ReEngage Devotional | Day 1
God’s Kingship Over All Creation
Hebrews 2:5-9 – “For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 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.”
Our focus for Re-Engage retreat this year is Psalm 145, and one of its main themes is God as King. He actively rules over the whole universe and closely upholds all its workings (Heb. 1:3); he rules with a scepter (Ps. 2) and doles out justice and mercy as our most-righteous Ruler. This is not oppressive, but is a very good thing! “God as King” is the theme from that Psalm which we’ll focus on in our morning devotionals this week.
Another passage we can turn to concerning God’s kingship, which we will focus on in this devotional, is Hebrews chapter 2. This passage is full of language describing Jesus’ rule and reign. Read Hebrews 2:5-9. Just before these verses, the author was describing how Jesus is greater in power and glory even than angels: they are messengers sent to do someone else’s will, but Jesus is the one actually ruling above them and giving them commands (1:5-14). The letter will go on to describe how Jesus is a better prophet, a better priest, and a better king than even the best we find in the Old Testament—meaning that he is able to give us God’s word; supply our connection to God and intercede for us; and to rule over the world in perfect righteousness.
In this short selection, Jesus is described as “crowned … with glory and honor” and with “everything in subjection under his feet” (vv. 7-8). There is “nothing outside his control” (v. 9). God the Father has given him “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matt. 28:18), and Jesus is currently ruling enthroned (Rev. 3:21). Yet at the same time, we see that he was given this rule “because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone” (v. 9). That is, Jesus, who has all rule and authority, out of love descended to the dust and served us in absolute humility, even unto death. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).
This path which Jesus took is perfectly summed up in Philippians 2:6-11: Jesus, “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
This morning, focus on God’s miraculous work for us, and praise him for salvation from sin! Often we cite these passages to show how Jesus is our friend and brother, and those are both wonderfully true! But these passages can also remind us that Jesus is King: in Philippians 2, he is called equal with God, and now “highly exalted!” In Hebrews 2, he is “crowned with glory and honor!” Jesus is our good and righteous Lord!
Pray to God about these passages and reflect on the following questions:
1 - What does it mean that God left “nothing outside of his [Jesus’] control” (v. 8)?
What does that imply concerning evangelism?
Prayer?
God’s plan for our lives?
Jesus’ purpose in letting us play a part in his redemptive work?
2 - Think and pray about what it means to reverence and submit to Jesus as your righteous and loving King. Is this easy or difficult, in your experience? Does it feel natural or unnatural to think of him this way, and why?
How should our hearts respond to Jesus being King over the whole world? Pray that God would transform your heart to grow closer to him, that you would “with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). Thank God that he is not merciless and strict, but a gracious ruler!
3 - How is Jesus’ humility in these passages related to his being exalted and glorified? We, of course, are not of the same status as Jesus, but how can we practically follow Jesus’ example in this coming semester?
Pray to God for wisdom and strength from him to follow Jesus faithfully this semester, in humble submission to him as King, in whatever ways he puts before you in your classes, relationships, and stewardship of time.