Pay Attention

How Is Jesus Superior to the Angels?

Jesus is God’s Son

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”?

Old Testament

Two quotes

Psalm 2:7 “7 I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father.”

2 Samuel 7:14 “14 I will be his father, and he will be my son.

Does the OT call angels sons of God?

Angels are called sons of God as a grouping

Job 2:1 (ESV) Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord.

Hebrews

Does Jesus “become” the Son of God?

AH has already made it clear that the Son is God and therefore eternal.

AH has also made it clear that the Son is Creator and therefore preexists any “today” that the OT authors can speak of.

This is referring to Jesus resurrection and glorification into his position as Son of God and inheritor of the promises to David

Romans 1:3–4 “3 regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.”

AH’s point is that Jesus is exalted as the fulfillment of God’s messianic promises, something that no angel – exalted as they are – approaches.

Angels Worship Him

Hebrews 1:6–7 (NIV)

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

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

Old Testament

Verse 6

Deuteronomy 32:43 (ESV) 43  “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 97:7 (NIV) 7 All who worship images are put to shame, those who boast in idols— worship him, all you gods!

Verse 7

Psalm 104:4 “4 He makes winds his messengers (angels), flames of fire his servants.”

Hebrews

If the angels worship him he is greater than them

If the angels are sent by him, the are less than him

Jesus Is Eternal

Hebrews 1:8–12 (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.”

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.”

Old Testament

Psalm 45:6–7 “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.”

Psalm 102:25–27 “25 In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 26 They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. 27 But you remain the same, and your years will never end.”

Hebrews

Angels are creatures and have a beginning

As creator the Son has no beginning but is the great beginner.

Jesus is also king ruling over all

Jesus Is the Messiah

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”?

Old Testament

Psalm 110:1 NIV

1 The Lord says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”

The only quote not in a couplet

Bracketing with the last mention in v. 3

Psalm 110 is referenced at least 11x in Hebrews

It reveals the kingly role of the Messiah

Throne

Footstool

Scepter

Rule

Your troops

Holy splendor

Crush kings

Judge nations

It reveals the priestly role of Messiah

Eternal priest after the order of Melchizedek

It would be blasphemy to ascribe Psalm 110 to anyone other than the Lord’s anointed (and David as his precursor)

Conclusion

Hebrews 1:14 NIV

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

Angels are ministering spirits. They serve us at God’s direction. They cannot be superior to Jesus if they obey him.

Why Does It Matter that Jesus is Superior to the Angels?

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.

Because Jesus is superior to the angels, we must pay attention to him.

driving 10 mph over the speed limit is punishable by a fine of $50, it can be inferred a fortiori that driving 20 mph over the speed limit is also punishable by a fine of at least $50.

Why angels?

Obsession with angels is unhealthy – especially if it puts them in the place of Jesus

Because angels were ministers of God speaking through the law

Deuteronomy 33:2 “2 He said: “The Lord came from Sinai and dawned over them from Seir; he shone forth from Mount Paran. He came with myriads of holy ones from the south, from his mountain slopes.”

Acts 7:38 “38 He was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors; and he received living words to pass on to us.”

Acts 7:53 “53 you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.””

Galatians 3:19 “19 Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator.”

AH is not minimizing what the angels did, in fact he is highlighting them more than naturalistic 21st century westerners like us are comfortable with,

Instead he is highlighting that because Jesus is greater, what he offers is greater.

Instead of the Law he offers “so great/greater salvation”

How Should We Respond to Jesus’s Superiority?

Pay Attention

Because salvation in Jesus is great

“So great salvation”

Because salvation in Jesus comes from God

“Announced by the Lord”

Because salvation in Jesus is true

“Confirmed by those who heard”

“Testified by signs, wonders, miracles, and gifts”