Why did Jesus become a man? This passage teaches us that it was to enable His people to rule and reign in the world to come.
Why Did Jesus Become A Man? Pt. 1
Hebrews 2:5-9
The theme of the book of Hebrews is the Superiority of Christ. The author highlights Jesus’ superiority by using the word better 13 times in this book – one time for every chapter! The first point he makes is that Jesus is better than the angels. That’s the theme of chapter one.
- Why is Jesus better than the angels?
- Because He is God’s final revelation to man
- Because He is the Heir of all things
- Because He made the world
- Because He is the radiance of God’s glory
- Because He is the exact representation of God’s nature
- Because He upholds all things
- Because He made purification of sins
- Because He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high
- Because He is called the Son
- Because all the angels are commanded to worship Him
- Because God calls Him GOD
None of those things are ever said of any angel, but they are all said of Jesus Christ. 1:14 tells us that angels are merely ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation.
At this point in the flow of this book, the author pauses to exhort his readers. If Jesus really is this glorious, then how can they neglect the gospel?! How can they allow themselves to drift away from Him?!
Having exhorted his readers, the author returns to the subject at hand. He knows that his readers may have some objections to what he has said. They might object, “How could Jesus be better than the angels, seeing that He was a man, suffered and died?” Angels never suffer and die. Now, that’s a good point. What’s the answer?
This question causes the author to write Hebrews 2:5-18 to answer that question. The short answer is: Although Jesus was better than the angels, He voluntarily humbled Himself to be made lower than them temporarily, so that He could exalt believers to rule in the world to come.
Having performed that saving mission, Jesus’ status is now infinitely higher than any angel, and He is going to cause redeemed people to be exalted higher than the angels in the world to come.
1. God gave Man Dominion over the World
This is what we find in Genesis 1:26-28. Notice words like “rule” and “subdue.”
“26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Do you see that in the beginning God was giving man the authority to rule the world? As such, man was going to function like a king ruling over his subjects. In man’s case, he would rule over the animals and the plants, and the whole earth. He would rule for God, doing His will and stewarding the earth for God’s glory.
That was not a privilege that God gave the angels. Notice Hebrews 1:14. Angels are not rulers, they are servants. They do not give orders; they carry them out. They do not exercise dominion. They simply serve God and man.
2. Man Failed To Properly Exercise Dominion over the World
Well, how did that turn out? How did it go with man exercising dominion over the world? Terrible! First, he subjected himself to Satan’s lie and sinned against God. With that first sin, God cursed the creation to futility. Now animals, plants, and humans all get sick and die. This was not part of God’s original perfect creation.
Man was called to exercise dominion over the earth, but instead subjected himself to Satan’s dominion. The world went from a place of perfect peace and wholeness and life and righteousness, to a fallen corrupt world filled with strife, anger, bitterness, revenge and violence. Nice job Adam! In fact, things got so bad that God decided to wipe out the human race except for eight people and start over.
So, is that the end of the story? No, not at all! Yes, this earth is fallen and corrupt. Yes, men rule over this planet with selfish and sinful motivation. They exploit the earth, plants and animals out of greed and selfishness. Just think of the way man nearly wiped out many different species of animals in order to make money – blue whales, sea otter, beavers, buffalo, African elephant, rhinoceros, and tiger. Not only that, but during the gold rush entire hills were water blasted to get the gold, devastating the hills the gold came from.
God gave a commission to man the world in His name and for His glory. Man dismally failed in that calling. So, is that the end of the story? No! Once again man will rule righteously for God. Only, it won’t be this world. It will be the world to come. This world is fallen and cursed and will remain that way until Christ returns. At that time He will destroy this world and create a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. And at that time, believers will reign over the New Earth as God’s ambassadors and representatives.
3. God will restore Dominion over the World to Man
Let’s examine Hebrews 2:5-9.
Hebrews 2:5, “For He did not subject to angels the world to come, concerning which we are speaking…” God did subject the world to come to man. Thus, man may be a little lower than the angels now, but in the world to come, he will be higher than the angels, and exercise dominion for God over a new world.
Hebrews 2:6, “But one has testified somewhere, saying, “What is man, that You remember Him? Or the Son of Man, that You are concerned about him?” The author is quoting now from Psalm 8. So, how did God remember and show concern for man?
Hebrews 2:7a, “You have made him for a little while lower than the angels;”
How did God make man a little lower than the angels? Well, let’s consider angels for a moment. The holy angels do not sin. They always immediately do the will of God. They do not suffer on account of sin and do not die. Jesus said in Luke 20:36 that believers in the resurrection “cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels…” The rank and condition of angels is a little higher than humans. Humans sin, suffer, and die. Humans grow tired, hungry and thirsty. They are restricted to their bodies. Angels do not doe these things and are not restricted to a body, but can move about freely between heaven and earth.
