Turn with me to the book of Hebrews
chapter 2. Hebrews chapter 2. I'd like to consider verses 5
to 9 this evening. The Apostle, and I believe it
to be Paul, when writing under the inspiration of the Spirit
of God, had given warning not only to the Hebrews that he wrote
to, but to all men concerning the remembrance of
the gospel. That's what it said in verse
1 of chapter 2. Therefore, we ought to give the
more earnest heed to the things which we've heard, lest at any
time we should let them slip. It's amazing when the Spirit
of God blesses that exhortation to a believer. Now, an unbeliever
can hear that. That's just like in verse 1 of
chapter 3. I just want you to look at a
word here. That's it. Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers
of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of
our profession, Christ Jesus. Now you think about that word,
consider. truthfully look, faithfully look
into, with more than a glancing look. Now, I want you to stop
for just a minute and realize that it is only by the grace
of God that a person does that. Now, you can hear that. I mean,
we can hear that. Consider the apostle and high
priest. but to do it. To have a heart
that is prompted by the Spirit of God to actually do that. That takes the grace of God.
Because by nature, we just don't do that. The Gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ. So great salvation. That's how
the Scripture sets that forth. In verse 3 of chapter 2, how
shall we escape if we neglect in oh how prone we are with that
old wretched nature how we do find ourselves struggling with
the neglect of so great salvation? The law. that was given by angels,
spoken through the instrumentality. That's what verse 2 talks about
in chapter 2. Spoken by angels. If that was
steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience
received a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape if
we neglect the prophet of God, He who is appointed heir of all
things. He that made the worlds. How are we going to escape if
we neglect Him? He who is the express image,
the very impress of the person of the Godhead. I mean, these
things are just so indescribably high. Oh, that I would give earnest
heed to that, that the Lord would give me a heart to look unto
Him, the author and finisher of my faith. Well, let's look
in verse 5 here. The Scripture speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ starts
off and He says this, though, Hath he not put in subjection
the world to come, whereof we speak?" Now, the world to come,
no doubt. I don't doubt for a second that
it speaks of the new earth wherein dwells righteousness. But in
particular, the world to come speaks of the eternal security
of God's elect. that joy and that peace and that
comfort and that glorious reign with Him, that world to come. I know that we see through a
glass darkly, but we see. And we know that right now by
the authority of the Lord's Word Himself, He's seated in the heavenlies And He's right here. He's omnipresent. God. The ministering spirits, the
angels, they're here. No doubt. No doubt based on the
Word of God that God Almighty has sent them forth to be ministers
to the heirs of salvation. No doubt. How they minister? I don't know. But that they minister
is without question based on God's Word. But as wonderful
a created being as they are, unto the angels hath he not put
in subjection the world to come whereof we speak. What does that
mean? Well, he had just told us that it was through the disposition
of angels, the instrumentality of angels. We looked at that
a week or so ago. How the angels were involved
with the giving of the law, whether they were present. It doesn't say. But when it comes to the giving
of the gospel, not under angels. Not unto angels
hath he put in subjection the world to come, the preaching
of the gospel, the preaching of the truth. That was never
left to anyone's responsibility except the Lord Jesus Christ,
God's apostle, the true apostle, God's angel. John 1.17 says,
For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus
Christ. That was never entrusted. That glorious message was never
entrusted to any other except God's prophet, the prophet, the
messenger of the covenant. Listen to Job 4.18. He put no
trust in His servants and His angels. He charged with folly. The message that we preach is
the message that came by Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. How marvelous the revelation
of the Lord Jesus Christ who undertook to answer and to redeem
all that the Father had ever given Him in election. The Father loveth the Son and
hath given all things into His hands." All power is given unto
Him in heaven and earth. But as we've seen the work of
redemption placed within the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ,
now we're going to look in this next few verses at the humiliation
and the condescension of Jehovah Himself to show mercy to whomsoever
He will." Verse 6 says, "...but one in a certain place testified,
saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? Or the Son
of man, that thou visitest him?" That was a quote out of Psalm
chapter 8. Right after David had said in
Psalm 8 3, When I consider the heavens and the work of thy fingers,
the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained. Then right
back here to this verse. Then that's when he quoted it.
