How great a salvation!
The writer of Hebrews clearly established how Jesus was different from angels. Jesus was God manifested in flesh, who by Himself through His death purged our sins, and is today sitting at the right hand of God making intercession for us. Then came a warning:
“Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?” (Hebrews 2: 1-4)
What ‘things’ had the Hebrews heard? Is it possible some of them had heard Peter’s message on the Day of Pentecost?
Pentecost was one of the great festivals of Israel. Pentecost in the Greek means ‘the fiftieth,’ which referred to the fiftieth day after the firstfruit of grain was offered during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Jesus Christ rose from the dead as the Firstfruit of resurrection. Fifty days later the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Day of Pentecost. The gift of the Holy Spirit was the firstfruit of Jesus’ spiritual harvest. Peter boldly testified on that Day “This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.” (Acts 2: 32-33)
What was the ‘word spoken by angels?’ It was the law of Moses, or Old Covenant. What was the purpose of the Old Covenant? Galatians teaches us “What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.” (Gal. 3: 19) (the ‘Seed’ is Jesus Christ, the first mention of Jesus in the Bible is in God’s curse upon Satan in Genesis 3: 15 “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”)
What did Jesus say about salvation? One thing the apostle John recorded Jesus saying was “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3: 13-15)
God bore witness of Jesus’ deity through signs, miracles, and wonders. Part of Peter’s message on the Day of Pentecost was “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know.” (Acts 2: 22)
How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? Luke wrote in Acts in reference to Jesus – “This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4: 11-12)
Have you considered how great a salvation Jesus has provided for you?
