Jesus Rules and Reigns
It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come …But there is a place where someone has testified: “What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?
You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him
with glory and honour and put everything under his feet.” Hebrews 2:5-8
Have you ever noticed that the well known passage above centres on ‘the world to come’? There’s a world coming after this one, a ‘new heaven and a new earth’ (2 Peter 3:13), but who will rule it?
God intends that the original order of creation will be finally realised: the world ruled wisely and creatively by people, human beings, who live in trusting obedience to God Himself.
But human beings seem at the moment to be lower than angels. How amazing that they will be the world’s governors (‘crowned … with glory and honour’)
The writer goes on to say ‘Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him’ (5:8). Humans are not yet ruling the world, bringing God’s order and justice to bear on the whole creation.
‘But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honour because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone’ (2:9).
One human being, Jesus, has been ‘crowned with glory and honour.’ His suffering and death (in which He really was ‘lower than the angels’), have placed Him in the role marked out from the beginning for the human race. He has been exalted as Lord of the Universe.
But more than this, Jesus is the representative of His people. He did all that He did on our behalf. He won for us what we could never win for ourselves. ‘For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet’ (1 Corinthians 15:25).
In ‘the world to come’ we will join him in ruling the world. ‘To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne…’ (Revelation 3:21) ‘To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations…’ (Revelation 2:26). ‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities … His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities’ (Luke 19:17,19).
God’s original intention for the world will be fulfilled. Human beings, obediently trusting God, will sit with Jesus ruling the new earth.
Jesus has gone before us, and through suffering and death has been declared Lord of the Universe.
Do you see Him as Lord of the Universe?
Do you see the extraordinary privilege He offers us to rule and reign with Him?
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