The Superiority of Christ to Angels

Transcript

GRM 573
6/07/1998
The Superiority of Christ to Angels
Hebrews 1:4-14
Gil Rugh

I want to direct your attention back to the book of Hebrews and chapter 1, where we were looking at our study this morning. Hebrews, chapter 1. The writer to the letter has established the absolute superiority of Christ in the opening verses, particularly in relation to the prophets. He is the supreme Revealer of God as the Son of God. What he is going to do, picking up with verse 4, and you’ll note, you don’t even have a new sentence in verse 4, where he says, “having become as much better than the angels.” He moves right in to demonstrating the superiority of Christ in specific areas now, such as angels. Then it will be Moses, and so on.

This word ‘better’ that you have in verse 4, is a key word in the book of Hebrews. It appears 13 times as the writer hammers away “Christ is better.” He has superseded. He, and He alone, deserves our complete allegiance. Keep in mind these Hebrews are professing believers, yet they are wavering in that solid, unshakable, undivided commitment to follow Jesus Christ, whatever the cost, whatever the price. It was costly for them to follow Christ. Later in the letter he refers to things that they have lost regarding their homes and possessions and so on. But we must be clear, Christ is the One who deserves all our allegiance.

He’s going to demonstrate Christ as superior to angels beginning in chapter 1, verse 4, and that will go on over to I believe chapter 5, where he talks about angels. It may not go that far. I don’t have it jotted down, the breakdown of the Hebrews at this point. But he wants them to be clear. Christ is superior to angels. Where you see, it’s one thing to demonstrate that He is superior to other human beings, as Christ was Man as well as God. He’s superior to prophets. He’s superior to Moses, superior to Aaron. Let’s establish, He is superior to those beings which themselves are spirit beings.

We have a great interest in angels today. Books are being written about angels. They’ve made the news with writings about angels and the interest in angels. It amazes me how people will gravitate, people generally, I’m specifically not talking about believers here, although it begins to impact us as well, to an interest in angels. They are spirit beings. What do we learn from angels? Wow, here’s somebody who says they talked to angels, and we get enthralled with that. We understand angels are inferior beings when we are talking about the Son of God. He is supreme, He is exalted. So, even as a Christian, my interest in angels is limited. I’m interested to understand their roll as God has created and prepared them, but I have no particular interest in talking to an angel, quite honestly. I have a relationship with the One who is a Son. He has promised to never leave me or forsake me. I am invited, as the book of Hebrews unfolds, to come with boldness, confidence before the very throne of God and speak with Him.

So we need to keep our perspective proper even as God’s people, otherwise we get swept up in this interest in angels. I’m not belittling angels, but we ought to have an understanding that the Son is supreme. What the writer of the Hebrews is going to do is establish that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Messiah of Israel is exalted above the angels. He is superior to the angels. He is going to have an extended list of Old Testament scriptures to support this position. We’re going to just overview the rest of chapter 1, verses 4 to 14. You’ll note how your Bible’s laid out, because this is really a series of references and quotes of the Old Testament, because he is writing to Jews. He is demonstrating from the Old Testament scriptures, that the Old Testament scriptures declare that the Messiah would be superior to the angels.

So, he says in verse 4, “Having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.” “A more excellent name” is, I take it, His name as the Son of God. He’s the One who is a Son, and as the Son of God He has a more excellent name. Now, he’s focusing on Christ as the Messiah. As the One who became incarnate because as the eternal God, the creating God who called angels into existence, there is obviously superiority there. But he links that to the incarnation of the Son, and the full outworking of God’s plan in Him as the Savior and as the Messiah. As the One who is not only God but who is Man.

Let’s look through the passages here. I’ve listed six evidences of the superiority of Christ to angels. That may be a good opening conversation for you with people today. You see people reading an article upon angels, reading books about angels, talking about angels, could be a point of a beginning of a conversation. You move it from angels to the One who is superior to angels.

