Hebrews 1:4-14

Whats in a name?

Jimmy vs James

names identify and often are important part of a persons identity and essential character. When people go through significant life changes they might change their name like when a woman get married. There are lots of examples of people who changes their names in the bible. Abram/Abraham, Jacob/Israel, Daniel/Belteshazer, Cephas/Peter, Saul/Paul.

verse 4

String of Pearls: the stopper

Psalm 2:7; 2 Samuel 7:14 - Psalm 97:7; Deuteronomy 32:45; Psalm 104:4 - Psalm 45:6-7 Psalm 102:25-27

Better than the Angels

The Inauguration of Christ v. 5

Psalm 2:7 (ESV)

I will tell of the decree:

The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;

today I have begotten you.

2 Samuel 7:14 (ESV)

I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men,

When you think of Son...

The title Son is meant to convey a title given to the Messiah as one who would inherit the Davidic throne. God promised that David’s son would sit perpetually and eternally on His throne.

And (We believe) in one Lord Jesus Christ,       the only Son of God,       begotten from the Father before all ages,            God from God,            Light from Light,            true God from true God,       begotten, not made;       of the same essence as the Father.

What is the day?

Acts 13:33 (ESV)

this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm,

“ ‘You are my Son,

today I have begotten you.’

Romans 1:4 ESV

and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

Hebrews 5:8 ESV

Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.

Hebrews 5:5 ESV

So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”;

Christ active obedience and fulfillment of all that the Father had given Him to do was what secured Him the name Son. It is not as though He was not the Son he has always been the Son from eternity past. Infact the term begotten and the term firstborn, neither of these in any way suggests createdness but rather, they express sonship, and an heir, and a throne all of which Christ possesses from eternity past but has now been bestowed upon Him by His formal coronation to the throne. Now there is no question that Christ is the rightful heir of all things.

ILLUSTRATION : Aragon

Because Christ has come into the world and fulfilled all righteousness, that is he had accomplished in His flesh full obedience to the Father, the resurrection was the beginning of His exaltation and coronation in where he would ascend to the Father and take His seat on throne at the right hand of the Father.

Psalm 89:27 ESV

And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.

ILLUSTRATION:

A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews (II. Christ Superior to the Angels (1:4–2:18))

and it marks the completion and the acceptance of his redeeming mission to our world; but, importantly, it is at the same time the “begetting” in and with him, our true and fellow Man, of our fallen humanity, because this moment of his begetting is also the moment of the begetting, in the sense of regeneration and rehabilitation, of mankind: his Sonship is now our sonship, his inheritance is now our inheritance, his exaltation is now our exaltation. Heb Hughes

The title Son is a title of position. The Son had by His nature and by His obedience secured the right to be called. His Sonship was not like ours in that we were adopted not by merit but by grace. Our right to become children of God and the word there is the same word used “γενναω”

The Inadequacy of Angels vs.6-7; 14

Psalm 97:7 (ESV)

All worshipers of images are put to shame,

who make their boast in worthless idols;

worship him, all you gods!

Deuteronomy 32:43 (ESV)

“Rejoice with him, O heavens;

bow down to him, all gods,

for he avenges the blood of his children

and takes vengeance on his adversaries.

He repays those who hate him

and cleanses his people’s land.”

Psalm 104:4 (ESV)

he makes his messengers winds,

his ministers a flaming fire.

Angels are Unworthy of Worship

The text of Hebrews follows in this case the Text of the Septuagint which is the Greek translation of the OT. The difference is in the word “worship Him all you gods, or let all God’s angels worship Him. The Hebrew word elohim can refer both to gods, but it can also refer to angels.

Revelation 22:8–9 ESV

I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”

Colossians 2:18 ESV

Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind,

Angels are Ministering Spirits

Verse 7 goes on to reiterate the fact that the angels are indeed messengers of God carrying his words with haste like the wind. They also wield fire and carryout the judgement of the Lord.

escourt- Angels have a specific ministry to help New Covenant people

The Infiniteness of Christ vs. 8-13

Psalm 45:6–7 (ESV)

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.

The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;

you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.

Therefore God, your God, has anointed you

with the oil of gladness beyond your companions;

Psalm 102:25–27 (ESV)

Of old you laid the foundation of the earth,

and the heavens are the work of your hands.

They will perish, but you will remain;

they will all wear out like a garment.

You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,

but you are the same, and your years have no end.

The Son Remains forever

vs 9 the righteousness spoken of here is the righteousness that He fulfilled in His incarnation. He possessed a righteousness from all eternity but He learned and became obedience as the Son. The Lord was therefore superior to the angels because He has been anointed beyond His companions which can refer to any being other than God Himself. In the context here the author is using this verse to refer to angels, it is interesting that the angels are not spoken of as annointed but the prophets and preists and Kings all were, and of course Christ holds a superior and unchanging office to all of these.

The Enemies of the Son are subject to Him

In Psalm 102 the author is feeling the weight of his enemies and acknowledges the shortness and brevity of life, which causes him to reflect on an glory in the eternality of the Son.

Carpet illustration: 30 years ago

glued and put down

tripped over

we are going to roll it up and change it like a garment.

Hebrews 13:8 ESV

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Angels are subject to change, they are created beings, they atleast some went from holiness to rebellion.

The angels are not said to destroy thier enemies, infact when Michael the arch angel of the Lord, disputed with Satan he did not revile against him, but appealed to the higher authority by saying “the Lord rebuke you.”

Conclusion:

Roll out the red carpet

Hebrews 2:3 ESV

how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Think about Psalm 45 it is all about the king, it speaks mostly about the glory of the king, the majesty and wonder of His kingdom, all eyes are on Him. But where is His gaze? His eyes are on the bride, the king has gone out and sought her when she was wondering on darkness and she was full of adultery and rebellion.