HEBREWS 1:1-3 JESUS CHRIST, GOD'S ULTIMATE REVELATION & HEBREWS 1:4-14 JESUS CHRIST IS SUPERIOR TO THE ANGELS

Posted by on 26 February 2011 | 0 Comments

Friends:

I taught a Bible study this week and it is such an important subject, I thought I would share my notes with you.  I want to give credit to Pastor Michael Andrus who shared his Hebrew sermon notes with me years ago.  His thoughts were the basis for putting this lesson together.

Thanks Mike, you're the best!

Blessings to all,

Donnie

 

HEBREWS 1:1-3

JESUS CHRIST, GOD'S ULTIMATE REVELATION

He is superior to all other communication from God in the past

The believers who received this letter were living in the midst of very difficult circumstances.  First, they were transitioning from the Old Covenant to a New Covenant.  Leaving our old ways and entering into a new way can be difficult for all of us.  They were leaving the old covenant ways, and its temple worship to a new covenant of being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Second, the first century Christian-Jews were undergoing intense persecution.  Many, because of their faith in Jesus, had been cut off from their Jewish families and friends.  They were considered "unclean" in the strongest possible sense.

Nor did these Hebrew Christians fit into the anti-Semitic, Nero-ruled, Roman empire.  They were being mocked, scourged, and imprisoned by the Romans.

At first, these Christian Jews joyfully accepted the persecution (10:34), but after a while their endurance began to weaken (10:35-36) and the situation seemed to be so unbearable it was actually tempting some of them to turn their backs on Jesus.

So, the book of Hebrews is a book written for Christians who are struggling.  And as we all know from personal experience, persecution and suffering has the potential of opposite effects on people.  It can either stimulate them to greater faith and renewed spiritual vitality, or it can discourage them and produce spiritual lethargy and paralysis.  It seems like the latter was the experience of most of the recipients of this letter.  They had lost their first love, they had become discouraged, and they had quit growing and maturing in their faith.

The principal message of Hebrews is this:  "Let us go on to maturity."  In order to achieve the goal the author follows a plan which involves three primary factors - heavy doctrine, strong warnings and practical application.  (See outline)  The doctrine covers the bulk of the first 10 chapters.  The warnings, of which there are 5 primary ones, are scattered throughout the book.  And the practical exhortations fill the final chapters.

The single greatest roadblock to spiritual maturity is an inadequate view of Jesus Christ.

Not even persecution will sidetrack those who understand the incomparable greatness of their Lord and Savior.  So the writer opens the book with a brilliant defense and reminder of the uniqueness of Jesus and continues that theme chapter after chapter.

In the "heavy doctrine" section the writer begins the book by explaining that Jesus is superior to all other communication from God in the past.  He then tells us Jesus is superior to the angels.  And He is superior to the great prophets and priests of the Old Testament, including Moses.  He is also superior to the Law, the 10 commandments and the liturgy of the Old Testament.  In fact, the book is written to teach us that Jesus is superior to anyone and anything, everyone and everything and He alone is the only source of salvation.  Jesus Christ is our perfect priest and perfect sacrifice and any person who believes in Him will stand forgiven before God.

In fact, the theme of Hebrews is this:  Understanding the Superiority of Christ:  the key to the believer's Maturity.

Hebrews 1:1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,

Many times and in various ways God has revealed Himself.  Q:  What are some of the diverse ways God spoke to people in the past?

In Genesis, he spoke by angels.  Abraham had dreams and spoke to the Angel of the Lord.  Moses, a burning bush.  He spoke through a long line of prophets using miracles, visions, dreams, many different times and many different ways.

But all these ways of communicating were inadequate.  Why?  Because each of them were merely channels of truth.  The prophets could talk about God, and tell us what he was saying, but man, you and I, desperately needed a personal confrontation with God Himself.  So, in these last days, God decided to speak in a way He had never spoken before... through His Son, Jesus.  Jesus was constantly correcting the misunderstanding of the prophets message... "you have heard it said, but I say unto you...  When men get involved, we complicate things with our traditions.

Hebrews 1:2     but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.

God's ultimate and final revelation was given through Jesus.  All the revelation before Jesus was often misunderstood and incomplete.  But with the arrival of Jesus, the message was complete and it was superior.  An understanding of God is now possible by looking at Jesus.

And why is the revelation of Jesus superior to all the other revelations?  Because of who He is.  And it was directly from God himself.

Q:  So, who is Jesus and why is He superior?

