And we'll look at chapter 2 verses 8 and 9, that Hebrews chapter 2 verses 8 and 9. You have 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. Now we do not yet see 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 honor, that he by the grace of God might taste death for everyone. May God richly bless both the reading and the hearing of his holy word. Now as we look at this passage, I've got to admit this is a passage I was reading something a couple of weeks ago and thinking in terms of things that we see largely in terms of the world in which we live, the use of power and authority, the inequity sometimes that we see in the distribution or the use of that power, if not the outright corruption of it, and the definitive statements that we read and even proclaimed even in the song that we just that was just song that you are the Lord, the sovereign king, that all things are under God's rule and how sometimes through our experiences in this life, that we don't see or comprehend the sovereign rule of God. And so especially in preparing last week from the book of Zephaniah, when you consider what the very word means, the name Zephaniah, God who hides, and we talked about last week of how God hides and so I was thinking in terms of the paradox. The paradox between Christ's present rule, we acknowledge him to be the sovereign ruler of all things and the inequities that we see in this life, not just in equities, but some things that the inconsistencies that we see in this life, a Donald Gray Barnhouse raised
the hypothetical question, what if Satan took over a town, what would it look like? And he went on to make the case that it would be the opposite of what we would think. And his point was we would think that if Satan took over town, some would say, well, it would look like Las Vegas, or it would look like Los Angeles, or it would look like, you know, any of the places that are known for immorality, but Barnhouse went on to say, no, if Satan took over a town, all of the grass, all of the lawns would be finally manicured, all of the bars would be closed on Sunday, and all of the children would be well polite, very polite saying, yes, ma'am, yes, sir, and everyone would go to church on Sunday where a preacher would open his Bible and preach everything but Christ, and people would be filled with everything but Jesus. And so that was his idea, but if you were to reverse that, I get the point that he was making, but if you were to reverse that, and you were to say, well, if Jesus took over a kingdom, what that kingdom looked like. And here's what we would think, and I think this is what some people tried to accomplish in the voting booth. They think that if Jesus took over a kingdom, what would it look like? If Jesus sovereignly ruled at any point, at any point in time, at any point in history, if Jesus became king, what would that kingdom look like? Well, you said to be a king of righteousness, so our assumption is that he, that it would be a righteous kingdom. And we are told that he's the king of peace, so our assumption is that he, it would be a kingdom where peace was dominant. And so here's where the paradox stands, here's where the paradox comes from because all of those assumptions that it would be a kingdom of peace and a kingdom of righteousness and a kingdom of justice, all of those are well-founded. In fact, we would go so far as to say that if Jesus took over a kingdom, then all of the citizens would be well-taking care of. There would be nothing that would cause distress. There would be nothing to cause disease. There would be no cause of concern because a righteous, eternal, just, loving, and peaceful king is on the throne. So we get that part, right? But then we pick up our newspapers. And we see, and here's the thing, we proclaim as we did in the song, Sovereign Lord, you are king, you are ruler over everything. And we acknowledge that he has been raised, and that he sits and he rules, and there is nothing beyond his reign. There's nothing beyond his power. And yet we pick up our newspapers, and we see of wars, and rumors of wars. We read of judgments that are unjust. We see those who have been given great authority, mishandled that authority, those sometimes institutions and individuals that we should trust we can't. We see that there is immorality that is not only legislated, but immorality that seems to be imprinted even in our own thinking. And so here we say, Jesus is Lord. And the question often times comes up, then where's the peace? If he is Lord, where is the righteousness? Where is the, where is the holiness? Where is, where is the justice? Where are those things that we would expect from Jesus if he were king? And yet we claim that as king. So here's what I want to do. I want to look at three, extract three particular and definitive statements from these verses. To helpfully, hopefully I should say, explain somewhat of the paradox between Christ's present rule and the inequities that we see in the world. Now before we look at those three statements, there is the backdrop. Let me just sort of give the backdrop, which takes us actually all the way back to the fifth verse here. The backdrop of this passage is the writers making the case that Jesus in his obedient life in his sacrificial and atoning death and in his victorious resurrection. Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth in his obedient life, in his sacrificial and atoning death in his victorious resurrection has been given dominion over and an authority over all things. That's the backdrop of this passage. In fact, what the writer Hebrews does to reinforce this truth is he takes us to the eighth number of Psalms. And in the eighth number of Psalms, or from the eighth number of Psalms, he actually quotes verses 4 through 6 of that Psalm. Now, you're familiar with Psalms 8, or Lord, or God, how excellent is your name and all of the earth. And then the Psalm goes to talk up, goes on to talk about not only the excellency of God's name in all of the earth, but then it raises the question, what is man? Why are you mindful of man? That's what the writer quotes here in verses 4 through 6. He quotes from that Psalm and he says, what is man that you are mindful of him or the son of man that you take care of him? You made him a little lower than the angels. And then he goes on to expound the uniqueness and the dignity of man, the image bearer of God. That God has entrusted into man authority, that he has given man dominion over everything that he's created. But here's what's interesting about the writer's use of Psalms 8, whereas David in Psalms 8 is talking about humankind in general, the Psalmist localizes, that all that God has granted all of the authority and the dignity and the privilege that God has given to his image bearer has been captured and fulfilled in Jesus. Because he's not interpreting Psalms 8 in a universal way to explain all of humanity. But his point throughout this passage and even inciting Psalms 8, the point that the writer is making is that Jesus is the one. Is the one that that captures everything that David is pointing to in Psalms 8 in maintaining full authority and dominion. And so we see this in particular when he gets to verse 8 of our text as he gets to the close of verse 6 from Psalms 8, he says, you have put all things in subjection under his feet. David originally is speaking of man in general, but the Psalmist is speaking of Jesus in particular. Notice how he interprets that at the beginning of verse 8, he says, or in the second line in verse 8, for in that he put all things in subjection under him. The first he in that verse is alluding to God the Father. The second hymn, or the hymn under him in that part is speaking of Jesus. And so basically what the writer of Hebrews is saying is that God has given all authority, all dominion, as David explains it, that has been given which he's basically talking about the cultural mandate and the authority that God gave to Adam in the garden and what the writer of Hebrews is saying in essence, is that Adam's lost responsibility has finally been met in Jesus. But that's the backdrop. What the backdrop to the three statements that we want to look at is the conclusion on the part of the author of Hebrews that Jesus is the fulfillment of what God has intended for his image there to be in terms of exercising divine authority and dominion over all things. So that leads us to the three statements. And here they are. We'll look at them individually. The first decorative or definitive statement that creates this paradox is what we see in verse 8 and is this statement, God has put all things under the rule of Christ. That's what the writer would have us to see, that God has put all things under the rule of Christ. Now we can see that that doesn't just mean he will and we know that he will ultimately, finally and fully rule and we'll get to that. But here's the thing that stands out and this is why it's problematic or paradoxical to some people because the writer speaks of it in the past tense. God has put all things under the rule of Jesus. Doesn't promise in the future God will put all things under his rule. But the idea is that God has put all things under the rule of Christ right now. So that means that right now everything is under the rule of Christ. Now that's actually the theme of much of the New Testament especially in the Apostolic writings. Let me just turn to one place in particular where this truth is fleshed out or articulated for us in Ephesians. Ephesians chapter 1, the Apostle Paul makes the very same claim that God has put all things under the rule and authority of Jesus. And in Ephesians chapter 1, beginning with the 20th verse and it's actually picking up in the middle of a thought. But beat that as it may you can read the whole text or the whole passage beginning in verse 15 actually but but for now we just want to pick up with the in verse 20 where it says which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and noticed the chain of events that that Paul speaks of definitively. God has done to Christ before him when he raised him from the dead and feeded him at his right hand in the heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is or excuse me for far above all principality and power and might and kingdom and every name that is named not only in this age but in the age to come and he put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all things to the church. So in other words he had given to the church the one who is the ruler and the Lord of all things and he says this very definitively which is his body the fullness of him who filled all in all. God has put Christ, put all things under the rule of Christ. This is articulated for us in other places. God is not looking for a moment in time and history where he can insert his Christ and make him king but somehow what is conveyed to us is that the resurrected Christ being received at the right hand of the Father has been given all authority. Now that has two important implications for us as believers. For us as believers because this is this rule and authority that Christ has been given it's not it's opolitical. In other words it's neither republican nor democrat nor independent nor is it socialist nor is it nor is it it transcends. It doesn't matter what form of government or what party you support in that government Christ is over it. That's that's typical. What two important implications for and practical implications for believers. We're not just talking about his political reign or his present reign but but two implications for believers when it comes to Christ being given all authority. One is in the realm of evangelism and evangelism in Matthew 28 verses 18 and following I raised this the other day in our in our in our staff devotional it surveyed the average Christian and you asked them how does the great commission begin and you know what's it the the two words or the one word that they always begin with go that's an action word we love that right but the great commission doesn't begin with go the great commission begin with a single word all all authority heaven and earth has been given to me therefore go to all of the nations all of the world and make disciples of all men here's what this means what this means is that we can be confident that when we are faithful