In verse 5, he establishes the fact that the Son is superior to angels because He is God’s unique Son. The fact of Sonship sets Him apart. Verse 5, “For to which of the angels did He ever say,” and you note that ‘for.’ He has become better than the angels, “for to which of the angels.” So, we’re showing that He is better than the angels. “For to which of the angels did He ever say, ‘You are my Son. Today I have begotten you.’ And, again, ‘I will be a Father to Him, and He shall be a Son to Me.’”

Two quotes here. Most of these quotes are from the book of Psalms, except one, and we come to that one in verse 5. There’s two verses referred to in verse 5. Psalm 2, verse 7. We won’t go back to the Old Testament references, since they are repeated for us here. “You are my Son. Today I have begotten You.” We looked into Psalm 2 earlier, in our earlier study. God declares, “You are my Son. Today I have begotten You.”

That concept doesn’t primarily refer to the fact that he had a beginning. His humanity had a beginning, but as we have seen in other contexts, He Himself is eternal. He has His established that in verse 3 where we are told that He created all things. The idea of He has been begotten, as He has been brought before the world in this way: Romans chapter 1, verse 4 says “He has been declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead.” There is a demonstration and a declaration of His person in His resurrection, that is that He is the Son of God with power.

At His baptism in Matthew chapter 3, verse 17, God declared from Heaven, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” The same thing happened on the Mount of Transfiguration in Matthew chapter 17, verse 5. The resurrection has displayed Him as the Son, but He was the Son before the resurrection. So even though Romans 1 said He was “declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead,” He was the Son before that, His begotten Son. “I have begotten You.” He took on His humanity at His birth at Bethlehem. But all that was, was the bringing in a unique way before the world the Person of the Son of God.
The second quote here, again, “I will be a Father to Him, and He shall be a Son to Me,” comes from 2 Samuel chapter 7, verse 14. There God is speaking to David that immediate reference is to Solomon. And God’s promises to David regarding the son that he would have, Solomon, and the way God would work with Solomon. But the Spirit makes clear that there is a more ultimate reference to the greater Son of David, the Messiah of Israel. And of Him, “I will be a Father to Him and He shall be a Son to Me.” In both these quotations, Psalm 2 and 2 Samuel 7, the emphasis is on the fact that Jesus, the Messiah, is acknowledged by God as His Son. That’s something no angel has ever been revealed to be. So, He’s superior by the fact that He is the Son. The Old Testament scriptures demonstrate He is God’s Son. So as a Son, obviously He is of a different nature than the angels and a vastly superior relationship to God.

The second demonstration of the superiority of Christ is in verse 6, and it is very simple. He is superior because the angels are commanded to worship the Son. Verse 6, “And when He again brings the first born into the world He says, ‘And let all the angels of God worship Him.’” The way this is put grammatically, “And when He again brings the first born into the world,” probably is referring to the fact when He comes again. That would be the most natural reference and wording of the grammar here. “When He again brings the first born into the world, He says, ‘Let all the angels of God worship Him.’” In the context of the second advent in particular, it would be the focus and angels are associated with the second advent in a number of passages.

He refers to them here, “When He brings the first born into the world.” The first born here comes from the Old Testament concept again, and we’re not going to take the time to work through all the details on this, but the first born had priority. And, ye, often it refers to the one who is born first in time. The first born received the rights of the inheritance. He would receive a double portion. You say, “That’s not fair!”, but it was a way to keep the family inheritance going on, and, ah, somewhat intact. So, he had the position of honor, if you will. The line of inheritance went through the first born.
However, the title ‘first born’ came to be used more broadly than just of the one who was literally born first in time. It came to be a title, and it did not always belong to the one who was born first in time. There are examples of this in the Old Testament where someone other than the one born first in time was given the right or prerogative of first born. Joseph being an example of this. Remember, from his father, Jacob, the two sons of Joseph were given each a portion in the inheritance. Joseph, in effect, in that sense, receiving a double portion and the line of blessing would not go through the first born and not through the line of Joseph, in that sense as well.

