Danger of neglecting so Great Salvation, first spoken by Christ—To whom, not to Angels, the New Dispensation was subjected. Heb. 2:9
“Jesus was a man; and secondly, that he suffered and died. If that was the fact, it was natural to ask how he could be superior to the angels? How could he have had the rank which was claimed for him? This he answers by showing first, that his condition as a man was voluntarily assumed—“he was made lower than the angels;” and secondly, by showing that as a consequence of his sufferings and death, he was immediately crowned with glory and honor. This state of humiliation became him in the great work which he had undertaken, and he was immediately exalted to universal dominion, and as Mediator was raised to a rank far above the angels.” Bernes, Albert, Frew, Robert
- We see Jesus ch. 8:3; 10:5, Gen. 3:15, Is. 11:1; 53:2–10, Rom. 8:3, Gal. 4:4. For the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor Ps. 21:3–5, Re. 19:12. “He was raised up to heaven; Acts 2:33; Mark 16:19. The meaning is, that he was crowned with the highest honor on account of his sufferings; comp. Phil. 2:8, 9; Heb. 12:2; 5:7–9; Eph. 1:20–23. The object of the apostle is, to show that he was exalted, and to this he shows why it was—to wit, because he had suffered death to redeem man; comp. Phil. 2:8, 9. He was made a little lower than the angels in order to suffer death, but that as a reward for having suffered death he was raised up to the right hand of God. Bernes, Albert, Frew, Robert
- How do we “see Jesus?” Not by means of mysterious dreams or ecstatic visions, not by the exercise of our imagination, nor by a process of visualization, but by faith. Just as Christ declared, in John 8:56, “Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it, and was glad.” Faith is the eye of the spirit, which views and enjoys what the Word of God presents. God has told us about the exaltation of His Son; those who receive by faith what He has there declared, “see Jesus crowned with glory and honor,” as truly and vividly as His enemies once saw Him here on earth “crowned with thorns.” Pink Arthur W
- By the grace of God Jn. 3:16, Rom. 5:8, 18; 8:32, 2Cor. 5:21; 6:1, 1Jn. 4:9, 10. By the grace of God. By the favour of God, or by his benevolent purpose towards men. It was not by any claim which man had, but was by his special favour.
- should taste death, should die; or should experience death; see Matt. 16:28. Death seems to be represented as something bitter and unpalatable—something unpleasant—as an object may be to the taste. Or the language may be taken from a cup—since to experience calamity and sorrow is often represented as drinking a cup of woes; Ps. 11:6; 73:10; 75:8; Isa. 51:17; Matt. 20:22; 26:39.The lamb of God Jn. 1:29; 12:32. 2Cor. 5:15, 1Tim. 2:6, Re. 5:9.
- For every man. For all, for each and all—whether Jew or Gentile, bond or free, high or low, elect or non-elect. 2Cor. 5:14. “We learnt (vers. 6–9), from the incarnation of the Son of God, and his exaltation to heaven. When we look on the weakness and sinfulness of our race, we may well ask, what is man that God should honor him or regard him? He is the creature of a day. He is feeble and dying. He is lost and degraded.” Bernes, Albert, Frew, Robert What an honour it is to man that we are exalted with Him above all heaven. That to us is entrusted all power in heaven and on earth!
