The descension and ascension of Jesus provides humans a representative in heaven and changes the status of believers.
Text: Hebrews 2:5-18
Why would God care for humans? I mean, we must be like specks of dust from His perspective. Also, why should He even give us any consideration? We are sinful creatures that are limited in power and duration. Yet despite God’s eternal nature, His vast power and holiness, we find ourselves the subject of His attention and the recipients of His favour.
Wondering about God’s benevolence and desire to bless humans fails in newness, for it has been the musings of saints ever since the beginning of time. Nothing epitomises such musings amongst the ancients more than Psalm 8:5-8, in which King David writes, “What is man that you remember him, or the son of man, that you care for him? You made him lower than that angels for a short time; You crowned him with glory and honor and subjected everything under his feet.”
This crowning of glory and honour and the subjecting of everything under the feet of humans arouses the curiosity of King David. It also prompts the author of Hebrews to frequent the subject and augment another layer of understanding for the benefit of his readers (Hebrews 2:5-9).
Of course, the subordinating of everything to humans can be a description of the ordering of creation within the bounds of this world. However, the writer of Hebrews indicates that this subjecting relates to something else. Something still to come. He says in Hebrews 2:5, “It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking”. He further says in 2:8, “In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him.” These verses are indeed mysterious and serve to expand the wonder of God’s grace towards humans, particularly in eternity. Not only is salvation for the benefit of humans and the announcement of that salvation declared by the mouths of humans, but humans also are set to participate in the rule of God’s eternal kingdom. A rule that begins in the present but is not fully experienced until the next age.
Although angels will rejoice and participate in God’s eternal kingdom, the promise of rule is not for them but for saints (Revelation 3:21, Hebrews 12:22-24). Perhaps this is why Paul reveals in his letter to the Corinthians in chapter 6:3 of his letter that the saints will judge angels.
But how is this glorification of humans possible? And how can we believe it is true since we don’t see this glorification at the moment? And since we a physically still in a position lower than angels. The answer is by beholding what God has done through Christ and holding on to Him no matter what. As Hebrews 2:8-9 says, “In putting everything under him (humans), God left nothing that is not subject to him (humans). Yet, at present, we do not see everything subject to him (humans). 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.”
As we look deeply into the heart of the gospel story, we witness the grand wisdom and power of God to elevate humans beyond their lowered earthly status to that of a divine nature. However, for humans to be lifted in this way, it required the lowering of the divine entity of Jesus Christ to a position beneath that of angels. To a human position. By taking on flesh and blood, Jesus identified fully with humanity (Hebrews 2:11-15). He lived like us. He suffered as we do. He was tempted like we are (Hebrews 2:10 & 18). And, He experienced death similarly to the fate of all of us (Hebrews 2:14). Along with His sinlessness, all of this made Him the ultimate representative of the entire human race (Hebrews 2:17). As such, He offered Himself on behalf of humans as an atoning sacrifice for their sin and, therefore, broke the bonds of eternal separation from God. Having done so and been resurrected to life, Jesus, while still maintaining a sense of humanity, was lifted to heaven’s throne as a human (Acts 17:31). Of course, this means that a human now is placed above that of angels. It means that humans now have a representative in heaven, a high priest, who can serve God on our behalf (Hebrews 2:17). It also means that a human now rules over all things to the glory of God and to the benefit of all who come to believe (Hebrews 1:8-9 & 2:18).
By Jesus being our representative before God and given permission to reign in heaven, the human status is essentially elevated. This elevation provides the potential for all humans to join with Jesus in breaking free from death and sharing in His reign starting in this life but fully realised in the next (Ephesians 2:!-10).
Of course, this knowledge and this status are not meant to puff us up with arrogance but to give us even greater reason to fixate on Jesus and to rejoice in our standing before God. As Hebrews 3:1 says, “Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest who we confess.”
