“Not a day passed away in which I did not ten times over long for death.” ¹ Those words were written by John Calvin concerning his first year in Geneva. The great Genevan reformer for which we are all thankful struggled in his time there. He was expelled from the city for a time in 1538-1541, and even as he returned commented, “That messenger was noways pleasant who brought to me the intimation that I had been recalled to Geneva.” ² Yet he went and labored unto the Lord in Geneva with such long-term blessings that his labors are still being felt today. And yet it leaves us to ask, “If something is so good, then why does it appear at times to be so bad?” This is one question the recipients of the letter of Hebrews may have been grappling with as they read this first chapter and looked at their surroundings. For if Jesus was truly who the author claimed, then many questions seemingly would have remained.

In these verses of the second chapter of Hebrews, the author backs off of nothing that he has said of Jesus thus far. He has claimed that he is supreme to angels, that he is nothing less than God, the Son, and that his message is supreme to the message delivered by the angels. And yet in this second chapter he continues to tell us of his greatness. He writes in verses 5-8a, “Now it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. It has been testified somewhere, ‘What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet.’ Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control.”

Therefore, Jesus’ supremacy over the angels specifically is again magnified as it is Jesus (not the angels) who reigns over the world. In fact, the Father has put everything in subjection to him so that the author of Hebrews can say, “He left nothing outside his control.” The recipients of this letter have no reason to believe that Jesus is anything less than the one who reigns over the world, calling the shots, if you will, as the king of ruler of all things. He is nothing less than the exalted Lord who alone is to be worshiped.

And yet, as we’ve seen, it would not be surprising if this presented a number of questions for the original hearers. For starters, if Jesus is indeed that great and mighty, then why did he become “lower than the angels” taking on human flesh. I mean it makes no sense that the one who is claimed to have created the sun should allow himself to suffer under its heat. And specifically, why did he suffer and die? For again, that doesn’t seem to be the role that one who is God, the Son would play. Therefore, it really seems that this is not the action of one who is greater than the angels would go through, and should require some deeper explanation.

Then, even if those questions about Jesus’ incarnation and suffering are dealt with, there are still others that are to be answered. One of them is, “If Jesus is really who the author of Hebrews is claiming him to be, then why are those who profess faith in him going through so much suffering?” If he’s in control, then why does the world seem so out of control? And, finally, what is our great hope? What does knowing this one mean? What does being one with Christ result in, so that we should rejoice? For, again, at this point, with these recipients of the letter, things are not happening the way they are supposed to be, so it would seem. The more the answer of who Christ was became clear to them the more questions they would have seemed to have had.

And yet it seems that our text this morning answers them. It’s as if the author of Hebrews realizes what may seem to contradict the supremacy and exaltation of Christ and his rule and reign, and so he answers their questions. For there is much going on around them and that makes up the content of the gospel that seem to make for difficult questions. Therefore, this morning I want to try to answer these questions as the text does, so that we too might understand the person and work of Christ more fully and therefore worship him as we should.

Why did Jesus then have to take on flesh?

This is question that the text seems most to deal with. For in many ways this is a transitional text where elements are mentioned only because they are going to be more greatly stressed later. However, the incarnation of Jesus Christ seems to be the focus of the text. And it is odd. For in talking so much about Christ’s exaltation, deity, and reign as the king to whom all things have been subjected, where does him becoming flesh work? Why did Jesus take on flesh?

The author of Hebrews provides a few answers to this question. The first and most simple is found in the first few verses.

1) Jesus took on flesh because it was God’s prophesied plan.

In saying that Jesus is superior to the angels, it is an obvious question to ask why he became lower than them for a time, and yet the answer in the first few verses of our text is that it was prophesied. The author of Hebrews quotes Psalm 8 and says it was pointing to Christ as it says, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet” (5-8).

Now, when you read Psalm 8 it seems that the psalm is a reference to mankind ruling over the world, and yet according to Hebrews 2, this psalm performed a secondary and more perfect function in prophesying of the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Thus, understanding the only infallible interpretation of Scripture to be Scripture we see clearly that the incarnation was prophesied, it was foretold in Psalm 8 that Jesus would be made for a little while lower than the angels as he was in his incarnation. However, there is more given to answer the question.

2) Jesus took on flesh, for it was fitting to fulfill God’s redemptive purposes, to save his people.

We read this multiple times throughout our text. First we read in verses 9-15, “But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one origin. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, ‘I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.’ And again, ‘I will put my trust in him.’ And again, ‘Behold, I and the children God has given me.’ Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”

Then in verse 17 we read, “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”

Thus, Jesus came in flesh to identify with his people – called “brothers” and “children” in verses 12-13 (quoting Psalm 22 and Isaiah 8). But he didn’t identify with them just so that he could say, “Look, I’m like you” or simply to communicate with them. He became flesh so that he might become a high priest for them. For according to Hebrews 5:1 a high priest who will act on behalf of men before God must be chosen from among men. Therefore, Jesus takes on flesh that he might function as a high priest for his people.

