Better Than Angels
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Introduction: We observed last week that the writer of Hebrews did not waste any time in getting to his point: Jesus is better than everything and everyone, and because Jesus is better than the Old Covenant, better than all things, and even better than angels we know that He is the only one who has the power to enable us to go on to perfection. We cannot work our way to heaven by keeping the law, we cannot replace God with idols and hope to get anywhere, and we cannot outsmart God by calling on the power of angels. He rules and reigns over all.
This week we will consider where the writer of Hebrews decisively proves from the Old Testament that Jesus is better than angels. Before we begin, why would the Holy Spirit move the author of Hebrews to spend so much time to developing the fact that Jesus is better than the angels? It is common sense to us that Jesus is greater than all natural things because He made all natural things. Now the writer of Hebrews is taking the time to specifically spell out for us that Jesus is also the creator of supernatural beings and, although they are vastly more powerful than us, they are infinitely less powerful than Jesus.
A Better Title
A Better Title
Hebrews 1:5
For to which of the angels did He ever say:
“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You”?
And again:
“I will be to Him a Father,
And He shall be to Me a Son”?
Jesus obtained a better title than the angels: the Son of God. Although he was a man, yet he was called the Son of God. This verse even makes the connection between Jesus and God more personal as (which is the verse quoted here) refers not only to the Messiah as “My Son” but also as being “begotten” by the Father. Now think carefully with me here because this is important. I believe the Bible teaches us that the more we grasp who God is the more we will be set free from sin. The truths in this passage are difficult to comprehend and think through in our limited human minds, and I will even show you that there are some things that we will not comprehend until Jesus fully and completely takes ownership of the entire cosmos and then we will worship Him as He is for we will see Him and know Him as He is. For now, we look into difficult to comprehend passages and allow the awesomeness of God to overwhelm us, and when we are overwhelmed by how awesome God is it is then that we are able to go on to perfection. So think carefully because this is important. The word begotten, when referring to Jesus, does not mean that Jesus was conceived at a point in time like we are. It does not mean that the person of Jesus did not exist and then when He took on flesh He began His existence. The title Son who is begotten by the Father, when referring to Jesus, refers to the fact that Jesus was sent from the Father at a set point in time. makes this clear since the word today is used. He always existed, but His title was not always Son. He is eternally the second person of the Trinity who always was with God and who always was God. Being sent from the Father, as this passage says, there was a set point in time where Jesus’ relationship with the First Person of the Trinity began to be described as Son. So, Jesus has always been God as the Second Person of the Trinity and in His incarnation he humbled Himself positionally to be a little lower than the angels, yet, in His being, He has always surpassed all angels. Having humbled himself, He placed Himself under the authority of the First Person of the Trinity whose relationship then began to be described as Father.
Now, as we will see in this passage, angels are servants and ministers of God, but no individual angel has ever obtained the title the Son of God. Now, we do need to clarify something here. As you read through your Old Testament you will come across passages that refer to angels as sons of God, and there are also times in the New Testament where men are referred to as sons of God. However, neither angels nor men have ever obtained the title the Son of God who was sent from the Father.
reaffirms this truth.
Hebrews 1
I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.
So there was a very fierce battle that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.
I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.
John also affirms this truth referring to Jesus as the Eternal Word who was with God and was God. Not until He humbled Himself did John refer to Jesus as the Son of God.
The
So Jesus, who is the only begotten of the Father, is greater than the angels.
Better in Worship
Better in Worship
But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says:
“Let all the angels of God worship Him.”
Not only does Jesus have a better title than the angels, but the angels are also commanded by God to worship Him. Now we know that it is blasphemy to worship anything but God. This is the foundation for the entire law.
“You shall have no other gods before Me.
So, for the angels to be commanded by God to worship Jesus means that Jesus is God. Now this is the part of the verse that I mentioned before when I said that there are some things that we are not going to understand until Jesus takes ownership of the entire cosmos. The angels do worship Him (), but there is also coming a day when they and us will worship Him with even more overwhelming awe and wonder. The author of Hebrews uses the word again. God will bring the firstborn into the world again. What do you think this means? Yes! And when Jesus comes again He will have total ownership.
To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.
We must also consider the word firstborn. When referring to Jesus in this context the word firstborn does not mean first in time because it says that Jesus was the firstborn into the world. Literal birth can refer to two things: 1). born of woman or 2). raised from the dead or reborn. However, Jesus was not the first to be born as a human neither was he the first human to be raised. Lazarus was raised before Jesus’ death, people were raised during the ministry of Jesus, and at the time of the crucifixion the Old Testament saints were all raised. So, what is firstborn referring to. It would have been understood by a Jewish audience to mean the Chief One. Of all who have come into the world, He is the ChIef One, the most important one, the first in significance. So, being the first in significance the angels are called to worship Him.
To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.
Better in Nature
Better in Nature
Jesus is also better because the Father declares Him to be.
And of the angels He says:
“Who makes His angels spirits
And His ministers a flame of fire.”
But to the Son He says:
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
Concerning the angels, God makes them or creates them and sends them out as servants like powerful winds and flaming fire. Angels are declared by God in to be servants.
However, the Father declares something totally different about Jesus. Jesus is not only a servant (although Isaiah refers to Him as that), but He is also God. This here is the strongest declaration of Christ’s divinity in the Bible. God says to the Son in , “ Your throne, O God, is forever and ever . . .” Besides the declaration of His divinity we are also given markers of who this will be. Who will be the anointed one of God? The one who possesses righteousness, loves righteousness, and is the enemy of lawlessness. The ultimate righteous one who loves righteousness is the Messiah of God and God has gladly anointed Him more than any of the angels.
Now, why are angels referred to as His companions? Well, we know that angels exists to worship and serve God. They reside in heaven. Some even reside in the very throne room of God. They are God’s companions and Jesus is greater than them all.
Better in Existence
Better in Existence
also says that Jesus is LORD who laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning.
And:
“You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
Here is another concept that we must dedicate some brain power to. Jesus watched the beginning. If Jesus watched the beginning do you realize what that means? If He watched the beginning that means He is outside of time. Not only is He outside of time but He created time. At the beginning of time Jesus laid the foundations of the world. At the beginning of time, Jesus carefully crafted the heavens. And as we look at the heavens they are awesome aren’t they? Throughout human existence they have stood fast and constant. Navigators have navigated by the heavens. They have always been there: unchanged right? NO! They had a beginning, and they will have an end.
They will perish, but You remain;
And they will all grow old like a garment;
But Jesus remains immutable. In the end, the heavens will grow old. And do you know what Jesus will then do with the vast expanse of the heavens?
Like a cloak You will fold them up,
And they will be changed.
But You are the same,
And Your years will not fail.”
Better in Destiny
Better in Destiny
Lastly for today, the writer of Hebrews says
But to which of the angels has He ever said:
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”?
Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
Jesus’ destiny is greater than the angels. Being better in title, worship, nature, and existence Jesus’ destiny is to rule with complete power and authority over all creatures including His enemies. In the end, what are angels? They are the servants of God, and their destiny is to serve the saints.
Conclusion: So what does this mean for our lives? Thankfully the author of Hebrews makes this application very easy for us.
Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Hebrews 1:
The application is this: if those who were under the Old Covenant spoken through angels received justice according to every transgression and disobedience how much more will we be unable to escape justice under the New Covenant which was spoken through Christ who is far better than angels. In other words, we must take our Christian life seriously because our very life depends on the fact that Jesus is better than everything and everyone.