Hebrews 2:9-18

Hebrews 2:9-18

This passage is a nearly complete description of God's redemptive plan. It includes the pre-incarnation and divinity of Christ and the fullness of His humanity. It tells us of the sympathy He has because He was fully human. We see His sinless life and nature. It identifies Him as both the sacrifice that saves and the One who offers that sacrifice. We see His complete victory over the devil by use of the devil's primary weapon: death. We see Jesus’ identification with man and the fellowship He shares with us. If the only passage one had to study were these verses in a careful and detailed study, they would end up with a fairly complete and full understanding of God‘s cosmic and overall plan for our salvation. Unfortunately, we do not have space for such a detailed theology.

However, there is a unique description in this text to which we will give special attention. In verse 14 we read, “…through death he might render powerless him who had the power of death, the devil.” Since the Garden of Eden, the devil has had one trump card, if you will: the power of death. Like all powers, the evil one operates under the limits of God. But when man allied himself with the devil, he became subject to separation from God and from life. Death was the original terror weapon. The heathens and pagans could find no real hope or remedy for death. They looked to death as perhaps nothingness, loss of identity, a life of gloom and subterranean prison, gibbering madness, or an extension of this life, which is why they tried to take familiar trinkets with them. The powers of darkness kept their victims bound to the hopeless truth of their coming death. The devil’s hate for God and God‘s beautiful creation; man, motivated the evil spirits to torment and numb man into the hopelessness of death. “Life is hard and miserable, and then you die and it gets worse.” Death was a trump card Satan loved to play. All his other tricks, tools, and traps were related and rooted in death. Even pleasure was used by Satan to point to death: “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we will die.” Christ comes and, bear with the crude illustration, takes the weapon the club of death, from the devil’s hand, and with that very weapon beats the devil powerless. On Good Friday the devil may have believed that he had finally won a great victory in his long war against God. Only to find Easter morning that the weapon that he had so used and wielded with such power was taken from him and was used to crush him. Death, rather than a terror weapon, became a bridge to life. What beauty and hope!

“Thank you Lord, that death is the one who has died. AMEN”

Hebrews 2:1-8

Hebrews 2:1-8

The author continues his teachings of the superiority of Christ over angels, but in this moment he digresses. Digressions will happen five times in this book, and these are always a warning about leaving faith in Christ for something else. Remember the original readers were under intense pressure to leave the Christian faith and return to Judaism. In this warning about the dangers of leaving the faith, the author uses a powerful metaphor from the experience of maritime travel. We read this nautical warning and may not recognize its naval roots. The phrase “because of this…,” that is, Christ’s superiority over angels, “…we must pay closer attention” is much more expressive and passionate in the original language than it is in English. The picture or warning is that we must be completely and passionately focused on Christ. This phrase could be translated, “It is our passionate duty to superabundantly” pay attention. The word translated “pay close attention” is a deeply personal word; sometimes it was used to describe paying attention to clothing or even pregnancy. It was primarily a word used to describe the way a ship’s pilot had to pay close attention as the ship approached the harbor. Without constant attention to his task, the pilot might find the ship drifting away. The word “drift away” describes a ship that is pushed off course by the currents. Rather than going into the harbor, the ship is carried down the coast, out to sea, or into a sandbar. By momentary inattention, the ship is lost.

It is important to note that those who leave the faith, who go off into the life of sin, or who become apostate, don’t do so in a moment or in an instant. The preacher who leaves his wife and runs away with another woman had a long and likely secret history of emotion or physical infidelity. Long before their flight out of state, there was a flight of fancy. The Christian who is discovered to be scamming the innocent for money, drifted into corruption with a few nibbles here or there. Heretics don’t begin with radical false doctrines; they make a small twist to a small interpretation first.

If we don’t pay close attention to the message of Christ, we are in danger of drifting inch by inch away either morally, doctrinally, personally, and/or spiritually. It is in the attention to the little things that we help secure the right course for the larger things. If we want a great faith, it must begin by being faithful in small things.

