Subjected to Christ
You made him lower than the angels for a short time; you crowned him with glory and honor and subjected everything under his feet. Hebrews 2:7-8 CSB
Continuing on focusing on Jesus’ superiority, as a reminder from yesterday, the author of Hebrews is using Psalm 8:4-6 to show his audience proof from the Old Testament: “What is a human being that you remember him, a son of man that you look after him? You made him little less than God and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet.” In verse 7 of our passage today, Jesus, being in human form was “made…lower than the angels for a short time.” Although this fact is not mentioned in the psalm, we know that because of Adam’s fall into sin man’s condition changed: he became mortal. David does not mention the mortality of man, but merely writes about the seeming insignificance of man (see Psalms 8:4). However, man’s purpose (“to fill the earth and subdue it and to rule over all God’s creatures”) remains, even after sin entered the world. The words “you made him a little lower” do indicate that God has brought man from a higher to a lower position. Man shared immortality with the angels until his fall into sin. At the time of the resurrection, man once again will be equal to the angels: he will be immortal. “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like angels in heaven” (Matthew 22:30). Although the phrase “little lower” is ambiguous, it could refer to Jesus and it is in reference that at present, we do not see everything subjected to Him. But we know that the human dwelling was temporary for Jesus, for after He had fulfilled the Father’s will by dying on the cross and resurrecting again, He provided the gift of salvation for mankind. Then, when He ascended into heaven, the Father “crowned Him with glory and honor and subjected everything under His feet.” Then, one day, everything will be fully subjected to Christ. “At the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Philippians 2:10-11). Mankind had fallen due to sin, but through Jesus Christ’ obedience to the Father, restoration is possible with God. When Simeon held in his arms the baby Jesus, he said this: “For my eyes have seen your salvation. You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples—a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:30-32). And as the author of Hebrews said, “you crowned him with glory and honor and subjected everything under his feet.” When we receive Christ, we received His salvation and we are subjected under Christ now. The former ruler of the earth, Satan, has been defeated because salvation is possible only through Jesus Christ. To reject Christ, then, is to also be subjected to eternal judgment. To accept Christ is to be subjected to eternity in paradise.
Blessings,
Isaac De Guzman
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