 Okay, welcome everyone. We will pray and we will go ahead with the class. I request one of us to lead in prayer and then we will get started. Okay, maybe either Dave or Thomas because I can't see Aran connected to audio. Okay, man, I'll pray. Father, we thank you Lord Jesus for this new day and this big Lord Jesus. As we move ahead and learn Lord Jesus' study, Lord God, help all of us to understand Lord Jesus. Those who have already joined in prayer, still yet to join in Lord Jesus' help. Then we join in time as Lord Jesus and help us understand and compare in everything Lord Jesus has done. Amen. Amen. Thank you. Thank you, Dave. So in the last class, I remember we have touched on Hebrews chapter 1 and we saw primarily the superiority of Christ, the deity of Christ. We understood that he is greater than the angels and that the angels worship him. We also saw that he is the perfect representation of the Father. We saw how there is a relationship of the Father and the Son in the Trinity, but we also saw how God has anointed the Lord Jesus. And when we talk about the anointing, there is the engagement of the Holy Spirit as well. So though we do not see the term Trinity in Scripture, when we study Scripture, the interaction of the Godhead introduces the Trinity to us. And then we went on to Hebrews chapter 2 and we just began going over the Scriptures there. We said that the writer calls us to take earnest heed of whatever has been said so far, the supremacy of the Lord Jesus, the fact that he is the Son of God and that he is God. So he is asking us to fix our eyes on that and give our complete attention to it so that we don't drift away. And we saw that drifting away is something that doesn't happen in a day. It is something that progressively can happen to a believer. We understand the context of Hebrews. We know that the writer was encouraging believers who were under persecution going through tough times. They were also placed in a time where there were alternate philosophies. So there were many reasons why they might drift away and the writer wanted to encourage them to hold on to their faith, to hold on to the Lord Jesus Christ. And if they didn't, the easiest way to fall away is to do nothing. Because as a believer and a Christian, we must have initiative all the time to do our part in faith to hold on to God. Now, it's not that God will let go of us. That's not the point. But you see, we are making ourselves vulnerable if we don't hold on actively to God. And that is why that initiative from a believer is so very important. If it's not there, then there is a drifting away which happens and that is very, very sad. Now, moving forward, I think verse 2 onwards, so we're once again encouraged that we need to hold on to the word of the Lord Jesus. In verse 2, the author he points to the fact that the word brought about by angels receives, when you heed that word, there is a reward. When you disobey that word, there is a consequence. Now, what is the word that is brought by angels? Some passages indicate that the word which was given to Moses, which is the Old Covenant, it is the law that also had a work of angels involved in it. So that is why basically it's the law. But then the engagement of angels is mentioned in certain places and that is why this writer, he is saying that the Covenant, the Old Covenant, you remember the Old Testament, people who did not obey God's word, they faced consequences. So he's saying that if the word which is brought by angels has such an impact or an implication, how much more if we neglect, so greater salvation. So Jesus has brought a salvation and through his life he has spoken the grandness of God, he has represented the Father really well and he gave a salvation and we are told that we must not neglect. I think I touched on this as well in the last class and said that when we don't value something, that's when we end up neglecting it. So we must understand what salvation means and the more we understand Jesus, the more we understand salvation, it invites us to hold it precious to us. So don't neglect it is what the writer is telling these believers. He goes on to say that the word which was spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to the writer and many others by those who heard him, both God also bearing witness, both with signs and wonders, with various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit according to his own will. So he was for what he's saying is this word which has been spoken to us through the Lord Jesus is very precious, it should not be neglected and this word is something that invites the engagement of God himself. Now how does God engage with the word we are told, signs, wonders, miracles. So whenever we preach God's word, here is our expectation and here is our confidence that the genuine word of God will invite the work of the Godhead. God will then begin to work after you have spoken the word of God. So what an encouragement it is for us. So we are never alone when we serve in the word of God. We are never alone when we proclaim the word of God. We are never by ourselves when we speak the word of truth. God comes in and he shows his glory. So it is also said that when we preach God's word, we must make sure that we do our part to rightly divide the word of God and place it before people with the right understanding. When we place it before people with the right understanding, what can you expect? There will be testimonies of what? Of, you know, healings, of deliverances, of life transformation, of provision. So so many things that can happen in the listener or the hearer's life because the truth of God's word is being proclaimed. So never wonder what will happen. What if they don't recognize God even after I have preached the message? What if they think that I am out of my mind or what I'm saying is untrue? Here is our assurance. Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 4, what does God do? God works with signs, wonders, miracles once the word has been proclaimed. So the writer is saying that we have been given all these opportunities and privileges. Please don't neglect it. This is so amazing that we can proclaim God's word and God works together with us. So, you know, we are co-laboring with God in the ministry. Moving forward, I'm at verse 5 now. Once again, this passage which shows us about the manner in which God has created man. How has God created man? We are told. What is man that you are mindful of him? Meaning, in the earthly structure that God has given man, the glory is different, isn't it? So the heavenly glory that God has, it's so much greater. So in that sense, this passage is from Psalm 8 and the writer is quoting it. I think I told us that you will find many Old Testament passages quoted in the book of Hebrews because the writer is targeting a Jewish audience primarily and they already know scripture. So he's pointing out to Psalm 8 and he's saying that though man does not have that heavenly glory, God, why is it that you value him? Why is man precious to you? So that shows us God's love to make man the center of his plan of redemption. God did not come to save angels. God did not come to save heavenly beings. Of course, as a part of redemption, even they are affected by what the Lord Jesus has done. But the primary focus, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. So when we read passages like this, we are greatly encouraged that God cares for us and God loves us so much. And then we are told, you have made him a little lower than the angels. So when God created man, here is the position a little lower than the angels. So does this mean that man is lower in the hierarchy? But if you go back to Hebrews chapter 1, it's quite clear that angels are ministering spirits. You recall Hebrews 1 verse 14, it says that angels are here to aid the heirs of salvation or angels are here to help those who have inherited salvation. Therefore, man is the one that angels are serving. Now keep that in mind and then read this verse. You have made him, that is man, little lower than the angels. So if angels are serving man, how can man be lower than the angels? The understanding. So that is why we must let scripture interpret scripture. So based on scripture, we recognize that angels serve man. But this line is talking about the glory. Angels continue to have the heavenly glory. But man is here on earth having the earthly glory which God has given him. And that is why the statement seems like man is lower than the angels but it doesn't mean that it simply is referring to the difference in the kind of glory that the angels have and man has. He continues to say that man has been crowned with glory and honor and here is the next thing. You set him over the works of your hands. Remember, we've studied Genesis 1 verses 26 and 27 about the dominion that God has given man. So God gave man dominion over the works of his hands. So once again man is the representative of God who also now carries delegated authority. So that is the position of man. Man has been created with glory and honor and God has made him set him over the works of his hands and put all things in subjection under his feet. So basically the dominion that has been given. Now, all things put in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. So continues to talk about the dominion. But now we do not yet see all things put under him but we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor. But ultimately we understand that everything, though man has been given dominion over everything, there are certain things that he has not demonstrated dominion over. But then Jesus comes into the picture and the author calls our attention to Jesus and says, look at Jesus. But we see Jesus who is the ultimate ruler and king. We have already seen in Hebrews 1 a beautiful description of the Lord Jesus where he is called as the son of God, the express image of God. So the word he upholds the word with the power of his power. So many things that we have seen about the Lord Jesus. Once again, you know, our attention is drawn to the Lord Jesus. Again, it mentions about Jesus that he was made a little lower than the angels. So the same rule applies. Whenever we read a one-off line or passage that gives us a certain meaning, we have to ask the question. What do other passages of the Bible say? Is Jesus lower than the angels? Go back to Hebrews 1. We saw there that the angels worship Jesus. So how can Jesus be lower than the angels? Basically, what we are being told is that the Lord Jesus put on humanity. So he left behind his heavenly glory. Philippians chapter 2 is another passage that we can refer to. He left behind his heavenly glory and he became a human being. What did he do as a human being? We are told he suffered death crowned with glory and honor that he by the grace of God might taste death for everyone. So the Lord Jesus was sent for man to become that perfect atonement prize. And we know that he suffered death. Now, could he have suffered death? Could he have it says might taste death for everyone? So that also tells us that according to the law of God, there needs to be a sacrifice for sin. So on behalf of everyone that has sin, if you recall the practices of the Old Covenant, that would be a sacrifice made so that the sins of the