“Lord, help me keep my heart loyal to you in every detail. AMEN”

Is the seat getting a little hot?

Kalen, Nick and Paul

Full disclaimer: I am a former college football fan, but not any more. NIL the transfer portal and a few other things ended my interest in college football. I have not watched a full ball game in maybe three years. However, anytime I can get a scriptural illustration from popular culture I will seize it. 

The Alabama Crimson Tide community is nearing a state of total despair, and with good cause. Two years ago Alabama was a play or two away from playing for a national title.  Some pundits are predicting that Alabama will lose 7 or 8 games this year. The only thing that has really changed at Alabama is the coaching. Kalen Deboer, in his second year, has surpassed Nick Saban, the former coach, but not in positive ways. Most people both in and out of the Alabama fan base believe that Alabama’s poor performance reflects poor coaching at every level.

So what does this have to do with the Christian faith? In Ephesians 4:11-12 Paul wrote, And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, (ESV). The word equip in verse 12 is a rare word. This is the only time it is used in the New Testament. It means to make proper or exact adjustment which describes how to or enable the individual parts to work together in correct order. Perhaps the best contemporary translation of that word would be “Coach”. So let’s paraphrase these two verses. “Jesus has given to the church gifted men; Apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor-teachers to coach the disciples, making adjustments as they learn, on how to work together to accomplish the goal of growing into what Christ wants them to be.”

Notice Paul says that the leadership of the church was given to coach disciples on how to serve. Stop for a moment and consider how much time does your church spend on specifically training the disciples on “how to serve”. We have made the ministry of the church into a low grade entertainment source. We attend a weekly event, have a sing-a-long, hear a talk on how to live a better life, and spend a short amount of time hanging out with friends and maybe having a cup of coffee. 

We may be distressed by the decline of the Chrsitian faith in America. But do we ask the question, “Are we coaching disciples on how to serve the Lord?” If the Alabama faithful want to find blame for what is happening they will not single out the stadium, the ticket sales, the tradition or even the talent level. They will lay the blame at the feet of the coaching staff. If we want to lament what is happening in the church in America we need to do the same thing. The coaches we have in the church are coaching, for the most part, for the wrong outcome. 

So what can we do? First we need to apologize to God that we have made the church something other than a training facility for Christian service. Second, we need to ask our leaders to refocus the ministry toward coaching. We need not worry about numbers, cool programs, great music or fantastic coffee, those things will find their place if we need them. Third, when we are given the opportunity to be coached we need to be there. 

Try this experiment; announce a church picnic and cookout complete with fun games, music and home made ice cream and see what the turnout is like. With the same level of emphasis announce a seminar on developing a life of prayer with specific training for fasting, see what the turnout for that will be. Are we interested in being coached. Preachers must bear much of the blame for the demise of the church. But we in the pews have bought into a marketed Christianity that will entertain us, and our leadership has given us what we demanded. 

With a buyout of about $70,000,000 coach Deboer will be around long enough to set things right, if he is able. But I am sure he is feeling the heat from the coaching hot seat. We need to hold ourselves and our leader accountable or the stagnation of the church and feel a little of the heat ourselves. 

Hebrews 1:4-14

 Hebrews 1:4-14

The Jewish fascination with angels during the first century was extensive. The Jews came to think of angels as intermediaries between God and His chosen people. Angels were seen as presiding over the destiny of Israel, moving the stars, and being in charge of snow, rain, frost, hail, lightning, and thunder. In Jewish thought, the role of the angels was vast, critical, and powerful. It seems at times that Israel’s concepts of angelic activity drew dangerously close to becoming animistic. The incomparable superiority of Christ over angels is presented in two ways. First, “who Christ is” as seen in verses 1-8, and second, a direct contrast in comparison between Christ and the angels. The author of Hebrews points out seven direct contrasts between Christ and angels. 

