Hebrews 1–2

God Spoke Through His Son

1In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets many times and in many different ways. ²But now in these last days God has spoken to us through his Son. God has chosen his Son to own all things, and through him he made the world. ³The Son reflects the glory of God and shows exactly what God is like. He holds everything together with his powerful word. When the Son made people clean from their sins, he sat down at the right side of God, the Great One in heaven. ⁴The Son became much greater than the angels, and God gave him a name that is much greater than theirs.

⁵This is because God never said to any of the angels,

“You are my Son.

Today I have become your Father.”

Nor did God say of any angel,

“I will be his Father,

and he will be my Son.”

⁶And when God brings his firstborn Son into the world, he says,

“Let all God’s angels worship him.” ⁿ

⁷This is what God said about the angels:

“God makes his angels become like winds.

He makes his servants become like flames of fire.”

⁸But God said this about his Son:

“God, your throne will last forever and ever.

You will rule your kingdom with fairness.

⁹You love right and hate evil,

so God has chosen you from among your friends;

he has set you apart with much joy.”

¹⁰God also says,

“Lord, in the beginning you made the earth,

and your hands made the skies.

¹¹They will be destroyed, but you will remain.

They will all wear out like clothes.

¹²You will fold them like a coat.

And, like clothes, you will change them.

But you never change,

and your life will never end.”

¹³And God never said this to an angel:

“Sit by me at my right side

until I put your enemies under your control.” ⁿ

¹⁴All the angels are spirits who serve God and are sent to help those who will receive salvation.

Our Salvation Is Great

2So we must be more careful to follow what we were taught. Then we will not stray away from the truth. ²The teaching God spoke through angels was shown to be true, and anyone who did not follow it or obey it received the punishment that was earned. ³So surely we also will be punished if we ignore this great salvation. The Lord himself first told about this salvation, and those who heard him testified it was true. ⁴God also testified to the truth of the message by using wonders, great signs, many kinds of miracles, and by giving people gifts through the Holy Spirit, just as he wanted.

Christ Became like Humans

⁵God did not choose angels to be the rulers of the new world that was coming, which is what we have been talking about. ⁶It is written in the Scriptures,

“Why are people even important to you?

Why do you take care of human beings?

⁷You made them a little lower than the angels

and crowned them with glory and honor. ⁿ

⁸You put all things under their control.”

When God put everything under their control, there was nothing left that they did not rule. Still, we do not yet see them ruling over everything. ⁹But we see Jesus, who for a short time was made lower than the angels. And now he is wearing a crown of glory and honor because he suffered and died. And by God’s grace, he died for everyone.

¹⁰God is the One who made all things, and all things are for his glory. He wanted to have many children share his glory, so he made the One who leads people to salvation perfect through suffering.

¹¹Jesus, who makes people holy, and those who are made holy are from the same family. So he is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. ¹²He says,

“Then, I will tell my brothers and sisters about you;

I will praise you in the public meeting.”

¹³He also says,

“I will trust in God.”

And he also says,

“I am here, and with me are the children God has given me.”

¹⁴Since these children are people with physical bodies, Jesus himself became like them. He did this so that, by dying, he could destroy the one who has the power of death—the devil—¹⁵and free those who were like slaves all their lives because of their fear of death. ¹⁶Clearly, it is not angels that Jesus helps, but the people who are from Abraham. ^{n 17}For this reason Jesus had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every way so he could be their merciful and faithful high priest in service to God. Then Jesus could die in their place to take away their sins. ¹⁸And now he can help those who are tempted, because he himself suffered and was tempted.