The Founder

Hebrews 2:5-16

The Founder of Salvation

5 For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 6 It has been testified somewhere,

“What is man, that you are mindful of him,
    or the son of man, that you care for him?
7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels;
    you have crowned him with glory and honor,
8     putting everything in subjection under his feet.”

Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 9 But 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, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12 saying,

“I will tell of your name to my brothers;
    in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”

13 And again,

“I will put my trust in him.”

And again,

“Behold, I and the children God has given me.”

14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 

The Holy Spirit continues to teach the readers of Hebrews chapter 2 that angels are servants of God for the benefit of His children.  Hebrews 2:6-8 is a quotation from Psalm 8.  In this Psalm, we read about the majesty of God and man's dominion over creation which was established in Genesis 1:28.  Man's position of authority is brought up in order to show another point of contrast between Christ and His angels.  Christ, for a little while in a finite point of time, was made to be lower than the angels when He dwelt in human flesh.  We are introduced to His sovereignty as we read verse 5.  "It was not to angels that God subjected the world to come..."  His sovereignty is stated again in verse 8, "putting everything in subjection under his (Christ's) feet."   In the future world, after the time of Christ's return, He - not angels - will reign sovereign over all created things, all the living and all the dead.  This is  what "everything in subjection to Him" means.  If Christ did not have power over all who disobey Him, He would not have the power to cast Satan and all who follow him into hell.  

Do we then conclude that Christ is not sovereign over all things at this present time?  Will He only be sovereign, everything in subjection to Him, in the future world?  No!  In verse 8 we read, "Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside of his control."  God has the power to give authority and dominion under Him.  He did not abdicate His power over all that He created when dominion was given to mankind.  In the same vein, Christ did not abdicate His authority over all creation when He took the form of man.  This is a true statement. God demonstrated His present sovereignty over all things when He crowned Jesus "with glory and honor because of the suffering of death..." (vs 9).  Just because "we do not yet see everything in subjection to him" does not then mean that everything must not presently be in subjection to him.  We simply cannot see it now.  Why can we not see His sovereign power?  To see it, "You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked," Psalm 91:8.  This is to mean that the children of God will witness a day when His wrath is full and all evil will be brought to an end.  It is then that He will no longer restrain His sovereign power to exercise justice and judgment.  Until that day, "the Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." (2 Peter 3:9) 

"For it was fitting...", (vs 10) that the Savior and the Founder of Salvation should suffer to the point of death in order to complete the work of salvation for all who would believe in Him.  If humans, who are condemned to eternal death because of our sin, have need of salvation, then it is simple reasoning to conclude that a Savior should also take the likeness of sinful flesh (Romans 8:3) and sacrifice His human life in our stead.  What is more, it was fitting that the One "for whom and by whom all things exist" be the sacrifice in our place, since there is no other who could be found to satisfy the requirement of death for an entire existence of mankind.  By making such a sacrifice, Christ made a way for us to be adopted into the very family of God.  Once His death and resurrection was accomplished, Christ referred to all who place their trust in Him as His brothers.  Once we place our faith in His death and resurrection, we are also resurrected to share His place as sons of God through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11-17).  

I should mention the phrase in verse 10, "should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering."  The word perfect has a different meaning in scripture than we commonly understand it to mean.  Perfect, in this text, should be interpreted in the following way: to carry through completely, add what is yet wanting in order to render a thing full, to bring to the proposed end (goal).  Read with this definition in mind, we should understand that Christ, the founder of our salvation, had completed the promised goal of redemption when he suffered on the cross.  

(Vs 14) The devil has the power of death, the separation of the body from the soul in which man's life on earth is ended.  However, the devil is not the only one who has this power over death.  God is all-powerfully sovereign, so Satan can only share in the powers that God has granted to him.  The word for death in verse 14, thanatos, also gives the reader some hint of Satan's power over the miserable state of eternal suffering  in hell.  However, Christ came in flesh and blood so that He could conquer death by death!  What better way could there be than to offer up a holy sacrifice through His sinless body?  What is more, His death was only in the flesh.  From the grave in the spirit, Christ preached to the prisoners of hell who had died before His incarnation, redeeming all mankind for all time of those who would believe on Him.  In His resurrection, he conquered death that we also may join Him in our resurrected life after death in the flesh.  Christ is the firstborn from the dead, he defeated Satan's power over death, continues to exist immortally and desires to dwell in our hearts.  So, it was not for angels that He founded salvation.  Salvation is for you and for me and for all the world to those who will take hold of it by faith!