Jesus Is Greater Than His Creation

Good Morning!

It is good to see all of you!

Last week we read verse three and spent some time thinking about the bigness of God.

Jesus is God, He sustains all things, He sacrificed himself, and now sits on his throne.

The author is making this incredible opening statement to the church in order to establish his basis for the encouragement that we find in Jesus.

Today we are going to read verses 4-14.

Most people include verse four with the previous three verses because it is part of that opening statement.

I purposely did not because what follows is supporting material for verse four.

I wanted us to read this together so that we can see both the theological statement that is being made and the Old Testament references that he uses to support that theology.

This is significant because there was a tactic being used by the Jewish leaders to try and convince Jesus’ followers that Jesus was simply an angel and not the messiah.

It was a smart tactic on their part if you think about it.

Rather than trying to convince people that Jesus was a complete fraud, this arguement allowed them to continue to believe that Jesus did great works, but it was because he was an angel.

Under this argument, they didn’t have to explain away any of the miracles of Jesus.

Miracles wouldn’t be a big deal for an angel.

Let’s read this passage together and we will then breakdown the role of angels, why there was a temptation to believe this lie, and the truth about who Jesus was.

These three points are going to bring us back to this idea that Jesus Is Greater Than His Creation.

Hebrews 1:4–14 CSB

4 So he became superior to the angels, just as the name he inherited is more excellent than theirs. 5 For to which of the angels did he 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? 6 Again, when he brings his firstborn into the world, he says, And let all God’s angels worship him. 7 And about the angels he says: He makes his angels winds, and his servants a fiery flame, 8 but to the Son: Your throne, God, is forever and ever, and the scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of justice. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; this is why God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy beyond your companions. 10 And: In the beginning, Lord, you established the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands; 11 they will perish, but you remain. They will all wear out like clothing; 12 you will roll them up like a cloak, and they will be changed like clothing. But you are the same, and your years will never end. 13 Now to which of the angels has he ever said: Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve those who are going to inherit salvation?

Angels aren’t the topic of conversation very often.

In fact, in thinking about myself, I realized that I haven’t spent any measurable amount of time thinking about them.

Don’t get me wrong, we read about them and sing songs about them at Christmas, but beyond that, they don’t really come up.

It is obvious, however, that understanding the nature of Angels and their relation to Jesus was of utmost importance to the author of Hebrews.

This is the focal point of chapter one.

We spent the last few weeks going through what is considered the introduction.

The remainder of Hebrews chapter one is dedicated to proving that Jesus is superior to the angels.

Therefore, it goes without saying, we need to learn about angels if we are to understand the purpose and application of Chapter one.

I have spent time this week studying commentaries and theology books to expand my understanding.

I’ll be honest, this is not a topic I ever thought I would preach on.

I’ve been in the church my whole life and I don’t know that I’ve ever heard anyone teach on it.

While all of that study was fun and I learned a lot, that is not the main thing that God wants us to spend our time on this morning.

We will briefly look at it, but there is much more that I could say, but it isn’t for today.

I’ve compiled some of my notes from this week and if you want to dive deeper into the purposes of Angels, I can send you a copy.

What we do need to understand today is that...

Angels are created beings whose purpose is to serve God.

At the mention of Angels, it is likely that your mind began to swirl with different things that you have heard over the course of your life.

I remember a number of people that had that pin in thier car that read, “don’t drive faster than your gaurdian angel can fly!”

We’ve all seen the “angels” on valentines cards with a little bow and arrow.

There is also the movie Field of Angels, starring Danny Glover that I watched countless times as a kid.

My kids watched the new Tom And Jerry movie that just came out and there was the classic angel and devil on the shoulder.

Pop culture and denominations have varying ideas, forms, and roles that Angels play in the spiritual and physical realm.

What we see in scripture, both the Old and New Testaments is that Angels basically served four functions.

Angels continuously worship and praise God.

Angels communicate God’s messages to man.

Angels minister to believers.

Angels will be God’s agents in the final earthly judgments and Second Coming.

Angels serve important roles in the Kingdom of God, but they are in no way worthy of our worship or praise.

They are not superior to God or Jesus in any way.

They were created by God to fulfill a role of service.

You may know someone who developed unhealthy obsessions with angels.

