“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: 8b-9, ESV)
.As we look at our world today it seems that we are sliding into chaos. Evil seems to be on the rise with widespread persecution of Christians as well as terrorism. Evil is also on the rise in the United States which, though far from perfect, was once socially, morally and spiritually dominated by Christianity and Biblical values. This is no longer the case as sin, selfishness and immorality are widely accepted as normal and even legal. As a result, we see a growing number of mass murders committed by individuals who are emotionally troubled and spiritually bankrupt. This because large numbers of people in our nation and in in world are just as spiritually bankrupt.
In addition, many Christians have abandoned God’s Word in favor of trusting human ideals and institutions. Many churches now teach a gospel of self-centeredness, relativism and universalism rather than salvation by faith in Christ alone.They are attempting to be open-minded and nonjudgmental in order to attract people to come to church. In reality, they are leading others astray, bringing upon them God’s judgment as well as a host of physical troubles and emotional turmoil.
Now many people wonder why we should listen to Christ at all? If He rules all things and has defeated the powers of darkness and death, how come evil runs rampant throughout the world? Why do evil men create such havoc? Why do we still have pain, sickness, persecution and death? The writer of Hebrews presents us with a stunning explanation of the Incarnation. Jesus is God Almighty. With this magnificent portrait of Christ, the writer lets us know that all our suffering here on earth is within the plan and purpose of God. Our oneness with Jesus means that we receive the glory and salvation He achieved but it also means that, like Him, we too must suffer. Our suffering gives glory to God for it is part of His plan for the triumph of His kingdom and His sovereign will. At the same time our suffering helps us to grow into the image of Christ. And because Jesus was like us, endured pain and temptation, He can help us to persevere because He knows what we are going through. We must never forget this no matter what He calls us to endure. Be sure that our trials and suffering can bring us closer to Him as we cling to Him as our constant source of strength and peace,