Above Every Angel: The Incomparable Glory of Christ

Introduction

In a world filled with competing voices and shifting truths, the Book of Hebrews calls us to anchor our faith in the unshakable reality of Jesus Christ. Written to believers facing uncertainty and persecution, Hebrews presents Jesus as the ultimate revelation of God, surpassing prophets, angels, and priests. Over the next 13 weeks, we’ll explore how Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection have forever changed history and what it means to approach God through Him. Just as a disclaimer, Some of the greatest minds in the Church have wrestled with Hebrews for years. John MacArthur preached through it in nearly two years. John Piper spent over a year walking his congregation through it. We’re going to take thirteen weeks. That means we will miss some things. But what we will not miss is its heart: that Jesus is better — better than angels, Moses, priests, sacrifices, and covenants — and that faith in Him is what sustains us. We won’t cover as much as Piper and MacArthur, but thankfully Jesus is better than they are too. With that lets start with today’s message.

Imagine receiving a message from a divine being—an angelic encounter that leaves you awestruck. In ancient times, angels were revered as messengers of God, powerful and majestic. Yet, the author of Hebrews begins his letter by declaring that Jesus is superior to these celestial beings because He is not just another messenger; He is the message—the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being. Today, we delve into Hebrews 1:1–14 to understand why Jesus stands above every angel and what that means for our faith. Today, we’ll explore five themes from Hebrews 1:1–14

1. Jesus is God’s Final and Full Revelation

2. Jesus is the Radiance of God and Sustainer of All Things

3. Jesus Accomplished the Word of Redemption and Sat Down.

4. Jesus Is Exalted Above the Angels. and finally how

5. Jesus Reigns Forever as the Unchanging King.

I. Jesus Is God’s Final and Full Revelation (vv. 1-2a)

Hebrews 1:1–2 LSB

1 God, having spoken long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days spoke to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds,

The writer draws attention to the fact that God has always communicated with Israel. He tells his readers that God did this by various means. He used prophets, signs in the sky, priests, even through a donkey. However highly the readers regarded that former revelation, the writer implies here that they must listen most closely to His Son because this is God’s current means of communication.

The progressive revelation found in the OT has its present culmination in Jesus Christ. The contrast isn’t in truthfulness — everything God spoke before was true — but in completeness. The Old Testament began the conversation; Jesus brings it to fulfillment.. Moses referred to this when he said,

Deuteronomy 18:15 LSB

15 “Yahweh your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers; you shall listen to him.

Then in Jesus came the command straight from heaven,

Matthew 17:5 LSB

5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”

John 5:39 LSB

39 “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that bear witness about Me;

In John 1 the word became flesh, in Colossians 1He is the image of the invisible God, Jesus is not just God’s messenger, He is the message.

Is Jesus the final authority in your life, or just one voice among many? Because Jesus is God’s final Word, we must give Him our full attention and allegiance.

II. Jesus Is the Radiance of God and Sustainer of All Things (vv.2b-3a)

Hebrews 1:2–3 LSB

2 in these last days spoke to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds, 3 who is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power; who, having accomplished cleansing for sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Jesus is not a reflection like the moon reflect the light emanating from the sun. He is the very radiance of God’s glory.

2 Corinthians 4:4 LSB

4 in whose case the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

2 Corinthians 4:6 LSB

6 For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

The son is not a reflection, He is God and radiates His own essential glory. He is the exact representation of His nature. The exact imprint of God’s character. Jesus reveals God’s essence. And all creation was not only made by Him but moment by moment it is held together by Him.

John 1:3 LSB

3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

Colossians 1:16–17 LSB

16 For in Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, And in Him all things hold together.

Jesus did not just make the world and walked away. He holds it all together

Every atom in the universe is held together by His authority

Your breath, your heartbeat, your history, they all continue because He says so.

Do you live with confidence in the One who not only created you—but holds your life together now?

You can trust Him with your eternity because He is sustaining you today.

Now, all of this raises a serious question: If Jesus created everything, sustains everything, and reflects all the glory of God, how is it that He is said to inherit all things? Why does someone who owns everything have to be appointed heir of what’s already His? Contradiction? no; not at all. The answer lies in the mystery of the two natures of Christ.

The way the Bible describes Jesus, He has two natures which are forever united in one Person. This is what theologians call the:

Hypostatic Union image

Jesus is one person with two distinct natures, not mixed, not divided.

