Hebrews 2:6-10 – Part 1 – Perfect Through Suffering

Hebrews 2:6-10 – Part 1

Perfect Through Suffering

But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? (Hebrews 2:6)

Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: (Hebrews 2:7)

Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. (Hebrews 2:8)

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. (Hebrews 2:9)

For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. (Hebrews 2:10)

Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; (Ephesians 2:15)

The Apostle lifts us from the man of the earth to the man from glory. Adam gave us sin and sin dna, and Christ freed us from sin and gave us the true dna from heaven in Himself. (2 Corinthians 5:17) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. We have become a new creature, a new creation not born of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but born of God. We are no longer a creation of this earth, but a creation of heaven in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In examining our salvation there were two men, one was Adam, he was of the earth, earthly; the second man was Christ, He was the Lord from heaven. (1 Corinthians 15: 47) The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. The first man, Adam, brought sin into the world and died because of sin. The second man, the Lord from heaven, the one who could not die gave His life to take away sin. Man did not take His life, He surrendered it, and in surrendering it He became the perfect man who is in heaven. Since we are still on this earth, we look at spiritual things through a clouded glass. It is needful for us to have the Spirit of God as our spectacles so that we through the Holy Ghost can get a glimpse of our beloved in heaven. He is there for us, the Captain of our salvation. He is also the Captain of the Lord’s host. (Joshua 5:14) Let’s consider what the Holy Ghost is relating to us in verse 6 of Hebrews 2, He desires to excite our thoughts by considering . . . what is man? God declared to fallen man, the herald of sin, the possessor of sin, that he would surely die and return to the dust of the earth. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou [art], and unto dust shalt thou return. (Genesis 3:19) Man is but dust, and man in Adam has failed and always will fail. No matter how much good God bestows on man, he will always fail in the end, because in me is no good thing. It is only the embryo of Christ, and the indwelling Spirit of God that gives any worth to this carcass. I know that this is not the norm of teaching today; yet, truth is truth, that in my flesh there is no good thing. (Romans 7:18) For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. Even though it sounds like a paradox that one can be justified by faith, and yet, still drag the old man along. It is true that although we are glorified with Christ, we also, in this life, drag our old house along with us until it returns to dust. On our side of eternity, since in this life we live in time, we are beings of time and eternity. When we go home to our home in heaven, we will no longer be subject to time but subject only in eternity.

In verse 7 of Hebrews 2, we have the new man crowned with glory and honor, that is Christ, or the Captain of our salvation made perfect through suffering. He is the Captain of our salvation, and therefore, we become new creatures in Him, and only by Him. He, the Lord Jesus Christ, has done the work of our salvation through His sufferings, and therefore, we suffer with Him and are joined to that suffering. We are not physically crucified with Christ, but we enter into His death as the place where we were judged because of our sin. We are buried with Him, and we are raised with Him in resurrection glory. We have become new creatures in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are not of this earth, we are now heavenly beings. (Ephesians 2:19-22)

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; (Ephesians 2:19)

And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; (Ephesians 2:20)

In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: (Ephesians 2:21)

In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:22)

The son of man and the Son of God became one new man, so making peace for you and me — what a glory that we should be call the sons of God in our beloved Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord of glory. The Apostle refers to the Old Testament, (Psalm 8:4) 

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? To retrace the steps of man and all his failures then as the Spirit of God moves over the face of the deep, He interjects the new man, the Lord from heaven; made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death; and therefore, Christ is crowned with glory and honor. (Hebrews 2:9)

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (Philippians 2:5)

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: (Philippians 2:6)

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (Philippians 2:7)

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:8)

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: (Philippians 2:9)

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; (Philippians 2:10)

And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:11)

In Philippians 2:5 God is reviewing the humility of His Son. And that same mind should be in the children of God. In the grace of God we are joint-heirs with Christ, but we are also, as the children of grace, humble servants doing our Masters will. This can only be accomplished by having the mind of Christ. In Hebrews 2 and Philippians 2 we have the humility of Christ for us. He has equality with God (Ephesians 2:6); therefore, there is no division in the Godhead, They are One, so now, the man Christ Jesus, as God, humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:8) The Holy Spirit brings out the sufferings of the Captains of our salvation (Hebrews 2:10), and so through death He is crowned with glory and honor; this is for His obedience unto God the Father. He put all things in subjection unto the Father, therefore God the Father has put all things in subjection under His feet.

Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. (Hebrews 10:7)

Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; (Hebrews 10:8)

Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. (Hebrews 10:9)

By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:10)

The Lord Jesus submitted all things to God the Father’s will, so in turn, God the Father has submitted all things unto His Son. In Hebrews 2:7 and 9 these two verses have the phrase, ‘crownest him with glory and honor,’ both verses are referring to Christ not Adam. This is the new man who is the God-man in the image of God. Although Christ was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, God the Holy Spirit did not want man to interpret these two verses as speaking of man or of angels. Twice the glory and honor is to the Lord Jesus, the Captain of our salvation; this repetition by the Holy Spirit was given to us so that there would be no confusion of Christ being lower than the angels. Christ was made lower than the angels only for the suffering of death; therefore, God has crowned Him with glory and honor. He has been risen as the man of glory, the man of heaven who is also God the Son. He was manifested as the son of man for the suffering of death. (Hebrews 2:9)

As we consider Philippians 2:8 Christ became obedient unto death, even unto the death of the cross. Now the Holy Spirit wants us to look deeper into this miracle of grace. For as Christ was made in the fashion of a man, He was also made a quickening spirit. (1 Corinthians 15:45) And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Of twain, He made one new man, a glorified man in heaven. Before the Lord Jesus was born of the Spirit of God, was there a glorified man in heaven? No! It was only after His suffering on the cross and His resurrection and ascension that we have a glorified man, without sin, in heaven for us — the man Christ Jesus. In His sufferings for us he has suffered with us, for He was made sin for us on the cross. He also bore our sufferings that He might deliver us from sin and death. Only a perfect man could become a sacrifice for sin. (but a body hast thou prepared me.) Only the Son of God could go into the realm of death and destroy it for us. Truly, He is crowned with glory and honor.

