“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings” (Hebrews 2:9-10).
Like many of Jesus’ Jewish contemporaries in the first century, premillennialists in the 20th and 21st centuries cannot reconcile the predicted powerful Messiah with the prophesied Suffering Servant. For them, it is a massive stumbling block which has resulted in a wholesale rejection of God’s word and an acceptance of a fanciful fable.
Jesus’ incarnate mission was to be the Lamb of God, tasting death for everyone so that many sons could be brought to glory. In reconciling His disciples back to God, they would be saved from their sins and added to His spiritual kingdom, the church (Acts 2:47).
Upon returning to heaven, God put all things in subjection under Him. He was seated at God’s right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, power, might, dominion, and every name that is named (Ephesians 1:20-21). Daniel’s glorious prophecy of the Messiah—the Son of Man—coming to the Ancient of Days and being given dominion, glory, and a kingdom (Daniel 7:13-14) was fulfilled when Jesus ascended back to heaven.
This historical fact in heaven was confirmed on earth when the apostles were baptized with the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem (Acts 2). The King-Priest (prophesied by David in Psalm 110:4 and Zechariah in Zechariah 6:12-13) has been placed as the High Priest of the new covenant (prophesied by Jeremiah—31:31-34). He is the one mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5), and now the God who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4) can deliver us from the power of darkness and convey us into the kingdom of the Son of His love (Colossians 1:13). We can have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:14).
Jesus’ baptism of suffering with its crown of thorns was an essential, prophesied prerequisite to Him being crowned with glory and honor as the King of kings and Lord of lords and being placed as head over all things to the church (Ephesians 1:22). He is the captain of our salvation because of His sufferings, not in spite of them.
