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  • Hebrews 1-2

    The Son is God’s ultimate messenger

    1 In the past, God spoke through the prophets to our ancestors in many times and many ways. 2 In these final days, though, he spoke to us through a Son. God made his Son the heir of everything and created the world through him. 3 The Son is the light of God’s glory and the imprint of God’s being. He maintains everything with his powerful message. After he carried out the cleansing of people from their sins, he sat down at the right side of the highest majesty. 4 And the Son became so much greater than the other messengers, such as angels, that he received a more important title than theirs.

    Speaking to the Son and angels

    5 After all, when did God ever say to any of the angels:

    You are my Son.
            Today I have become your Father?

    Or, even,

    I will be his Father,
            and he will be my Son?

    6 But then, when he brought his firstborn into the world, he said,

    All of God’s angels must worship him.

    7 He talks about the angels:

    He’s the one who uses the spirits for his messengers
            and who uses flames of fire as ministers.

    8 But he says to his Son,

    God, your throne is forever
            and your kingdom’s scepter is a rod of justice.
    9 You loved righteousness and hated lawless behavior.
            That is why God, your God,
            has anointed you more than your companions with the oil of joy.

    10 And he says,

    You, Lord, laid the earth’s foundations in the beginning,
            and the heavens are made by your hands.
    11 They will pass away,
            but you remain.
    They will all wear out like old clothes.
    12         You will fold them up like a coat.
    They will be changed like a person changes clothes,
            but you stay the same,
            and the years of your life won’t come to an end.

    13 When has he ever said to any of the angels,

    Sit at my right side
            until I put your enemies under your feet like a footstool?

    14 Aren’t all the angels ministering spirits who are sent to serve those who are going to inherit salvation?

    Listen to the Son’s message

    2 This is why it’s necessary for us to pay more attention to what we have heard, or else we may drift away from it. 2 If the message that was spoken by angels was reliable, and every offense and act of disobedience received an appropriate consequence, 3 how will we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? It was first announced through the Lord, and then it was confirmed by those who heard him. 4 God also vouched for their message with signs, amazing things, various miracles, and gifts from the Holy Spirit, which were handed out the way he wanted.

    Jesus is the enthroned human being

    5 God didn’t put the world that is coming (the world we are talking about) under the angels’ control. 6 Instead, someone declared somewhere,

    What is humanity that you think about them?
            Or what are the human beings that you care about them?
    7 For a while you made them lower than angels.
            You crowned the human beings with glory and honor.
    8         You put everything under their control.

    When he puts everything under their control, he doesn’t leave anything out of control. But right now, we don’t see everything under their control yet. 9 However, we do see the one who was made lower in order than the angels for a little while—it’s Jesus! He’s the one who is now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of his death. He suffered death so that he could taste death for everyone through God’s grace.

    Qualified to be a high priest

    10 It was appropriate for God, for whom and through whom everything exists, to use experiences of suffering to make perfect the pioneer of salvation. This salvation belongs to many sons and daughters whom he’s leading to glory. 11 This is because the one who makes people holy and the people who are being made holy all come from one source. That is why Jesus isn’t ashamed to call them brothers and sisters when he says,

    12 I will publicly announce your name to my brothers and sisters.
            I will praise you in the middle of the assembly.

    13 He also says,

    I will rely on him.

    And also,

    Here I am with the children whom God has given to me.

    14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he also shared the same things in the same way. He did this to destroy the one who holds the power over death—the devil—by dying. 15 He set free those who were held in slavery their entire lives by their fear of death. 16 Of course, he isn’t trying to help angels, but rather he’s helping Abraham’s descendants. 17 Therefore, he had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every way. This was so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in things relating to God, in order to wipe away the sins of the people. 18 He’s able to help those who are being tempted, since he himself experienced suffering when he was tempted.