can no longer feel them, He will
forever know what they feel like.
(6) In that sense, God was made complete, made
perfect, through suffering.
b. \\#11\\ God and man "are all of one."
(1) By suffering with us, mankind and God have become
more alike.
(2) Why God wants to be like us is something to
wonder at, but I believe it to be undeniable
that He did.
(a) Perhaps the Godhead had a conversation in
eternity past and asked, "What would it be
like to feel pain?"
(b) And Father answered the Godhead, "Let’s find
out. I have a plan."
(3) He wanted to be human so He could die, and He
wanted to be weak so He could suffer.
4. What did the Son do to be honored with a name, a
relationship, worship, a scepter, an anointing, a
position, and a kingdom?
a. He was born to become THE MAN.
b. He died to become the SAVIOR.
c. He suffered to become the UNIFIER.
D Jesus was honored for the nature He took. He is the Succourer.
1. We do not use that word anymore.
a. It means a reliever or a helper.
b. In the context, I think the word might mean a
COMFORTER.
2. So Jesus has received the kingdom because He became the
COMFORTER.
a. I felt uncomfortable with the statement I gave you a
few weeks ago and have repeated several times
tonight.
(1) Namely, Jesus wanted to be human so He could die,
and He wanted to be weak so He could suffer.
(2) However, I now think I did not go far enough so
I will add to it.
b. Jesus wanted to be human so He could die;
He wanted to be weak so He could suffer;
and He wanted to be like us so He could comfort us.
3. Notice that Jesus did not just take a BODY like ours, but
He also took a NATURE like ours.
Heb 2:16 For verily he took not on him the
NATURE of angels; but he took on him the seed of
Abraham.
17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be
made like unto his brethren, that he might be a
merciful and faithful high priest in things
pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the
sins of the people.
18 For in that he himself hath suffered being
tempted, he is able to succour them that are
tempted.
a. The penalty for sin is steep, both in eternity and
right now.
b. But God does not make you pay either account.
c. He has made provision so that He can either pay the
bill in full or help us carry the load.
(1) He has hurt like we have hurt.
(2) He has wept like we have wept.
(3) He has been alone like we have been alone.
d. How? Why? Because he wanted to be like us so He
could comfort us.
e. He suffered in all points like we suffer, and He has
felt all the things we have felt, so that we would
never have to feel them without Him.
We know who He is. He is the Almighty God. If for no other reason
than that, Jesus should be lifted higher than high; but it is not
just about Who He is. It is also about what He has done.
Jesus, was made better than the angels.
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