Hebrews 1:5-14
Hebrews 2026 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 5 viewsNotes
Transcript
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Sweethearts Bake Off - Friday, February 13 at the Stadler home
FIGHTER VERSE
FIGHTER VERSE
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Last week, we started our study of the book of Hebrews. Based on the contents of the letter, it appears that many of the early Jewish believers were slipping back into the rites and rituals of Judaism in order to escape the growing persecution.
The author of this book shows that Jesus is superior, greater than the angels, the priests, old testament leaders, and even the old covenant itself.
Our passage this morning zeroes in on the superiority of Jesus over angels, heavenly beings that were highly regarded among the Jews.
We’ll see a series of rhetorical questions and Old Testament quotations that demonstrate Christ’s supremacy.
So, I’ll start by reading the passage, and I encourage you to simply listen. I’m going to read the entire first chapter so we get the flow of the content.
SCRIPTURE READING
SCRIPTURE READING
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”? And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.” But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.” And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.” And to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
Pray.
EXPOSITION
EXPOSITION
ANGELS
ANGELS
The writer goes into specific comparisons, showing that Jesus is greater than angels, quoting several OT passages.
The Greek word translated angels is angelos.
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 12.28 ἄγγελος, ου
a supernatural being that attends upon or serves as a messenger of a superior supernatural entity.
Humans and angels are uniquely different. Both are created beings, but angels are spiritual beings and humans are physical beings.
Angels can never become human, and humans never become angels. The idea that we become angels when we die is not biblical.
The greatest distinction between humans and angels is the fact that humans are created in the image of God, angels aren’t.
So even though humans were made a little lower than the angels (Psalm 8:5), humans have greater value as demonstrated in Christ’s redeeming work on the cross.
Jesus died for lost humanity, not lost angels.
This is the wonder that Peter wrote about in his first letter...
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully,
inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.
It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
Think about that: while we might marvel at the great warrior archangel, Michael, he and the other angels marvel at the sacrificial love their commander, Jesus, has for lost humanity.
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
OUTLINE
OUTLINE
I’ve outlined this passage from Hebrews into three sections, two of which start with: To which of the angels did God ever say...
Here are the three sections that form the outline of my message:
Jesus has the greater relationship
Jesus has greater dominion
Jesus has greater authority
GREATER RELATIONSHIP
GREATER RELATIONSHIP
For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”? And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”
For to which of the angels did God ever say? Here the passage speaks to a greater relationship affirmed in two OT quotes:
The first quote is “You are my Son, today I have begotten you.”
This a quote from the Messianic 2nd Psalm...
I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.
And the second quote is “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son.”
We find this phrase in 2 Samuel 7:14 and again in 1 Chronicles 17:13. God spoke these words to David regarding David’s son, Solomon...
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,
I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who was before you,
Though these words were originally used of Solomon, the writer of Hebrews, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, applies them to the Messiah.
This is a good example of dual fulfillment in which the prophesy has both a short-term and long-term fulfillment.
These verses speak to two great truths:
Jesus has a greater relationship with God because God calls him Son
And God has a greater relationship with Jesus because Jesus calls him Father
Of course, this isn’t the only place we hear of this unique relationship. On the Mount of Transfiguration we read...
He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
But what about the phrase in verse 5...
For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”?
Some of you may have memorized John 3:16 in the KJV:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Only begotten is the Greek word monogenes
In John 3:16, monogenes means “unique in kind”—highlighting Jesus as uniquely God’s Son, sharing the same divine nature as God, in contrast to believers who are God’s sons and daughters through adoption.
While all believers are sons of God, only Jesus is the begotten Son of God. This distinction is crucial: Jesus’s sonship differs not merely in degree but in kind—God has other sons, but no other son who shares in His divine nature.
[Bible Hub] Throughout church history, the term "begotten" has been at the center of various Christological debates. The Arian controversy in the early church questioned the nature of Christ's divinity, with Arius arguing that the Son was a created being. The Council of Nicaea in AD 325 addressed this by affirming the eternal begottenness of the Son, thus maintaining the orthodox understanding of the Trinity.
