We Must Pay Closer Attention
Hebrews 2:1–4 – Jesus Is Better
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – October 12th, 2025 (am)
What are we supposed to do with that? That’s often the first question we have in the wake of some catastrophic event like the 9/11 terrorist attacks back in 2001 or the more recent political assassinations and attempts or the back-and-forth dynamics between Israel and Hamas in Gaza over the past two years.
But it’s not just serious events; this past week I was reminded of the 2003 NLCS at Wrigley Field where the Cubs faced the Florida Marlins. You remember Steve Bartman interfering with that foul ball that was about to be caught by left fielder Moises Alou. That event still seems to have a significance that extends well beyond baseball! But it also left us asking some form of this question: what are we supposed to do with that?
And that question can extend even to esoteric, mind-bending concepts. I remember the first time I heard a lecture on Special Relativity and the equation E=MC2. I was awestruck and left wondering about the massive amount of energy that’s literally intrinsic to the universe. According to this formula, if the mass of my pencil were converted to energy, I could charge my iPhone 15 from zero to 100% every day for well over the next twenty-seven million years.[1] Unbelievable! What are we supposed to do with that?
Good question, and yet, we heard something last week that’s grander by far than any of the events or concepts I’ve mentioned here. We heard a string of biblical evidence—Holy Spirit inspired, divinely authoritative affirmation—that Jesus Christ—the eternal Son of God Who came to earth in human form, the One through whom [God] created the world (1:2), replete as it is with intrinsic power, yet He upholds the universe by the word of his own power (1:3) (which is infinitely greater yet); He’s the One Psa.95:4 in [Whose] hand are the depths of the earth…, the One Who Isa.40:12 … has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span[, Who] has enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales…—made purification for the sins (1:3) of all who believe and returned to the Father—literally ascended into heaven—and 1:4 … sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. Now these glorious beings—these angels whom the A/author just went to great lengths to distinguish from God the Son even though He’s much superior to [them] (1:4)—serve as ministering spirits for the sake of those who will inherit His salvation (1:14), you and me!
What are we supposed to do with that?
Last week’s takeaway from that passage was simple and clear: salvation (1:14) is a glorious gift from God. Believer, treasure it; rejoice in it; live it out to its fullest degree. Unbeliever, receive it; embrace it; entrust yourself to the Son. He’s always been superior (1:4) to angels, but it was demonstrated, even affirmed and celebrated by the Father, in all new ways as He [made] purification for our sins (1:3).
Now the A/author of Hebrews takes us a very similar direction. He addresses our question pretty directly in today’s passage. Let’s track it under three headings.
Warnings Not to Undervalue God’s Salvation 1-3a
1 Therefore tells us right from the start that he’s moving toward a response to what we’ve just read, the list of OT references that demonstrate how the eternal Son is far superior to angels (1:4). He’s answering our question. He’s just using somewhat different words than we used. 1 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard. Why? 1 … lest we drift away from it. That helps. And we understand it. We tend to drift away from those things to which we don’t pay much attention. But this result, drifting away, doesn’t quite capture the most profound reason why we’re being urged (indicative, not imperative) to pay much closer attention.
2 For, here’s the reason, since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, think of all the punishments in the Law for each deviation from it, great or small, and how there was no sacrifice for intentional sin except to forfeit your life, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? … So, we must pay much closer attention to [the gospel] because if the Law, which was communicated to Moses by angels (Gal.3:19; Act.7:38, 53), promises [punishment] for disobedience, how much more seriously will the gospel, the covenant-upgrade, be treated by God given that it’s been communicated directly to His people through His incarnate Son! So, the problem here isn’t just disobedience (2), it’s also neglect (3), [ignoring] (niv) it (lit., “not [caring] about”) it (France 48).
John Calvin wrote: Not only the rejection of the Gospel, but also its neglect, deserves the heaviest punishment, and that on account of the greatness of the grace which it offers…. God would indeed have his gifts valued by us according to their worth. Then the more precious they are, the baser is our ingratitude when we do not value them. In a word, in proportion to the greatness of Christ will be the severity of God’s vengeance on all the despisers of his Gospel (Calvin 53).
Reminders of God’s Attestations to His Salvation 3b-4
God has put His stamp of full approval on this expression of His salvation. In fact, the whole Trinity is involved. 3 … It was declared at first by the Lord, Jesus introduced it in His preaching of the Kingdom, and it was attested to us by those who heard, these would be the apostles, including the author of Hebrews (and by the way, this proves that Hebrews wasn’t written by one of the twelve [Hughes 77]), 4 while God, the Father, also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles, Jesus bore regular witness to this as we saw throughout The Gospel of John, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will beginning at the Feast of Pentecost with the giving of the Spirit.
So, this is God’s plan. This is what the OT writers have been pointing to as the fulfillment of His promises since the Garden (Gen.3:15). This is the gospel, the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Rom.1:16 [cf. Calvin 53]), and it must have the full attention and faithful obedience of His people.
Heeding the Warnings and Hearing the Attestations
This actually leads us into our next heading: heeding the warnings and hearing the attestations of this passage. And make no mistake, this is the first of the warning passages in Hebrews; cc.5 and 10 are the more familiar ones, but here’s where it begins. And there are actually four in total, one associated with each of the Jesus Is Better sections (~1-2, 3-4, 5-7, 8-10).