in declaring the gospel and taking the gospel to all places there is no sort of kingdom there is no form of religion there is not even any legislation that can keep the gospel from going for because we're going in the authority of Christ now that doesn't mean we won't face risk but what it means in in terms of evangelism when we share the gospel and the gospel is embraced and by the way evangelism is proclaiming the gospel we have no no responsibility in terms of how people respond to the gospel but we have every responsibility to proclaim the gospel here is the basis of us taking the gospel to all of the world the authority that God has given to Christ and what takes place when the gospel goes forth is that loyalties are broken loyalties to those devotees to the kingdom of darkness are transferred over into the kingdom of light and we can be assured that we are doing the right thing whether we see the results or not we can be sure that God will bless it because of the authority that has been given and any evangelism as a subset of evangelism Christ present rule and authority is not only the basis of us taking the gospel to the other most parts of the world but that's why we disciple why because the authority has been given to Jesus and anytime there's a transfer of authority there needs to be indoctrination it's interesting the process of becoming a US citizen you you don't get fill out some paperwork and then put it drop it in the mail and wait for it to recur no you've got to you've got to be indoctrinated in the history of and the destructor of the country and you you get this a whole process and so it is for those who are caught out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light we have to be built up in the knowledge of new kingdom as well as the new king and that's why he says teaching them to observe all things that I whatsoever I have commanded you so so the first implication for Christians specifically for Christians as it relates to Christ being made the ruler of all things is in terms of our evangelism and missions we go forth in the name and authority of Jesus we don't claim anything in our own name I think one of the the great tragedies of the contemporary church especially in the west is we keep trying to make a name for ourselves each local church is trying to celebrate its own accomplishments and and we always want to elevate this ministry or that church or that point in the history of the church or whatever as when we were something and we neglect we we isolate our little portion of the vineyard as if that's it God has given us total domain Christ has called us to make disciples not just of our church but as of his kingdom and so so therefore I I think that that that kind of conflicts sometimes with our expectations and understandings of the church but here's the second important implications of Christ being presently given by God all authority or putting having all things put under his present rule a second implication for Christians a second important implication for Christians is in sanctification Christ presently or all things being put under Christ's rule gives us our authority to evangelize but it also gives us our power in evangelism notice what Paul says again and Hebrews or excuse me in second Corinthians chapter 10 same author that tells us all things have been put under his rule and his authority but in chapter 10 of second Corinthians in verses four and five and I think this is a good way to understand both of these elements both evangelism and sanctification in verse four he says for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds casting down arguments and every high thing that exhausts itself against the knowledge of God bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ now we've already said that that when we preach the gospel what and the gospel goes forth and especially whether it's in foreign lands and by foreign I don't just mean in another government I mean people who look to a another God or even if they're using the same Bible but have a wrong way of understanding God what we do as God's ambassadors or as the ambassadors of Christ we take the message of reconciliation in the gospel announced that we can't make anybody believe it but we trust that the Holy Spirit will open hearts and then when they say I believe then we are commanded on the authority of Christ to build them up and teach them to obey all things even as he is commanded us now he also says and so why do we do that because all authority has been given to him and so you can do that you don't have to worry about what what will happen it doesn't mean that you won't meet resistance you will meet resistance but those from God is appointed to eternal life he will bring through to eternal life through the proclamation of that gospel but a second implication and the and the writer Paul here chapters both because he says for bringing that the weapons of our warfare is not only for winning arguments but subduing us that's basically what he's describing here for subduing us look at what he says he says that the weapons of our warfare they are they're not carnal but they are mighty in God for pulling down strongholds for casting down arguments and every high thing that exhausts itself against the knowledge of Christ that doesn't just happen in the world brothers and sisters but even in our own daily walk there are many things that exhaust them a six to exhaust themselves above the knowledge of Christ where the Christians are overly depressed about life or where the Christians are consumed by sin that they can't escape it's because something has exalted itself against the knowledge of Christ and Paul says that we are gifted by the spirit of God with weapons that will bring down every high thing that makes Jesus a little thing and isn't that what sanctification is it is carrying down high things in us so that that that that makes somehow make Jesus a little thing and notice what the end of it is the end of that weaponry is so that we can bring everything about that every every that means every every thought and every word into captivity under the obedience of Jesus you think you're completely