November 10, 2002
First Church of the Brethren
H. Kevin Derr
Hebrews 2:5-9
“Humiliation and Glory”
5It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are
speaking. 6But 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? 7You made him a little lower than
the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor 8and 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. 9But 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.
Introduction:
I. Review of Last week:
A. Last week we will be looking at Vs. 1-4 of Chapter 2 where we are given a
warning. To pay careful attention to the message delivered to us. Why
because if the message delivered by the angels was binding, the message
delivered by the unique Son of God is even more demanding.. It may be
helpful to recall the parable of the Tenants in Matthew 21:33-46, Mark 12:1-
12 or Luke 20:9-19. In essence, a son should demand more respect than the
servants.
1. Last week’s text includes a warning, it is the first of five warnings that
you will find in Hebrews (2:1-4; 3:7-4:14; 5:11-6:12; 10:19--39; &
12:14-29).
2. It is good to remember the large role that angels played in the inter-
testamental period.
II. This week:
A. We will continue to see the comparison between Jesus and the angles
1. We will see that Jesus being made lower than the angels does not
question his pre-existence, or his preeminence over the angels.
2. We will see here in this paragraph the writer move from admonition to
exposition of a quotation from Psalm 8
B. We will begin to hear a sense of Jesus solidarity with humanity, this will be
more evident later in chapter two, but we find its foundation laid here in these
verses that make up our text for today.
Prayer
I. The comparison with angels again is focused here for us, the author speaks with an
eschatological tone in Vs. 5. The writer tells us that the world to come, has not been subject
to angels, but rather to the Son
A. As we have mentioned before, angels played a large role in the first century
understanding of the world and how things were ordered.
1. For example Deuteronomy 32:8 from the NRSV reads, “When the Most High
apportioned the nations, when he divided humankind, he fixed the
boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the gods;”
A. Both the NIV and KJV end this with “according to the number of the
sons of Israel”
B. The LXX reads “according to the number of the angels of God”
1. It is from this source that Hebrews draws his quotations, and it
is likely that this is one of the passages he had in mind when
speaking of the subjugation of the current world to the rule of
the angels
2. There are many other reference along these lines in the OT, but
the idea that the world is administered by the angels is what is
important.
C. However the Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls reads “according to the
number of the sons of God”
1. Remember at times the angels are refereed to as the sons of God
2. So it would be in line with the LXX reading of this passage
2. Now, recall verse 5, 5It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to
come,
A. The world to come, the age to come (6:5), the city to come (13:14) has
been subjected to the Son
1. We looked at the starting point of this in 1:6, when we talked
about the Son seated at the right hand of God
A. It was part of the progression of Pre-existent, to
incarnate to exulted Son of God
B. And it was when he came into the heavens that he was
exalted, the world to come carries that same sense here,
a new creation that will be subject to Son, not the
angels
1. Think if you will of the imagery of Revelation
where the dwelling of God is with humanity, the
new Jerusalem
2. It is this type of imagery that we are working
with at this point, the Son ruling, the dwelling of
God with humanity
2.. Consider if you will Psalm 93:1 The LORD is king, he is
robed in majesty; the LORD is robed, he is girded with
strength. He has established the world; it shall never be
moved;
A. We see these same themes displayed here, and if
nothing else it helps us to see how much these OT texts
influenced the thinking and writing of the early church,
especially the author of Hebrews.
B. The angels play a role in the administration of the current world, but
the one to come is the Son’s
B. The world to come is not subjected to angels, but to the Son, and it is about the son
that we are speaking. The author of Hebrews wants to make sure we know who we
are talking about. He will then move into a new quote from the Psalms.
II. Vs. 6 gives us a view into the Author of Hebrews sense of humor, his gentle jabs to remind us
how we need to know the scriptures, or at least a personality quirk.
A. He says 6But there is a place where someone has testified: It is as if anyone who
would be reading this would know the source, and there is a good chance that the
people he wrote this too would have quickly recognized the source.
1. I doubt the majority of contemporary reads minds jump quickly to the original
text
2. But none the less we should and can find the original context of this passage.
A. But more importantly that where it comes from, and what it may have
originally been used as is how it is seen in the light of the Son of God.
