Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Tuesday Thought -- February 26, 2013


Good Morning Friends,

“It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking.  But there is a place where someone has testified:  ‘What is man that you are mindful of him, 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 and put everything under his feet.’  In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him.  Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him.  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.” (Hebrews 2:5-9)

There’s an encouraging phrase in the above passage from Hebrews:  “there is a place where.”  The author of the biblical text couldn’t remember exactly where that quote was from.  It’s somewhere in the Old Testament, no doubt, but his memory failed to place it.  I suffer from that problem a great deal!  It’s nice to see that this biblical author did, too.

But the primary lesson from today’s text is the humility of Jesus.  He was willing to be made lower than the angels.  He was willing to suffer death.  He didn’t deserve it.  He didn’t have to do it.  He willingly humbled Himself on our behalf.  He tasted death for everyone, even you and me.  He tasted death so that we won’t have to.  Oh, we’ll probably all die physically, but that’s not real death.  Real death is eternal separation from God.  And Jesus suffered physical death and separation from the Father for a short period, so that we won’t have to ever be separated from Him, not for all eternity.  That’s the most amazing demonstration of God’s grace!

But Jesus hasn’t been left in that state of separation from the Father nor has He been left in that state of humility.

He was lower than the angels while on earth, but not anymore.  The Father has crowned Him.  He has returned to His rightful place.  He has been given great glory.  And all things are being made subject to Him.  It’s not finished yet, there are still some people in this world and some demonic beings in the spirit world who have not been made subject to Him, but someday that will no longer be true.  “Every knee will bow, of those in heaven and those on earth and those under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

Every knee will bow in submission to Jesus!  Every tongue will declare His glory!

His, by Grace,

Steve

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