WE SEE JESUS! Hebrews 2:9 To think that the eternal Son chose to become a man is beyond our comprehension. Leaving the highest place in heaven and coming to earth is such a gracious act of condescension. Knowing that the purpose behind this descent was to offer us redemption is truly extraordinary. Surely, a Person like our Lord Jesus Christ has a full claim to our attention. From beyond the archangel, angels, and all heavenly hosts, the Savior came. The Eternal Son of the Eternal God took on human form, and Jesus was His name.
When our Lord came here the first time, He came "full of grace and truth." He entered this world "to save sinners." He also "suffered, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God." This humble appearance was difficult for Hebrew believers to accept because they did not want a servant to lead them. They wanted a conquering king. From His humble descent to earth, we learn that we, too, are here to serve Him and others, so that we might bring them to God.
Everything we mortal men have done and the dishonor brought to God are our shame. But by the grace of God, He tasted death for every man, making propitiation for all that sin claimed from us. We who were lost and condemned by sin have now been raised with Him on high. We, who were subject to death because of sin, will live because He was willing to die on the cross of Calvary on our behalf. We, who were at an unreachable distance from God, have now, by grace, been drawn near. We, who could never please God on our own, now entirely rely on His acceptance through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Because of man's sin, the crown of humanity is in the dust, honor is stained, and the provision of creation belongs to man only after hard labor. Man has become degraded and has lowered himself to consider himself no more than a beast, a tree, or an insect. The slavery of sin has bowed man’s head and lowered his neck to the yoke of slaves and fearful creatures. Man, as Christ made him in the beginning, had a unique glory. Christ, the perfect Man, has an acquired glory because of His stoop into humanity – not His inherent glory as deity [1:3].
Currently, we catch glimpses of the blessings that will unfold in the future. Today, we enjoy the fullness of forgiveness gained through His victory on the cross. We live by faith and experience the blessed fruits of what our Lord has done. At present, we dwell in the position where God's Son and we as joint heirs are one.
The greatness of God's salvation, with its life-changing power, demonstrates the glory of His Person as the "Son of Man who came down from heaven." He descended beyond the archangel, angels, cherubim, and seraphim to become a true Man among men. "And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
Jesus was made lower physically than angels for a little while so that He could fully experience death, conquer it, and provide this great salvation for everyone who believes in Him. Through His accomplishments as a human, He redeemed us. Jesus has been exalted through suffering so that He might be our Great High Priest. In Psalm 2, the whole world is united against God, but with calmness and quiet majesty, He waits because He is patient and long-suffering, not willing that any should perish.
The Lord Jesus has been placed in charge of everything and has been revealed to us as believers through faith; however, He is not yet reigning on earth as He does in heaven. By faith, we see Him in His glory in heaven and know He will one day rule on earth as well. The decisions we make in our daily lives should be guided by the upcoming glory we will share with Him.
Then He spoke to the world through His eternal Son. He is the eternal God in His essential nature and was sent by the Father to be found in human form. After He died for us, He was raised from the dead— “This day have I begotten (resurrected) Thee.” As the “only begotten Son,” He came in His incarnation. As the “first begotten,” He is resurrected. Now, He is crowned with glory and honor.
Psalm 8:5 was fulfilled when the Lord Jesus Christ became a human, suffered death, and was exalted to God’s right hand after His resurrection. He was made lower than angels for a little while when He was on earth among men as a Man. Glory and honor now crown Him in heaven and will be evident in Him on earth at a future time.
When He tasted death, He fully experienced it to make salvation available to everyone. He is in complete control of all things despite the confusion around us. His position and authority are not diminished, and He will reign on earth as He does in heaven. The chaos on earth will be resolved when people finally realize they cannot control themselves or events because of their sinful nature. Justice and righteousness are closely connected.
This provides assurance and stability to the decisions we make each day personally. Christians experience the benefits of eternal life now. As stewards of what God has entrusted to us, our motives should be balanced, recognizing that we are privileged to serve Him. We are responsible for meeting our own needs, remaining faithful to our calling and service for God, and fulfilling our responsibilities to God and His people – including the Gospel message we are called to share with the world.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death for everyone. The cross-death of our Lord Jesus is God’s way of making the Messiah the Jewish believers were waiting for highly exalted. He is exalted at God’s right hand as a Prince and Savior. It would not have been right for God to “bring many sons to glory” without the suffering of death to pay the price of sin. What God demanded, His incarnate Son provided.
The Jews as a nation did not want anything to do with a suffering Messiah. They desired a conqueror. But Jesus explained that it was necessary for Christ to suffer and rise from the dead, offering complete atonement. Through His suffering, He first secured our pardon by tasting death for every person. He faced the bitterness and penalty that sin had brought upon us. [2] He provided us with a Perfect Leader, the captain of our salvation, who was “made perfect through suffering.” Moses was prepared to be the deliverer and leader of Israel through the wilderness, while Joshua was equipped to lead Israel into the Promised Land. Aaron was consecrated to lead as their high priest. To redeem His people from their sins, God appointed Jesus as the Captain, the Leader, of our salvation.
[3] Because of His suffering, the Lord Jesus has established a perfect connection and unity between the Savior and those saved. “He is not ashamed to call them brethren,” those who are set apart for Him. [4] His suffering has given Him preeminence and victory over death. “That through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.” He voluntarily became human, “took part in the same,” even though He remained who He always was. He has disabled the devil by dying without sin and has removed sin and Satan’s power.
[5] By dying, the Lord Jesus Christ has secured our freedom from the fear of death. He has lifted the mystery and dread of what lies beyond death. “Life and immortality” have been revealed through the Gospel. [6] He completed a perfect atonement for sin. As a man, He became mankind’s High Priest to offer the sacrifice for sin to God. He was both the sacrifice and the High Priest who presented it. [7] Through the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ, He can sympathize with and help us. Those who have suffered can empathize with others who are suffering. He can “succor” (help) those who are in pain.
The motivation behind all of this is God's grace. That is the source and reason for all blessings. Our Lord Jesus Christ died for sin, bearing its curse in His own body and suffering death as God’s judgment on it. He also died to sin by giving up His life rather than yielding to it. His death was an act of infinite moral and spiritual value that completed God's work of saving grace.
Putting our faith in His death for sin leads us to be dead to sin and alive to God. Christ did for me what I cannot do for myself; He saved me. That is my salvation. Christ works in me when I look up to Him and want to please Him; that is fellowship. A finished work of salvation and work to do for the Lord gives me power to live for Him; that is sanctification.