The Superiority of the Son

Introduction

The book of Hebrews is perhaps one of the most neglected book in the New Testament. As scary as some people find Revelations, they seem to be inexplicably drawn to it. But Hebrews, it really isn’t scary. There are favorite passages from Hebrews to be sure, but by an large, most people skip over Hebrews because it’s hard to understand.

Condemnation of the Law?

Why is Hebrews so commonly overlooked? I believe there are two reasons, the first is that it is incredibly wordy and hard to understand in places. The second is because I think most believers don’t think it was written to them. They believe it was written to the Jewish believers to convince them to stop being Jewish, and stop living according to the law.

While I agree with those who hold that Hebrews is simply a difficult book to understand, I heartily disagree with those who think that somehow Hebrews doesn’t apply to us because the Mosaic law has been replaced. First of all, Hebrews does not teach that the Mosaic law has been completely replaced by the New Covenant, and secondly, it very much pertains to you and me.

It is true, that much of Hebrews seems to be written to Jewish Believers in Messiah (they were the majority of believers at the time). However, it wasn’t written exclusively for them, and we do ourselves a great disservice when we avoid it simply because it’s too hard to understand.

Why Was it Written?

The reason that this letter had to be written in the first place is because these believers in Yeshua were not first generation believers. In fact this letter was believed to have been written between 64-66 AD, 30-40 years after the crucifixion. Many of these had grown up in the church, as it were and at this time there were those who were debating if they should in fact, be following the commandments of Moses, namely the commandments relating to the Temple sacrifices. Keep in mind, up until this time, the Church still resembled a Jewish Synagogue much more than it would resemble a modern church, and they would have been observing much of the same traditions that the Jews did. (i.e. observing Shabbat, wearing a tallit, attaching mezzuzot to their doors). So it would have been a natural conclusion to wonder why then, were they not offering sacrifices the way the rest of the Jews were, and then to debate whether or not they should be doing so as well.

In addition, the Hebrew believers were beginning to face additional persecution unlike anything they’d experienced before, and they were becoming weary. Weary to the point of wanting to return to the full practices of Judaism, so that they could be reconciled to their family and the community in general.

The Theme

The book of Hebrews seeks to compare and contrast the old covenant with the new in a way that will help them to understand and appreciate it. Remember, God made multiple covenants with the people in the Old Testament, and each time he did he made it even better. He also modified the covenant in the light of what circumstance the people found themselves in. In a sense you could say that the revelation of God was a successive one. He would reveal to the people so much about himself and then he’d stop, leaving a mystery. To Abraham Isaac and Jacob God spoke of a time to come, a promise of inheriting of a great land. But by the time we get around to the promises being made to Moses, the land is beneath their feet. The covenant made with the nation of Israel is modified to fit their new circumstances. The manner in which man demonstrated his obedience to God changed. For Abraham, Isaac and Jacob obedience was demonstrated by obedience to the command to be circumcised. Any altars or memorials to God, any sacrifices made were done so as each man willed not as God commanded. But when God modified the covenant with the nation of Israel he expanded upon the requirements to be in covenant with him. Now they had a whole set of commandments to obey - a new revelation of who God was.

The Means of the Revelation of God

Understanding the way in which God revealed himself in the past is important to understanding what the writer of Hebrews is showing us now. In the past the revelation came through the prophets. Maybe a little bit at a time such as the case with the Prophet Obadiah, or maybe a big amount of revelation as in the Prophet Isaiah. Some prophets ministered their whole life, and others like Haggai, burst on the scene then faded away. (Haggai’s ministry lasted a mere four months). The point is, that God’s revelation was progressive. God would reveal certain aspects of his will and his nature and leave others a mystery. Later he would answer some of those questions and leave a whole other set of questions unanswered. His revelation was never final, but it was always unfolding.