According to the Nicene Creed, Jesus is “begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father.”
The divinity of Jesus is affirmed in verse 6...
And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”
Do you remember John’s interaction with the angel in Revelation 22?
And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”
“And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
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.”
John, no doubt, was overwhelmed by the incredible revelation he witnessed. And I think his emotions led him to give adoration to the angel who showed him those things.
John was misguided in his desire to worship the angel, and the angel would have no part of it. God alone - Father, Son and Spirit - is worthy of our worship.
Jesus is greater than the angels because he has a greater relationship with God - a loving Father and a beloved Son.
And since he the Son of the Father, he is heir. Verse 2 of this chapter...
but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
And since the Son is heir of all things, his dominion is greater than everyone else, including the angels.
GREATER DOMINION
GREATER DOMINION
I’ll first point out the OT references and then discuss the meaning.
Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.”
This is a quote from Psalm 104...
he makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire.
Verse 7 is what God says of the angels. The next few verses contrasts that with what God says of the Son.
But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”
This is a quote from Psalm 45:6-7
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;
God describes angels as servants who are made into “winds” and “ministers a flame of fire” (Heb 1:5–14)—these are temporary, malleable instruments of God’s will. By contrast, the Son receives an eternal throne and scepter, has loved righteousness and hated wickedness, and has been anointed with “the oil of gladness beyond your companions” (Heb 1:5–14)—language reserved for a king, not a servant.
Listen to this praise from King Nebuchadnezzar of all people...
King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation.
Paul writes to the Colossians...
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
We continue in Hebrews...
And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment,
like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.”
The author of Hebrews is quoting 102:25-27...
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.
Jesus is the Son who created the heaven and the earth in the beginning signifying dominion over all his creation, including angels.
The heavens and the earth will pass away, they will wear out like a garment, meaning everything we see in the physical will one day be gone.
But Jesus remains unchanged and he will reign forevermore.
We come to the final section of the passage...
Jesus has the greater authority...
GREATER AUTHORITY
GREATER AUTHORITY
And to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
Vs. 13 is a quotation from Psalm 110…
The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”
God invites the Son to sit at His right hand until His enemies become a footstool for His feet (Heb 1:5–14)—a position of supreme authority.
The passage concludes by identifying angels as “ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation” (Heb 1:5–14). This confirms their subordinate role in God’s plan of redemption.
With all the chaos going on in our world today, it may seem like the enemy is winning the war.
But no matter how dark it gets, may we never lose sight of the fact that God wins in the end; ALL Christ’s enemies will be put under his feet.
In the end every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Phil 2:10-11).
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
Jesus has the greater relationship. Jesus has greater dominion. Jesus has greater authority.
Jesus is greater!
Peter writing of Jesus Christ...
who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
And Paul...
Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.
This is God’s Son, our Savior, our Redeemer, our Lord.
He is not just some moral teacher. He’s not a mere prophet. He is the Son of the Most High God.
It was vital for the first century Jewish to remember this and so it is for us today.
As God’s Son, heir of all things, we become co-heirs with Christ as his redeemed.
So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
And because his throne is an everlasting throne ruled with uprightness and righteousness, having dominion over all, we know with full assurance that there is no corner of the world, no philosophy, no lifestyle that is outside his dominion.
And if anything is contrary to his righteousness, we must expose it, shine the light of truth on it so people have opportunities to repent to submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
And because we follow the one with all authority, let us go confidently into the world, into our neighborhood, our schools, our families with the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ!
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Church, let us not cower or hide from the world around us.
Let us heed the words of the Lord to Joshua who was about to lead the nation into the promised land...
Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
Amen!
REFLECTION
REFLECTION
CLOSING SONG
CLOSING SONG
Christ the True and Better
BENEDICTION
BENEDICTION
