You're No Angel Series

But there is a problem. There’s a small hitch, a catch, a fly in the ointment. In fact, it’s not such a little problem. It’s a huge impenetrable barrier – Death.

I was watching the TV show called “House” this past Tuesday evening when Dr. House went off on a rampaging monologue like he does every so often. This monologue happened because one of his patients said that she wanted to be left alone and to be allowed to die with dignity. He went off on her and raged about how there is no dignity in death. That death is ugly and never good.

House got this one absolutely right. There is no dignity in death. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:43 of death that we are “sown in dishonor, … and in weakness…”

When God made man a little lower than the angels or, literally, “for a little while lower than God.” The suggestion seems to be that Adam and Eve were in a period of probation.

They were not created to remain less than God, and had they refused to sin, they would have ultimately shared God’s glory in a wonderful way. Satan knew that they would be lower than God only “for a little while,” so he hurried and promised them glory ahead of God’s time. Sin came into the human race and robbed Adam of his earthly dominion. He ceased being a king and became a slave. That is why v. 8 says, “Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him [man].”

We need help! We’re going to go over the edge of the falls unless someone rescues us. God got into the water for three reasons.

Jesus Came… to Be the Last Adam

10 In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.

Hebrews 2:10-11

Jesus came to be the last Adam. That is he came to be the last perfect man. The first perfect man screwed it up and introduced us to sin and death. The second Adam, the second perfect man was God in flesh and he got it right!

By his death and resurrection, He undid all the ruin Adam caused when he disobeyed God. For a little while, Jesus was – like us – just a little lower than the angels, even to the depths of death.

Jesus had to have a body of flesh in order to die for the sins of the world. Men crowned Him with thorns on earth, but now He has been crowned with glory and honor.

Jesus Came… to Declare You to Be Part of His Family

12 He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation 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.”

Hebrews 2:12-13

The author quotes Psalms 22:22 when he declares that through Jesus there is now a new family in the world: Christ is bringing many sons to glory. Adam, through his sin, plunged his descendants into sin and death; Christ now changes Adam’s children into the children of God when Jesus can now “declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you.”