• First, Christ has a more excellent name than angels (vv. 4-5). 

• Second, angels adore Christ (v. 6). 

• Third, He created the angels, v. 7.

• Fourth, even while being a man, Christ was given greater gifts than angels (v. 8-9). 

• Fifth, Christ is eternal, but angels aren’t (vv. 10-11). 

• Sixth, Christ is more highly exalted than angels (v. 13). 

• Seventh angels are only servants, while Christ is the Son (v. 14).

While expressing the superiority of Christ over angels, the author asserts that Christ is in fact God. The deity of Jesus Christ is expressed by applying to Christ psalms that are clearly and recognizably about God. In verses 8-9 the author quotes from Psalm 45:6-7. These verses are specifically about God, and in the psalm we see a prophecy of the coming Christ. The author of Hebrews applies that prophecy and contrasts God, in the person of Jesus, as superior to the angels.

While it is clear that angels perform an important role in God’s economy, we must not say more than we know. Angels in some ways perform service to God by working on behalf of Christians. But since scripture does not give us a definitive list of what they do, apparently it’s not important for us to know all that they do. We must never pray to angels for them to act on our behalf. We are to pray to God, and He will intervene, if He so chooses, in the ways that are best. It is worth noting that once the Church began, the activity of angels seems to have diminished into the background. God’s person filled with God’s Spirit is apparently the preferred method of God working in the world. Consider that there is no record of any angel preaching the gospel or making a disciple.

“Lord, help me never be distracted by Your created being no matter how grand they may be. AMEN

Hebrews 1:1-8

 Hebrews 1:1-8

The book of Hebrews is written to Jewish Christians who were under considerable pressure to walk away from being a disciple and return to Judaism. The theme of the whole book is the un-surpassing greatness of Christ. In numerous ways the author will compare and contrast Christ to the heroes in high points of Judaism and demonstrate Christ is vastly and incomparably superior. The author, using some of the most eloquent Greek in the New Testament, begins by describing the incredible person of Christ. If we have a small and failed understanding of Christ, we will end up with a false, deviant form of Christianity.

Consider the excellent characteristics and credentials of Jesus Christ. In verse 2 we see: 

First in the incarnation Jesus is appointed the heir of all things; this is a reference to Psalm 2.8. He is the King of kings and the Lord of all lords, not just on earth but also in the whole universe. 

Second, the Son is the agency by which God made all things. He is the creator.

Third, beginning in verse three, we see the superiority of Jesus is the brightness or radiance of God‘s glory. 

Fourth, and here English fails as a language, he is the exact character of God’s nature. A literal translation of this phrase is “the exact expression of His underlying.” We might say, “He is God of God” or “He is a perfect expression of He whose underlying nature is beyond expression.” 

Fifth, Jesus upholds all things by the power of His word. The whole operation of all the forces of the cosmos is driven by the dynamic of the word of Jesus. Rather than use the word ‘logos,’ as in John 1, the author uses the word ‘rhema, which specifically means a spoken word. The universe works because Jesus says so. 

Sixth, Jesus made purification for sin by His blood. The ruin of humanity by sin doesn’t need to continue. Jesus, unlike any other being, has by His self-willed sacrifice, paid the price of redemption. 

Seventh, Jesus has taken the seat of honor by the Father. The ministry of Christ at the right hand of God is too little studied and considered. But a note about grammar is worth making. The verb in this phrase is not middle or passive but active. Who has the right to ascend to the throne of God and take a seat? Only Jesus!

People are often fascinated with angels, some to the point of obsession. But the author of Hebrews is clear: compared to the Son, angels are at best bit players in the cosmic drama of God‘s plan to rescue man. Jewish people had a long list of angels and their roles. But we see here in the comparison of the Son His superiority over the angels.