• His human nature was capable of death.

• His divine nature is immortal, unchangeable, and did not die.

• Yet the great mystery is that from the moment of incarnation. Christ’s two natures coexists forever. The divine nature of Christ is seen in passages such as:

John 1:1 LSB

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Colossians 2:9 LSB

9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells bodily,

Hebrews 1:3 LSB

3 who is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power; who, having accomplished cleansing for sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

The human nature is seen in passages like:

John 1:14 LSB

14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Galatians 4:4 LSB

4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,

Hebrews 2:14 LSB

14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

That He is both natures in One Person is described in passages like:

Philippians 2:6–7 LSB

6 who, although existing in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a slave, by being made in the likeness of men.

Romans 1:3–4 LSB

3 concerning His Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 who was designated as the Son of God in power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

1 Timothy 2:5 LSB

5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

To mediate between God and man He must fully represent both. Only someone who is both God and Man can stand in that role

The context of mediation presumes His divinity, since only God can bridge the gap between sinful humans and a holy God (cf. Hebrews 7:25–26).

All of that in order to provide the explanation as to why the creator God who owns also inherits that which He already owns.

As the Divine, Eternal Son, He already owns everything because He created it.

As the Incarnate Son — the God-Man, the Human God — He has inherited all that His divine nature created, because He earned it through His unequivocal obedience to the redemptive work of the cross. Which brings me to point III

III. Jesus Accomplished the Work of Redemption and Sat Down (v. 3b)

Hebrews 1:3 LSB

3 who is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power; who, having accomplished cleansing for sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Making purification connects to the imagery of the OT priest offering the yearly sacrifices to atone for his sins and the sins of the nation (Lev 16).

He completed the task before Him as noted in His words on the cross, “it is finished John 19:30. And His one sacrifice paid for the sins of all of his people, past, present and future.

Those of you who love the Lord and are called according to His purposes, Those of you who have repented of your sins and have put their faith in Jesus. Those of you in whom the work of sanctification have began and are clinging to the promise of completion. Your sins, all of them have been paid for in full once and for all according to Hebrews 10:12.

Jesus didn’t simply make salvation possible—He secured it. His cross wasn’t a down payment—it was payment in full.

After he finished with that and was taken to heaven He sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. Old Testament priests never sat in the tabernacle—because their work was never done. His position at the right hand is not just one of highest honor, and it is not just a seat, it is a throne, which means He is not just sitting but ruling.

Psalm 110:1 LSB

1 Yahweh says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand Until I put Your enemies as a footstool for Your feet.”

Philippians 2:9 LSB

9 Therefore, God also highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,

This is the seal of the divine acceptance of his work of purification, for he now is received back to the height from which he descended for our redemption. He who humbled himself for our sakes is now supremely honored.

This exaltation is the vindication of His perfection, the acceptance of His offering, and the enthronement of the true King.

The throne Jesus sits upon is the very confirmation that your sins are paid in full.

Are you still striving for what Jesus already accomplished? Are you still carrying guilt that’s already been nailed to the cross? Rest in His finished work. For He has indeed finished your redemption and now sits exalted above all others.

Let your confidence rise not as a result of your performance but because of His position.

IV. Jesus Exalted Above the Angels (vv. 4-7)

Hebrews 1:4–7 LSB

4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. 5 For to which of the angels did He ever say, “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”? And again, “I will be a Father to Him And he shall be a Son to Me”? 6 And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, “And let all the angels of God worship Him.” 7 And of the angels He says, “Who makes His angels winds, And His ministers flaming fire.”

This can become a little confusing but stay with me. Having become greater than the angels does not mean that He was once lower. Remember that Jesus has two natures. In fact the name Jesus itself speaks ti the eternal Son of God taking on humanity. Before the incarnation He was not called Jesus. He was The eternally Son, Yahweh, Adonai, The Word, The Angel of the Lord, the Lord, etc.

So in His divine nature, He has always been infinitely superior to the angels—because He created them. However, as we have learned already, He took on a fully human nature, not by laying aside His deity, but by adding humanity to Himself (Phil 2:6-7). In doing so, He voluntarily stepped into a position lower than the angels for a time (Heb 2:9). But after His perfect obedience, substitutionary death, and triumphant resurrection, Jesus was exalted—not only as God (which He’s always been), but now also as the glorified God-Man.