But now we see not yet all things put under him. (Hebrews 2:8) In regard to the latter part of this verse, I covered the world to come in verse 5 concerning the future glory of the Lord Jesus on earth. Christ will have a future glory on earth, and reign triumphant over the earth. In that day the world will be in complete subjection unto Him; but what about now? Is not the Church and the children of God to be in subjection to God’s dear Son? Let’s look from the eyes of the Apostle forward into history, he had received revelations and visions from Jesus Christ; he had heard the very voice of God, and was instructed directly by the Christ of God. In these revelations he was made to know the sufferings of Christ, that he would suffer for Christ in his life. He referred to this as ‘filling up the sufferings of Christ.’ This leaves us a dilemma in the age of self and selfies. Where is the sufferings for Christ? Have we been duped once more by the Devil to believe that this earth is our home? When will we realize that the world is Adam’s home. For the child of God, our home is in heaven with the Christ of God. God the Father sees us there, for we are dead to this world, and our life is hid in Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3) For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. And if this is not enough, our hope is laid up in heaven. (Colossians 1:5) For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;. Then what can we find in this world ? There is nothing in this world to satisfy our soul and spirit —nothing! This world wants to satisfy Adam, and only Adam. The world has cast out the Prince of life, Jesus Christ. When the Lord Jesus left this world, what did He take with Him? He had no material possessions, the only thing He took was His glory. He entered into heaven as the glorious man to be crowned with glory and honor. He received this glory from God the Father, but of worldly things — He had none. His home was, and is in heaven. We are born of the Spirit, the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost was sent to not only judge the world, but to separate us from this world. Could this be putting things in subjection to Him, should not our hearts be in a place of subjection to the Creator of all things?

It was He who loved us unto death, and through the Spirit of God we should put all into subjection unto Him. Man’s religion tells us to join the world — why? — to take away our song.

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. (Isaiah 12:2)

<<A Song or Psalm of David.>> O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. (Psalm 108:1)

Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. (Psalm 108:2)

I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations. (Psalm 108:3)

In contrast to these verses we have the captives in Babylon who had lost their song.

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. (Psalm 137:1)

We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. (Psalm 137:2)

For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. (Psalm 137:3)

How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land? (Psalm 137:4)

Our song and our joy is in Christ. He must be the center of our life to continue to sing our song and to have a joyful heart. The Lord gave us this example in the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:3-9. The seed of wheat that fell on good ground (in Christ) and brought forth much fruit. No one tells us that the seed of wheat was separated from the thorns, and from the stony ground, and from the birds of the air; which all symbolize the things of the world. This seed of wheat that was separated to good ground in Jesus Christ brought forth much fruit because it was in Jesus Christ. Now when the child of God separates himself from the present evil world, the one who had received God-given faith in Christ, and Christ the sower has sown them in good ground, then they will bring forth much fruit.

The body of Christ is not an earthly organism, but heavenly; however, man through deceptive tools of self motivation, and covetousness has made his interpretation of the Church as a world kingdom. This can not be! For man’s thought is a sham of the Devil, to deny the spiritual Body of Christ. The true Church is made up of heavenly beings who dwell on the earth as witnesses for Christ. They are no longer citizens of this world, their affections are above with Christ.

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. (Colossians 3:1)

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. (Colossians 3:2)

For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3)

If we have the mind that was in Christ Jesus then all these things will be our peace, our strength, our joy, and our song.

I remember one evening many years ago when a couple was visiting that their little girl continually sang songs of her own creation. I thoroughly enjoyed her singing, and it was pleasant to hear her, for ‘out of the mouth of babes thou has perfected praise’? The father in a curt manner, however, stopped her from singing. The little girl began to cry, and then she said something that has stayed with me to this day, ‘daddy took my song.’ If you truly believe in Jesus Christ and have a song in your heart, don’t let man take your song. Remember Psalm 137, the only song for the heart of the redeemed soul is the song which is above. Revelation 5:9-10. 

And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; (Revelation 5:9)

And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. (Revelation 5:10)

These words in Revelation 5 are for the redeemed of the Lamb who are washed in His blood. It is a song of love, or a love song. The King sits on the throne, can we not sing this song loud and clear. God gives us a voice to sing of the glory of our King and Lord, is not this the song of the Lamb, once slain, to be the song of love. When our voices are silent cannot our hearts sing? Before we drift off to sleep, cannot we listen for the song? And when we awake, should not it be on our lips, and in our hearts? Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. (Revelation 5:12)

Amen.

© Copyright 2015, Michael Haigh

Article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.

All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible. (KJV)