“Thank you Jesus for who You are and what You have done. AMEN”

Philemon 1:11–25

Philemon 1:11–25

This little letter is so filled with emotion that when we notice, we can’t help but be moved by it. There were no guarantees that things would have a happy ending. By law, Onesimus could have been put to death. In fact, his death would have been expected and almost required by Roman law and culture. Paul and especially Onesimus were taking a huge risk. While it is not possible to adequately address all the fascinating nuances we might like, we do need to notice there are three themes that we can emulate in our lives.

First is setting aside privilege to accomplish purpose. When it comes to Christian credentials, no one stands taller than Paul. In 2 Corinthians 11 and Philippians 3, Paul points out his pedigree to those who would challenge his apostolic authority. But here he sets aside any reference or indication of his unique privileged calling and position. He did this so that the reunion of Onesimus and Philemon would be one of grace and love and not coercion and force.

Second, Paul appeals to the brotherhood of believers. It is as if Paul says, “If you believe that I am your brother, then Onesimus, my brother, is your brother as well.” Paul does not demand Onesimus must be accepted back and forgiven. And he certainly doesn’t call for his being set free. But he does ask that he be received as a brother. In too many of our faith relationships, the bond we have is so shallow and thin that the least little thing will break it. Paul wants a bond between these two believers, and ideally between all believers, that is so strong that the strongest non-Christian bond is pale in comparison.

The third pattern we see in Paul that we need to express in our lives is that of personal involvement. We often prefer very shallow relationships so that others don’t make demands on us. We would prefer to give a beggar a few coins in answer to the cardboard request than to work in a homeless shelter. This approach does not demand much from us but makes us feel good about ourselves. Paul, on the other hand, gets neck-deep involved in this messy affair between Philemon and Onesimus. Paul even offers to pay any debt Onesimus may have incurred. Where is a poor traveling evangelist and occasional prisoner like Paul going to get the money? Perhaps he would sell himself into slavery to Philemon. For Paul, Christianity was never a call to detached expressions or thoughts but was deeply personal and intimately involved.

“Lord, help me to live a deep and strong relationship with my brothers and sisters in Christ. AMEN”

Philemon 1:1-11

Philemon 1:1-11

None of us live as if we were on a desert island alone, influencing no one. Everything we do, at every level, touches and impacts those around us. No one is autonomous and truly independent. Rather, we live in a web of relationships and connections. Oftentimes the most powerful things we do, in terms of their impact on these relationships, are things we didn’t expect to be especially meaningful to others. This letter from Paul to Philemon is personal but not private. Philemon‘s life has influenced and impacted many disciples. What he does in response to this issue of his runaway slave will also have a profound impact. Not only on himself and on Onesimus, the runaway slave, but also on his wife and son, the church that meets in their home, on Paul, and on every church for years to come, and incidentally the church’s opposition to slavery. The impact of this one incident would have a ripple effect that will last for all eternity. We must approach every moment with the realization that it could be the turning point of history.

Verse six is a profound and powerful witness to us and a guide to which we need to listen. The word translated “fellowship” in the NASB or “sharing” and the NIV can also be translated as “communication”. Paul wants Philemon’s sharing of his faith to be effective. The word means “production,” “productive,” or “energetic.” It was used to describe a field that was plowed or cultivated and ready to make a good crop. So what happens, and how does Philemon become “effective” in communication of the faith? More personally, what happens when we become effective in communicating the faith? We learn all the good that is in us by sharing it! This can be a little confusing till we realize that the best things of our faith are not comprehended until we live them out in the experience of the faith. If we want to understand the magnificent beauty of God‘s redemption of us, we will do that best when we share that goodness with sinners. If we want to wrap our minds around the love that God has for our fellow man, we do that when we express that love to fallen people. If you want to appreciate the wonder of God’s forgiveness, you should forgive those who hurt you. While reading about the gospel is great, there are parts of it we can never comprehend by mere study. The experience of living the Gospel, of practicing grace, will inform us and our understanding of that grace. 

“Lord, grant me to live the Gospel of Grace. AMEN