Hebrews 1:4 says He “became better than the angels,” not in essence, but in role and position—as the enthroned God-Man.

He now sits in glory as the victorious, risen Lord—fully God and still fully human. And He will remain human forever.

To have a half-exalted nature while the other half is less than would be imperfect.

Psalm 2:7 LSB

7 “I will surely tell of the decree of Yahweh: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.

This is not about Jesus’ divine origin (He was never created), but about His resurrection enthronement and public declaration as King (cf. Acts 13:33).

The angels of God are ordered to worship Him. The writer here is quoting from Deut 32:43 and Psalm 97:7

Why did worship need to be commanded? Because for the first time in history, the One being worshipped was fully human.

You may notice that the phrase ‘Let all God’s angels worship Him’ is hard to find in some English Old Testaments. That’s because the writer of Hebrews is quoting from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament completed a couple hundred years before Christ. While the original Hebrew Scriptures are what we believe to be inspired, the New Testament often quotes the Septuagint, and when it does, those quotations are fully authoritative. So when Hebrews uses it, it’s because the Holy Spirit wanted us to see this truth: even the angels are commanded to worship Jesus.”

These are holy creatures who veil their faces before God (Isaiah 6). They do not accept worship. They never bowed before Adam.

They are greater in power and might (2 Peter 2:11)—and never subject to humanity. Now God commands them to worship a man?

But they are not worshipping a mere man. They are worshiping the God-Man, Jesus Christ, fully, truly God and now fully, truly human. Look at what happened when John tries to worship an angel.

Revelation 22:8–9 LSB

8 I, John, am the one who was hearing and seeing these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. 9 But he said to me, “Do not do that! I am a fellow slave with you and your brothers the prophets and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!”

Philippians 2:9–10 LSB

9 Therefore, God also highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

So why “firstborn”—(Greek: prōtotokos) is about rank and preeminence and not chronology. He is the heir, the one with authority and honor even if not the literal firstborn like David in Ps 89:27.

Jesus is to be worshipped because He is not just a man He is the God-Man. He conquered sin and now reigns in a glorified human body. He has a name above every name and even the angels, beings of immense glory, now bow before Him.

Don’t reduce Jesus to a religious option, a spiritual figure, or a divine messenger. He is the enthroned King, the radiant glory, and the rightful object of worship. He is God, nothing less.

V. Jesus Reigns Forever as the Unchanging King (vv. 8-14)

Here we will only cover some key points that make the entire passage make sense on its own.

Hebrews 1:8 LSB

8 But of the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom.

The Father here calls the God the Son, the God-Man, God and affirms Him to be this forever and ever. If the Father calls the eternal Son now wrapped in flesh God, it is because He is God.

Psalm 45:6–7 LSB

6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. 7 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of joy above Your companions.

The writer of Hebrews is saying, surprise, the Psalm you always sang, was actually the Father speaking about His Son. In fact these verses in the Psalms are repeated in Hebrews referring to Yahweh the Son, now named Jesus.

The Father makes a big deal out of this elevation of the son and He tells us why.

Hebrews 1:9 LSB

9 “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness above Your companions.”

Loving righteousness and hating lawlessness is not a normative human trait. God as God this is a given, but Jesus was able to do this with his humanity as well as in his divinity which is the reason for the double address God (in his divinity), your God (in his humanity

The first “God” recognizes Jesus’ divine nature—He is addressed as God.

The second “your God” speaks to His human nature, in His role as the anointed Messiah.

And the reason for the anointing? Not simply that He is God, but that He fulfilled righteousness as the Son in human flesh.

He sits at the right hand of God as God fully truly God and fully truly human. Jesus has elevated the human race to a unprecedented hight and has seated us (the race) in a very high place. This is why we get to reign with him.

So who is Jesus?

He is not just better than angels—He is infinitely exalted above them.

He is not just the messenger—He is the Message, the radiance of God’s glory, the eternal Son who took on flesh, purified our sins, and now reigns forever as our King.

This is not a figure to casually admire. This is the One to worship, to trust, and to follow with your whole life.

So I ask you: Have you reduced Jesus to a religious option, a spiritual influencer, or one of many ways to find help?

Or do you see Him as Lord of all, the One before whom even the angels bow?

Rest in His finished work. Worship Him without hesitation. And live as one seated with Him—because He has already taken His seat in glory.