Category: First Things First Devotional

Therefore, He had to be like His brothers in every way, so that He could become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. Hebrews 2:17 HCSB

Vocabulary.com reports that “propitiation” is an action meant to regain someone’s favor or make up for something you did wrong. Propitiation comes from a form of the Latin verb”propitiare,” which means “to appease.” If you are doing something in propitiation, your basic goal is to regain favor. Propitiation often involves a god or gods.

In Biblical times the High Priest was the mediator between God and the people. He would regularly offer animal sacrifices to intercede on behalf of the people, asking for God’s forgiveness. Jesus Christ is our High Priest. His death on the cross appeased God’s wrath and judgment on sin. It is through Jesus Christ that we are made right with a holy God. Through His death He has paid the penalty for our sins. Just as the High Priest made propitiation for the sins of the people, Jesus now makes propitiation for our sins.

Challenge: Thank Jesus for being your propitiation and appeasing the wrath and anger of God through His death on the cross.

For it is clear that He does not reach out to help angels, but to help Abraham’s offspring. Hebrews 2:16

I was interim pastor at a church in Missouri while serving on staff with the Missouri Baptist Convention several years ago. That Easter I worked with the Minister of Music to coordinate my message with the special music. I also did a monologue of the Apostle Peter while dressed in Biblical costume. I took on the appearance, actions, and attitudes of Peter as if I was Peter. It was enjoyable to share the Easter story in this way.

Jesus, while in human form on earth, took on the appearance and actions of man. This verse reminds us that Jesus did not take on the image of the angels, but instead took on the image of man so He could bring salvation to all who believed in Him. He did not come to save the angels; rather He came to save all of mankind.

Challenge: What does God have you here on this earth to accomplish? What is your mission? Pray for wisdom and guidance as you seek to do His will in your life!

Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through His death He might destroy the one holding the power of death – that is, the Devil – and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. Hebrews 2:14-15 HCSB

There is a cute movie that I have watched several times titled “Not Quite Human”. It weaves the story of a professor who develops a robot that looks and talks like a human. The professor passes him off as being his son who actually attends high school. The plot of the movie involves a company trying to steal the “robot boy” named Chip so it can develop an army of fighting robot soldiers.

It may be hard for our minds to understand, but Jesus was all human and all God. He had to be all human and live a life that included every temptation we face, yet He did not sin. Because He was the spotless, sinless, lamb of God, He became our substitute and died in our place so we might have forgiveness of sin and conquer death. God provided the perfect sacrifice for our sins. It is only through Jesus that anyone can have eternal life.

Challenge: Thank God that He provided the perfect sacrifice for your sins. Praise Him for sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to live as a human on this earth without sin. Through His death, as a believer, you are no longer a slave to sin. There is no reason for you to fear death.

Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through His death He might destroy the one holding the power of death – that is, the Devil – and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. Hebrews 2:14-15 HCSB

We are now into the football season. College football is a big attraction for many people. To some it almost becomes a god. They religiously gather around the television to watch their favorite team, shout at the referees, and cheer when their team makes a touchdown. We all desire a winning team and long for a victory. Victories are won and lost depending upon the skill of the players, the coaching, and even to some degree, luck.

These two verses in Hebrews promise that Jesus has won the victory. Those who believe in Him have also won a victory over death. This victory is not dependent upon us or anything we can do because Jesus has done it all. It is only through Him that we experience victory. There is an old hymn, “Victory in Jesus,” that proclaims this truth. The words to the hymn are: “I heard an old, old story, how a Savior came from glory, how He gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me; I heard about His groaning, of His precious blood’s atoning, then I repented of my sins; and won the victory.”

Challenge: If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, you have victory over the Devil and death. Praise God that you have won the victory. Listen to the old hymn, “Victory in Jesus”, on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8ajtJtNXF4

At the same time, God also testified by signs and wonders, various miracles, and distributions of gifts from the Holy Spirit according to His will. Hebrews 2:4 HCSB

Over the years I have observed people using their spiritual gifts in ways that bring honor and glory to God. Some have been excellent teachers, while others have had the gift of encouragement and have brought encouragement to me when I needed it. My spiritual gifts are teaching and administration. Is it no wonder that I am a Minister of Education and Administration. I am striving to use the gifts the Lord has given me through the Holy Spirit to advance the kingdom of God.

This verse testifies to the fact that God reveals Himself through signs, wonders, miracles, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit in addition to His Son, Jesus Christ, the greatest revelation of God. When someone uses his or her spiritual gift, it reveals God and brings honor and glory to Him. All of these avenues verify the truth of the Gospel message.

