Hebrews 2:9—“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.”

Though God originally made man to rule over creation, sin brought ruin, suffering, and death. Mankind has lost dominion and power under the curse of sin. The prior verse, verse 8, notes, “But now we see not yet all things put under him.” God originally ordained man to rule over creation; the full dominion and glory intended for mankind are not presently seen because sin has brought disorder, suffering, and death into the world. Human history is marked by disorder, sorrow, and mortality. Yet the writer immediately turns our eyes away from fallen man to the victorious Saviour: “But we see Jesus”.

This is the great comfort of the Gospel. When the world appears troubled, and man appears helpless, believers are called to fix their eyes upon Christ. He “was made a little lower than the angels” in His incarnation. The eternal Son of God willingly took upon Himself true humanity, entering our weakness and humiliation. Yet this lowering was not defeat, but divine purpose “for the suffering of death”.

Christ came to die at Calvary. He bore the penalty of sin as the substitute for sinners. The phrase “taste death for every man” speaks of His real experience of death in its bitterness and judgment so that all who come to him may have deliverance from the eternal judgment of their sins. Christ endured what sinners deserved, fully and completely, by “the grace of God”.

But the cross was not the end. The crucified Christ is now “crowned with glory and honour”. His resurrection and exaltation declare His triumph over sin, death, and Satan.

We now have Christ as our Saviour and Lord, to guide and keep us for the eternal glory He prepares for all who trust in Him. In suffering, temptation, fear, and uncertainty, our hope is not in ourselves, but in the crucified and exalted Redeemer who lovingly gave Himself for us.