Now, the high priest would offer a sacrifice for the people’s sin. This sacrifice, in essence, bore punishment that the people might not receive such punishment. Thus, the reference to propitiation in verse 17, which means that which serves to appease one’s wrath. Therefore, God in his grace, gave the sacrificial system so that they would have a way to appease his wrath.

Yet with Christ, it was not some animal but he himself who was sacrificed. Thus, we read in verse nine of the suffering of death, “so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.” By God’s grace, Christ was sent to die, receiving the wrath we deserved, paying our penalty for us. And in doing so, according to verse 10, the founder of our salvation was made “perfect through suffering.”

Now this is a confusing phrase, isn’t it? How was Christ made perfect if he lacked nothing? Well, it seems that in Hebrews this word translated “perfect” functions to show the completion or goal of a mission. Therefore, God’s redemptive mission to deliver his people was only completed and fulfilled via Christ dying for his people as a propitiation for their sins, that God might show his great love and forgiveness toward them.

And this was needed because man was enslaved to sin, heading for death and destruction, and in need of deliverance. So, Christ comes down, enables himself to function as our high priest by humbling himself and taking on flesh, suffers and dies as a propitiation for our sins, so that he might bring many sons to glory. It is cyclical picture.

Thus, Jesus became flesh because it was prophesied and was necessary to fulfill God’s perfect redemptive plan of bringing his sons to glory that they might dwell in holiness with him forever.

So, if the recipients of the letter thought in any way this act of becoming flesh detracted from Christ’s supremacy and glory, they would have been quickly corrected. For it is clear that this only adds to the picture of his greatness. He is no doubt the reigning king, and yet he is more, for he is the one who pioneered our salvation and will bring many sons to glory. And yet that brings up one great question in the midst of their struggling.

If Jesus is this supremely exalted king who is also loving enough to lay down his life and all things have were put in subjection to him, then why is there such great suffering for his people?

This is indeed a good question. For if anything would seem to contradict the author’s claims, it is the recipients’ present situation of suffering. If everything is in subjection to Christ as the writer uses Psalm 8 to show, then why not the persecution of his people? But the author Hebrews makes it clear with the last statement in verse 8 as he writes, “At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.”

Though Christ has fulfilled the prophecy in part, we still wait for its ultimate fulfillment. There is an “already-not yet” tension that we live in during this time after Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension and before his return. This tension is what is clearly missed by those who preach that believers should have lives of health and wealth, and if you don’t it must be because you are sinning and have not claimed your rightful life by faith. This tension means that the Christian life contains no promise of an easy road. But it does claim that we may have hope in what one day will be.

But is our hope sure? What is our comfort now?

Yes, indeed it is. You need not fear. For one day it will indeed be manifested that all things have been put in subjection to Christ. And the work for that outcome has been done. For by his death, Christ defeated the one who holds the power of death and delivered all those who were subject to death because of sin. Therefore, because of the already-not yet tension, we still struggle with sin and Satan still roams about as a lion, and yet we can look at what Christ has done as a sure declaration that Satan’s destruction will one day be made clear and our battle with sin will be no more.

Our hope is indeed sure. Life has no guarantees of being easy, but our hope is sure. And yet there is one more point of comfort. Even though everything being in subjection to Christ has not yet been manifested, even now he is able to help you in your struggles because he walked the road that you have walked, even as it is written in verse 18, “For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

Therefore, this morning, maybe your circumstances have created a lot of questions and have caused you to struggle to accept the claims of Scripture. This morning meditate on these realities this morning:

1) God has loved you enough that he sent his Son to redeem you, even though it could only be accomplished by his death.

2) Though everything might seem out of control now, one day it will be made clear that Christ is the reigning king.

3) Your suffering does not mean Christ’s disapproval if you are obeying him but is the result of sin entering the world, but it will one day be gone.

4) Just as Christ came to man, so he knows how to help us in our struggles now. No one may understand your struggles right now, but he knows.

5) Even death need not be feared as Christ has conquered it for his people.

Therefore, be comforted this morning by our great Lord, meditate on his love and mercy toward us in his incarnation and death and place your confidence in our sure hope that we will indeed see all the blessings that he has accomplished. May we do this specifically as we come to the table.

To Christ be all glory. Amen.

¹“Letters, Part 1 1528-1545” Jules Bonnet, ed., David Constable, trans. in Selected Works of John Calvin: Tracts and Letters, Vol. 4 Henry Beveridge and Jules Bonnet, eds. 266.

²Ibid., 267.

BECOMING FLESH AND REIGNING OVER ALL