Challenge: When others observe how God is working through us, it demonstrates God’s presence among us and His power. How are you using the spiritual gifts God has given you? If you do not know what your spiritual gifts are, take a spiritual gift survey at http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/files/lwcF_MYCS_030526_Spiritual_Gifts_Survey.pdf

It was first spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him. Hebrews 2:3b HCSB

One of the television stations where I used to live referred to their newscast as “Eyewitness News”. The implication was that those reporting the news were interviewing people who had actually been witnesses to the events they were reporting . It is always better to have an eyewitness account rather than a report from someone who heard about the event second hand. The eyewitness account should be more accurate than a second hand report.

Those to whom the book of Hebrews was written were second generation believers. The message and teachings of Jesus Christ had been passed down through word of mouth and now it was being passed down through the written words of the letter written to the Hebrews, which is now known as the book of Hebrews. In John 20:29, Jesus encouraged those who believed without seeing.

Challenge: You have not personally seen Jesus and heard Him teach, but you rely on others who have passed the Gospel message down over the years. Do not neglect your responsibility to pass down the Gospel message to your children and grandchildren. Their salvation is dependent upon those in their realm of influence to pass down the Good News of the “Great Salvation” of Jesus Christ.

For if the message spoken through angels was legally binding and every transgression and disobedience received a just punishment, how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him. Hebrews 2:2-3 HCSB

I can cut my yard in about an hour, but it usually takes two to three hours to do all of the weed eating along the driveway, around the flower beds, and along the fence. Consequently, I tend to let the weed eating go. When I neglect to do the weed eating, the weeds grow up along the fence and the grass grows over the driveway and sidewalk. The longer I wait to do the trimming, the harder the job and the longer it takes to complete. It is amazing how much better the yard looks when I take the time regularly to do the weed eating.

Some people neglect the great salvation that is offered as a free gift from Jesus Christ. They ignore it, reject it, and the “weeds of sin” continue to grow and create an unsightly appearance in their lives. Jesus offers all of us the gift of forgiveness for our sins. We deserve a great and just punishment for our disobedience, but through Christ we receive an undeserved “great salvation”.

Challenge: Have you received the “great salvation” of Jesus? If not, you cannot escape the “great judgment and punishment” of Jesus. Stop neglecting His salvation and accept the free gift of forgiveness. It is as simple as ABC. Admit you are a sinner. Believe that Jesus is the Son of God, died on the cross for your sins, and rose from the dead. Confess Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior.

We must, therefore, pay even more attention to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away. Hebrews 2:1 HCSB

When I worked for the Missouri Baptist Convention, my family and I lived on a small lake. We had a flat bottom fishing boat that we would take out on the lake to do some fishing. At times we would throw the anchor overboard to keep us anchored in one spot. Without the anchor, we would drift aimlessly away with the wind and current.

As believers we need to be careful to listen and do what Jesus taught. Satan is alive and works hard to create distractions to keep believers from doing what is right. If we as believers are are not anchored in Jesus Christ and His teachings, it is easy to drift away and end up in a place we never intended.

Challenge: Are you anchored in Jesus Christ and His teachings? Satan works to gradually pull you away from Jesus. Be careful to spend time in God’s Word and in prayer each day so you can stay anchored in Jesus Christ. If you pay close attention and follow His teachings, you can be assured you will not drift away.

We must, therefore, pay even more attention to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away. Hebrews 2:1 HCSB

There were times in school when a teacher instructed our class to “pay attention”. If we were to learn, we needed to focus and keep our attention on what was being said. Some adults have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, (ADHD). They have problems staying focused and often jump from doing one task to another. Health.com provides some practical tips for doing a better job of paying attention: write it down, create the right environment, prioritize your tasks, take a quick break, set a timer, learn to delegate, and record it.

The writer of Hebrews encouraged his readers to pay attention to what they had heard and been taught. There were many false teachers in that day and one needed to be careful to stay focused on what Jesus had taught. Paying attention involves the mind, body, and soul. A believer must focus on paying close attention and obeying what Jesus taught.

Challenge: On what are you focused? Paying attention is hard work. Listen closely to what Jesus is saying in His Word and be careful to do what He has instructed.

So He became higher in rank than the angels, just as the name He inherited is superior to theirs. HCSB

Some people are fascinated with angels and even collect angel figurines to use as home décor. We have ben given Willow Tree angel figurines for our home. Each angel has a name, a different pose, and some even hold items in their hands. The one that sits on our mantle is the “Thank You” angel and is posed with her hands behind her back holding flowers. The implication is that she is getting ready to give the flowers to someone as as way to say “Thank You”.

There were some false teachers in the early church that taught that God could be approached only through angels instead of directly. Some people worshiped angels but the Bible is clear that we are not to worship angels (see Colossians 2:18 and Revelations 19:1-10). Jesus is above all (including angels). He alone deserves our praise and worship. We can go directly to Him through prayer.

Challenge: Thank God for His angels that serve Him and are sometimes used by God to influence our decisions or protect us. Thank God for Jesus who is above the angels and is the one interceding for us before God, the Father.