What is man? That you're mindful of him. The
son of man that thou visitest him. That word visitest It means to look upon Him to help or to relieve that you
visited Him. To look to Him, to scrutinize
Him. Almighty God passed by the nature
of angels in redemption and chose to show mercy to fallen man. What is man? that you're mindful of Him. These
angels. Angels fell just like men fell.
Angels were created just like men were created. One third of
the angels fell. All men fell. But God Almighty
passed by the redemption of angels. He did not take on Him the nature
of angels. He took on Him the seed of Abraham.
The seed of promise. The seed of His choice. The seed
of His purpose. The seed of His will. All chosen
in Christ, in His Son. He loved the world. He loved
the order of man. Why did He pass by angels? He
chose to. Why did He choose to show affection
and love and redemption to mankind? He chose to. It pleased Him. That's the only answer that you
could give. Why did God do anything? Because it pleased Him to do
so. What we do is we bow in thankful. It shows to show mercy to mankind. How is it, the psalmist asked,
that you chose to remember man in mercy? How is it that you
chose that? He chose to show mercy to mankind
through your glorious Son. And you visited the Son Himself,
the Son of Man. Thou visitest Him. You inspected
Him. That's what it means. Exercised oversight as the surety
of your sheep. Now listen. Chose Him. Appointed Him. Appointed Him. Chose Him. Appointed Him the
High Priest. Appointed Him the Redeemer. And inspected Him. And scrutinized
Him. Because this was the One that
would come into this world. to redeem his sheep, and watched
him, and scrutinized him, and watched him, because he loved
the sheep." Now you think about what's being
said here. What is man that thou art mindful of him, or the son
of man that you scrutinized him, visited him, watched him, and said of him, I'm well pleased
with Him. That's His beloved Son. When we stop and think of Him
being made a little lower than the angels for the suffering
of death, that the Father forsook Him. There when He suffered,
He suffered No man ever suffered. We talk about the sufferings
of Christ and often we think of the physical
sufferings. His soul, His soul, His soul
was made an offering for sin. Men and women that have died
throughout time for the cause of Christ, that could leave a jail singing
on their way to a gallows or to be burned at the stake or
something. Singing. And here was the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Scripture says He swept, as it were, great drops of blood. He said, My soul is exceeding
sorrowful, even unto death. And here's men, but here's the
thing. The redeemed aren't bearing their
guilt. He bore all of it. He was a man
of sorrows. He went through this life every
day bearing in absolute obedience to his Father, bearing what we
are and the frailty of this flesh, and he was acutely aware of the
weakness of what we are, and He bore all of it. Every day. Every day. Acquainted with our
grief. And with Him, no sin. No sin. There He was. Praying, Father,
if it be Your will, let this cup pass from me nevertheless.
Not my will, but Thine, be done. Our guilt has been put away.
He bore it all. What is man that thou art mindful
of him? Or the Son of Man that thou visitest
Him? The Father cared for His elect and trusted the Lord
Jesus Christ, visited Him, in our redemption. Thou madest him a little lower
than the angels. Thou crownedst him with glory
and honor, and didst set him over the works of thy hands." He made him a little lower means
that he was brought down from a higher station to a lower station. for a while. That's what it means,
for a little while. He humbled himself, made himself
of no reputation. And there the Father, in absolute love for His people in His Son,
looked totally to the Son, everything for us. He looked to the Son,
never looking to us for obedience. Never. He dealt
with us in Christ, visited Him. Here is the Son made a little
lower for a while. Why? for the suffering of death."