Hebrews 1:1–3 TLV

At many times and in many ways, God spoke long ago to the fathers through the prophets. In these last days He has spoken to us through a Son, whom He appointed heir of all things and through whom He created the universe. This Son is the radiance of His glory and the imprint of His being, upholding all things by His powerful word. When He had made purification for our sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

The first - and arguably the most important - contrast that is made is that while the word used to come primarily through prophets, it now comes through the son. The writer then goes on to explain who the son was and why it was significant that the revelation they have now is superior to the one they had before. Does that mean that the revelation they had now was somehow superior? Well consider what Peter says about the prophets.

1 Peter 1:10–11 TLV

The prophets, who spoke about the grace that was to be yours, searched for this salvation and investigated carefully. They were trying to find out the time and circumstances the Ruach of Messiah within them was indicating, when predicting the sufferings in store for Messiah and the glories to follow.

What were the prophets prophesying? By what spirit? Is Jesus superior to Jesus? Of course not! So the word itself was not the issue. In fact, Timothy teaches that ALL scripture is God-breathed.

2 Timothy 3:16 TLV

All Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for restoration, and for training in righteousness,

That means that we don’t ignore the Old Testament and the instruction we gain from the Torah (which by the way means Teachings not Law) because according to Timothy they are useful for teaching, reproof, restoration and for training in righteousness. That being the case those who preach that we are no longer under the teachings of the Old Testament should be questioned on the basis of these passages that would indicate otherwise. And I wonder if many of the problems we face as a church might not be rooted in the fact that the majority of believers ignore an entire half of God’s instruction, thinking that it has been completely done away with. This could not be further from the truth.

So here, the author is pointing out that back then, the revelation was being unveiled a little at a time by may different prophets, and if we’re think about it, also by patriarchs, kings, angels and even the occasional donkey. But now, revelation comes through the Son of God himself.

Verse 2 indicates that now that the revelation has come from the son, the revelation is complete. It does so by saying “In these last days”. We don’t catch that in English, but in Greek, it says

ἔσχατος ἡμέρα

(Eschatos Hemera)

This final time.

So this final time God speaks to us directly through his son. And so if the time is final, then that means so is the revelation. There is no more revelation. There is something that the Jewish reader would have seen in the words written here because, as we pointed out in our study of Daniel, the words “In the Last Days” was understood to mean in the days of Messiah - a Rabbinic term actually. But there is something else here in the Greek. The ἔσχατος ἡμέρα used together like that can also be translated as “the goal” (think of a pregnant woman’s delivery date). In a nutshell the whole of human history has been driving to this one focal point in time, and that is the coming of Messiah. The prophets themselves spoke of the last days as it referred to Messiah, and now it is the last days because Messiah has come and so the end of revelation. So what should we make of the New Testament? Do we toss it out because it was written after Jesus ascended? OF course not, because what was written had to do with his life, his ministry, his words and his teachings. What they wrote was not new revelation, rather it was memorializing the revelation that they received directly from Messiah.

The Son-ness of the Revelation

I want us to look at verse 2 more closely because there is something really odd about it, that answers itself in the rest of the passage.

Hebrews 1:2 NKJV

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;

See how the NKJV has “His” in italics? That’s because the Greek doesn’t have the word His.

Now let’s see how the TLV translates it.

Hebrews 1:2 TLV

In these last days He has spoken to us through a Son, whom He appointed heir of all things and through whom He created the universe.

See how how it says “A son”? That’s closer to the meaning but not quite there. The problem is we aren’t Greek, and so we are not able to quite catch the meaning so let me translate it for you correctly but it will require some further extrapolation.

In these last days He has spoken to us though Son.

That doesn’t even make sense pastor!

Well it does if you’re Greek. If the word is there without the article, it does not mean the son per se, rather the nature of the son, the uniqueness of the son. In other words, the son-ness. What is that son-ness? Glad you asked because he answers it in the rest of our passage.

Hebrews 1:2–3 TLV

In these last days He has spoken to us through a Son, whom He appointed heir of all things and through whom He created the universe. This Son is the radiance of His glory and the imprint of His being, upholding all things by His powerful word. When He had made purification for our sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Verse 3 is the description of what son-ness is. It describes the nature of Messiah, but it also shows that Messiah reflects the very glory of God the Father. Remember, this was not something they expected. But they should have. Every single Jew would have grown up reciting the Shema.

