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Gloria Patri
Doxology
Jesus is superior to the OT prophets. Now we see He is superior to the angels.
Open your Bibles to Hebrews 4. Today we are looking at verses4-14. Even though we are looking at these verses separate from verse 1-3, they are connected. The first chapter helps to establish a biblical world view based off of a biblical understanding of who Christ really is.
Follow along as I read our passage, Hebrews 1:4-14
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?
Verse 4 helps to close the beginning section of Hebrews. We see that Jesus us superior to the OT prophets whom God spoke through. And Jesus is superior to the angels as well, whom helped to mediate the word of God. But verse 4 also helps to introduce us to why Jesus is superior to the angels.
1. Christ's Supreme Sonship
Christ is superior to the angels because He is the Son of God.
We focused on His works in the last section. We saw that Jesus inherits all things and that all things were made through Him. We see the glory of God through Christ as He shines God’s radiance. Christ is the exact expression of God’s nature and through Him, everything in existence is held together.
Then we see that Christ purifies His people from sin. After His bodily resurrection from the dead, He is seated at the right hand of God. Because of this, Jesus is above the angels.
These works show that Jesus is superior to the angels. The angels mediated for God, delivered messages for God, praised God. Jesus did the works of God. Jesus did what He saw the Father doing and we can see God by seeing Jesus.
But Hebrews moves from these works of Christ to His position as the Son.
Jesus position is the Son of God. The name he inherits is superior to the angels. The name Jesus inherited is “the name”. “The name” was used to refer to God and with it being used to refer to Jesus is another way of saying that Jesus is God. But it is more than just being God.
Jesus is God. He is not a god. He did not become God. He did not aspire to be God. Jesus is God; He is God eternally along with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.
So here we see that Jesus is being called God and His position is God the Son.
Hebrews goes back to the OT to show us that Jesus is the Son, the eternal Son both in the OT and still in the NT. Why is it important or why does it matter that we see and know Jesus is the Son?
One reason is that the New Covenant is given to us through the Son. The past covenants were given to us through men and mediated by angels. But this new covenant is superior because the messenger is not a prophet or an angel but the very Son of God.
We will see later in Hebrews the importance of knowing Jesus is the Son when we see that Jesus is the superior priest, that He gives us superior hope and that comes from a superior covenant. Hebrews also teaches us that Jesus provides a superior sacrifice than any other , we have superior promises and because of these, we have a superior possession.
Everything is superior than what could be had before because everything is from the Son, who is superior to all, even the angels.
Charles Spurgeon wrote:
Having made Jesus his all, he shall find all in Jesus. Morning And Evening, Page 705
Charles Spurgeon
He also wrote:
We write Jesus’ name upon our banner, for it is hell’s terror, heaven’s delight and earth’s hope. Jesus Christ Himself, Volume 23, Sermon #1388 - Ephesians 2:20
Charles Spurgeon
Because of Jesus superiority, everything that we hold on to, everything that holds us is superior to anything in this world.
2. Sovereign Anointed King
Firstborn, one’s firstborn changes a man from husband to husband and father. No matter how many children a man has, it is the first born that makes them a father. That makes that relationship special. It doesn’t lessen the relationship with any other children but that first is still special.
It is the same with God.
Hebrews 1:6–9 CSB
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.
Jesus is the firstborn but He is also the only begotten Son.
As the first born, the only Son of God and also God the Son this gives Jesus a position that is above everything that has been created. It gives Him position of the sovereign, anointed King.
Jesus is seated at the right hand of God. As God, He is sovereign. As God He is the King of all kings. There is no one higher we can appeal to. And Hebrews also reminds us that His throne lasts forever and ever.
There is not stopping time for His Kingdom.
The activities we see for the angels is a temporary activity. God sends angels to do specific tasks. Because these are temporary and Jesus throne is forever, we know that Jesus is superior.
And because God sends the angels, it implies that God is sovereign over and superior to the angels.
Knowing the Son is the eternal King, that His works are eternal and He is God should give us comfort and security in our lives. The kingdom we are called to inherit with the Son is eternal. It is not something that will change or go away.
