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So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. 2 For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished. 3 So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? --- Hebrews 2:1-3 NLT V1-3 - The author called his reader to pay attention to the truth they had heard so that they wouldn’t drift away into false teaching. Paying careful attention is hard work. It involves focusing our mind, body, and senses. Listening to Christ means listen carefully and be ready to carry out his instructions. V1 - These early believers were in danger of falling away from following Jesus. They had heard the words of the gospel, but those words had not sunk in. People raised in believing families and churches risk the same danger today. They hear the words and more or less agree, but mental assent to Christ’s leadership is insufficient to be Christ’s disciple. Are you a Sunday school teacher, a small group leader, or a club leader? Don’t assume that people who comply and conform are truly committed to Christ. Don’t surrender anyone to casual belief. V2-3 - “The message God delivered through angels” refers to the teaching that angels, as messengers for God, had brought the law to Moses (see Galatians 3:19). A central theme of Hebrews is that Christ is infinitely greater than all other proposed ways to God. The author was saying that the faith of his Jewish readers was good, but faith must point to Christ. Just as Christ is greater than angels, so Christ’s message is more important than theirs. No one will escape God’s punishment if he or she is indifferent to the salvation offered by Christ. V3 - Eyewitnesses to Jesus’ ministry had handed down his teachings to the readers of this book. These readers were second-generation believers who had not seen Christ in the flesh. They are like us; we have not seen Jesus personally. We base our belief in Jesus on the eyewitness accounts recorded in the Bible. See John 20:29 for Jesus’ encouragement to those who believe without ever having seen him. --- Life Application Study Bible notes