Christ is Superior to Angels 10-22-2023

36 Then the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies!

How many angels will it take to grab satan, bind him and through him into the pit? ONE

Revelation 20:1–3 NIV

1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.

How else are they superior to us

knowledge mental abilities

We are made in God’s image,

but we are also made

a little lower than Angels.

sounds safe to assume

they are smarter than us.

So, What do they do?

The good ones, the ones who did not rebel against God

Serve Him

How do they do that

First of all, in heaven, they

Worship Him

One of the ways they can do that is be worshiping God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Revelation 5:11 NIV

11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.

What are they doing around the throne? Worshiping God in song or chants.

saying “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain ...... giving praise to God

What else

Protecting believers

Jesus advised

Matthew 18:10–11 NIV

10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. 11

They are God’s Messengers

They speak God’s words in visions and dreams

Angels spoke to Joseph, Mary’s husband in his dreams:

first, that it was okey to marry Mary, the child inside her was Holy, was God’s Child

Then after Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and just after the Magi gave expensive, valuable gifts, and left

Joseph was warned in another dream,

to flee to Egypt

that very night.

Some years later he was told in a dream to move back to Israel and finally

In a dream he was warned, but not to Jerusalem, so they went on back to Nazareth.

Messengers of the Law

Hebrews 2:2 NIV

2 For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment,

So through them the law was established.

Prophets received messages from God

Angels not only speak God’s words, they also carry out His judgements

Rev 15 and 16 they pour out his vials of judgments and punishments on the earth.

So Angels are pretty awesome but as John found out, they are not to be worship.

Revelation 22:8–9 NIV

8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!”

With that introduction, I think we are ready to look at Hebrews chapter 1 again.

We finished last week with verse 3

Hebrews 1:3 (NIV)

3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Christ Superior to Angels

Continuing our thoughts on Good and Best from last week

God’s faithful angels are Good, but Jesus is Better, he is Best

Jesus is Superior to them.

Hebrews 1:4 (NIV)

4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

Why is Jesus superior to angels?

How did he do it, to become superior?

One thing that makes Jesus Christ,

far superior to the angels,

is that he did what they could not do.

* He became one of us

* He lived a perfect life

* He paid the price for our sins

As verse three says,

The New International Version Chapter 1

he had provided purification for sins

That is something

I couldn’t do for you . . .

that is something

you couldn’t have done for me . . .

And as great as angels are,

they couldn’t have died for our sins.

1 Peter 1:12 (NIV)

12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

Salvation is not available to the fallen angels.

Even the good angels standing with God

Long to understand the grace we have available to us.

Jesus providing purification for our sins, forgiveness,

was an action that made him

that made Jesus superior to angels

What did God give Him?

Hebrews 1:4 (NIV)

4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

What name did Jesus get?

It was really more of a title

THE SON OF GOD.

verse 5 asks

Hebrews 1:5 NIV

5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father”? Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”?

illus

When Abraham felt old,

he told God that his head servant would be his heir,

because he had no son.

but God said,

you will have an heir.

Did God ever raise a servant, one of His ministering angel to be his heir, his son?

NO He did not!

But if you know the gospels

you know they record three times the father spoke audibly from heaven.

three of the four gospels record the first time he spoke.

Matt 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22

Here is the Matthew passage when God spoke at Jesus Baptism

Matthew 3:17 NIV

17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

God also spoke at the mount of transfiguration

Matthew 17:5 NIV

5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

And finally the third time

John 12:23–30 NIV

23 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. 27 “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. 30 Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine.

That is three times God called Jesus His Son.

God never, EVER spoke of an angel as His Son.

That honor was reserved for Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 1:6 NIV

6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”

That is, when Christ returns

Let all God’s angels worship him

Amen?

Before making another point about Jesus superiority to Angels

the author pauses to tell us more about them.

Hebrews 1:7 NIV

7 In speaking of the angels he says, “He makes his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire.”

The point being, Angels are spirits but the next verse put the focus back on Jesus

Hebrews 1:8–9 NIV

8 But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”

A lot of these phrases in chapter 1 are quotes from Old Testament Psalms

that have been considered messianic psalms

psalms that describe the Messiah

Verses 8&9 come from Psalm 45:6-7

Psalm 45:6–7 NIV

6 Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. 7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.

As the Holy Spirit inspired this Psalm, it’s talking about Jesus Christ, the Son of God

His throne will last forever

His Scepter will be of justice

He loves righteousness and

hates wickedness

So the father set Him apart

above his companions

not just above his companions on earth

but his companions in heaven

The angels

the saints.

Jesus is above every name

Philippians 2:10 NIV

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

So we have heard that

Jesus is superior to Angels

because of what he did.

He provide salvation

Jesus is superior,

because of his title

son of God

Jesus is superior

because of His relationship to the father

Now we are returning to Jesus role in creation

Hebrews 1:10–12 NIV

10 He also says, “In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 11 They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. 12 You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.”

Even we can see that

If the Lord tarries, waits long enough

we will start having shortages

Some day,

we will run out of oil and natural gas.

Some day there will be no more lithium for batteries.

Some day, good fertile ground will become a rare item.

It’s not surprising that scriptures declare,

ALL of this creation will wear out some day.

But what will remain?

God will !

The Father

The Son and

The Holy Spirit.

Here in our passage,

the emphasis is on how the Son will remain.

The word of God, played an active role in creation

That creation will wear out, but not God,

he will not wear out.

When we have been with Him 10,000 years, we will have only begun our lives in heaven.

And Jesus Christ will not be any older,

he will not grow feeble and have poor eyesight.

He TRULY is worthy of our praise!

Hebrews 1:13 NIV

13 To which of the angels did God ever say, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?

What do you think?

None!!!!!

As great as angels are, and they can do awesome things

Angels are only servants of God

here to help us be saved, reach salvation and then to walk in our new relationship with God.

Hebrews 1:14 NIV

14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

Now, after all this discussion about how Jesus is superior to angels.

Here comes a warning, to all of us.

heb2.1-4

Hebrews 2:1–4 NIV

1 We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

Wow

Every violation of the sacrificial system was punishable.

We certainly don’t want to dabble with Christianity and then

walk away from it.

Because if the good deal of the Old Testament had just punishments

How much great is the punishment for drifting away from the

New deal

the better deal, of salvation by grace through Jesus Christ

who did the work

so you and I could be free?

Drifting away, must have a terrible penalty!

illus

Back in 1830 George Wilson was convicted of robbing the U.S. Mail and was sentenced to be hanged.

President Andrew Jackson issued a pardon for Wilson, but he refused to accept it.

The matter went to Chief Justice Marshall, who concluded that Wilson would have to be executed.

"A pardon is a slip of paper," wrote Marshall, "the value of which is determined by the acceptance of the person to be pardoned.

If it is refused, it is no pardon. George Wilson must be hanged."

2,000 years ago God the Son – Jesus the Christ issues a pardon….

BUT just like in the case of George Wilson – the value of the pardon is determined by the acceptance of the person to be pardoned…

If it is refused, it is no pardon….

If you or I, drift away too far from our salvation

It’s also of no value ether,

as though it was refused.

Have you accepted your free gift of salvation

Have you kept it,

or put it on a shelf to look at once in a while.

Let’s Pray.

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