Hebrews 2:5-18
February 2, 2025
preached by Pastor Doug Cooper
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Time of Reflection Quotations

“Our whole business in this life is to restore to health the eye of the heart whereby God may be seen.”

~ Augustine of Hippo (354-430)

“When we get into difficult circumstances, we impoverish His ministry by saying, ‘Of course, He can’t do anything about this.’ We struggle to reach the bottom of our own well, trying to get water for ourselves. Beware of sitting back, and saying, ‘It can’t be done.’ You will know it can be done if you will look to Jesus. The well of your incompleteness runs deep, but make the effort to look away from yourself and to look toward Him.

~ Oswald Chambers (1874-1917), Scottish minister and writer

“I am here subject to many changes, which may cause me to lose courage. But what of it? The Son of God is my Head, Who is exempt from all change. I must, then, take confidence in Him.”

~ John Calvin (1509-1564), French pastor, theologian and author

“Before any man can think to stand before the face of God’s justice or be admitted to the secret chamber of God’s mercy or partake of the riches of His grace, he must look to the Mediator, Christ Jesus.”

~ Stephen Charnock (1628-1680), English minister, chaplain & writer

“Don’t look to your behavior, your feelings or your faithfulness. Jesus Christ is your righteousness. He is your status and your standing before God. Always there, always reliable, always the same.”

~ Michael Reeves, Contemporary English theologian and writer

“What makes authentic disciples is not visions, ecstasies, biblical mastery of chapter and verse, or spectacular success in the ministry, but a capacity for faithfulness. Buffeted by the fickle winds of failure, battered by their own unruly emotions, and bruised by rejection and ridicule, authentic disciples may have stumbled and frequently fallen, endured lapses and relapses, gotten handcuffed to the fleshpots and wandered into a far country. Yet, they kept coming back to Jesus.”

~ Brennan Manning (1934-2013), American author and former priest

Sermon Passage

Hebrews 2:5-18 (CSB)

⁵ For he has not subjected to angels the world to come that we are talking about. ⁶ But someone somewhere has testified:

What is man that you remember him, or the son of man that you care for him? ⁷ You made him lower than the angels for a short time; you crowned him with glory and honor ⁸ and subjected everything under his feet.

For in subjecting everything to him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. As it is, we do not yet see everything subjected to him. ⁹ But we do see Jesus — made lower than the angels for a short time so that by God’s grace he might taste death for everyone — crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death.

¹⁰ For in bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was entirely appropriate that God — for whom and through whom all things exist — should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. ¹¹ For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, ¹² saying:

I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters; I will sing hymns to you in the congregation.

¹³ Again, I will trust in him. And again, Here I am with the children God gave me.

¹⁴ Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through his death he might destroy the one holding the power of death — that is, the devil — ¹⁵ and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. ¹⁶ For it is clear that he does not reach out to help angels, but to help Abraham’s offspring. ¹⁷ Therefore, he had to be like his brothers and sisters in every way, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in matters pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. ¹⁸ For since he himself has suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.