160410 Jesus, Made Lower Than the Angels

Hebrews 2:5-9 For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. ⁶ It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? ⁷ You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, ⁸ putting everything in subjection under his feet.” 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. ⁹ But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

It is an awesome thought to consider the fact that Jesus was made lower than the angels. Especially awesome considering the fact that the Scriptures teach that one day Christian believers will judge the angels. If we’re going to be over the angels it is especially amazing that Christ Jesus was made lower than the angels. Having lowered himself God raised him up, gave him all authority in heaven and on earth, and God has put all things under his feet and made him the head over all things for the church (Ephesians 1:22)

We need to remember that…

It was not angels who were put in charge. Let’s look back to Hebrews 1:13-14. And to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? ¹⁴ Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?

Angels are certainly a part of creation. In all likelihood the angels were created before the universe. However, the Bible gives us very little information about the time of the creation of angels. We do know that there are many millions of angels and the angels have a responsibility for taking care of people. However…

It was the Son who was put in charge. Clearly we see in Hebrews 1:8 evidence of the authority given to Jesus.  But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.

Jesus himself said that all authority in heaven and on earth was given to him by the Father (Matthew 28:18). Jesus’ death and resurrection brought about the power necessary to make him Lord of the dead and the living (Romans 14:9). Consequently, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:10-11). That authority given to him covers the Church, the world as it is now, hell, and the heavens! Clearly, it is taught throughout Scripture that…

There is a world to come. There are many passages of Scripture we can look at but let’s see what Peter had to say. 2 Peter 3:11-13 Since all these things (the world and all it contains) are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, ¹² waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! ¹³ But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

We need to remember, the truth taught in the old song by Jim Reeves: This World is not My Home. This world and all that’s in it will one day be dissolved. The coming world will be entirely different from the world we know now. If you want to read about it take the time this afternoon to look up Revelation chapter 21. Even then you will only know what human words can describe and not what it’s really all about. In order to achieve authority over this coming world…

Jesus emptied himself for us. Turn with me to Philippians 2:5-11. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ⁹ Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

It is so hard to imagine! God the Son coming to earth by way of a human birth and then laying aside his divinity. After becoming a human who had to learn and grow. He was perfectly willing to humble himself not just to be man but also to be a servant of others and then be arrested, beaten and crucified. There is hardly any other way of execution that is so humiliating. To be stripped naked, beaten to within an inch of his life, and then being nailed to a cross, put up for the public to see while he died. Since he was willing to do this the Father not only raised him up from the dead but also raises his name above every name. Ultimately, every knee shall bow — everywhere: on earth, in heaven and in hell — and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

As a result of this bestowal of authority…

Jesus reigns at this time. This is not something that Jesus has to wait for. Several places in the Bible we see Jesus already ruling. Let’s see what Paul told the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 15:24-28. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. ²⁵ For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. ²⁶ The last enemy to be destroyed is death. ²⁷ For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. ²⁸ When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.

Jesus began his ministry by announcing that the kingdom was near at hand (Mark 1:15). The time had come for him to begin the process that continues today. In the words of Isaac Watts, written nearly 300 years ago, “Jesus shall reign where’er the sun does it successive journeys run; his kingdom spread from shore to shore, till moons show wax and wane more.”

The Lord Jesus rules now by virtue of having delivered his blood to the altar in heaven and seated himself at the right hand of power. According to what we have just read he is going to continue to rule until he has put all his enemies under his feet. His authority will be fully recognized by people when Jesus returns to earth in power and great glory. On that day he will be proclaimed King of kings and Lord of lords to the glory of God the Father.

He achieved this authority because…

Jesus was obedient to the point of death. His obedience is shown before his crucifixion in his own words found in John 10:17-18. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

It’s interesting to hear the debate over whether the Holy Spirit or God the Father raised Jesus from the dead. Jesus stated specifically that he had the authority to lay down his own life and he had the authority to take it up again. Jesus died in his humanity but he lives forever in his divinity. And as the divine Son of God, Jesus rules over us and…

We are to be like him because we are his subjects. When he laid down his life he also laid down a pattern for us. Look at his own words in Matthew 20:25-28 But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. ²⁶ It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, ²⁸ even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

As Jesus stated, in The Great Commission found in Matthew 28:18-20, he has been given all authority. Since he has been given the authority he gives it to us as well. We have the authority to make disciples as we go about our day-to-day activities. Jesus himself came among us to serve and to give his life as a ransom. While we cannot save anyone through our death we can imitate the Lord Jesus Christ by serving others. He lived his life as one having authority and he extends that authority to us as we bear witness of him.

When Saul of Tarsus was struck down on the Damascus Road a message was prepared to be given to him. A disciple named Aeneas was told to go to Saul, pray for him that he might be healed, and then tell him that Christ will show him how much he must suffer. Saul of Tarsus would become Paul the apostle and he learned that being called to follow Christ is not a picnic. Again we turn to the words of Isaac Watts. “Must I be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease, while others fought to win the prize and sailed through bloody seas?”

