Who Is Man?

 

For 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. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 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. (Hebrews 2:5-9 ESV).

 

It seems unnecessary to ask the question of who is really in charge of creation; however, the writer of Hebrews is facing a world that simply doesn’t understand the subtlety of accepting that anything, or anyone, other that Jesus is God and thus “in charge.” Before you roll your eyes at this thought, think of how many times you may have unintentionally given authority to something or someone other than Jesus. This surrender of authority can be as ignominious as believing in karma or chance. There can be no room for happenstance when we realize that Jesus is completely over all there is and all that takes place in His creation. He is sovereign over all that has been or will be.

 

When we think of this truth, we must question our beliefs like the psalmist when he wrote the following:

 

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. (Psalm 8:3-8 ESV).

 

What is man that you remember him? Or the son of man, that you are concerned about him? You have made him a little lower than the angels… All this refers to the seeming insignificance ("What is man?"), and at the same time the amazing majesty, of a Man ("You have made him a little less, or for a while less, than angels"). David in this psalm is celebrating the majesty of God by calling attention to the fact that man, who is created in God's image, is appointed to be the ruler over his creation—"You have put all things in subjection under his feet" (v. 8). However, God is also exalting the incredible miracle of the Incarnation. When God became flesh in Jesus, it was the ultimate completion of a critical phase of the redemption of creation itself. God redeems all in Him. Angels can’t do that. Saints can’t do that. No created thing can do that! Therefore, we must not neglect such a great salvation as has been provided in Him. We cannot give authority that only belongs to Jesus to anyone or anything else.

 

Now, think about that. Where is your hope? Where is your trust placed for the righting of this world’s fallen state?