So, let’s look a little closer at a few words we passed over.
First, the warning: it’s stated most simply in v.1: we must pay much closer attention to the gospel—add in v.3: we must not neglect the great salvation God has provided through Jesus—or we’ll drift away from it—we’ll stray from Him and fall under the judgment of God; there will be no other escape for us.
This doesn’t mean that we’ll savingly believe in Jesus then lose it as we walk away from Him; Jesus also made that clear in The Gospel of John (Joh.6:37-40). What we’ll see here in Hebrews is that the A/author is addressing a community that has both believers and unbelievers in it, those who’ve trusted Christ as Savior and those who are drawn to the gospel but haven’t yet embraced it by faith. The difference is stated most clearly in c.4 where the A/author addresses both groups: 4:1 … while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. 2 For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. 3 For we who have believed enter that rest…. But those who were not united by faith with those who [believe in Jesus] do not enter that rest.
So, it’s not those who believe who need to fear. It’s those who don’t yet believe. And surely there are some in every assembly of the church wherever it gathers. There are some here today who need to hear this warning and fear, who need to pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest [they] drift away from it (1) and neglect such a great salvation (3).
This is no small matter. This is God’s own and ultimate salvation (1:1-4), attested to by the clear and unequivocal expressions of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, together with the apostles (3-4). There’s not going to be any additional salvation beyond this. And there’s no alternative if you look into this one but find other things in this life more appealing.
And what does it look like to pay closer attention? I think it means the stunningly incomprehensible work of salvation, provided by the inconceivably exalted Son of God in His making purification for sins, needs to capture our minds and hearts and wills, that it needs to ignite our passions and captivate our longings, such that it is the driving force in our whole motivational structure. It provides the core meaning in our lives. It is what we value above all else. It expresses the purpose of our existence.
Oh, we still go about our responsibilities day to day, but this great salvation provides the backdrop behind all we do. It establishes the context in which we function. We go about our daily responsibilities with the irrepressible joy of someone that just discovered he’s inherited limitless wealth.
Every problem seems more solvable, every disappointment more manageable. Every victory feels more triumphant, and every responsibility more significant.
We grasp more fully who we are and why we’re here, what difference it makes that we’re doing what we’re doing. It helps us see beyond question and never forget that Christ is King over all that concerns us, and all that doesn’t, and indeed all that exists, all there is, and to live like that is so!
Conclusion
There’s the answer to our question about this great salvation—what are we supposed to do with this? Pay much closer attention to what [you] have heard (1). Don’t risk even the possibility that you may neglect such a great salvation (3) and drift away from it (1), leaving yourself with no escape (3) of God’s judgment (2). Do you hear? Pay much closer attention (1).
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Resources
Anders, Max, gen. ed. 1999. Holman New Testament Commentary. Hebrews & James, by Thomas D. Lea. Nashville: Broadman & Holman.
Arnold, Clinton E., gen. ed. 2002. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary. Vol. 4, Hebrews to Revelation. Hebrews, by George H. Guthrie, 2-82. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Barclay, William. 1976. The Daily Study Bible Series. The Letter to the Hebrews, Revised Edition. Louisville: Westminster John Knox.
Beale, G. K., & D. A. Carson, eds. 2007. Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Hebrews, by George H. Guthrie, 919-995. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Bruce, F. F. 1990. New International Commentary on the New Testament. Hebrews. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
Calvin, John. 1553. Commentary on the Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews, trans. by, John Owen. Logos.
Carson, D. A., R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham, eds. 1994. New Bible Commentary 21st Century Edition. Hebrews, by David Peterson, 1321-1353. Leicester, Eng.: InterVarsity.
Clendenen, Ray E., gen. ed., David S. Dockery, NT ed. 2010. The New American Commentary. Vol. 35, Hebrews, by David L. Allen. Nashville: Broadman & Holman.
Dever, Mark. 2005. The Message of the New Testament. Ch. 19, The Message of Hebrews: Sticking with the Best, 413-425. Wheaton: Crossway.
Fee, Gordon D., gen. ed. 1990. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. The Epistle to the Hebrews, Revised Edition, by F. F. Bruce. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
Grudem, Wayne, ed. 2008. ESV Study Bible. Study notes on Hebrews, by David W. Chapman. Wheaton: Crossway.
Guthrie, George. 1998. The NIV Application Commentary. Hebrews. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Hubbard, David A., & Glenn W. Barker, gen. eds. Ralph P. Martin, NT ed. 1991. Word Biblical Commentary. Vols. 47a, Hebrews 1-8; Vol.47b, Hebrews 9-13, by William L. Lane. Dallas: Word.
Hughes, Philip Edgcumbe. 1979. A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
Longman III, Tremper, & David E. Garland, eds. 2006. Revised Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Vol. 13, Hebrews-Revelation. Hebrews, by R. T. France, 17-195. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Morris, Leon, gen. ed. 1983. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Vol. 15, Hebrews, by Donald Guthrie. Downers Grove: InterVarsity.
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[1] 6.29x1014 joules in 7 grams of matter, the rough mass of a pencil based on E=MC2; 62,064 joules to charge an iPhone 15 Pro Max from zero to 100%; 365.25 days per year (Note: these web links produce slightly varied totals each time they're loaded).
NEXT SUNDAY: Hebrews 2:5–9, Kipp Soncek