The inspired book of Hebrews makes it clear that Jesus Christ is superior to everyone. He is above the angels. He even shares God’s being. Yet Jesus was also a man. That being the case, what is man’s position in relation to the angels? Chapter 2, verses 5 through 9 says, “For he didn’t subject the world to come, of which we speak, to angels. But one has somewhere testified, saying, “What is man, that you think of him? Or the son of man, that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels. You crowned him with glory and honor. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” For in that he subjected all things to him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we don’t see all things subjected to him, yet. But we see him who has been made a little lower than the angels, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for everyone.”
In order to understand this passage, we need to remember the context. Chapter 1, verse 14 states that angels are “ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation.” (NIV) The first 4 verses of chapter 2 remind us that the Law was put into place through angels. Every infraction or violation of the Law carried a penalty. Since our salvation is greater than the Law, we will not escape penalty if we ignore it.
Then, in verse 5, our writer tells us what one of the end results of salvation is: The world to come will not be subjected to the angels but will be under the rule of mankind. In the beginning, when God created this world, He intended man to rule over it. Genesis 1, verses 27 and 28 say, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”” (NIV)
However, mankind has never fulfilled God’s purpose. One of the consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin was a fundamental change in our relationship to the world around us. Genesis 3:17 says, “To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ Cursed is the ground because of you…”” (NIV)
Fortunately, God also promised that one day the curse will be reversed. John writes, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away…” (Revelation 21:1 NIV) Then he adds, “No longer will there be any curse…” (Revelation 22:3 NIV)
According to what we read in Hebrews, this new earth will be under man’s dominion, just as in God’s original intent.
But here we run into a paradox. Verse 6 of Hebrews 2 asks the question why God should care about mankind at all? Verse 7 says that in the order of creation man is lower than the angels.
Since we have messed up our heritage through sin, and mankind is lower in the creation than the angels, then how is it that angels are sent to serve us and how is it that we, and not they, will rule over the world to come? The answer is in the passage we’ve already looked at in Genesis 1:27. God created man in His own image. He not only made us, He put something of Himself in us. Though we have totally distorted that image because of our sin, God still cherishes it and wants to redeem it.
Now if we are created in God’s image, that also explains why He chose us to rule rather than the angels. By definition, God rules. If we are made in His image it follows that we also must rule. Otherwise we cannot fulfill or satisfy the nature that we have.
Not only have we been given dominion over the world to come, verse 7 says that we’ve been crowned with glory and honor. The word glory reinforces the concept that God created us in His own image. God’s character will be visible in us. John writes, “Dear friends, now we are children of God and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2 NIV) If we shall be like God – displaying His character, then it follows that we will also receive the same kind of honor as He does.
But this raises another question. The description we’ve been reading does not seem to match reality. Our text says that God has put everything under our feet and there is nothing that is not subject to us. Yet, verse 8 candidly admits that we don’t see everything subject to mankind. The solution to this dilemma is in verse 9. When we look at Jesus, we see the same pattern of being made lower before being exalted, of defeat before victory. He had an exalted position. Then He was made lower than the angels. He tasted death. Afterward He was crowned with glory and honor. In other words, Jesus is the prototype or forerunner for what will happen to us. Since we have Jesus’ example of how this works, we can be confident that the promises made to us will come to pass also. If we look through physical and material eyes, our current position is very low. Yet, when we look at things from the perspective of God’s will and promises, we have already been crowned.
Jesus was crowned because He suffered death. This is one of the great paradoxes of Christianity. In order to live, we have to die. In order to receive honor, we have to be willing to accept dishonor. Paul points out in Romans, chapter 6 that we receive new life by being baptized into Christ’s death. Because we share in His death, we will also share in His glory.
Baptism is the mechanism by which we share in Christ’s death, but what is it that gives us the opportunity to share in it? Our text says that it is grace: “…so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.” (Hebrews 2:9 NIV) What is grace? Grace is God’s power which multiplies our efforts so that we are capable of doing His will. It is grace which turns our weakness into strength, our incapacity into capability.