What is meant by “a little while?” In 1 Peter 1:6, Peter says that believers are distressed by various trials for a little while. This life is a time of trial for the Christian. But 1 Peter 5:10 says, “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” Then in 1 Peter 1:17 we read “conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth.” Thus this “little while” is the time we spend on earth. It is “this age” contrasted with “the age to come.”
So, our rank and status is lower than the angels as long as we live in this present world in sinful unredeemed bodies subject to death. But in the world to come things will be different!
Hebrews 2:7b “You have crowned him with glory and honor, and have appointed him over the works of Your hands…”
This is God’s prophetic word concerning believers. God puts it in the past tense, even though it will happen in the future, because it is absolutely certain to take place. This is the kind of language used in Isaiah 53 to describe the future sufferings of Christ – “He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed” – verse 5. Of course, Jesus had not actually suffered on the cross, and wouldn’t for 700 years, but it was so certain to take place that Isaiah recorded it in the past tense. It’s also like Romans 8:30 “and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” Wait a minute, I haven’t been glorified yet! True, but it is so sure to take place that Paul can speak of it as having already been accomplished in the purposes of God.
Believers will be crowned with glory and honor. What kind of a person is crowned with glory and honor? Royalty. 1 Peter 1:7 says that believer’s faith will be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Romans 2:7 says that some by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life. Well, believers will be crowned with glory, honor, immortality and eternality life when Christ returns. When man rules in the age to come, he will have glory and honor from all other creatures.
Not only that, but in that day believers will be appointed by God as being over the works of His hands! The original mandate given to man that he failed at so dismally, will be given again, but this time he will succeed to the glory of God. He will be over the works of God’s hands in the New Earth. He will represent God well.
2:8 “You have put all things in subjection under His feet.” For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.”
All things are in subjection under His feet! That includes angels. Though we are lower than angels now, we will be higher then. We will rule them!
In the age to come, God will subject all things to man. However, in this age, we don’t see all things subjected to man. We have God’s promise and God’s Word on the matter, but don’t see the reality yet.
4. Our Restored Dominion Comes By the Grace of Jesus
So, how is it that man will be lord over God’s New Earth? By what means will it take place?
Hebrews 2:9 “But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.”
We will rule for God in the age to come because of our union with Jesus! Jesus is the forerunner. He went before us. He suffered death. He was crowned with glory and honor. If we are in Him, though we will also suffer death, we will also be crowned with glory and honor. Just as Jesus rules over God’s creation now, He will allow His people to join Him in that dominion in the age to come. And since there will be no sin in that age, we will rule righteously for God!
By the grace of God He tasted death for everyone. You and I will rule in the New Earth by the grace of God. Jesus paved the way for us. We could never rule for God in our sins. We must first be redeemed, washed, cleansed by the blood of Christ. We needed the death of Christ to provide forgiveness of sins. Now, having been cleansed, reconciled, and restored by the death of Christ, we are able to rule and reign with Him in the age to come.
Conclusion
Friends, if it is God’s plan for us to rule righteously in the world to come, we should be learning how to rule righteously right now. So, what would that look like? It would look like us bringing God’s will into our sphere of influence.
Remember that in Jesus’ model prayer, He taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
- Bringing God’s rule into your own life. This means that when we learn of something in our lives that is displeasing to God, we repent, and cry to God to change us to be like Christ. This includes bad attitudes, pride, jealousy, lust, gluttony, drug abuse, sexual immorality, outbursts of anger, etc. We must learn to rule ourselves righteously. Proverbs 25:28 says “Like a city that is broken into and without walls
Is a man who has no control over his spirit.” - Bringing God’s rule into our families. Fathers should exercise spiritual leadership. Wives should follow their leadership. Children should obey their parents. Each family should have times when they seek God and worship Him together. At a minimum, having prayer together before meals. But fathers should take the lead to gather the family together to read Scripture, pray, and sing to Him.
- Bringing God’s rule into our work. Employees should work as unto the Lord, not to man. Every employee should see God as his Boss, and do everything in His power to do his work for God’s approval. Employers should manage their employees with justice, fairness and honesty. An employer should select the best person for the job irregardless of race. He should abide by all the employment laws of his state.
- Bringing God’s rule into our church. God has told us in His Word that He requires His church to be holy. When a professing Christian decides to live in unrepentant sin, that church must discipline that person for the sake of maintaining God’s rule in the church. That means that if the professing believer will not repent, and seek to live by God’s will, they must be removed from the church until they will repent.
- Bringing God’s rule into our world. If a believer is elected to a government position like city council, or mayor, or house of representatives or Senate, they have a responsibility to create and enforce righteous laws – laws that God approves. However, laws that reflect God’s will are not usually accepted and embraced by the world, so this Christian politician will probably not be well liked. He should seek to use his influence to defend the weak, fatherless, afflicted and destitute, including unborn babies, and children that health professionals are performing sex change surgeries on.
Christian, you are destined to rule and reign with Christ! Let’s begin to rule and reign with Him here and now in the domain and sphere He has assigned us. Let’s pray.
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