The Son of MAN... Pt 1

Part 5 of 7

We would think that after Jesus' glorious divinity has been more than adequately proven to the Hebrews in chapter 1, they would all fall on their knees in repentance, neglecting and forsaking all of their previous anti-Jesus doctrine and practice. But this, unfortunately, was not the case. The heart is indeed a deceitful organ (Jer 17:9)!

The Jews continued to pose their questions and concerns; they yet possessed carnal doubts of Jesus' preeminence, even when convinced of His God-ship. One such doubt was His human humiliation: "Jesus didn't appear any better than angels, he was but a common man", they must have argued. Simply put, they used Jesus' humiliation as a man for an excuse to ignore or take lightly His Gospel message. Thankfully, however, the writer to the Hebrews seemed to anticipate their likely and unfortunate response to his previous teaching. He actually used these accusations as an avenue to explain to us the very REASONS WHY Jesus HAD TO become a man... Was it to provide evidence for His lack and inability as a man? Absolutely not! It was to, in fact, secure the very salvation being disputed. How ironic!

So why was Jesus' humiliation and docile condescension to our meager human state a requirement for the atonement? Why indeed did He do it? Why did He allow the Jews to stumble over his humble appearance and meager subservient human demeanor (Isa 8:14; Lk 2:34; Rom 9:32-33; 11:9-11; 1 Pet 2:8)? Couldn't He have succeeded in His atoning exploits being perpetually exalted as the God of the universe? Perhaps, but that was not the plan and purpose of Almighty God. In seeing the reasons for His glorious, yet humble, condescension we can better realize the gross error of using such instances as a reason for ignoring His Words, as the Jews so commonly did. Observe...

The 2nd chapter of Hebrews shows us that God became a human man for at least three reasons:

"For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. 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? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. 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." (Heb 2:5-9).

The first reason given for Jesus' condescension is to become the last Adam. You see, God gave Adam rule over all the earth, as a man (Gen 1:26-28); But sin came into the human race and robbed Adam of his earthly dominion (Lk 4:6; Gen 2:17). Man ceased from being king and became a slave. This is why verse 8 says, "But now we see not all things put under him [man]". Rather, "we see Jesus", Jesus became a man in order to become the "last Adam" (1 Cor 15:45), and undo all the ruin and chaos the first Adam caused when he disobeyed God and fell. He had to do so, and live a perfect life, so that He could offer a perfect sacrifice for sins, and give to us complete restitution. For a little while, Jesus was lower than the angels, even to the very depths of Calvary, and this for GOOD reason (Phil 2:1-12)!

"For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me." (Heb 2:10-13).

Because of Jesus' humble condescension, there is now a new family in the world. Jesus, as our salvific Captain ("chief, leader, prince, author"), is bringing many sons to glory! Adam, through sin, plunged his descendants into sin and death, but Jesus now changes Adam's seed into the children of God (1 Jn 2:2; Rom 3:24-25)! We have become a new creation (2 Cor 5:17). He is not ashamed to call us brethren, because He knows the reasons why He had to become a brother - it was to pioneer a path for us to follow (Heb 6:20)! Hallelujah!

So why else does the writer to the Hebrews tell us Jesus HAD TO become a man?

To Be Continued...