That's what verse 9 says. Angels don't die. Luke 20, 36,
"...neither can they die any more, for they are equal unto
the angels." They don't die. But here He was
made from a higher plane to a lower for a while. He took upon Himself
the nature of His people, flesh and blood, that He might die, that He might
put away our guilt made under the law, made subject to the
law for obedience. I start to think, sometimes I'll
just mull over in my mind how quickly How quickly I fail in
my mind. How quickly I just deviate. And to think concerning the Lord
Jesus Christ, he never deviated, Brother Scott, in his mind one
time. Never deviated in obedience. Never thought one thought. As
a man, never thought one thought. that was not consistent with
the glory of God, the obedience of His Father. And here's the
Father that visited Him, watched Him as the obedient man, the God-man,
the mediator, the federal head, the representative of all of
His people in Him. was the eternal life of all of
the elect, if he deviates one time, we have no hope. The righteous one. Here he is. Made him a little lower than
the angels. Oh, but he who is made a little
lower than the angels for a while. He has been crowned with glory. Thou, the Father, crownest Him
with glory and honor, and it set Him over the works of Thy
hands." I have looked at that phrase,
crowned Him with glory and honor. And I'm telling you, In my heart, I cannot come to
the fullness. I know I can't. How do I come? I can give you a few thoughts
on the Father. Here was the One, the Lord Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, joined with flesh and blood for a while
that He might suffer, that He might die, that He might be made
sin, that He might atone. Here He is. Here He is crowned, the Scripture
says, with glory and honor. And I got to thinking of a few
points which I can think and set forth. I'll be like one of
the old writers who said, I dare not try to. speak with any certainty
on this subject. But I pray the Spirit of God
give us some understanding. But think of this. Made Him a
little lower than the angels, crowned Him with honor and glory
on the Mount of Transfiguration. Here He is. He who is made a
little lower than the angels. And the Scripture says that A
voice was heard out of heaven, just like a voice was heard at
His baptism. Here He was, crowned. The wreath
of victory is what that means. Crowned Him with the wreath. What a crown this is. Listen
to this crown. This is My beloved Son, in whom
I am well pleased. You hear Him. What a crown. What a wreath of victory. I'm
pleased with him. The Father crowned him with glory. He died the substitute of all
of God's elect. And the Scripture says he was
forsaken of his father, my God, my God. Why hast thou forsaken
me? He was made sin. The Father is of pure eyes than
to behold iniquity. And he forsook him that he might
not forsake his people. One would have to die. There's
going to have to be wages of sins, death. The law is going
to have to be satisfied. He was made sin. And He died. Three days later, He crowned
Him with honor and glory and raised Him from the dead. Three
days later, two women came to the tomb and stone had been rolled away. And
there was, Scripture says, one there in white and ask Him, why seek ye the living
among the dead? He's not here. He's risen. Crowned Him with glory and honor.
Accepted. Accepted that sacrifice. He put
away the guilt of His people. Cast their sins as far as East
is from the West. Crowned Him. Wreathed Him with
victory. The victory over death and hell
in the grave. Raised Him up. Fifty days. The Lord had been seen of His
apostles and then a few more, then 500. The Lord met with His apostles
for the last time. And God Almighty crowned Him
with glory and honor. The wreath of victory received
Him up into heaven. And those apostles stood there
and looked at Him, watched Him, watched Him go up. There He was. He was going up. The angels said,
You men of Galilee, why stand you here gazing into the heavens?
This same Jesus that you see ascending up shall in like manner
return. Crown Him with glory and honor.
Sit down at My right hand until I make all Thine enemies, all
Mine enemies, Thy footstool. Crown Him with glory and honor.
