2
So, since that is true, we must pay very great attention to what we have heard about God’s Son, so that we do not gradually stop believing it. 2 When the angels spoke God’s law to the people of Israel, what they said was valid. God justly punished all who disobeyed him and violated his law. 3 We will certainly not escape God. He will certainly punish those who ignore such an important message about how he saves us. It was the Lord Jesus who first told us about this, and the disciples who heard him have assured us that he did so. 4 God also confirmed to us that this message was true by giving believers power to do mighty deeds that prove these things are true. And the Holy Spirit also gives many gifts just as he desires to distribute them.5 God has not put the angels in charge of the new world he will make. That is the new world about which we are speaking. 6 Someone solemnly spoke to God about this somewhere in the scriptures, saying,
“No human being is worthy enough for you to think about him!
No human is worthy enough for you to care for him!
7 You created humans a little less important than the angels,
Yet you have greatly honored them, as people honor kings.
8 You have put everything under their control.”
Mankind will rule over everything. That means that nothing will be left out from him ruling it. But now, at this present time, we do not see mankind ruling over everything. 9 However, we do know about Jesus, who appeared in this life as a little less important than the angels. Because he suffered and died, God has made him the most important of all. He has made Jesus king over everything, because Jesus died for everyone. It was because God was so kind to us that this happened.
10 Since by him all things exist and all things are for him, it was proper that he brought many children to share his glory. By means of his suffering God showed that the one who saved them was perfect. 11 Jesus, the one who sets his people apart for God, and also those same people whom God declares as good before him, are all from the same source, God himself. So Jesus is not embarrassed to proclaim them to be his own brothers and sisters. 12 The psalmist wrote that the Messiah said to God,
“I will proclaim to my brothers how awesome you are.
I will sing praise to you in the middle of the assembly of believers!”
13 And a prophet wrote in another scripture passage what the Messiah said about God:
“I will trust him.”
And in another scripture passage, the Messiah said about those who are his children,
“I and the children whom God has given me are here.”
14 So since those whom God calls his children are all human beings, Jesus also became a human being just like them. The devil has the power to cause people to be afraid to die. So that by his dying, Jesus was able to defeat death and make the devil powerless. 15 Jesus did this in order to free all of us who, all our lives, could not rid ourselves of a fear of dying. 16 For it is not angels that he has come to help. No, it is us who trust God as Abraham did whom he wants to help. 17 So God had to make Jesus to be exactly like us, like his human “brothers.” He became a high priest who acts mercifully to the people and who acts faithfully for God, so he could make a way for God to forgive the people’s sins. 18 Jesus is able to help those who are tempted to sin because he himself suffered and was tempted.