Hebrews 2:9, “…we see Him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor BECAUSE OF the suffering of death…”
And if the death of God the Son has been turned to the crown of His honor, what suffering will not be made to serve His glory and His people’s joy upon His return?
In Hebrews 2-8-9, the author of Hebrews is arguing that–though we do not yet see creation under the sovereign control of God in Christ, we can know that it will one day be subject to Him. I think that verse 9 is his assurance that all of reality will one day be manifestly subject to the reigning King, Jesus Christ. And what is his assurance? That we see Jesus crowned with glory because he suffered death in his people’s place…
Here’s how I’m understanding the implications of this verse: If the suffering of God the Son, the murder of God the Son, serves as the foundation for His present glory and honor–what will He not turn to His glory? If He has already made the deepest depth of sin and suffering into a herald for His glory, what will He not subject to His glory and His people’s joy upon His appearing?
I think that is at least one of the valid implications to draw from this text, and that’s what I was trying to emphasize in today’s verse picture. I may not know how my present sorrows can be made to serve my joy and God’s glory one day…..in fact, it is probably vain to try and guess how they will….I just don’t see my hardships fully subject to God’s glory….not yet…..But what I DO see is that the WORST horror in all of reality is–right now–the fuel for my joy and hope and worship and the foundation for Christ’s glory-namely, His crucifixion. And if THAT horror has been transmuted to joy and glory–I know that He will do the same to my sorrows, sufferings and hardships as well. He is the God who, in sovereign love, turns sorrow to joy and suffering to glory.
