“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.”
My Notes
What Does Hebrews 2:9 Mean?
The writer of Hebrews describes the complete arc of Christ's redemptive work: 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.
But we see Jesus — the contrast is with v.8 (we see not yet all things put under him). The present world does not look like everything is under Christ's authority. But we see Jesus — the eye of faith sees what the eye of nature cannot. The seeing is spiritual perception: amid an unredeemed world, faith perceives the exalted Christ.
Who was made a little lower than the angels — made lower (elattoō — to make less, to diminish, to reduce in rank). The incarnation was a descent: the Son of God, who is infinitely above the angels, was made temporarily lower than them. The lowering was purposeful — for (dia — on account of, because of) the suffering of death. The descent was designed for death. Christ became lower than the angels so that he could die — because angels do not die, and death was the mission.
For the suffering of death — the purpose of the lowering. Christ was made lower not for the experience of human life generally but specifically for the suffering (pathema — the experience of pain, the undergoing of affliction) of death. The incarnation was aimed at the cross. The lowering targeted the dying.
Crowned with glory and honour — after the lowering: exaltation. Crowned (stephanoo — to wreathe, to honor with a victor's crown). The one who descended to death ascended to glory (doxa) and honour (time). The crown replaces the cross. The glory follows the suffering. The descent produced the ascent.
That he by the grace of God should taste death for every man — taste (geuomai — to experience, to partake of, to undergo fully). Christ did not merely face death. He tasted it — experienced it completely, drank it to the bottom. For every man (huper pantos — on behalf of everyone, in the place of each person). The scope is universal: every man. The death Christ tasted was substitutionary — on behalf of — and comprehensive — for every person.
By the grace of God (chariti theou) — the entire arrangement is grace. The lowering, the suffering, the death, the tasting — all of it is God's gracious initiative. The cross was not an accident. It was grace in action — God's unmerited favor taking the form of his Son's death for those who could not die and live.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does Christ being 'made lower than the angels' reveal about the incarnation as a purposeful descent toward death?
- 2.How does the arc from lowering to crowning describe the complete redemptive work — and what does the crown represent?
- 3.What does 'taste death for every man' communicate about the completeness and universality of Christ's substitutionary death?
- 4.What does 'but we see Jesus' mean in a world where Christ's lordship is not yet visibly evident — and how does faith perceive what sight cannot?
Devotional
But we see Jesus. The world does not look redeemed. The brokenness is visible. The evil is obvious. The lordship of Christ is not apparent from the evening news. But we see Jesus. Faith sees what the eye cannot — the one who descended and ascended, who suffered and was crowned, who tasted death and is now wearing glory.
Who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death. Lower than the angels. The Son who created the angels (1:2) was made lower than them — temporarily, purposefully, for a specific mission: to die. Angels cannot die. The Son needed to be made lower than them so that death was possible. The descent was not humiliation for its own sake. It was the only way to reach the cross.
Crowned with glory and honour. After the cross: the crown. After the lowering: the lifting. The suffering produced the glory. The death produced the honor. The one who was made lower than the angels is now crowned above them. The arc is complete: descent → suffering → death → glory → honour. The crown is the consequence of the cross.
That he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. Taste. Not observe from a distance. Taste — experience fully, drink to the last drop, undergo completely. Christ tasted death the way you taste something bitter that fills your entire mouth. He experienced every dimension of dying — the pain, the separation, the darkness, the abandonment. And the tasting was for every man. For you. On your behalf. In your place.
By the grace of God. Grace arranged the whole thing. The incarnation was grace. The lowering was grace. The suffering was grace. The tasting of death was grace. And the crowning with glory was grace's vindication — the proof that the death accomplished what grace intended. The entire arc — from heaven to manger to cross to crown — is one continuous act of unmerited love.
We see Jesus. Lower than the angels and now crowned above them. The sufferer who became the sovereign. The death-taster who became the life-giver. We see him — and what we see changes everything we cannot yet see.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
For it became him, for whom are all things,.... This is not a periphrasis of Christ, who died, but of God the Father,…
But we see Jesus - We do not see that mankind has the extended dominion of which the Psalmist speaks elsewhere. But we…
Should taste death for every man - In consequence of the fall of Adam, the whole human race became sinful in their…
The apostle, having made this serious application of the doctrine of the personal excellency of Christ above the angels,…
But we see Rather, "But we look upon." The verb used is not ὁρῶμεν videmusas in the previous verse, but βλέπομεν…
Cross References
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