Week 9 Day 2

March 07, 2023 | Be On Mission

Jesus Was Made Lower than Angels

Scripture: Hebrews 2 (NIV)

¹ We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. ² For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, ³ how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. ⁴ God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

⁵ It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. ⁶ But there is a place where someone has testified:

“What is mankind that you are mindful of them,
a son of man that you care for him?
⁷ You made them a little lower than the angels;
you crowned them with glory and honor
⁸ and put everything under their feet.”

In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. ⁹ But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

¹⁰ In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. ¹¹ Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. ¹² He says,

“I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;
in the assembly I will sing your praises.”

¹³ And again,

“I will put my trust in him.”

And again he says,

“Here am I, and the children God has given me.”

¹⁴ Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— ¹⁵ and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. ¹⁶ For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. ¹⁷ For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. ¹⁸ Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Devotional

In Hebrews 1 we saw that Jesus, the Son of God and co-creator of the Universe, is far superior to angels. Here in Hebrews 2 we see that, when He became a human, Jesus “was made lower than the angels for a little while” (v. 9). In the incarnation, God became flesh.

Hebrews 2 goes on to say, “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death” (v. 14-15). Jesus had to become flesh and blood to that his death on the cross would be sufficient for humanity.

Get this right. Jesus was fully God. And while He was on earth, He was also fully human. Hebrews 2 points this out clearly: “For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way…” (v. 17). It was God’s perfect plan at God’s perfect time. Galatians 4:4-5 says, “But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.”

In our sin, we are far from God and powerless to do anything about it. Yet look at this truth: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). Not even the angels in heaven could have done that! His immersion into the human experience was necessary so that we have an advocate whether facing temptation or covering up sin.

Here are a few aspects of existence. How does Jesus have superiority over every one of them?

Heaven
Angels in heaven
Humans on earth
Temptation and sin
The power of death
The devil
Hell

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, we recognize…
that You were made lower than the angels (for a little while),
that You came to live with us, in human form,
that You understand our temptations,
that You know pain, suffering and death.
You are now crowned with glory and honor because of Your crucifixion, death and burial. We sing praises for Your resurrection and are thankful for Your advocacy for us. We pray for strength that we might live our lives more holy. Help us overcome our sin. We are grateful for your forgiveness when we do sin. Amen.

Poem

So Great A Salvation
Hebrews 2:1, 3a

When I was young, just nine or ten
I saw, first time, the ocean
For days before I sewed bright cloth
A daisied pink bikini
And now I stood, bedecked in awe
As waves tickled my toesies
The sun beamed bright, my mood was light
Enthralled by the vast ocean

When came my turn on paddle board
My dad warned, “Heed the current,
It’s hidden, see, and dangerous if
You get caught in its power.”
I climbed upon that billowed mat
And drifted, lulled by motion
My eyelids drooped, this rocking sweet
Asleep upon the ocean

Awakened by a sound above
Some ‘copter’s blades a spinning
Distress call from a megaphone
“We found her! Yes, we see you!”
With droopy eyes I scanned the scene
And saw naught else but ocean
The shore was gone, the water vast
The sun’s great heat around me

Then suddenly, a panicked voice
Some splashing in the water
My daddy, frantic, swimming strong
To save me from my danger
Fatigued he was and breathing hard
Wide strokes while fighting current
Were those great tears or just the splash
Of saline heavy water?

“O, God! O, God! O, God! You’re safe!”
His muscled arms encircled
The helicopter hovering now
“He’s got her! Hang on, mister!”
My little mind, so unaware
Of this, my great disaster
This drifting off, the hidden threat
Ignored by foolish novice

As daddy held me in his grip
And fought the drifting current
I shook with fear, imagining
The punishment before me
After a while, close to the shore
My daddy finally standing
I held his neck with sobbing gasps
Tears mixed with ocean’s water

My daddy set me on the shore
Still panting, towel enwrapped me
“O, Honey, Honey! Thank the Lord!
Praise God! We thought we’d lost you!”
And as he knelt while hugging me
I had no words but “Daddy!”
I clung to him, salvation new
So great, so great my rescue

All the way home, no punishment
Just arms encircling ‘round me
Never a word, never a chide
About my heedless action
That evening, I was tucked in bed
A lullaby enfolding
My daddy’s prayers rocked me to sleep
Upon his love’s wide ocean

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