According to his own account, Paul was beaten five times by the Jews; three times he was beaten with rods; once he was stoned; he was shipwrecked three times and there were many other things that he suffered (2 Corinthians 11:24-29). If our Lord Jesus suffered and his apostles also…

We are to suffer like him for our spiritual growth. Turn to Romans 5:3-5. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵ and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Paul, writing to the Romans, and James the Lord’s brother, writing to the scattered church, had a very similar message. We should rejoice when we suffer! Actually I prefer to rejoice in good things that come into my life but the Lord teaches us that we are to suffer as he suffered.

And suffering, for the right reasons, is designed by God to produce endurance; endurance produces character; character produces hope and hope will keep us from being ashamed. James’ words are similar, “the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.… Let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing.” (James 1:2-4) So we are to rejoice, or “count it all joy” when we suffer for the kingdom sake.

We can take heart in the promise of Jesus that even though, “In the world you will have tribulation.… I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

I will close with a quote from John Piper. “I want you to leave this morning with this truth ringing in your heart: Jesus Christ is infinitely superior to angels. They were created not to compete with Christ, but to worship Christ and honor him. And the chief way that they do that on the earth is by serving us so that we hold fast to Christ and trust him and love him and treasure him and finally reach him in the fullness of our salvation. So angels were created for Christ's everlasting glory and for our everlasting joy—which, as you well know, are not contradictory aims. Because Christ is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.”

All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

160403 The Radiance of the Glory of God

Hebrews 1:1-4 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. ³ He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, ⁴ having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

One of my favorite books, in the Bible, is the book of Hebrews. There is much disagreement as to who might have written this book. I am sure it was written before A.D. 70. The writer begins with a description of Jesus as God’s means of communication with man. God had spoken to man throughout history. Paul assured us that God did not leave himself without a witness at any time. (Acts 14:17) In Paul’s introduction to Romans he stated, “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of world, in the things that have been made.” (Romans 1:20)

Mankind is clearly without excuse. No one can claim they never knew there was a God. No one has ever had to convince a small child that God exists. That information seems to be programmed in. Every society on earth has had in their history some concept of “god”.  We are all born with some kind of awareness of spiritual beings. That concept does not have to be taught it is simply to be accepted.

Instead, the anti-God people will make every effort to reprogram people so that they can sin and not feel guilt. If God is not there then there is no “right” or “wrong”. There is only situational ethics that you have to work out for yourself on the spot. I am here to tell you, and the Bible has always been ready to tell you, that God is there and he is not silent. We need to recognize that…

God has spoken in many ways. In Numbers 22:28-30 we find an interesting story. There was a man named Balaam who was some kind of witch doctor yet he seemed to also have a contact with God. He was asked to place a curse upon the people of Israel by the king of Moab. After much negotiation he set out to find a way to curse Israel. As he went along his way his donkey stopped and turned aside. When that happened Balaam beat the donkey. A second time the donkey stalled and pushed Balaam’s foot against a stone wall. So he struck her again and got her going. The third time she just lay down. Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” ²⁹ And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you.” ³⁰ And the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?” And he said, “No.”

That is one example of God speaking to mankind through an animal. I think we have learned lots of things from animals even though they probably have not spoken to us. Sometimes just their body language or the look in their eyes can speak volumes. We find another example in…

1 Kings 19:11-13. Here we find Elijah running away from the queen, Jezebel. This is after he had defeated God’s enemies in a great contest. Now, some 40 or 50 days later, Elijah has been challenged by God to explain himself. Elijah whined, “I am the only one left”, God’s answer was, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹² And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. ¹³ And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Here, we find God speaking through weather and natural conditions. If we will but listen “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” (Psalm 19:1)

Hebrews tells us “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,” throughout history God has spoken and now he speaks…

By His Son. The one who existed with God forever and is clearly, himself, God. John 1:14-18 tells us And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ¹⁵ (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) ¹⁶ For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

This is a very powerful passage of Scripture. First of all, Jesus is identified as the Word who became flesh to live among us. Second, he brought glory from the Father to the earth. Not only that, but he brought grace and truth into the world in human form. Then John clearly identifies him as “God”. The best translation of verse 18 is shown here in the ESV: “The only God, who is at the Father’s side,” not the only son who is at the Father’s side. The writer of Hebrews is in complete agreement with John the apostle. Here, right in the beginning of the book of Hebrews, Jesus is presented as fully divine. The exact imprint of his nature could easily be translated as the duplicate of God the Father. For those people who go around door-to-door saying that Jesus is not really God we have John’s Gospel clearly, repeatedly, presenting him as God. We also have Titus 2:13 “our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,” and 2 Peter 1:1 that tells us of “the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.” And, Romans 9:5 speaking of the Jewish people, “To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.” Not only was Jesus eternally God but he is clearly identified as…

The Creator of the world. We’ll look back to John’s introduction. John 1:2-3 He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Not just existing in the beginning with God but also creating everything. Without him nothing was made that has been made. Long before time began (and I really don’t understand how that can be — time beginning I mean) Jesus existed as the Son along with the Father and the Holy Spirit. The concept of the Trinity is hard to grasp but I would like to briefly explain it so we can see the roles played by each person in the Godhead.

