Jesus . . . was made lower than the angels for a little while.

— Hebrews 2:9

Nobody likes to downgrade. Balding men want more hair, not less. Techies want a faster computer, not a slower one. And we all want better relationships, not worse ones. But the eternal Son of God downgraded to the nothingness of being human (Philippians 2:7). Imagine that.

There is glory and honor to being human. It’s about what God made us to be: wise rulers over all creation. Sadly, that glory and honor have been tarnished by our persistent rebellion against God.

We are made in the image of God. This is a glorious thing, and it allows us to serve God in ways that no other creature can. But we let it go to our heads. We act as if we own the place. We use it and abuse it however we want. But the truth is, our world belongs to God.

Jesus restores the shine to being human. Unlike the rest of us, he is no petty tyrant. Instead he came “to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). And he was “crowned with glory and honor” for doing so (Hebrews 2:9). In fact, God exalted him to the highest place in heaven. And from there he rules wisely over all creation (Philippians 2:9-11), as human beings are meant to do.

Jesus, there are things about being human that we would gladly give up. But you have shown us how extraordinary we are meant to be. Help us to keep our eyes on you. Amen.