Jesus: The Greater Truth

The Authority of the Son over Angels

Hebrews 1:4–7 NIV

So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. 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”? And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” In speaking of the angels he says, “He makes his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire.”

Hebrews 1:4-7

The idea of angels is lost in our culture today. When we think of angels, our minds move to ideas of cupid or Roma Downey or John Dye showing up to save the day or Christopher Lloyd making sure a boy’s favorite team wins the pennant. Our picture of angels is wrapped up in bumper stickers about how our guardian angel is making sure our bad driving doesn’t result in its natural consequence.

Angels in the Old Testament are the voice of truth. They are the messengers of God who delivered His message to his people. In fact, in the eyes of the Hebrew, angels were at first glance indistinguishable from God. When an angel would come, man was afraid of death for standing int he presence of the divine. They recognized that the angel came with authority because God had sent them.

The writer of Hebrews develops his argument for the superior authority of Christ by first pointing to God’s view of Christ. God views Jesus as Son.

The picture of Jesus as the son is not a New Testament construct but an understanding of the Messiah that has been foretold and promise throughout the Old Testament. The writer of Hebrews like the other New Testament writers sees the foretelling of the Messiah in passages that were imperfectly or partially fulfilled in the day of their writing but now find the fullness of their fulfillment in Christ.

The writer of Hebrews opens with a quote from and . These passages written likely of David in the middle of war. David seen as a son of God who chased after His heart, but this picture is imperfect for David was Jesse’s son. But this is fulfilled in Jesus. Jesus is the son. He took on human flesh upon the will of the Father. He lived each day as the son who relied and turned toward the Father. He exalted and lifted up the Father in all that He did.

In response, the Father exalted Jesus as Son. The angels were created to worship the Son (). All of the power and authority of the angels is subservient to the Son ().

The Sovereignty of the Son over Angels

Hebrews 1:8–9 NIV

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. 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.”

Hebrews 1:8-

The writer points to another Old Testament quote from . This passage referred to a marriage feast of some king of Israel, but the writer points to a fulfilled meaning in Christ as the sovereign king over Israel. In the original context, the throne is seen as the throne of God over Israel, but in Jesus, the reference moves from the throne of man who worships God to the God’s throne that Jesus sits upon for He is God.

Jesus’s rule is one of righteousness and justice, two traits referred throughout the Old Testament as belonging to God.

The picture of the sovereign reign of the Son is seen in the picture of the anointing. This in not the anointing of coronation like Samuel to David in signifying David’s position. This anointing is the anointing of extreme gladness (agalliasis) or favour. In other words, Jesus is not exalted because of the authority that He as attained, but the authority that He already has. He is the sovereign King and His rule and reign is one of righteousness and authority that bring great gladness. Jesus is the fulfillment of this promised kingdom.

The Nature of the Son over Angels

Hebrews 1:10-14

Hebrews 1:10–14 NIV

He also says, “In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. 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.” To which of the angels did God ever say, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

The writer now turns to as He speaks of the Son. Once again, the writer makes some assumptions of our hearts and our view of the Son. In the Psalm which consists of an inflicted man crying out to God. The writer of Hebrews sees this fulfilled as creation crying out to the Son who is God.

It is through the son that the foundations of creation were laid. Through the son, all things came and continue to come into being. Apart from the son, nothing was made that was made. As stated earlier, it is through the Son that all things continue to exist. Every kingdom, every rule and reign seen on the earth has come and gone, but Jesus’ is eternal. His reign will never end.

His position is never in jeopardy because He is God. His very nature prohibits the change of his position and reign. In other words, there will never be anything that Jesus will or will not do that would bring jeopardy to His kingdom. Even more so, there is nothing that you can do or that I can do or not do that will jeopardize Jesus’ work or His rule and reign.

This passage becomes easy for us to gloss over because the focus fo the passage has little to do with us. Where is the practical steps to fixing my marriage or to making me a better Christian or to help me deal with my horrible co-worker? Until this passage penetrates our hearts, all of those other passages serve as nothing more than self-help because that is how we will respond to them.

Jesus is the greatest authority. Because of this, He is the greater truth. What He says is true and good. It is only through what He says that the Lord is glorified and that our good is accomplished. It is not until we truly believe this that we will find the resolve to do as Jesus says.