Subjection

“And he put all things in subjection under His feet,”  Ephesians 1:22

Subjection – “You can’t make me!”  “Yes, I can.”  “Just try!”  Have you ever listened to children talk about power?  They intuitively know that it is a matter of forced subjection.  One will against another.  This is the sense of the word hypotasso in the New Testament.  You will find it in Romans 8:20, Philippians 3:21, 1 Peter 3:22 and 1 Cor. 15:25 (and many other places).  But you may not have realized that these verses are all tied to an Old Testament theme found in Psalm 8:6. 

“You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet.”

God is the absolute Ruler of all creation.  He has put everything in subjection to His Son.  Not just some of this and some of that.  Everything.  Including death.  Not one single thing that ever happens, exists or comes to be is outside of the authority of Jesus.

The Greek here is a past tense verb.  We translate it as “put in subjection” but it is really more like “subjected”.  It is a special kind of past tense.  It means that this act is completely finished in the past.  God has already completely passed all authority to Christ.  Do we really understand what this means for us?

“In Him is life” takes on a deeper meaning.  Jesus is in charge of it all. 

I struggle so much with the things of this world.  I fight to survive.  I complain.  I find myself tossed back and forth by emotions.  I wonder where that peace that passes understanding really is.  I have not even begun to fully embrace living as a friend of the Man in charge of the universe.  When do you suppose I will give up this “I have to do it myself” attitude and realize that it’s all in His hands?

Are you struggling with a “make me” situation?  There is nothing outside of Jesus’ control.