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
Rarely will you encounter anyone over the age of five who does not know their birthday. It’s a very important part of who we are, not just for congratulations and presents, but also as a marker for our progress through our lives. For practical purposes, our birth date marks the beginning of our existence, even though our existence actually began at conception. There is another date that is also very important, although it is a solemn one, not a happy one like our birth date. That’s the date of death. If you talk to any widow on the anniversary of her husband’s death, you will quickly learn how important that date is. We exist as human beings between those two dates, our birth date and our death date. Funeral announcements and biographies use those two dates to identify the life span of us all. But there is One, as our text declares, Whose existence is defined in eternal terms, and not in earthly limits.
One of the worst faults of most of the cults is their failure to recognize the Lord Jesus Christ as the God of Eternity. The JWs for example consider it blasphemy when we tell them that the Jehovah of the Old Testament is the Jesus of the New Testament. And yet, the Scriptures will declare over and over that the Son has ever dwelt in the bosom of the Father (John 1:18). We recognize in the Son of God One who ever was, is, and will be co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. But in recognizing this, we make no claims to understand how the God of eternity could, and did, step into time as a member of humanity. At the same time, we believe it with all of our hearts, because the Word of God, including our text, declares it. It was a great day for this world, and for Heaven too, when the Lord Jesus was made a little lower than the angels. The angels noted it with a great proclamation to the Bethlehem shepherds. Never yielding for a moment His deity, the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). The Immortal took on mortality. His purpose for coming was not to live but to die. The first Adam was told that if he sinned, he would die, because Adam was not made an immortal being. And Adam died because he sinned. Death was his punishment for that sin. The last Adam did not sin. But, like the first Adam, He died. But His death was not because of sin, but for sin. His death was not punishment for His own sin, because He had none. His death was punishment for Adam’s sin, and for the sin of all of Adam’s children. That is the meaning of our text which says He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
Adam is still in his grave. So are all of those who have died since our first parents. And so will we be if we die before the coming of the Lord. But Jesus’ grave is vacant, standing empty in the triumph of the Lord Jesus over death. Where is He now? Our text declares that He is crowned with glory and honour. Philippians 2:9 declares: ‘Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a Name which is above every name’. Precious to every believer is the reality that our glorified Lord is still a man. The humanity He accepted so that He could die for us is still His and always will be. That is why we humans can be confident that we will live with Him forever. Blessed hope! -Jim MacIntosh