November 27, 2022

Jesus is Greater: Session 3- Jesus is Greater than the Angels (Part 1)

Preacher: Ben Jennings

Series: Jesus is Greater

Passage: Hebrews 1:4-9

Service Type: Worship Service

Series: Jesus is Greater

Title: Jesus is Greater than the Angels

Scripture: Hebrews 1:4-14

Audience: Sunday Morning, November 27, 2022, at Trinity Baptist Church, Findlay, Ohio

Subject: Angels

Central Theme: Jesus is Superior to the Angels.

Objective Statement: Jesus is superior in every way. He is superior to the angels as seen in these four ways.

Keyword: Ways

Points:

He has a superior name. He is the Son. They are worshippers. (v.4-7)
He has a superior position. He is King. They are servants. (v.8-9)
He has a superior origin. He is Creator. They are created. (v.10-12)
He has a superior role. He is Ruler. They are ministers. (v.13-14)

Jesus is superior in every way. He is superior to the angels as seen in these four ways.

1. He has a superior name. He is the Son. They are worshippers. (v.4-7)

Hebrews 1:1-3

(1) God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

(2) Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

(3) 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 on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

We’ve talked about this passage for 2 weeks.
God speaks…God hath spoken.
How hath God spoken in these last days? Through His Son!
This is the context that we are in when we come to verse 4.
He is talking about His Son.

Hebrews 1:4-14

(4) Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

Names seem to me to be more important to people in Biblical times than they are now.
I have found a good way to connect with people is to find out if they know what their name means.
Very often, people do not know what their name means, even though it is generally easy to be found in a name book or through a simple google search.
Names in Biblical times meant something.
To be given a name was done on purpose. This is not uncommon even in our day.
The author of Hebrews tells us that Jesus Christ was given a more excellent name than they.
Here we are introduced to the point of the rest of this chapter.
Jesus Christ is being revealed as “so much better than the angels”.
The word here translated “made” is “ginomai” which is change in state, not a change in existence from not existing to existing.
This is not talking about Him being created a certain way.
The author wants us to know that the revelation about Christ is clear about his superiority to angels.
How do we know He is superior?
The author uses a word- “by inheritance”. An inheritance comes by being a relative- a son or daughter- an heir.
What does this inheritance do or prove? That Christ “obtained a more excellent name than they”. The heir, more often than not, has the same name as the one giving the inheritance.
Remember what is being proven- Christ’s superiority to the angels.

A Word about Angels

In the created order, mankind is certainly greater than plants and animals.
God created man in His own image.
He gave us a stewardship over the earth. We are to have dominion over the earth and subdue it.
Angels are created beings. As wonderfully made as we are, there are created beings higher than man.
Listen to Psalm 8:4-6

Psalms 8:4-6

(4) What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

(5) For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

(6) Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:

Here are a few facts of what we know about angels:
Angels are created beings. According to the scripture there are many of them.

Daniel 7:10

(10) A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

Check out Revelation 5:11-12

Revelation 5:11-12

(11) And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

(12) Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

In God’s order of creation, Angels are higher than mankind.
After the fall to Satan, they are no longer subject to sin and its affects.
They do not have flesh and blood, though they do have bodies. We are told to be careful because we could entertain them unawares.
What was there purpose? They give glory, worship, and service to God.
Angels can appear in different forms. Matthew 28:3-4 describe an angel at Christ’s resurrection this way:

Matthew 28:2-4

(2) And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

(3) His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:

(4) And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.

Angels must be so impressive as to cause fear at their appearance. Almost every time one appears in scripture, their first words include “Fear not.”
Angels are intelligent and have emotions. They rejoice over a sinner who repents, for instance.
Angels do not marry and do not have children.

Mark 12:25

(25) For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.

Angels must not die, for we are not told anywhere of an angel dying.
So, it may be that they were made all at once in one number to which there are none being added and none being taken away.
Angels are organized and divided into ranks.
Colossians 1:16 says this:

Colossians 1:16

(16) For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

And in Ephesians 1:20-21

Ephesians 1:20-21

(20) Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

(21) Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

Speaking of the fallen angels in Ephesians 6:12 it says:

Ephesians 6:12

(12) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

The word angel means messenger.
They minister to God.
They serve God.
They do whatever God wants them to do.
They are spectators at times to the works of God.
At other times they are participants in those works.

A Word about the Jewish View of Angels

The typical Jewish view of angels would have been informed by both the scriptures and the traditional teaching of Jewish teachers of the day.
They believed that angels were higher in the created order than man. They were the closest thing to God without being God.
Some believed that God did nothing without consulting the angels.
Many thought that when God said “let us make man in our image” that He was speaking to angels. Of course, we understand that this is a trinitarian verse. The angels do not create- only God does that.
They believed that the angels were used to deliver the first covenant to them. This set them in high esteem with a Jewish Audience.
This was expressed by Stephen before he was martyred in Acts 7:51-53

Acts 7:51-53

(51) Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. (52) Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: (53) Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

This was also expressed by Paul in Galatians 3:19

Galatians 3:19

(19) Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

Many people, including jews, have believed wrongly about angels.
Some wrongly worshipped angels.

Colossians 2:18

(18) Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

Since the author of Hebrews has a Jewish audience in mind, and since His desire is to show Jesus’ superiority in every way, he decided, by the Holy Spirit, to start with Christ’s Superiority to the angels.
Back to our text-

Hebrews 1:4-14

(4) Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

A Different, and More Excellent Name

Jesus Christ has a different, and more excellent name than the angels, and thereby shows that He has a different position relative to the Father.
To what name is the author referring?
It is the name of “Son”.
This was a big deal, and the Jewish reader would have understood this.
Look at verse 5

(5) For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?