sanctified yet do you think that every thought that's in you in every word that comes out of you it's it's subject to the obedience of Christ or shows your suggestion to the obedience of Christ no but here's what ongoing sanctification does it is bringing tearing down that which exhausts itself against the knowledge of Christ and it is us being equipped and strengthened to bring yet every thought into suggestion and under the obedience of Christ those are the implications for us as it relates to Christ present rule this is why Paul can tell believers the the Colossian believers that once he tells them of all of the benefits that we have in Christ he then begins chapter three by saying now if you've been raised with Christ then seek those things which are above where Christ is and then he says because your you you have died and your life is hidden in Christ and based on that knowledge he says now therefore put to death here's what here's what the present rule of Christ enables you to do you could never put to death a single sin by yourself but here's what your union with Christ enables you to do put to death that which is earthly that remains in you now that brings us to the seconds the second great statement here defended to statement that that that creates this paradox the first one is that God has put all things under the rule of Christ that's a present truth but here's a second statement we do not yet see all things put under him that's that's what the writer says in verse nine he tells us in verse eight that God has put all things under his or our in-subjection under him God has done that externally and internally God has done that we see that Paul makes that that statement very emphatically he makes that point in Ephesians one that he is above all names all powers all principalities all dominion everything has been put under him okay but but here's the second truth and boy tell me this is not true we do not yet see all things put under his subjection or his rule we don't see it we know that is said to be true but we don't see it now here's a couple of few observations concerning that statement we do not we do not yet see all things put under him few observations one we do not see all things put under him internally as it relates to our sanctification we don't see it we hear it we read it we see that it must be true but we don't see it we don't experience it internally now when if we say otherwise I think we deceive ourselves but we do not see all things put under the rule and authority of Christ we just mentioned Paul says in second Corinthians that we have been given weapons that are able to bring down strongholds and anything that exhausts itself against the knowledge of Christ brothers and sisters just think of our own self do is it not true that in all of our thinking in all of our acting it does not reflect Christ as ruler no we left some room for self so internally this is not true we don't we not that is not true internally we don't see it we don't see it because of our own continuing struggles with remaining sin but here's the other thing and I think this causes as much problem for Christians as many problems for Christians as the first we do not see this externally because of the the world's resistance to the authority of Christ we don't see this Paul I mean the writer people tells us it's true that all things have been put under his rule and authority but we don't see it we don't see it internally because our lives don't always reflect that Jesus is on the throne but we don't see it externally because the institutions in the world as well as the individuals of the world are always resistant to the word of God we see the legislation of immorality we see the mishandling of justice we see institutions around us that seem to be clumbling and so as the writer says here we do not hear all things are under him but we don't yet see it now I think it is critical in terms of how we respond to the absence of our or our inability to see the authority and the rule of Christ because as we mentioned some will think well what we need to do is elect some people that well it's not you can I don't care who you elect it doesn't matter who dominates either house in this world you will not see you will not fully see that all things are put under him so we can try to give countries back to God or whatever he's like we've been given it back to me I don't you know I took this you've been given it back to me it's already mine we just don't see it we're not able to see it because the individuals who rule and govern we see people with badges and guns who are supposed to protect and serve and thank God for the many that do but we are blinded by the few that don't we don't see it because those who are supposed to have the welfare of individuals in mine and the good of individuals both body and soul seem to work against it we don't see it we don't see it because somehow the one of the most atrocious taking of human lives that that can ever be imagined that we we see it legislated as as in fact written away as just simply being a choice the choice you're murdering human lives and we're calling it a choice and and we don't see it so we don't see if we're blinded by that we're blinded by greed we're blinded by the greed that surrounds us we're blinded by the arrogance that surrounds us and sometimes that surfaces from within us so that we are simply saying come on Jesus and take control not realizing that he is but here's a third observation we do not yet see all things put under him therefore we Christians oftentimes we Christians oftentimes are not able to live as fully to the glory of God as we ought because we do not see how we have either resisted or rebelled against his authority we don't see it we're not able to see how our actions with one another are really an expression of our actions towards God we do not see that and because we're not able to fully see all things being under his rule and under his authority therefore we do not fully glorify God in all of our words and all of our actions and all of our thoughts as we should we don't submit to his rule therefore we're not governed by his word here's a fourth