By that, I meant they spend more time and energy in pursuit of understanding angels than they do Jesus.

This is not a new temptation and let’s be honest, they seem pretty incredible.

Consider that most of the time when we see mention of an angel in scripture they start with “Do Not Be Afraid!”

There is a reason.

We also see the responses of those that have seen angels.

One of the most well known is found in Isaiah 6.

Isaiah 6:1–7 CSB

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphim were standing above him; they each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 And one called to another: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Armies; his glory fills the whole earth. 4 The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 Then I said: Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Armies. 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar with tongs. 7 He touched my mouth with it and said: Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for.

He mentions the hem of God’s robe, a lot about the angels, and the effects of their worship on the temple.

While all of that is important to the story, the main point is not that angels are mighty.

The takeaway from Isaiah’s experience is that God was calling him to bring a message to God’s people.

These created beings were not to be worshiped, they were the ones worshiping.

The Angels were worshiping God and doing his bidding.

Because they are so different from us, angels captivated the minds of people, but that is not their purpose.

Illustration from Where The Red Fern Grows.

How to catch a racoon.

Humans are curious and when we see something shiny it grabs and holds our attention just like it does for a trash panda.

This is a classic move on the enemy’s part.

He takes something that God created, places an unhealthy emphasis on it, and uses it to distract us.

Have you ever been distracted from God by part of creation?

What distracted you and how did God get your attention back?

There is a temptation to compromise truth for comfort.

During the introduction, I talked about the effort of the religious leaders to convince followers of Christ that Jesus was an angel, not the prophesied Messiah.

It may sound odd to you and perhaps cause you to judge any that would fall for that, but consider their lives.

Do you remember the story that we heard at the beginning of this study about the young man that was the grandson of the temple leader?

After becoming a believer, he was disowned by his entire family, lost his job, and daily ridiculed by everyone around him.

Put yourself in that place for a moment.

Think about how miserable that must have been for these believers.

While that story was made up, the context in which that story was set was very real.

By conceding that Jesus was simply an angel, they would be accepted back into their families, their status and livelihood would instantly be renewed, and the comfort and security that they once knew would be back.

That sounds like a pretty sweet deal, doesn’t it?

This is how temptation works.

Temptation offers momentary comfort or pleasure at the expense of eternal joy.

This is how it all started in the Garden.

The same trick is being offered here to the early church.

Guess what, the same is being offered to today’s church as well.

As we read this passage, the easy response is to simply agree that Jesus is greater than angels and move on with life.

You wouldn’t be wrong in that assessment, but you would miss the greater purpose that God has in this text.

There will always be a temptation for us to sacrifice the truth for comfort.

Have you been tempted to downplay your beliefs in order to fit in with a particular group of people?

Was this a past or current struggle?

How did it play out?

The parable of the prodigal son came to mind when I was thinking about this.

Luke 15:11–17 CSB

11 He also said, “A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.’ So he distributed the assets to them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living. 14 After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing. 15 Then he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to eat his fill from the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one would give him anything. 17 When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger!

The son sacrificed his relationship with his father in order to get his inheritance early.

Whether we like to admit it or not, all of us are like the prodigal son.

We want to trade the life of security and love that God has provided through Jesus and to venture out on our own.

We want to live for ourselves.

The result of following the temptation is suffering.

Any time we give up what God has provided for us so that we can go after something that we want, we are giving up the best we could ever possibly hope for in order to gain a trinket.

Hear me though, don’t let the enemy push you further away from God.

Don’t sit there feeling guilty.

While we are aware of our sin and rebellion, we also know the end of that story, which brings us to our last point.

Jesus was God in flesh.

Jesus is greater than the angels because he made the final required sacrifice and has the authority to forgive.

In the parable of the prodigal son, Jesus is showing us that even though we fall to temptation, we are being welcomed home by the father.

Luke 15:18–24 CSB

18 I’ll get up, go to my father, and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. 19 I’m no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers.” ’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. 21 The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father told his servants, ‘Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Then bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let’s celebrate with a feast, 24 because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.

Just like the father in this parable, God welcomes us home with open arms, because of the life and death of Jesus.

This is the point that the author of Hebrews is making in the first three verses.

Jesus is the manifestation of God in human form.

Hebrews 1:5 CSB

5 For to which of the angels did he 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?

The author is making his case that we never see God elevating an angel to hold the same place of power and authority that he has.