Here the author asks a question: “Which angel did the Father claim to have begotten? Which angel did the Father claim to be His only begotten Son?”
He was referring to the Father’s declaration in Psalm 2:7-

Psalms 2:7

(7) I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

So what is the answer? The answer is none. He never said this to any angel.
He only said it about Jesus Christ.
This is the point that the author makes about Jesus being called Son, being begotten of the Father.
He is the only “Son”, because He is the only one “begotten” of the Father.
What does it mean to be begotten?
Probably the most famous verse in the Bible contains that word “begotten”.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Jesus has eternally existed as the 2^nd person of the Trinity.
How is He begotten?
The Bible refers to him being begotten in two ways.
He is begotten through His incarnation at the virgin conception and birth.

Luke 1:35

(35) And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

This is the better name to which the author refers.
He is called the Son.
The angels are not. Why?
The Son of God, Jesus Christ, did not “come to be” at his conception and incarnation.
He was given the title of Son at his incarnation when He was begotten of the Father.
“The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”
The second way He is declared to be begotten as the Son is in the resurrection.
In Acts 13 Paul quotes this same verse, Psalm 2:5, speaking about Jesus. Look at how He refers to this verse about Christ being begotten:

Acts 13:26-34

(26) Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent. (27) For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him. (28) And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain.

(29) And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.

(30) But God raised him from the dead:

(31) And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people.

(32) And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,

(33) God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

(34) And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.

Paul sees Psalm 2:5 in the same way that the author of Hebrews did.
Jesus being declared a Son and begotten of the Father was not only in his birth, but also in His resurrection.
Paul said this in Romans 1:3-4:

Romans 1:3-4

(3) Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

(4) And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

Because Jesus was declared to be the Son of God with power through the incarnation, conception and virgin birth…
Because Jesus was declared to be the Son of God with power through the resurrection from the dead for our sins…
…We know that Jesus Christ is Superior in every way to the angels. He has obtained the name of Son- a name that they were never given. He is the only begotton Son.
He has a superior name. He is the Son. They are…what are they?

(6) And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.

This is quote from Psalm 97:7 and Deuteronomy 32:43 from the Septuagint, which was the Greek translation of the Old Testament.
The angels of God are mighty, and wonderful, and above men.
But they are not worshipped by God, and should not be worshipped by men.
They worship God. He doesn’t worship them.
In fact, when Christ was born into the world the angels came and worshipped Him.
When He resurrected from the dead, the angels were their to announce His resurrection.

(7) And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.

They worship Him because He has a superior name. He is the Son. They are worshippers.
That leads us to our second, and possibly last point for the day, and it is closely aligned with the first point.

2. He has a superior position. He is King. They are servants. (v.8-9)

(5) For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?

In verse 5 we have already mentioned the first quotation, Psalm 2:7.
At the end of the verse it is quoted, “I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?”
This is another quotation from the Old Testament. You’ll find it in 2 Samuel 7:14. Let me read it in its full context starting in verse 12 and read to verse 16.

2 Samuel 7:12-16

(12) And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.

(13) He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

(14) I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:

(15) But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.

(16) And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.

This is a part of the Davidic Covenant.
God tells David that His house and his throne shall be established for ever.
How is this throne of David established “forever”?
The prophecy had an immediate fulfillment in Solomon in the national sense.
In a larger and more incredible sense, it refers to David’s greater Son of another nature, Jesus Christ.

(8) But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

What is the position of Jesus Christ?
By being an heir, the heir of all things mentioned in verse 2, and by having obtained through an inheritance a name that is greater than the angels, he also has been given a throne.
This throne is not just a theoretical throne.
The Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God will rule and reign on the throne of David forever, just as God promised!
Look at what He says in verse 9:

(9) Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

Verse 8 and 9 are a quote of Psalm 45:6-7

Psalms 45:6-7

(6) Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.

(7) Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

There was a near fulfillment in this Psalm referring to Solomon sitting on the throne of David.
But we find that this quote, through progressive revelation giving us insight in Hebrews 1:8-9, refers to one greater than Solomon. This is speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Who is Jesus Christ as the Son and Heir? He is the King that will sit on the throne to rule and reign.
Who are the angels then? They are what is mentioned in verse 7.

(7) And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.

He is the king. They are the servants.
This is exactly what we see foreknown and predicted in the book of Revelation:

Revelation 5:1-14

(1) And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.

(2) And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?

(3) And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.

(4) And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.

(5) And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

(6) And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

(7) And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

(8) And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

(9) And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

(10) And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

(11) And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

(12) Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

(13) And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

(14) And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

Conclusion:

Application:

If we are a little lower than the angels…If they are superior to us…And yet Jesus Christ has been given a great name than they… He is the Son, and they are the worshippers…Then shouldn’t we tremble in the presence of God to worship Him and Honor Him with our hearts, and our lips, and our lives?
If He is the eternally existent One, who sits on a throne as king, and will come again one day to conquer and to sit forever on that throne to rule and to reign….and the angels are his servants…shouldn’t we serve?
Shouldn’t we worship?
Shouldn’t we serve?

We ought to worship and we ought to serve if for no other reason than for this. Jesus did not die for any angels. But He came and died for you and for me.

Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

(11) And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

(12) Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

Topics: Angels, Jesus Christ