observation in the world we do not see that all things are under him because in the world we are oftentimes overwhelmed by the miscarriages of justice that we see by corruption in high places the misuse of power sometimes even the senseless brutality even by those who govern we can't see you kids it would be hard and I would understand that it would be hard for a Christian living in Germany at the time of Adolf Hitler to be told that Jesus is in charge that's kind of hard isn't it it would be hard to make that argument it would be hard to go to the plantations of the American South in the 18th or 17th century of this nation and tell the enslaved Africans that Jesus is in charge is hard to go to the court rooms of this land where the preponderance of the evidence seems to point in one way but the decision comes out another it would be hard to say and hard to show that the king of righteousness is in charge see here's two great thoughts that the writer of Hebrews couches in the finished work of Jesus Christ that God has put all things under his dominion that all that God has put all things subject to his rule but we do not yet see all things internally nor externally reflecting that Jesus is on the throne but then he gives us this final statement and I think that's supposed to wrap it up wasn't that's why our discipleship is an ongoing thing that's why the Lord's day and the Lord's means of grace are so important because here's what he says here these three thoughts he says that God has put all things under his subjection under his rule but we don't see all things being under his rule but he gives us this final statement but we see Jesus we don't see or we don't always see justice in the land but we see Jesus we don't always see victory in our own lives but we see Jesus and here's how we see him and here in is the paradox we see him crowned with glory but we see him crucified notice the dynamic here writer says that we see Jesus and he makes sure that we understand that he is exhausted as we see him we see him but we see him through the suffering of death I think what the writers trying to get us to see is that he who died he who presently occupies the right hand of God we are told by Paul that he has been seated at the right hand of the Father in heavenly places but what Paul doesn't tell us but it is told us in other places the way that he is seated at the right hand of the Father with scars with scars that's how he's seated at the right hand of the Father and brothers and sisters what's supposed to help us make sense of the the inconsistencies in our own lives and the inconsistencies that we see in the world around us is that he who has been entrusted with all things is wounded here's his the irony Adam in perfect health gave away authority Jesus in a wounded body has gained all authority and what we are just supposed to experience in our own walk with the Lord as we grow is the knowledge of the resurrection it's resurrection power that enables us to say no to all unrighteousness it's resurrection power that changes our outlook on the on life so here's the the third element then of this paradox and that which is supposed to make it help it make sense we see Jesus glorified but crucified we see him glorified but crucified too important implications for believers that means for us that all of our struggles with sin as well as all of its effects will be brought to termination that it has an expiration date all struggles all trials all struggles that we have in the flesh as it relates to walking in the knowledge of the life of God's love it will it will it will make sense and the cross of Jesus or the scars of Jesus tell us that it will make sense tells us that our struggle with sin is not in vain but here's the second and final thing that it reminds us of it reminds us and and I think it reinforces for us that he who reigns and who presently rules and he does rule even if even if we are poor subjects of his lordship he is lord but here's what we are assured of all evil and all injustice will not only be terminated but vindicated every injustice so you may not see it in your life and I think that's part of when we are able to see certain things make right certain wrongs make right in a temporal sort of way it should give us hope but when we don't see the courts when we don't see the government when we don't see our neighbors executing the kind of justice that should be in a kingdom that is ruled and reigned by Christ we see Jesus and we see his body torn we see his body crucified and pierced and without means that he ain't done yet he's not done he'll come again and every eye shall see him and every wrong will be rigid every perversion of justice will be purified every sin will be overthrown every enemy will be subdued every rebel will be put in his place and no one will have to ask who is he there will be no star that will be needed to lead us to where he is because as John says in the book of Revelation when he comes every eye will see him even those who pierced him brothers and sisters when they who do wrong to the body of Christ what they're doing is participating in the piercing of Jesus so every wrong that we experience in this life will find his full and complete vindication when the crucified yet raining and resurrected savior returns is these three truths that we must live with we must live with until he returns that God has put all things under his feet but we do not see it but we see Jesus and every time his word is opened every time the gospel is declared properly every time the Lord's table was served every time Christians reflect the grace of God we do see Jesus and seeing him being crowned with glory in spite of his suffering that when he comes he will fix it Jesus rules Jesus does reign and he does rule and even though you can't see it my brothers and sisters I pray that we would remove all of those high things that we would be motivated to to strengthen that we would cast down every argument everything that would obscure the glory of Christ so that whether we see injustice in this land or not we will never question we will know without a doubt that he does rule he does reign and he will return amen