“…For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. 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 2:8-10).
Because He is God, Jesus has always existed.
With His incarnation, He was made a little lower than the angels. He permanently became a member of the human race, a partaker of flesh and blood—the Son of Man. His primary reason for doing this was so He could be the Lamb of God—suffering death—and through His atoning sacrifice bring many sons to glory by the grace of God.
The Son of Man was not a mirage or a myth. He had a voice which was heard and a physical body which could be seen, looked upon, and handled (1 John 1:1). Therefore, the penman of Hebrews could confidently declare “we see Jesus.”
Upon His ascension into heaven to be given an everlasting dominion, an imperishable glory, and an indestructible kingdom (Daniel 7:13-14), we no longer can see Jesus with our physical eyes. Because He currently is sitting at God’s right hand until all His enemies are made His footstool (Hebrews 1:13), all things have not yet been put under Him. Therefore, the penman of Hebrews can also declare “we do not yet see…Him.”
When Jesus appears in human history a second time, every eye shall see Him (Revelation 1:7). He will destroy the works of the devil and sentence Satan with all his allies to the eternal punishment of Gehenna (Revelation 20:10-15). He will also bring all God’s sons to glory and give each of them an incorruptible, undefiled, and imperishable inheritance (1 Peter 1:4).
What was seen by Jesus’ contemporaries in His first appearance in human history pales in comparison to His glorious and final/second appearance which we all shall see.
