World English Bible translation
Today's Scripture
For he didn't subject the world to come, whereof we speak, to angels. 2:6 But one has somewhere testified, saying, "What is man, that you think of him?
Or the son of man, that you care for him?
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.
2:9 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.Today's Lesson
The author had begun his epistle by writing that God was now speaking to the world through His Son. God had spoken to His chosen people, the Jews, through the prophets. He had administered the world through the angels. Angels had even had a hand in delivering the Old Covenant to Israel. But now, God had sent one who was greater than the prophets and one who was greater than the angels. God had sent His own Son.
So, the author had asked them, if God held the people accountable for every transaction and disobedience of the Old Covenant that was given by prophets and administered by angels, how much more will God hold us accountable who hear the gospel of the Son? How do we dare neglect so great a salvation as what we are offered in Christ? God has born witness through signs and miracles and through the working of the Holy Spirit that the Son is worthy of glory and honor.
In verse 2:5 the author advances his argument one step more. Not only had God validated the work of the Son through signs and wonders in the early church, God also has promised to subject all the world to come to the Son as well. The future has been promised to Jesus Christ, not to the angels or the prophets. For proof of this, the author has them recall one of the great Messianic Psalms of David, Psalm 8.
Psalm 8 is a song of praise to the Creator. The passage that is quoted begins with verse 4 and would have originally been written with the King of Israel in mind. "What is man, that you think of him? Or the son of man, that you care for him?" The "son of man" would have been a reference to the Davidic King. The psalmist wrote by faith believing that the whole world had been made subject to the King. Had not God declared that He would make the entire world subject to David and his descendants? But as the years passed, the Jews began to see what had first been written about the kings as prophecy that would be fulfilled when the great Messianic King would come and deliver Israel. That is when God would truly place all things at the feet of the Son of Man.
When Jesus came declaring Himself to be the Son of Man, this was the legacy that He was claiming. But many were disappointed because, in the end, Christ was crucified. In what way could this have "put all things in subjection under his feet?" The author tells them that it is in the world to come that all things will be truly subject to Christ. Christ was made "a little lower than the angels." He suffered through the incarnation and his crucifixion. But, because of that suffering He has been crowned with glory and honor. Christ had to suffer so that He "should taste of death for everyone."
The tasting of death is what has brought all things in subjection to Christ. It is because He was willing to suffer that Christ has been given the inheritance of the world to come. By God's grace, Jesus has tasted death so that through His life we all might reign with Him in glory.
Have you ever had to "suffer" to achieve something that you knew you needed to do? Are you looking forward to the world to come when all things will be in subjection to the Son of God?
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