He made Him a little lower than the angels. Thou crownest him
with glory and honor, and didst set over thy works, set him over
the works of thy hands, all things in the earth, under the earth,
above the earth. All power is given unto the Son. Verse 8, Thou hast put all things
in subjection under his feet, for in that he put all in subjection
unto him. He left nothing that is not put
unto him. But now We see not yet all things
put unto him. Wonder of wonders, made a little
lower than the angels, that he might suffer and die. And all
things are put unto his feet. I read these words and stand
here and preach these words. And I tell you the verse of Scripture
that comes to my mind. Oh, that I may know Him. I know Him. I believe I know
Him. I believe He's given me a heart
for Him. I believe He's given me a new
heart, a heart that trusts Him, a heart that puts no confidence
in the flesh. I believe He has. I believe I
know Him. But oh, that I'd know Him. How
little I know. It makes me to think of that
scripture. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Oh,
that I might see Him, know Him. Peter said in 1 Peter 3.22, who
has gone into heaven and is on the right hand of God, angels
and authorities and powers being subject unto him. Matthew 28.18,
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given
unto me in heaven and in earth. That's what he said. He's put
all things in subjection under his feet. For in that He put all in subjection
to Him, He left nothing that's not put unto Him." You know,
if we truly, if we truly could see and know as we're known,
there'd be no more fear, no more struggles. But now, we see not yet all things
put unto Him. What does that mean, Paul? It
means that it doesn't appear to us that all things are subject
to Him yet. I know we're still struggling
in this world. We're still having problems. We're still getting
sick. We still have trials without and within. For us right now, We know that
Romans 8.28 is so. We know that. We know that. All things work together for
good to them that love God, to them who are the called according
to His purpose. Someone will say, you believe
that? Yes, I believe that. And then let one of my kids call
me 500 miles away and say, Dad, I'm thinking, really? Oh, man, let me see if I can
make a phone call. And in a little while, that Scripture
will come back to my heart. He's put all things under His
feet All things are in suggestion to Him. He's left nothing that's
not put unto Him. Everything is being ordered by
the good pleasure and purpose and will and counsel of Almighty
God. I know that, but now we see not
yet all things put unto Him. I'm still struggling with them. But we see Jesus. who was made a little lower than
the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory
and honor, that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man." Now, I know for
all of us here, this goes without saying, but I'm going to say
it anyway. Does that mean every man without
exception? Well, you know it doesn't mean
that. Let me show you something. Look at Romans 9. Look at Romans 9. What if God,
willing to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured
with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction. That fitted means made up. Now, if there are some that have
been fitted for destruction, made up for destruction, if he
is the potter and we are the clay, and he is and we are, and
he He has the right as the potter to make one vessel into honor
and another into dishonor. If he told the Pharisees, you
believe not because you're not my sheep. If he said, my sheep hear my
voice and they follow me, all that the Father gives me shall
come to me. Now, if the scripture clearly
sets forth that the Lord Jesus Christ has left some to themselves,
fidget or made up for destruction, then he can't mean that this
means every man without exception. He tasted death for every man. No, it means every variety, every
kind of. Out of every nation and kindred
and tribe and tongue, God's got a people. There's going to be,
out of every kindred and nation and tribe and tongue, God's got a people. I heard Brother
Henry, I didn't hear him say this. Someone told me that he
said this. He said, I believe that every kindred, every namesake
is going to be represented in heaven. There are going to be
some Richardsons there. There are going to be some Lockes. There are going to be some Stonikers.
There are going to be, out of every kindred, nation, tribe,
and tongue, God's got a people. Not just Jews. Jews and Gentiles. Almighty God was pleased to pass
by the redemption of angels. He didn't take on Him the nature
of angels. But He made the Lord Jesus Christ a little lower than
the angels for the suffering of death, for the redemption
of men. Not every one of them without
exception, but all that he had everlastingly loved, all that
he chose in Christ. God was mindful of them. He loved
them. He said, it is affection. What is man that thou art mindful
of? And he sent him into this world
and he visited him, watched him, scrutinized him. And the Lord Jesus Christ said
of Himself, He said, My meat, my food, my sustenance is to
do the will of Him that sent me. The Father said of Him, I
am well pleased, well pleased. Made Him a little lower and crowned
Him with honor and glory. Wreathed Him with victory. made by the grace of God, we
just may be made to just consider Him for a moment. There are times that I think
just for a moment that I can, just for a moment. But oh, in that fleeting moment,
Gene, just a breath of fresh air, and to think that by the
grace of God, there's coming a day when the realization of
who He is, see Him as He is, be like Him. Eye hath not seen,
ear hath not heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man
that which God has prepared for those that love Him, because
He loved them first. For Christ's sake, amen. Gary
with YouLose.