people can be forgiven. So that one sacrifice would affect others. And in the same way, there is this one man who is chosen to taste death for everyone. The question is, could the Lord Jesus have died if he had not put on humanity? Again, going back to the Old Testament laws, you really needed somebody who represented man. You really needed a human being to pay the price for the sins of human beings. And which is why we see that the Lord Jesus became a man. Why did he become a man? Now, he was fulfilling the law of God in many ways. So though man was created to rule and reign, he needed a saviour, he needed a redeemer. And so we see Jesus who also became a man to suffer death for us. So this is the understanding. Hebrews chapter one is about the deity of Christ. Hebrews chapter two is about the humanity of Christ. Isn't that beautiful? When we study about the person of the Lord Jesus, we say, you know, scriptures reveal to us that he was fully God and he was fully man. So Hebrews chapter two helps us with that understanding that he was fully man because if he was not a man, he could not taste death. But he was fully man, which is why he was able to taste death on behalf of everyone. Again verse 10, it says, for it was fitting for him. Fitting for whom? Fitting for God to do what? For whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many sons to glory? Okay, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through suffering. So we are told that God chose or decided for the Lord Jesus to become a human being and do what? Here are the things that the Lord Jesus did, bringing many sons to glory. Or, in other words, redeeming mankind, bringing many men, women into his kingdom. Saving them from the eternal destruction that sin causes. That is something that the Lord Jesus was sent to do and also to make him the captain of their salvation. So the Lord Jesus has become the chief. The captain of a ship is the one who leads the ship. So in the same way, who has led our salvation? Who is the leader of our salvation? It is the Lord Jesus Christ. So he has come to redeem mankind. He has also become the leader or the captain of our salvation. And another beautiful thing that we read in this passage was Stenness, perfect through sufferings. So God also felt that Jesus must undergo sufferings. It is very difficult for us to grasp this. We might ask the question, why is it Lord that you wanted Jesus to become a man and suffer? For us since, could he not have done it in a different way? Or, could you not have sent an angel to suffer for us? Why did Jesus suffer? Now we don't understand the full dynamics of this but we are told that Jesus who is the leader or the captain of our salvation became perfect through sufferings. Did he need to become perfect? When we study the life of Jesus, we already know that he was sinless. So a person who is so morally correct, how can that person become perfect again? So there is an element of humanness that God wanted in his son through his son. And when we talk about Jesus becoming perfect, that becoming was through the sufferings that he experienced. So Jesus did not need to become perfect in terms of righteousness or doing the right thing or being right with God. He was already right with God. But the additional perfection that we are talking about is the experience of humanity that the Lord Jesus had. He suffered as a human being and that brought perfection to the salvation that he brought for us. And that is why the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Now the verse here starts with, it is fitting. God, why is it fitting for you, for Jesus to go through all this to become the captain of our salvation, to bring many sons to glory? We don't understand but that is what God chose for Jesus to suffer as a human being. And let's continue. It says, for both he who sanctifies, that is Jesus, sanctify meaning cleansing. So Jesus cleanses us and those who are being sanctified, which is us, we are being cleansed or cleaned, are all of one. How are we all one? Humanity, Jesus has experienced humanity just like you and me, for which reason he is not ashamed to call them brethren. So the Lord Jesus truly expresses humanity in the most relatable way. We might think after reading Hebrews chapter one that, oh this God, he's not approachable, he's so great, so wonderful. How can we relate with him? But when you read Hebrews chapter two, you see how God made the Lord Jesus as man and Jesus understood life on earth, the pain, the sorrow, the sufferings. And better still, we are the same, Jesus and us. He says, okay, we are the same because I too have tasted humanity and because I have tasted humanity, it says he's not ashamed to call them brethren. Isn't that wonderful? That the Lord Jesus is willing to be called as our brother. Some places when you read this passage, you have different versions of the Bible and they try to title sections of chapters. So in some versions you would find the title as Jesus our elder brother because he became the captain of our salvation and he's not ashamed to be called our brother. He experienced everything for us and he also won our salvation. So Jesus is God but here we are told that we have an elder brother who has gone before us and who has experienced life, who has conquered sin and Satan and here he doesn't reject us. He calls you, he calls me, you know, brother, sister. He's not ashamed to call his brother or sister. What an encouraging thought it is, you know, that I have an elder brother and that is the Lord Jesus. And so as we continue, we see here that the writer is encouraging the persecuted believers and you're saying you have