Fact #1:  He has been appointed the heir of all things.  He is the end.  What does that mean?  It means, that He, and His kingdom, is the goal or the purpose of the entire universe.  The kingdom of God is going to be set up on this earth someday in the near future.   The prophets and the Book of Revelation God have revealed some aspects of this glorious kingdom.  That day will occur when Jesus returns to earth to rule as King of Kings and Lord of Lords over heaven and earth.  In the end, it all belongs to Him.

Fact #2:  He made the universe.  He is the beginning.  The Bible teaches that Jesus is the creator of all things, including the angels as we will see in a moment (John 1:3, Col 1:16).    Naturally, if Jesus is the creator, then He is God!

Hebrews 1:3    The Son is the radiance of God's glory

and the exact representation of his being

sustaining all things by his powerful word.

After he had provided purification for sins,

he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Fact #3:  He is the radiance or brightness of God's glory.  What is God?  God is Light!!!  The Bible teaches that there is, surrounding God, a glorious brilliance.  (Rev 21).  It's a light so bright, it is unapproachable by man.  In God's kingdom on earth we are told there will be no sun or moon.  Why?  Because God Himself will light the universe, through the outshining of Jesus.

Fact #4:  He is the exact representation of God's nature.  The express image of God. Jesus perfectly mirrors God.   Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God.  Jesus said, "He that has seen me has seen the Father" (Jn 14:9).  Jesus is the total and complete expression of God in a human body.  So, what is God like?  Well, what was Jesus like?  You can not love God and reject the Son.  It's a package deal.  To know God is to know Jesus.  He is God!!!

Fact #5:  He sustains or upholds all things by the Word of His power.  In essence, this is telling us he is not only the beginning and the end, but He is the middle too. He holds everything together.  Q:  What's holding all those little atoms together?  Coulombs law of electricity tells us that opposite charges attract, and positive charges repel.  Take a magnet and try to put the positive pole against the positive. What happens?  In an atom, you have positive charges that are being held together.  They call it atomic glue.  I call it Jesus.  What happens if you release all the positive charges of an atom?  Tremendous explosion of an atomic bomb.  Jesus is the force that holds all this together.  He holds everything together by what he says... powerful words!  He got the whole world in His hands.  He's got you and me brother, in His hands.

Fact #6:  He provided purification of our sins.  He, by Himself, made "atonement" or  sacrificed Himself for our sins.  He alone hung on the cross and died for our sins, providing the perfect remedy for our sins... sins which separate us from God.  Because of this fact, the Father is now satisfied and we can have eternal life if we believe on Jesus.  The way to God the Father, for sinful man, has been established through Jesus, God's Son.  Jesus in the garden prayed that if there was any other way that redemption could be possible, please Father, let this cup, this cross death would pass by.  There is no other way!

Fact #7:  He sat down at the right hand of God.  Why did He do that?  He rested, because His work was complete.  There was nothing more He needed to do.  Jesus sat down because His work of redemption was complete.  Remember His words on the cross?  "It is finished."  This is why God said, "This is my beloved Son.  Listen to Him."

Q:  Why do you think the author of Hebrews made such a point of Jesus' deity to these Hebrew Christians?

Q:  What impact do you think these words should have on us, who are considering returning to our old ways and rejecting Jesus?

HEBREWS 1:4-14

JESUS CHRIST IS SUPERIOR TO THE ANGELS

Q:  What is the relationship between the angels and Jesus?

Today, we will see that, as great as angels are, Jesus Christ is vastly superior to them.  He has a greater name than theirs.  He is worshipped by them.  He has greater authority.  He has greater work.  And He has a greater position.  He is in a totally different category.

Hebrews 1:4     So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

Beginning with Hebrews 1:5, there is a series of quotations from the O.T. in fact there are seven, and six of them are from the book of Psalms.  These are very important because the writer is using them to enforce his point that Jesus is superior over the angels.  Why is that so important?

Because, apparently in the first century, false teachers taught that God could only be approached through angels.  And some taught that Jesus was the highest angel of all.  Today, some cults teach very similar error.  Jehovah's Witness's teach Jesus was Michael the archangel.  Mormon's teach Jesus was Lucifer's brother.  But in this passage we clearly learn that Jesus is in a totally different category.  He is not an angel that has been elevated to a higher state.  He is in a totally different category.

Quote #1 and #2 are from Ps 2.

Hebrews 1:5

For to which of the angels did God 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"?

