Sermon: Jesus is the Subject (Hebrews 2:5-9)

I have the privilege of preaching occasionally at Forest Community Church in Forest, Virginia. About a year and a half ago (April 2022) I began a series on Hebrews entitled "Keep your eyes on Jesus." I decided to post the links to the videos for these sermons in case there are those who may want to watch. this is the fourth sermon (from May 29, 2022) which covers Hebrews 2:5-9. The notes are available below, and you can use this link to watch the sermon: Jesus is the Subject. There are some announcements prior to the sermon, so the sermon actually starts around the 5:00 mark. 

Jesus is the Subject—Hebrews 2:5-9

Intro—2:1-4, first warning—against drifting—the danger of slipping away from the word spoken to us in these last days through God's Son Jesus. In chapter 1 Jesus is described as superior to angels.The author reveals Jesus’ superiority to angels so that he can warn us to stay focused on Jesus and Jesus' word without drifting. Now he returns to the contrast between Jesus and angels. He does this by focusing on Jesus as the subject. Jesus is the subject of Hebrews, but he is particularly the focus of 2:5-9.

The writer of Hebrews maintains a persistent focus on the superiority of Jesus as God’s Son. In this passage, he shifts to the historical incident of the incarnation. He brings his discussion to the earthly ministry of the Son of God in these verses.

Five times some version of “subject/subordinate/submit” is used here: verses 5 (once) and 8 (4 times). Psalm 8 is referenced in this passage as a Messianic passage referring specifically to Jesus. Subjection of the world to humanity at creation is the focus of Psalm 8. This authority was to some degree lost (or damaged) by the fall. The incarnation then is presented as the means of reinstating that dominion over the earth.

The main point today is that Jesus is the subject and all things are subject to him.

Heb. 2:5-9: God’s intention for humanity will be realized through Jesus. The central fact that our author shares with his readers is that Jesus is a person who actually shared our situation—the Incarnation gives information about God’s intention and provision for humanity.

Point 1—Jesus, not angels (v. 5)—The world was not subjected to angels but to God’s Son. The author may be responding here to some issues among the Jewish Christians of his church. They may have been thinking, “If the Son of God is greater than the angels, having obtained a more excellent name than they (1:4), then how does this fit with His becoming human, since humans are lower than the angels? Furthermore, how does this fit with His dying on the cross since angels never die? How then is Jesus superior to the angels?” Remember, there was an ancient Jewish belief that God appointed certain angels over particular nations of the world. 

Deuteronomy 32:8 CSB: “When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance and divided the human race, he set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the people of Israel.”

In the book of Daniel, angels are designated as the “prince of Persia” and the “prince of Greece”.  Michael is the “great prince” who watches over the nation of Israel.  The New Testament also echoes this concept. Even Paul mentions the role of supernatural beings in ruling over the earth in Ephesians 6:12: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.”

This is a contrast between two worlds. There’s the world to come, and that’s what is explicitly stated in Hebrews 2:5. There is also a future world which will replace this present world. The coming world is not subject to angels, but it will be subject to Jesus.

The author responds by showing that God did not subject the world to come to angels but to man. To support this point, he cites from Psalm 8 (LXX).

The subject is Jesus. The world to come will NOT be subject to angels, but it will be subject to Jesus. Jesus’ authority to rule then is tied up in his role as the Incarnate God and God’s chosen Messiah. The author turns to Psalm 8 to explain how Jesus fulfills what Adam and Eve failed to accomplish. Jesus is the subject and not the angels. Jesus is the subject and not Adam.

Point 2—Jesus, not Adam (vv. 6-8a)—Psalm 8—a psalm of astonishment on the honor God bestows on humanity. God’s intention for the human family: the world subject to the one who has God’s image. This intention was frustrated by human rebellion in Eden.

God’s original intent for humanity was for us to exercise dominion through and with him over his creation. Human destiny has always been higher than angels.

Psalm 8: Notice that the author is quoting the Septuagint rather than from the Hebrew which may explain the apparent discrepancy here. Instead of “a little lower than God,” the Septuagint has “a little lower than the angels.” The author of Hebrews sees first and second Adam in this Psalm. The phrase, “a little lower than the angels,” is ambiguous. It can mean either “by a small degree” or “for a short time.” The former sense fits the psalm as applied to Adam, who lacks the supernatural powers of the angels. The latter sense fits the psalm as applied to the Son of Man, who laid aside His glory for a short time to take on human flesh while on this earth (see Philip E. Hughes, A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews [Eerdmans], p. 85).

This Psalm reflects on the high position to which God appointed Adam and Eve, putting them over all creation. Nonetheless, the author adds, “we do not yet see all things subjected to him” (2:8). The unstated but obvious event that overturned humanity’s high position was the fall. God created humans as the apex of His creation, giving them great glory and honor. He gave them a position of authority, to rule over all other creatures. Humanity’s original high position of honor shows how utterly inexcusable the fall was!