somebody who is standing up for you, who is representing you. And you know, he continues and he says that the Lord Jesus again from the Psalms, these are all quotes from the Psalms where the Lord Jesus declares the people as his brethren and he sings praises in the assembly of God. So he's happy to call us his brother or sister. And he is also proud to have us with him in his team because as he sings before the father in the assembly, we read another verse here which says here am I and the children whom God has given me. So Jesus is very proud and happy with us on his team. And this is truly strengthening for us as believers. Now let's continue the humanity of Jesus. That's what we're talking about in Hebrews chapter 2. So in verse 14 we continue to read in as much as the children have partaken of flesh and blood. That's very understandable. Children is people, human beings, flesh and blood, humanity. We have put on humanity. He himself likewise shared in the same again. It's a repetition that Jesus also put on flesh and blood or he became a man. Why earlier we've seen to bring many sons to glory to be perfected through sufferings to taste death on their behalf. These are all reasons why he became a human being. Now we continue. He says we are told through death he might destroy him who had the power of death. Now in all the things that human beings fear, death is one of the key destruction that comes upon a human being. People fear death. They fear sickness. They fear some form of calamity. But ultimately death. That's what people fear. But we are told here that the Lord Jesus, he has also overcome death. He has overcome him who had the power of death. Who is the him who had the power of death? Satan. Satan is the one we've already seen in this very passage how God created the world and he gave dominion to man. But because of the rebellion of Adam and Eve, the first human beings whom God had created, sin came in. And the wages of sin is death. So mankind started reaping death. But then Jesus came in. The gift of God is eternal life. He came in to give us that gift. How did he overcome death to give us eternal life? We are told here that he destroyed him who had the power of death. So Satan was destroyed. How was Satan destroyed? When we go back to passages in the book of Colossians, we know that the Lord Jesus, Colossians chapter 2, that on the cross he made a public spectacle of the enemy. Triumphing on the cross over Satan. And that is the way in which the Lord Jesus has destroyed Satan who has the power of death. So it brings great rejoicing to us as we read this passage because there are so many beautiful themes. The Lord Jesus brought us salvation. He is not ashamed to call us his brothers and sisters. And here we are told that the power of death is destroyed. Satan is destroyed. So there is so much hope for the believers because the Lord Jesus is the captain of our salvation. So in continuation, he who had the power of death, that is the devil, and released those who, through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject to bondage. So you see because many people fear death, fear brings bondage. Whenever we fear something, we can't live free, isn't it? So that slavery to fear or that bondage to fear was broken off of our lives because of the Lord, because of what Jesus has done. That means we can live free. And a believer has great hope that even death has been destroyed by the captain of our salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ. That for indeed he does not give aid to angels, but he does give aid to the seed of Abraham. So once again, it shows us that as believers, we have a position of favor. In the previous chapter, verse 14, we saw that angels help us. Now we are told that the Lord Jesus helps us. What terms refer to us believers? Seed of Abraham. Seed of Abraham. In the book of Galatians, Galatians 3, we see this that we may not be the natural descendants of Abraham because we are not like from the whole Jewish race. However, by faith, we are the descendants of Abraham. So how do we become the descendants of Abraham? We become the descendants of Abraham through faith. So we are the seed of Abraham. Who does God help? God sends help or aid. Not to angels. In fact, it's the other way around. The angels are supposed to worship God. The angels are supposed to help man. And God sends help to the seed of Abraham. So God has helped us. God has done all these marvelous things in our lives, given us salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm on verse 17 now. So in all things, he had to be made like his brethren. Remember, we just read that Jesus calls mankind brethren. And Jesus had to be made in every way like brethren, mankind. Why? In continuation, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God. So usually a high priest who was chosen to go before God with the affairs of the people, he would be a representative of the people. He would be somebody who understands the people very well. Only then he could go before God with sympathy and empathy. Meaning it's like saying the priest feels the pain or the priest feels the loss of the people whom he is representing. So the priest is so human when he goes before God. Now, for the Lord Jesus to be a high priest for us or to go to God on behalf of us, he needed to sense what we sense, experience what we experience. And the Lord Jesus' deity could not have understood what we are going through. But when he became a man, he could understand and sense us for who we are as human beings. And that is the reason why the Lord Jesus had to put on humanity so that he can become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God. Also