In Psalm 89:27, the Messiah is referred to has the first born. Maybe we will go to that passage since it’s not quoted here. Psalm 89:27, as an example of the Messiah being declared the first born. You see what’s involved here in this Messianic passage. Look at verse 27 of Psalm 89. “I shall, I also shall make Him my first born, the highest of the kings of the earth.” Here a declaration that the Messiah will be given the position of honor. “The highest of the kings of the earth.” So He will rule over all. That’s the point.

Back in Hebrews, chapter 1, “when He again,” verse 6, “when He again brings the first born into the world, He says, “Let all the angels of God worship Him.”” The reference there from Psalm 97, verse 7. “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” Well, obviously He is superior to the angels.
You see something of the uniqueness of the person of Christ, because He’s the one who is fully Man and that becomes important through the book of Hebrews. But He is the one who is God as well, for only God can be worshipped. Remember, in the book of Revelation on a couple of occasions when John was overwhelmed with the revelation that was being given to him through angels, he fell down to worship the angel. The angel immediately rebukes him. “Worship God!”
Here God tells the angels to worship the Son, because He is not only Man, but He is God. You see here the union of the God-Man. The Son of God, the Messiah of Israel is the one to whom the angels offer worship. So, obviously, He is superior to the angels.

Look at verse 7. He’s superior to angels because angels are servants in verse 7. “And of the angels, He says, ‘Who makes His angels winds and His ministers a flame of fire.’” God uses angels to carry out His work, just like He uses the wind, just like He uses flames of fire. Some believe this might be a reference to lightening, Lord of the fire. The natural elements are instruments in God’s hands for the accomplishing of His purposes. So the angels are instruments in God’s hands for the accomplishing of His purposes. They are exalted creatures. Again, I’m not, and the writer of the Hebrews, is obviously not belittling angels, but they must have their proper place. Their proper place is under the Son, worshipping the Son, doing the bidding of God, in contrast to the Son who will rule and reign.

So the contrast, in verse 8, and the fourth evidence. Incidentally that quote was from Psalm 104, verse 4, you would have these in your references in your margin in your Bible as well. Point 4, He is superior to the angels because He is God and has an eternal throne. Again, this links together, obviously, in the flow. The angels are winds, a flame of fire is how they are used, “but of the Son He says, ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.’” The scepter, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom. “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness, therefore, God, your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness above Your companions.” He is God. He has an eternal throne. Exalted above all else. And you note here, “of the Son He says,” quoting from Psalm 45, verses 7 and 8. “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.” And here you have a declaration, I take it, of the deity of the Son, and God the Father declaring of God the Son, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.” It is an eternal throne.

He has been anointed, in verse 9, “with the oil of gladness.” That pictures festivity, rejoicing, anticipating the time when the Son will rule and reign over all creation. Again, we’re not focusing here just on His role as God, because as Isaiah 6 has made clear, before the incarnation He sat exalted in the heavens. The object of angelic worship, as the angels, the seraphim, evidently a branch of angels, declared “Holy! Holy! Holy! Is the Lord God!” But here now, as the One who has become incarnate, who is the Son of God in flesh, declaration, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.” Characteristic of His life, He loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. So, the picture here of the anointing and the festivity and gladness that will accompany the reign that He will enjoy.

He’s been anointed with the oil of gladness “above your companions.” Above all those associated with Him. Some would say the companions here are angels, but it may be a reference to us as believers, because chapter 2, verse 11 says, “Both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” So we are associated with Christ as believers. We are brethren because of our faith in Him and God’s salvation that brings us into His family. But He is above all. So we are sons of God, but He is the Son of God, the unique Son of God and He is above us, and we as the redeemed sons of God offer worship to the One who is the redeeming Son of God. But He is God. He has an eternal throne that rules over all and will rule overall so He is obviously superior to angels.