The clearest explanation of the Trinity was given by Jonathan Edwards, America’s greatest theologian. Edwards explained that God, existing forever and perfectly understanding himself had as it were an exact image and representation of himself ever before him in actual view. That image of himself we know as the Son. Since he existed as a perfect duplicate of the father the second person of the Godhead had an energy force flowing between the two. And Edwards words, “There is God and the idea of God, if it be proper to call the conception of that that is purely spiritual an idea.” All of this occurred before anything else existed. God the Father contemplated God the Son and the energy that flowed between them takes on a personality as the Holy Spirit.

Now this explanation is way too simple but it helped me a great deal in the understanding of the Trinity. If you really want to know more about it I can get you an article that contains Edward’s comments on the subject.

As the creator of everything…

Jesus is the heir of everything. Our supporting passage is found in Colossians 1:15-20. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶ For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. ¹⁷ And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. ¹⁹ For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Again we see that Jesus is the perfect duplicate “image” of the invisible God. He existed before all things and consequently created all things.

It doesn’t matter where those things existed in time or space they are all created by him. Heavenly things such as angels and spiritual authorities and earthly things such as the animal world, humans and all the rest of creation.

Verse 17 tells us that he is the “glue” that holds everything together. Jesus represents the force of gravity physically and spiritually binding all things together. Paul wants us to be very clear on the subject. Not only is Jesus the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, but He was the container — if we can call Him that — of everything that is God while he was on the earth.

When Jesus was taken, questioned, scourged and condemned to the cross all of God existed in him while simultaneously existing throughout the universe. This was a choice of God the Father before the world was created. Its way beyond my job description to understand what this is really saying. I have to be completely dependent upon God through his word to understand these things. Since the Godhead existed in Jesus Christ the suffering he endured and the blood he shed was necessary for our salvation. Since all of God existed in him Jesus is…

The reflection of God. Paul picks up the theme in 2 Corinthians 4:3-6. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴ In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵ For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Again we see that Jesus is the “mirror image” of the Father. An image that the lost world must see in order to understand salvation. Our enemy, Satan, who roams the world looking for those he can devour, takes every action conceivable to keep mankind from recognizing the God who loves them and who gave his only Son for them. It seems that in American society a larger number of people than ever cannot see “the point” of Jesus. Throughout the New Testament we see that understanding Scripture needs moral and spiritual abilities rather than intellectual ability.

You see God must enable a person to be persuaded of the gospel or they will never understand and believe in him. So our prayer needs to be that this creator of the universe will bring his light into the darkness, even into the heart of men, thereby allowing the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ to exist.

God has spoken in many ways but the most important way is by his Son the creator of the world and the heir of everything. The one who came into the earth as the image of God is also…

The One who cleanses us of our sin. John picks up the theme for us. 1 John 1:5-10 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸ If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

The very reason that Jesus came into the world, according to his own words, is “the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.” (Luke 19:10) His life was not to demonstrate God’s goodness, though it certainly did, his life purpose was to bring as many as possible into his kingdom. To do this Jesus had to provide a way for man’s sins to be cleansed. The Bible is very clear that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” (Hebrews 9:22)

“When we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I am so grateful that John used exactly the words he used here. Now I realize that the Holy Spirit guided him in providing the correct word formulation. But I’m so glad to see the pronouns “us”, “we”, “our” because this includes John. You see, John was — so far as we know — the last living apostle. John was perhaps the closest of all Jesus’ disciples. He referred to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. What a wonderful thing it would be to be a personal friend of the Lord Jesus, the Christ!

Yet with all that personal relationship John still recognized that “if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,” (1 John 1:9) John confessed himself to be yet a sinner in need of cleansing. So Jesus who came to seek and save that which is lost laid down his life in payment for our sins. Not for our sins only but for the sins of the whole world. Jesus came into the world to radiate the glory of God and to pay for the sins of mankind.

He was born of a virgin who descended from David the king. He was raised in the household of a man who also descended from David the king. He walked on earth as a man and was tempted in every way we are yet without sin.

Now He sits at the right hand of God. Let’s see what Paul had to say about it in Romans 8:32-34. He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? ³³ Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

Jesus did not go, empty-handed, into heaven. He entered the Father’s presence with his own blood and presented it, once for all, as our faithful high priest. Having presented the proof that he paid the price for our sins, Jesus sat down at the right hand of God and now is our mediator who intercedes for those who believe. We do not have some copy of the original sacrifice. We have the original sacrifice which is Jesus’ blood offered to cover our sin. Not just the sacrifice of the lamb or a goat we have available to us the sacrifice of the image of God. Jesus is the one who brought the light of God into the world. We need to be among those who reflect his light. In exactly the same manner…

The moon has no light of its own. All the moon’s light comes from the sun. In the same way we have no glory of our own. All the glory of God that we have comes from Jesus Christ in us. God’s glory is the reason why we were created, (Isaiah 43:7) When the Bible speaks of our sin we are told that we fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) The only hope we have of God’s glory is Christ in us. (Colossians 1:27) Are you ready and willing to allow Christ to rule in your life so that you bring glory to God? The only hope we have is to put our full faith in Jesus.

All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.