notice to make propreciation for the sins of the people. You need it? A sacrifice, isn't it? And you needed a spotless and a blemishless sacrifice. And again going back by the Old Testament law, we know that the Lord Jesus, he completely represented us and we needed somebody like us, but without sin to become that sacrifice and that is why he put on humanity. And we are also told that the kind of humanity that he experienced, he suffered in many ways. But he also suffered due to temptation, suffered being tempted, we are told. He is able to aid those who are tempted. So because he experienced what it feels like as a human being, there are all kinds of temptations, isn't it? In this world there is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, so many things. Now a lot of people do not believe in the Lord Jesus, not because they doubt his deity but because they doubt his humanity. You know if the Lord Jesus was fully God and had nothing, a human element to him then he wouldn't understand our suffering. He wouldn't understand what we go through as a human being under temptation but scripture is very clear and says, yes he was fully God but he was also fully man which is why he suffered in his body. He suffered unto death. He understands us. He is a merciful and faithful high priest. What more can you ask? He doesn't condemn us. How could you sin like that? How could you not live up and even though you are going through crisis, how could you not still do the right thing? He doesn't condemn and put us down instead. He knows what we are going through. That is why he was a faithful high priest and he became the propitiation for us since and tempted. Now people might say that what does God know? I live in the 21st century. Does Jesus know? What kind of temptations are there in our world today? As per what scripture tells us, it says he suffered being tempted. So that in itself is an indicator. You know when do you suffer when being tempted? Let's say for example there is something that you are not supposed to eat. It's not for you but you really like it and it's kept in front of you for hours and hours and hours. But you are not supposed to eat it. There is a suffering involved because you have to constantly die to your flesh and tell yourself no, I can't do this. It's not mine. I can't do this. So there is a suffering when you resist. When you don't resist, there is no question of suffering. One is facing temptation but we are told very clearly here that under life's circumstances no matter what it was, he suffered. Meaning there were many things that he could have given into but he stood up, did the right thing, did not give in to the pressures of this life. Go back to the time when I think Matthew 26, isn't it? When he was in the Garden of Gethsemane, where he was tempted like anything. I don't want to go on to the cross. Father, can you take this cup away from me? Can I do something differently? Why should I suffer like this? Why should I die? He was tempted and we also read that he resisted. Isn't it that temptation that he was sweating blood? So he suffered all kinds of temptation but here is the great news. He overcame. So when we go to Jesus and when we say, I don't think you understand me. Jesus might have a smile on his face and say, I have gone through everything that you are going through right now. So I completely understand but I have overcome and I know that even you can overcome. So that is about the humanity of the Lord Jesus. So this passage, Hebrews chapter 2 is all about the humanity of the Lord Jesus. So I'm just going to pause here to ask if there are any questions. In the meantime, there is a question here. So Prince has a question here. Which verse is this Prince? Verse 8. I'll just go back to verse 8. So Prince, we talked about the dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ. Sorry, the dominion that was given to mankind through Psalm 8. That's what we understood. So verse 8, it says, but we do not yet see all things put under him which means to say that yes, dominion is given to man but there were some things unfulfilled in the authority of man which the Lord Jesus has fulfilled. So does that make sense? Do you understand that? Yeah, that's nice. Anything else? Maybe your own thoughts if not a question about the humanity of Jesus. What do you have to say? So you could just take all this in, meditate on these scriptures and as I told you earlier, the believers at that time who were undergoing persecution, they also had this wrong teaching going on where people said that Jesus was fully God but he was not fully man. Now that is also problematic. So that is why the writer of the Hebrews, he's clarifying this that Jesus Christology, what we have all studied that while he is fully God, he's also fully man because if he was only God, there were other theories that people came up with like when he died on the cross, he didn't really die because he was after all only God. So that death was not a real human death. But look at scripture, he suffered to death. He suffered under temptation. He experienced whatever we experienced so that he could become a merciful, faithful, high priest. So scriptures clarify time and again this mystery. It is a mystery. How can somebody be fully God and fully man at the same time but Jesus is both, fully God and fully man. So we have that clarity. Let's go in for a break now. It's 9.48. We can come back at 9.58 and continue into the next chapter. I hope this is fine, everyone. Are you doing okay? Are you able to understand? Okay, wonderful. Great, thank you. Let's go for a break and we shall be back in 10 minutes.