Point 5, He is superior to angels because He is the Creator and eternally the same. Verse 10, verse 11, “You, Lord, in the beginning, did lay the foundation of the earth. The heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain. They all will become old as a garment, and as a mantle You will roll them up; and as a garment they will also be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not come to an end.”

Tremendous statement when you think that under the inspiration of the Spirit, these are clearly referring to Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. “And You Lord, in the beginning,” incidentally that’s a quote from Psalm 102, verses 25-27. He is the Creator. “You, Lord, in the beginning did lay the foundation of the earth.” God never said that to the angels. Keep in mind, now, the flow of this. Back to verse 4 and verse 5, “Which, to which of the angels did He ever say?” “And You Lord in the beginning did lay the foundation.” There the point is, He says that to the Son. This fits with what we already looked at in verse 2 of Hebrews 1, “Through Whom He also made the world, the ages.”

So, He is the one who laid the foundation of the earth. That’s why John’s gospel, chapter 1, verse 1 says, “In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God.” “In the beginning was the word,” or you could translate it literally, “In the beginning the word already was.” The point is when you get to the beginning, which is as far back as we can go, pick up in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth,” the word already was. So in the beginning, Lord, You laid the foundation of the earth and the Heavens are the work of your hands.

One thing I mentioned in our previous study, some of what is going on in science today as they talk about maybe discovering a new star, a new planet, the immensity of the universes and so on. It just overwhelms me as they talk about how many millions of light years it would take light from that distant place to get to the earth. That kind of immensity just goes beyond what I can comprehend and yet Jesus Christ is the One who called it all into existence. Imagine that might of His power! I mean, with everything that man has done, we’re thinking maybe that we have, by different methods, been able to find that there is something else further out there, another star, another planet, another galaxy, whatever. But we as yet don’t have the instruments to plumb all of that. But it goes on and I say, “And Jesus Christ, my Savior, the One who hung on the cross for me, He’s the one who created the heavens.”

“He laid the foundation of the earth, the heavens are the work of your hands.” He is eternal. Note this, “they will perish, but you remain.” There’s going to be a new heaven and a new earth someday. “They will all become old as a garment, as a mantle, you will roll them up, as a garment they will also be changed, but You are the same, and your years will not come to an end.” Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever.” Some take that verse today and try to say that means Jesus Christ does miracles in the same way today that He did when He walked the earth. Well, that’s foolishness because the verse said, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” In other words, He is unchanging. But there was a time when He didn’t walk the earth in a physical body. There was a time when He wasn’t on earth doing physical miracles and so on. The verse is talking about His character. The point here is He is unchanging. Now that He has taken to Himself humanity and He will ultimately rule and reign forever when the Heavens and earth pass away, He will be there. By God’s grace we will be there with Him. Get a concept that is mind boggling when you think about it, this Savior that loved us, that died for us, that redeems us as poor, wretched, vile sinners, and makes us members of God’s family. He is the one who is eternal. Remember the prophecy regarding His birth at Bethlehem by Micah? And the one born at Bethlehem would be the what? The One who is “from eternity.” Amazing! It’s the one who dwells in eternity and all creation will come and go.

While we were traveling back, we stopped to visit some historic houses. We stopped at the Biltmore in Ashland, North Carolina. It was an interesting experience to go through that house. But, you know, the man who built it is dead, is gone. And I think, this is the best that man can do and people like me pay good money to come and walk through this place and be in awe, he’s dead and gone. You know that house won’t last for eternity. If they weren’t charging money to go through it, they couldn’t afford to keep it up. It would just be a decayed wreck. Besides, I walk through there and I couldn’t help but think what God is preparing for me in glory is even better. And particularly when I went into a library that they have there that you would die for if you were me. Even, even this is not anything to be compared with what there will be in glory. But I did take Marilyn back for a second trip to the library, though at least she would get to enjoy it in it’s fullness.