We see in our country right now the battle between two distinct ideologies. Two political stances that oppose each other. Each wants to stay in power but neither has total power nor will they stay in power forever. The political battle will always go on until the end of time.
The Kingdom of God is eternal and has no end. There is no political turmoil and there is no battle in this eternal kingdom. This should give us comfort for our eternal future as well as give us peace in this time to live righteously.
3. Eternal Creator Unchanged
Hebrews 1:10-12
The kingdom is eternal but the King is also eternal and unchanging.
Hebrews 1:10–12 CSB
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.
Does it matter that the world and universe were created through the Son of God? It is very important.
We often hear the OT God was a God of judgment and the NT God is a God of grace. The truth is that God is the God who gracefully judges us all.
We can’t separate God into different gods. And as verse 12 reminds us, the Creator of the universe never changes.
The Bible gives us a revelation of who God is. Over time we see more of God. It isn’t a view of a changing god but a view of the unchanging God.
I used to have a picture of a younger me sitting on some rocks. If I could show you that picture, you would see me as a boy sitting on rocks. No big deal.
But when I look at the picture I see those rocks; behind the rocks is a front yard; past the yard is my grandparents house. Behind and around the house is the farm. I can close my eyes and see the old barn behind the house; the chicken coop on the other side of the barn, the dirt road that has a small bridge over a creek with crawdads.
I can go on about the farm; my grandparents but all you can see are the images I paint with words. You get to see little bits with my words but even then, you can’t really see the whole picture.
You can’t see all I can in just one picture. It would take several pictures to really capture all of what I can see in the picture.
The Son can see everything, the world and universe He created, the time before creation, the time we are in now and the time that comes at the end. He sees all of that.
We can’t. We can see the images He gives us through the words of God. More importantly, we can start to see the Kingdom because we can see the Creator of the kingdom.
And that eternal creator is the same when He created as He is today and as He will be tomorrow.
No matter what changes we go through, no matter what changes in our country, God does not change. God is the only anchor that can get us through any storms; the only anchor who will protect us and love us just the same each and every day.
4. Victorious Lord
Hebrews 1:13-14
Verses 13 and 14 bring this section to an end.
It asks a similar question that was asked near the beginning of today’s passage.
Hebrews 1:13–14 CSB
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?
“Which of the angels has He ever said:”
The question reminds us that He has never given that honor to anyone other than His Son. It also shows us that Jesus is sitting at the right hand until a particular time.
That time is when the enemies of God will become a footstool in the throne room.
Hebrews uses all these OT quotations to help provide a clear picture of the status of the Son being superior to the angles, who are ministers sent out to serve.
Why is it importnat for us to learn or be reminded that Jesus is superior to angels?
Angels are sometimes elevated to higher statuses than what the are. In the early church times, there were some who started to worship angels. In some Jewish and Christian communities, angels were thought to be in positions between us and God, as if angels were still mediators in our relationship with God.
At the outset of the introduction in Hebrews, Jesus is shown to be superior and the new covenant to be superior to anything or anyone else; even the angels.
Angels still exist. God still sends angels to do His work, some of which is ministering to us. But it is the work of Christ that allows us to enter into a relationship with God. It is the position of Christ that gives us peace and comfort about our position and our future.
In the section of Hebrews today, we can grasp several concepts.
The Son is equal with the Father.
The Son is over the cosmos.
There is a spiritual realm.
The Son has enemies.
The Son’s enemies are defeated.
The victory of the Son and of God over all enemies is quaranteed.
The author of Hebrews challenges us to make sure we have the correct biblical view of Jesus. He is establishing what that view must be.
If we have a soft view of Jesus; if we have a weak theological world view, then we can easily be swayed by a lie; we can easily be manipulated by the world.
If we grasp the biblical view of who Jesus is, we will better be able to withstand the world and live for Christ.
What is your view of Jesus? Who is He in your life?
How you live your life shows the world that either Christ is victorious or Christ has been defeated.
Which view do you present to the world?
Let’s pray.
- - Hebrews 1:4–14CSB
- - Ephesians 2:20CSB
- - Hebrews 1:6–9CSB
- - Hebrews 1:10–12CSB
- - Hebrews 1:13–14CSB

Hebrews 1:4–14CSB

Ephesians 2:20CSB

Hebrews 1:6–9CSB

Hebrews 1:10–12CSB

Hebrews 1:13–14CSB