Deuteronomy 6:4 (TLV)

“Hear O Israel, our God, יהוה is one.

The word here for one is

Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon אֶחָד

אֶחָד

echad

Unity

So literally, Hear O Israel, יהוה our God, יהוה is a unity.

And look at the description of son-ness, does that not just paint an amazing picture of God himself? It should, because as Yeshua said,

John 10:30 TLV

I and the Father are one.”

And given that we know the Gospels were written in Hebrew and not Greek, if we had access to the Hebrew version of John, how much do you want to bet me that the word he used there is echad?

Greater than the Angels

Having established that Jesus was unique from the Prophets, the writer goes on to state His superiority over the angels of heaven. I am presuming that there must have been those who were saying that Yeshua was in fact, an Angel, because what other reason would the author have had to go into such great detail to establish that he was higher than the angels. The was obviously trying to correct a theological flaw of theirs.

Hebrews 1:4–14 TLV

Thus He became as far above the 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 become Your Father”? And again, “I will be to Him a Father, and He will be to Me a Son”? And again, when He brings the firstborn into the world, He says, “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” And regarding the angels He says, “He makes His angels winds, and His servants a flame of fire.” But regarding the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and a scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your Kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness above Your companions.” And, “In the beginning, Adonai, You laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of Your hands. They shall pass away, but You remain. And they will all wear out like clothing. And like a robe You will roll them up, and like clothing they will be changed; but You are the same, and Your years shall never end.” But 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 for service to those about to inherit salvation?

We quote scripture when we are trying to give credibility to our thought or idea right? I mean, that’s all I do every Sunday. But when the author was writing this letter to the Hebrews, he had no way of knowing that he was writing scripture. So in order to give authority to his words he quotes scripture.

He lays out the case for the uniqueness of Jesus, he is above the prophets to be sure, and he is even above the angels. He does this to set up the next chapter.

For This Reason

The Author bottom-lines it in Chapter 2. He says because of who Yeshua is, then his word is to be believed.

Hebrews 2:1–13 NKJV

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 also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. But one testified in a certain place, saying: “What is man that You are mindful of him, Or the son of man that You take care of him? You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, And set him over the works of Your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying: “I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.” And again: “I will put My trust in Him.” And again: “Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.”

The Perfect High Priest

And then the author brings us to this conclusion. Not only is he greater than the prophets, he is greater than the High Priests.

Hebrews 2:14–18 NKJV

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Yeshua had to be made in the form of a man so that he could die. He had to take the form of a man so that he could face down death itself. So that he could destroy the one who had the power over death, and release those who were in bondage to death. He had to take the form of a man so that he could be tempted. He had to come and understand what it means to feel the tug of sin upon him so that he could sympathize with those who are being tempted. So that he could defeat the temptation that he was suffering and emerge victorious so that he could become the perfect offereing.

Putting it All Together

The Son is Superior to anything that came before. Why would they want to return to something inferior? Why would they want to put their trust into the dead works of the Law? It was old revelation. They had a much fuller and a much better understanding.

So what does that mean to us? Well, we are not tempted to go back and start sacrificing animals again, but we are very tempted to go back and do our own works to earn salvation. Do you know how I know that? Because any time something goes just a little bit wrong, our first inclination seems to be, “what did I do to deserve that?” Meaning, I must have misbehaved in order for something bad to happen. I know that we are still tempted to go back to our old ways because we hold other people to a certain standard of how a Christian should behave, why do we do that? Because we want some to compare ourselves with, and be able to say- I’m good because look at them and the way they behave.

This isn’t a sermon about not judging any more than this is merely a book about how inadequate the old covenant was. As we will find out, Hebrews is a great handbook for surviving and even thriving during times of persecution, during those times that we are the most weary.

Are you ready to explore this epistle with me? I know I’m looking forward to taking it apart.

Let’s pray