Everything's Under Control

I heard a small explosion, then a shriek of pain, and I ran for the kitchen. Candace had been making caramel pies for tomorrow night’s Christmas gathering. She had done it a thousand times, but one of the cans of condensed milk she was heating exploded, and the sticky, scalding hot liquid splattered on her face! The next few minutes were pretty chaotic. We nursed her wound, cleaned up the mess, worried if her face would scar (it didn’t—she is as beautiful as ever), and figured out tomorrow’s new dessert. It was one of the more dramatic examples of how out-of-control we feel at Christmas. That’s why Psalm 8 can feel foreign to us. God made humans to be crowned with glory and honor, all things under our feet, ruling on behalf of God. We have fallen from this original state!

That’s why Psalm 8 points us to Jesus, and Christmas. He is the Eternal Son of God who created the heavens and all things in the beginning (John 1:1–3; Col 1:11–24). At Christmas, he executed God’s surprising plan: he became a baby who would establish strength and still the enemy. By his sin-atoning death on the cross, his triumphant resurrection, and his ascent to the Father’s right hand, Jesus becomes that glorious “Son of Man” who receives power at God’s right hand to tame evil and chaos (Dan 7:1–14). God has crowned Jesus with glory and honor! He is the King in David’s line who recovers Adam’s rule over all creation. Best yet, Jesus has promised to raise up all who trust in him to their original, high destiny: “Born to raise the sons of earth!”

Paul uses Psalm 8 to expand our vision of Jesus in Ephesians 1. He tells us God “raised Jesus from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not in this age only but also in the age to come. And he put all things under his feet… (Eph 1:20–23)” We don’t have anything under control, but all things are under Jesus’ feet! Already in this age, Jesus proves his power by dramatically transforming sinners like us by his grace (see Eph 2:1–10). As believers in Jesus, we are now in Christ: spiritually connected to this glorious King. Even as we struggle along through life, we are also “seated with Christ in the heavenly places (Eph 2:6)!” Despite our sin, weakness, and failings, our position before God now and our future destiny are secure in Christ. Paul prays that the eyes of our hearts be opened to take in these enormous spiritual realities. Rejoice, relax, refocus: we belong to the Psalm 8 King!

Hebrews also proclaims that Jesus has fulfilled Psalm 8. Since the first Adam’s fall, all people naturally spend their lives enslaved to the fear of death. Our enemy the devil uses this fear to control and manipulate us (Heb 2:14–15). But God’s Son came at Christmas as the Psalm-8-King, to destroy the devil and free us from our slavery! He entered our world as one of us, and for a little while was made lower than the angels he had made. Then this “Son of Man” lived a perfect life in our place, and “tasted death for us” at the cross. When Jesus rose, he became the “forerunner” of our salvation, leading his people into resurrection life. What does it mean for us? Even as our present lives and world remain a broken mess, we live in hope and freedom because Jesus has fulfilled Psalm 8. He is now at God’s right hand, crowned with glory and honor, with all things under his feet. He has regained Adam’s lost dominion, and will restore God’s glory in “the world to come.” By grace, he has made a place for us there, too! If you feel small and out of control today, take a moment to trust your cares to the Psalm 8 King.

FOR THE NEXT INSTALLMENT, SEE:

Article by Eric Smith
Senior Pastor, Sharon Baptist Church