Verse 8: The question is, does “him” here refer to humans or to Messiah? It may refer to humanity in the first place, but also beyond humanity to Messiah as the representative Adam (see F. F. Bruce, Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews [Eerdmans], p. 37). As Bruce explains (ibid.), “The writer confesses that it is not easy to recognize in man the being whom the psalmist describes as ‘crowned with glory and honor’ and enjoying dominion over all the works of the Creator’s hands.” But, as he will explain in verse 9, man’s failed purpose is fulfilled in Messiah.

 In verse 9, Hebrews will show that Jesus (the first use of his name in the book, obviously emphasizing His humanity) was crowned with glory and honor because of his death for us. He recovered what humanity lost in the fall. Although God’s original purpose for humanity was lost, it will be recovered through Jesus the Messiah. But how? This position cannot be regained by force, but it must be gained by humility, by obedience, by submission to God. Jesus, not Adam, is the one who will set things right, who will bring humanity to the fulfillment of God’s original intent. It will be Jesus, and not arrogance that will bring this intention to reality. Our last two verses tell us that Jesus is the subject and not arrogance.

Point 3—Jesus, not arrogance (vv. 8b-9)—Jesus will have rule over all things. Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s original intention for humanity. In Messiah humanity can realize God’s purpose. Psalm 8 is read as a confession of the dignity of Jesus. However, that reality has not come to pass completely as of yet. God’s intention in its fulness has not been reinstated, even though Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, ascension, and promised return establish the beginning of the fulfillment of this new reign. The reality is that the start is not the completion. So, “we do not yet see everything subjected to him” quite yet.

So what is going on when Christ does not seem to be in control? Here is the reality. Following Jesus often involves some sort of significant sacrifice and even suffering. The reign of God cost Jesus his life, after all! The fact that there is good in the world is a testament to the God who is good. The fact that there is evil in the world is a testament to man’s free will which rebels against the good God. The reign of Jesus has been inaugurated and is already a reality, but we won’t see the full impact until the consummation at the end of the age.

The order of thought here follows Paul’s treatment of Jesus’ humility and glory in Philippians 2:5-11. There, Jesus who existed in the form of God emptied Himself of His glory, took on the form of a servant, and became obedient to death on a cross. Therefore, God highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name. Hebrews 2:9 reminds us that Jesus tasted death for all of us. To “taste death” means not to nibble at it but to experience death to the fullest degree.

Conclusions from verse 9: In the person of Jesus we see displayed the actual character of our human vocation. Jesus being “a little while” lower than the angels does not call into question his superiority to them. For the first time the author uses the proper name “Jesus.”

Jesus shared in the human condition so that he could taste death for all humans.

Jesus was crowned with glory and honor because he suffered.

Bill Lane—”The exalted Son of God made the human condition, and especially its liability to death, his own in order to achieve for them the glorious destiny designed by God.”

To recap, Messiah's incarnation and death did not in any way imply his inferiority to angels. This is supported by the fact that God ordained that humans will rule angels in the world to come. Psalm 8 shows that this was God’s original intent. That intent was hindered by the fall, but now has been recovered in the second Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ. Through His death, resurrection, exaltation on high, and coming again to reign, we will reign with Him.

Jesus, not angels or Adam or arrogance, is the way to proper relationship to God and to the reinstatement of human dominion under God’s leadership. Jesus is the subject!

Conclusion—How do we respond?         

First, recognize that the present fallen world is not the end of the story. Sin, fallenness, evil, and their accompanying issues are not the end of God’s intention for humanity. So, how do we respond when we encounter frustrations like we do and like we will have until Christ brings us home? We need to develop and maintain an eternal perspective of God’s goal in Messiah so that we can endure our present trials. If Jesus had to suffer first and then enter His glory, so do we. By faith we should see Jesus and marvel at what He did for us and that we are now in Him (2:9). He left the splendor of heaven and not only took on human flesh, but also went to the cross on our behalf! “Amazing love, how can it be, that Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?” (Charles Wesley). We need to focus on him. Jesus, not the world. He is where we need to firmly “tie” our lives and efforts. Take time this week to focus on Jesus. Spend five to ten minutes each day contemplating all the good things Jesus has given in this life and the things he has promised in the life to come.

Second, one of the best ways to see Jesus it to see God’s work through him in the Bible. We see Jesus when we look to his Word. We see Jesus when we open up the Scriptures and the Spirit of Messiah helps us take every thought captive to the obedience of Messiah. We see Jesus when we see in the Scriptures and come to believe that he is the yes, the amen to all of the promises of God. This week, spend some time in these passages to see God’s plan for you in Jesus: Psalm 67. Psalm 97, Revelation 22, John 17, and Ephesians 4.

Thanks for reading!