That’s Just Perfect! – Part 3

But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings [Hebrews 2:9-10].

We ended our last study by defining the Biblical usage of the term “perfect” or “perfected”. When someone matures or reaches the stage where he accomplishes the purpose for which he was made, then he is said to be “perfect” or “perfected”.

Our Bible verses quoted above are about Jesus. Let us understand that the name “Jesus” was given to the eternal Son of God at a point in time when He took upon real humanity and became a man. Now Jesus is the God-man. Before He took upon humanity, however, Jesus didn’t exist. The eternal Son of God always exists, but the God-man Jesus began circa 3 B.C.

In taking upon humanity Jesus “was made for a little while lower than the angels”, as Hebrews 2:9 phrases it. This is an allusion to the eternal Son of God becoming a man.

The purpose for Jesus doing this is worded “so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone”. We cannot fail to recognize the reference to the cross of Christ in those words. The purpose for the eternal Son of God becoming a man—all the while remaining the eternal Son of God—was to enable Him to die on the cross.

Even more, His death on the cross was to “taste death for everyone”. Jesus’ crucifixion was the payment for the penalty of sins for all mankind. That should be palpable from those words. The wages of sin is death, and all have sinned. Ergo, everyone must die. Jesus’ died everyone’s death so that everyone might live His life.

Now let’s observe the words “Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor”. God the Father crowned Jesus the Son with glory and honor because Jesus the Son suffered death on behalf of everyone. That is the teaching to be culled from those words.
We read the same teaching by the Apostle Paul in Philippians 2:5-11. You would do well to turn in your Bible to that passage and prayerfully read the teaching there.

The reason God the Father crowned Jesus with glory and honor was because Jesus died everyone’s death as payment for the penalty of everyone’s sins. In other words the eternal Son of God had a purpose for taking upon humanity, and it was to pay the penalty for the sins of all mankind.

When Jesus did so, He achieved the purpose for which He was made, viz., to pay the penalty for sins. This is another way of saying that Jesus was “made perfect” or was “perfected”. The eternal Son of God wasn’t “made perfect” or “perfected”. Jesus the God-man was.

This is deep theological truth, dear friends. We are standing on holy ground, when we discuss this topic. We need to stop and sit before the Lord Jesus now. Allow Him to prepare us to continue this journey in our next study.

To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...

Genesis Books 1-3, Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes by Randy Green
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Published on October 13, 2012 23:05 Tags: completed, cross-of-christ, crucifixion, god-man, hebrews-2, humanity-of-jesus, jesus, perfected, son-of-man
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