It is not possible.

Any created thing can never be greater than its creation.

God does tell us Psalm 104:4 some of the ways he uses the angels.

Psalm 104:4 ESV

4 he makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire.

In just a few short lines, the author dismantles the idea that Jesus was simply an angel.

He gives us clear examples of how God uses the angels and of the status of Jesus in reference to the father.

The rest of the chapter is the capstone to this whole argument that Jesus is greater than all the things he created.

Hebrews 1:8–13 CSB

8 but to the Son: Your throne, God, is forever and ever, and the scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of justice. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; this is why God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy beyond your companions. 10 And: In the beginning, Lord, you established the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands; 11 they will perish, but you remain. They will all wear out like clothing; 12 you will roll them up like a cloak, and they will be changed like clothing. But you are the same, and your years will never end. 13 Now to which of the angels has he ever said: Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool?

The goal of the religious leaders was to tear down the church by convincing them that Jesus was anything other than what he actually was.

The goal of the author of Hebrews was to remind the church Jesus is the Son of God.

This particular literary form in verses five through fourteen was called a string of pearls.

The teachers would string together passages from the Old Testament and use them to make their point.

The author is stringing together the things that God said previously about his son so that they could see what God said in the past.

They could then compare it to what they heard from eyewitnesses that knew Jesus and with their own experiences with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is the Son of God, heir, creator, sustainer, and superior to all things.

This is the testimony of the father, spoken through the prophets, about the person of Jesus.

This was the promised Messiah.

He is telling the church that they aren’t crazy.

All the prophecies they heard growing up in the temple, were true and they were all talking about Jesus.

They have committed themselves, not to just another prophet or angel, but to the Promised One that God said would come.

The author is connecting the dots from their past to the present.

He is making the person of Jesus real.

This is significant!

Last week in our life group we began sharing our stories.

I’ll probably share some of mine this week, but one part of it stands out in light of this text and the idea of connecting the dots of what I know about God and what I have experienced.

I gave my life to God with I was about twelve.

I remember it well.

I was sitting with Eddie during church.

I remember the pastor explaining what it meant to be saved and I was drawn to it.

I felt the need to ask Jesus to forgive me and to be my savior.

I nugged Eddie and told him we should go down there and pray.

He said, “no, we will get in trouble.”

Based on our previous experiences during church, he wasn’t wrong.

But I felt like it was worth risking.

I don’t remember much about the prayer, but I do remember the conversation that I had with my parents that afternoon.

I was out on the tractor disking up the pature when my mom and dad came out to talk to me.

That was weird for my mom to come out to the pasture.

All that I can recall is that they told me they were proud of me and that they loved me.

Fast forward a few years and honestly, not much about my life had changed.

I was still mischevious and regularly getting into trouble.

Then we got a new Youth Pastor.

He talked about God in a way that I had never heard before.

I knew without a doubt that I was saved, but I realized that I didn’t really know God on a personal level.

He also talked about the Holy Spirit.

I knew that as a believer, the HS lived in me, but to be honest, I couldn’t tell.

He began to teach us about worship and showed us what it looked like to pray, worship, and engage our hearts with the Holy Spirit.

That was an amazing time in my life and every Wednesday when I came home from church, my mom would ask how it was and I always said the same thing.

“It was AWESOME!”

It was at that point in my life that the person of God became real to me.

God was always there, I just didn’t realize it.

In many ways, I know that my story is not unique.

You may have a similar story of growing up around or in church, but never really knowing God.

If that is you, please come talk to me.

When did Jesus become real to you?

Has God given you an oppertunity to share your story this week?

How was it recieved and what was God trying to communicate through you?

The churches that this letter was sent to, needed encouragement that what they had heard and believed about Jesus was true.

They were being told by all the people that said they loved them and that held positions of power that Jesus was a fraud.

We talked about this last week and we need to see it again this week.

We can’t really know God until we understand how much greater he is than we are.

Until we see that, we think we have no need for God.

The reality is that we desperately need God.

We needed Jesus to live like we couldn’t and to take the punishment for our sins.

Jesus is greater than the angels.

He is their creator.

Jesus is greater than we are.

He is our creator.

Our creator loves us and desires that we know Him personally.

Let’s pray.