Grace Baptist Church, Nokomis, IL.

Text:

I heard a story recently about a wife anticipating what she would receive from her husband for Mother’s Day. A week before the day, she woke up and told her husband, “I had a dream that you gave me those beautiful earrings we saw at the store last week (hint, hint). What do you think my dream means?” He replied, “Mother’s Day is coming up, you’ll know then.” A couple days later, she again woke up and told her husband, “I had a dream that you not only gave me those beautiful earrings, but the necklace the matches them. What do you think it means?” He replied, “Mother’s Day is coming up, you’ll know then.” A couple days later, she again woke up and told her husband, “I had a dream that you not only gave me those beautiful earrings, and the necklace the matches them, but also a new diamond ring. What do you think it means?” He replied, “Mother’s Day is coming up, you’ll know then.” Then on Mother’s Day, the wife woke up early, came to her husband and said, “Do you remember all my dreams? It’s Mother’s Day. What do my dreams mean? What do they mean?” He responds as he hands her a Mother’s Day card and kisses her on the cheek, “It means you were dreaming.”

Sometimes we can build up events in our minds to the point that the event itself cannot possibly meet our expectations. But Christ is waiting now for an event that will be greater than we can ever imagine.

“It has been testified somewhere, ‘What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, 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. 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.” (Hebrews 2:6-9)

I love the way the writer of the book of Hebrews begins this passage (v. 6a). It’s as if he is saying, “I’ve heard this before, but I can’t quite remember where.” The quote is actually a portion of Psalm 8, which was read just a few minutes ago. This is odd because the author is obviously well acquainted with the Old Testament Scriptures. This is clear throughout the book of Hebrews. Take a few verses in the first chapter for example (Hebrews 1:5-9).

“You are my son, today I have begotten you” is from Psalm 2:7.

“I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son” is from 2 Samuel 7:14.

“Let all God’s angels worship him” is from Psalm 97:7.

“He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire” is from Psalm 104:4.

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever” and the rest of the quotation is from Psalm 45:6-7.

So I don’t think he was having a difficult time remembering where this came from. By not naming the source specifically, he was actually pointing out the reliability of the quotation. It would be the same as if I were to say, “Someone once said, ‘I am not a crook.’ ” Or rather if I said, “Someone once said, “For score and 7 years ago…” The original audience of the book of Hebrews were Hebrews! They knew the Scriptures.

In fact, to really understand the New Testament, we’ve got to know the Old Testament. The Old Testament, as well as the New, points us to Christ. It tells us about His birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension. But we don’t think about what came next in the life of Jesus.

What is Jesus doing today? What’s He been up to since ascending to Heaven? (v. 6b-8a) There’s a gap of time between each of these items. “You made him for a little while lower than the angels” refers to Christ’s birth. “You have crowned him with glory and honor” refers to Christ’s current state in Heaven. He’s seated gloriously on His throne. And God “putting everything in subjection under his feet” refers to the final outcome when Christ returns and establishes His Kingdom on the earth. The writer comments on this gap of time found in the Psalm and tells us the purpose of it (v. 8b-9). Jesus was crowned because of His death.

Philippians 2:9 – “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name.”

Does this seem a little odd to you? That Christ was crowned because of His death? Christ deserves to be crowned with glory and honor because He’s God! But the reason given in this text that Christ was crowned was because of His death. Christ’s death brings God glory! It satisfied the wrath of God for all who trust in Christ’s death.

But what is Christ waiting for? Why doesn’t He return and rule over all things completely, forever, starting right now? The reason Christ does not yet have everything in subjection to Him under His feet is because God desires more people to come to faith (v. 9b).

“As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live.” (Ezekiel 33:11)

Christ will have all things under His feet. All of us will be in subjection to Christ. The important question for you is this: will you willingly call on Jesus as Lord during this life? Right now, Jesus is looking down from Heaven waiting for people to trust in Him and be saved.

But don’t get the wrong impression about Christ’s waiting. It is not an idle waiting. Jesus is actively granting forgiveness to those who call on Him. This is confirmed in other verses of Scripture as well.

Acts 5:31 – “God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.”

Hebrews 7:25 – “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.”

Matthew 16:18 – “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

John 1:33 – “I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ ”

One of the most difficult things for us to do is to wait. We get impatient. But Christ will wait until it’s the right time for Him to return. But He will not wait longer than that. Today is the day of salvation.

Hebrews 10:12-13 – “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.”

Don’t wait too long. Don’t fall into the group of people who will made into Christ’s footstool. Believe in Christ today, and join with Him in waiting for His glorious return.