Q:  What do you think the point of these quotes are?  The writer is establishing the fact that Jesus is one with the Father.  The Father told this to Jesus because He alone has an intimate relationship with the Father the angels do not enjoy.  Jesus is called "Son" a title never given to an angel.  I would suggest to you that "today" is a reference to the incarnation, His birth into the world.  "Son" is his incarnation title, yet He has existed from eternity past.

Quote #3:

Hebrews 1:6

And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,

"Let all God's angels worship him."

What is the relationship between Jesus and the angels?  Angels are commanded to worship Jesus because He is a superior being.  We never read of the Son of God worshipping anything, but we find the angels worshipping Him...

Rev. 5:11-14

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. [12] In a loud voice they sang:

"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength

and honor and glory and praise!"

[13] Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:

"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be praise and honor and glory and power,

for ever and ever!"

[14] The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Quote #4:

Hebrews 1:7 In speaking of the angels he says,

"He makes his angels winds,

his servants flames of fire."

FACTS ABOUT ANGELS:

Let's talk about the nature of angels for a moment:  What is an angel?

Hebrews 1:14

Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

The word angel simply means "messenger."  Angels are ministering spirits who run the Father's errands and help carry out His work on earth. Most of their interaction with us is of an invisible nature, because they are spirits, but occasionally God allows them to make themselves visible.  He calls them "winds and fires" referring to them as powerful forces.  This indicates their sweeping and swift effect, which man can not control.

Ø They are created beings, who applauded God as He did his creative work.  (Ps 148:2,5;  Col 1:16;  Job 38:6,7)

Ø Angels are immortal, they never die, and have no need to reproduce (Mark 12:25)

Ø There are a very large number of them.

Ø They protect a favored class of human beings, God's people (Mt 18:10, Hebrews 1:14)

Ø There is joy in the presence of angels when one sinner repents (Lk 15:10)

Ø When the church prays, angels are sometimes dispatched by God to answer those prayers (Acts 12:7)

Ø Angels are sometimes used by God to discipline believers like Balaam (Numbers 22:23)

Ø Angels sometime attend church in disguise, which should provide motivation for Christians to show hospitality to strangers (Heb 13:2)  Look at the person sitting next to you.  What do you think?  Any possibility?

Ø Angels are fascinated by our plan of redemption (I Peter 1:12)  They have never seen anything like it.  They see the amazing way God has solved the problem of sin and are astounded.  You see, when Lucifer and 1/3 of the angels fell, they were given no second chance.  They have no plan of redemption.  They are going into the Lake of Fire.  But God give mankind a second chance.  He desires to forgive our sin and restore us to the fellowship we had in the Garden of Eden.

Ø Angels escort believers to heaven when they die.  Lazarus was carried to Abraham's side. (Lk 16:22)

The conclusion we draw from all this information is that angels are amazing creatures, great in might and power, but as great as they are, Jesus is vastly superior.  And He alone should be worshipped.

Quote #5 is from Ps 45:6;

Hebrews 1:8-9

But about the Son he says,

"Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever,

and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.

[9] You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;

therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions

by anointing you with the oil of joy."

Now here is an interesting thing.  God calls Jesus God.  John called Him God in John 1.  But Ps 45 tells us that there is one coming from the line of David who will rule the world in righteousness.  According to the writer of Hebrews, the is the Lord Jesus. God the Father has not given the right to rule the earth to any angels.  Jesus is superior to the angels because He alone rules the universe.

Quote #6 for Ps 102:25-27;

Hebrews 1:10-12 He also says,

"In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,

and the heavens are the work of your hands.

[11] They will perish, but you remain;

they will all wear out like a garment.

[12] You will roll them up like a robe;

like a garment they will be changed.

But you remain the same,

and your years will never end."

Jesus created all matter and built it into a vast and measureless universe.  He is the authority over all creation.  And the day is coming when He will roll up the present heavens and earth.  They will wear out.  This earth is not permanent.  I believe in a very short time, Jesus will introduce a new heavens and a new earth, for his saints to live in for all eternity.

Quote #7 from Ps 110:1;

Hebrews 1:13   To which of the angels did God ever say,

"Sit at my right hand

until I make your enemies

a footstool for your feet"?

Someday, you and I will see the all Christ's enemies bowing before Him.

Philip. 2:8-11

And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to death--

even death on a cross!

[9] Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,

[10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

[11] and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

This position of highest honor is known only by Jesus Christ, He who is superior over everything and anything.