B. Lane says, “The vagueness of the formula of the quotation is consistent
with the song emphasis throughout Hebrews on the Oracular character
of Scripture. Precisely because it is God who speaks in the OT, the
identity of the person through whom he uttered his word is relatively
unimportant. A vague allusion is sufficient.(46)”
1. This is what God is saying about the Son
2. This is why it is important
B. The quotation comes from Psalm 8 and talks about the wonder of how God has
created mankind. Remembering that God cares for us, and even created us only a
little lower than the angels.
1. Call to mind, if you will, the Genesis account that we are created in the image
of God
2. We are given the command to be stewards of the earth and to be responsible
and put things in order
3. Other NT authors often tie Psalm 8 with Psalm 110:1, for example, 1 Cor
15:25-27; Eph 1:20-22; Phil. 3:21 and 1 Pet 3:22
A. Psalm 110:1 1The LORD says to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I
make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”
B. You can quickly see the connection with the Psalm 8 passage
4. Again the Author of Hebrews follows the LXX
C. He quotes:
1. What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him
2. You made him a little lower than angels; you crowned him with glory and
honor and put everything under his feet.
D. Then comes the exposition
III. Now he tells us why this passage is so important
A. In putting everything under him, God let nothing that is not subject to him.
1. We recall from 1:3, the Son sustains all things by his powerful word
2. The Son is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on High (Vs. 3)
3. The angels worship him
B. Yet, at the present time we do not see everything subject to him
1. Why is there still sin, evil and rebellion.... this is the question that he is
addressing
2. We do not see all things subject to Jesus yet, the world to come has not yet
fully arrived
A. We see glimpses, we see visions of what is to come, but it is not yet
fully realized
B. The world to come is still the world to come, but what a hope we have,
what a future awaits redeemed humanity
C. And while we many not see it all right now, we know what is going to
be
C. But what do we see now? We see Jesus! Incidently this is the first time that the author
of Hebrews mentions Jesus by name, prior to this it has only been by title.
1. Then he begins to unpack what that means
2. We see Jesus:
A. Who was made a little lower than the angels, the Son suffered
humiliation being made lower than those who worship him
1. Recall the Philippians 2:6-11 passage that we looked at a few
weeks ago. We see this theme again appearing.
B. He suffered humiliation by dying on the cross
C. We see Jesus who while made a little lower than the angels for a short
time, and who is now exalted at the right hand of the Majesty on high
1. We see him crowned with glory and honor
2. Because he suffered death
A. So that he might taste death for everyone
B. This is God’s grace for us
D. What we see here is an early Christian expression of the hope that saw for the future,
the promise of God, not yet fully accomplished, and it is hope and expression that we
share as well.
1. That it is not yet been fully accomplished by God, but it is the promise of God
A. Not all things seem to be subject to the Son, we do not yet see every
enemy under his feet, but God’s word is valid, and his promise is
trustworthy
B. The author of Hebrews shows us Jesus incarnation, his humiliation or
abasement Vs. 7a but we also see his exaltation Vs. 7b
C. In Vs. 8 we hear the promise for the future
1. Everything will be subject to the Son
2. While we do not yet see it, we do see Jesus exalted and we
know what will follow, the promise will be fulfilled because the
first two portions of the three fold promise have been
completed, were 2/3rds of the way there
3. And the future looks good!
IV. It is easy to become discouraged by the world that we see: Watching the evening news or
reading the paper can be an exercise in viewing the horrific acts of humanity against
humanity, and everything in the created order.
A. It is easy to see why people loose hope. I suppose it was no different for those that
received this letter first. They too found reason upon reason to see hopelessness all
around them.
1. Many may have expected the immanent return of Jesus, the end of the old
order of things
2. There may have been persecution
3. There may have been temptations to return to family and friends who had not
accepted Jesus as the Messiah
B. The good news is that we do not have to live with this fallen world as our paradigm.
As those who are followers of Jesus, we have a hope for the future that is
overwhelmingly bright.
1. We may not see all things subjected to Jesus, as promised in God’s oracle,
2. But we do see Jesus
A. We see Jesus the pre-existent
B. We see Jesus the incarnate Word of God
1. Who suffered death, so as to taste death for us all
2. Who rose from among the dead to be the victor over sin and
death
C. We see Jesus enthroned at the right hand of the Majesty on High
3. Now, it is only a matter of time, and all things will be subject to him
4. We can live with hope in this hopeless world, we can live with light in this
present darkness, we can live in the midst of death, because of what God had
done through the Son.
