Hebrews 2:7a

June 16, 2013 Evening:

Title: Lower Than the Angels

Old Testament Passage: 2 Kings 23:28-30 – The death of Josiah and the anointing of his son to be king

Gospel Passage: Mark 9:9-13 – As they were coming down the mountain...

Sermon Text: Hebrews 2:7 – The Son of God was made for a little while lower than the angels

Sermon Point: God had His purposes in the temporary humiliation of His Son.

[7] You made him for a little while lower than the angels;

The Scriptures speak to us of two worlds. One is fading away and another is coming into being. The first has become a world of death because of Adam's sin. The second world is forever a world of life because of Christ's obedience.

Psalm 8, quoted in this section of Hebrews 2, can be viewed through both of these worlds.

As this evening's phrase relates to the world of death, God made Adam a little lower than the angels. This was a very exalted position in the order of creation recorded for us in Genesis 1. Man would be an image-bearer of the Lord as the highest of the mortal creatures of flesh upon the earth. As the angels had wisdom, power, and holiness, man would also share these attributes of God. Yet man would be lower than the angels, at least for now.

As Hebrews 2:7 relates to the world of life, God sent His Son to be in an estate of humiliation for a little while. Jesus, fully God and fully man, would willingly take an appointed place as the Son of Man, the Messiah, in an apparent position that was very low.

The same position that was such an honor for Adam among the creatures was a great condescension for the Son of God. Jesus did this in order to save us and to raise us up with Him in the heavenly places.

We are in Him right now in the heavenly places according to Ephesians 2, but what does this even mean? This is very hard for us to understand. Our senses take in the world of death since this is our arena of testing and service. Yet by faith we see a better place where our Leader has gone. His senses take in the world of life which is in reserve for us above.

For the present moment, we enjoy (can we say that?) the mystery of serving the King of life in the midst of a world of death. God has given us a great opportunity for service. We are medics on an epic battlefield. There is danger here, but if we should face a mortal wound, we only go to the place where Jesus reigns in person.

These brief moments that we have here below are a precious gift from God. As citizens of heaven we need to value the time that we have on this mission field. Our destiny is to be above the angels with our Lord and Savior. As he served faithfully below, we have our brief opportunity of faithfulness before us for a little while.

Use the time well. Rejoice in the Lord always and devote yourself to good works which God prepared beforehand for you that you might walk in them.