February 23, 2020

Scripture: Hebrews 2:5-13

I. God’s plan for humanity was for them to be greater than angels.

A. Hebrews chapter 2 beginning at verse 5 returns to the subject of angels. The author says that it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come. Well, if it’s not angels who will rule the world in heaven, who will? Human beings. We will sit on thrones, and we will rule. Right now, human beings are lower than the angels. But what is our destiny as humans? We are destined for glory and honor. Everything in creation is to be subject to human beings (Heb. 2:7-8).

B. King David in writing Psalm 8 (quoted in Hebrews 2) was thinking back to what God said about human beings in Genesis 1:26: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.  And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’” It was human beings, not angels, that were made in the image of God! And we were made to rule God’s world. In God’s plan we human beings were to be so much greater than angels.

II. But humanity has rebelled against God which led to a broken world.

A. In the second part of Hebrews 2:8 the author gives a reality check: “Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control.  At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.” If it was God’s plan from the beginning for human beings to rule the world, then why aren’t they? Because of the rebellion and sin of Adam in Genesis 3. We were designed for glory. But that glory has not become a reality in human history. Instead, human history is littered with the wreckage of destruction and death.

III. But Jesus, the perfect human, represents us and restores us to God.

A. The Gospel is found in Jesus. Notice how everything changes in Hebrews 2 with the introduction of the name Jesus in verse 9. Humanity is not ruling the world. But there is one human according to verse 9 who is ruling the world. Jesus. Jesus the ultimate human is on a throne with a crown ruling the world. Jesus fulfills the plan and the destiny of God for humanity. Jesus represents us as human beings for God. We see at the end of verse 9 that Jesus tasted death for everyone who has faith in Him. He is our representative.

B. Do you know what’s great about having someone represent you? What is true of your representative is true of you. What is true then of Jesus is true of you. When Jesus died, you died. All your debt to God for your sin has been paid. It has been paid by Jesus your representative. Verse 9 says He was crowned with glory and honor. Jesus fulfilled the destiny of the human race. He rules on a throne. And one day we Christians will also be seated on thrones. Jesus was made perfect through suffering (vs. 10). We know that Jesus was perfect. In what way then was He made perfect? He grew in holiness through testing and through suffering. Jesus then in a sense became who He already was. He became holy as He suffered on this earth. And the same is true for us. We are being sanctified, made holy (vs. 11). We are already holy and righteous because Jesus is our representative. But we have to become who we are already are.

Application:
God made us to reign on thrones in heaven. Be holy as you get ready to reign!

Sources:
The book of Hebrews
Commentaries on Hebrews by Thomas Schreiner and Raymond Brown
Bible study by Michael Kruger