We have a God who is our Savior, who is eternal. He’s the unchanging eternal God who created it all. He is superior to the angels. The sixth reason He is superior to the angels is because He’s exalted to the Father’s right hand, and all will be subject to Him. “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.’” Psalm 110, verse 1. One of the most oft quoted Old Testament passages in the New Testament. “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” In other words, all are going to be brought into subjection to Him. He’s been exalted to the Father’s right hand. We saw that at the end of verse 3, also to be given the place of supremacy above all.

And angels, “are they not all ministering spirits sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?” They are “ministering spirits.” The word for ministering, here, serving spirits, not in the word that’s used for slavery service but of official functioning, if you will. They are servants carrying out official function as God’s representatives in doing His bidding on our behalf as those who will inherit salvation. So, angels are sent to serve and act on behalf of those who are redeemed by Christ and someday destined to rule and reign with Him. I would not in any way minimize the glory of the angels who serve in the presence of God, but I need to be very careful that I don’t exalt them beyond the exaltation that God has given them. They are “ministering spirits.” Jesus Christ is the one who sits at the right hand of the Father until the enemies are all brought into subjection to Him. The angels do the bidding of God in serving on our behalf. We need to keep that in mind, that doesn’t mean I should worship angels, that I should honor angels, that I should desire to focus on angels. That’s not the purpose!

Again, keep in mind, this material is presented at the beginning of an extensive letter to people who have professed to come to know Christ but are in danger of loosing their focus. I have no interest at all to read the books that are being written about angels, not any interest at all. Now, I don’t mind reading a book that is a theological study of what the Bible says about angels any more than I like to read a theological study of what the Bible says about other areas to help me understand the scripture. But someone’s thinking about angels, or someone who thinks they saw an angel or talked to an angel or all this sentimental idea that’s conveyed in pictures about cherub-like beings that are angels and we get some sentimental ideas. Nice to know the angels are with me and that’s comforting? No, what I really thrill at is this Son said, “I’ll never leave you or forsake you!” This One, who is a Son, laid down His life for me! When He hung on the cross He was bearing my sins in His body that “I might die to sin and live to righteousness.”

We want to keep our focus. Even, if you will, good things can be distorted by us and then they lead us away from the purity of devotion to Christ. So, praise God! The Son is vastly superior to the angels. They are created beings who serve. He is the One who is a Son who reigns, and who will reign through all eternity. The Son is the One to Whom all spirit beings and human beings alike will some day be in full subjection. He is the One to Whom all honor and glory is due.

So, in chapter 2, he’ll move on to say, now, you understand how important it is to come to the salvation that is found in this Son. That there is no leeway, because in chapter 2, verse 2, the word that God communicated by angels to man, and angels were used in the giving of the Law to Moses, it was unalterable. It brought judgment for disobedience. “How shall we escape if we neglect so, great salvation?” If you were punished for disobedience to the word communicated through angels, what will be the result of refusing to believe and obey the Son? See, that’s the driving point of the book of Hebrews, what we must take to heart. The issue of the Son. Who He is and what He’s done is of eternal significance and importance, and there is no leeway.

“If the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, every transgression, every disobedience received a just recompense, how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?” The salvation revealed and provided in and through the One who is a Son. You see, these Hebrews have to understand that this is not a game. There’s nothing here to be debated, to be worked out, no compromises here to be entered into. He is the Son. Our devotion to Him must be complete. Our obedience to Him must be complete. There can be no turning aside or back without destruction.

Let’s pray together: Thank you, Lord, for this One who is a Son. And how we thrill to know that this One who is a Son is the Savior, Who has provided so great a salvation. Then take us, the vilest and most undeserving sinners, and wash us and make us clean, white as snow, white like wool. Lord, He alone deserves our full devotion, our undivided attention, the commitment of our lives. Lord, thank you for the privilege we have to know You through Him. May we be faithful in our commitment to Him. May we be undistracted. May our allegiance be complete. May our testimony be strong. That we are those committed to the One who is a Son. May our service demonstrate that commitment. May that be true of us as a Church and of us as individual members of the body of Christ. And we pray in His name. Amen.


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