One of the features of the Epistle to the Hebrews is how Jesus is described as being ”better” in many ways to emphasise His pre-eminence in the universe. In chapter 1:4-14 He is described as being better than the angels in the following ways.
How Is Jesus Better Than The Angels?
i]. The Name He Has Inherited Is More Excellent Than Theirs
Heb 1:4 “having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.” The “name” in the Bible stands for all that the person is and has done. Jesus’ name is superior for God has made Him His heir as the Son, “whom he appointed the heir of all things.” Hebrews 1:2.
ii]. He Is The Son, Not Just A Messenger
Heb 1:5 “For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”? Angels were just ministering servants and did not belong to the family of God. Only of Jesus at His baptism did God declare, “You are my Son.” It was never said to any angel at any time. Jesus is the eternal Son of God.
iii]. He Is To Be Worshipped By Angels As The Divine King Of An Eternal Kingdom
Heb 1:6 “And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” 7 Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.” 8 But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the sceptre of uprightness is the sceptre of your kingdom.”
Angels had their place and functions in the purposes of God but they were to worship the Son, Jesus. The writer quotes Psalms 45:6 as God declaring this truth about Jesus, 6 “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.“ Jesus is the eternal Son of God and far superior to any angel.
iv]. He Was Anointed By God With The Oil Of Gladness
Heb 1:9 “You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”
The writer uses the word [chriō; χρίω] to describe Jesus being anointed by God and thus Jesus became known as the [Christos; Χριστός] the anointed One. Jesus’ “companions” probably were His disciples who were also anointed by the Holy Spirit but the anointing of Jesus was of much greater significance because of Who He was and because of the magnitude of the task He came to earth to fulfil as the Messiah.
v]. He As The Lord Created The Universe But He Himself Is Beyond Creation
Heb 1:10 And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, 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 like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.”
Jesus as the Creator made everything, as the apostle John wrote, “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” John 1:13. However Jesus stands above creation, for He is unchanging and never aging. His creation may begin to wear out but Jesus can change it if He so wills as the Sustainer of the universe. The creation is great but Jesus as the Creator-Sustainer is infinitely greater. He is supreme over the whole universe.
vi]. God Has Seated Him At His Right Hand In Glory
Heb 1:13 “And to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?”
The role of angels is here spelt out. They are to serve those who become saved. They are ministering spirits sent forth to serve and are not part of the family of God. It was only to Jesus that God said, “Sit my right hand.” This is the place of honour in the presence of God. Jesus had fulfilled the Father’s will in dying for the sin of humankind and making forgiveness available for the people of God. As the writer had penned a few verses before, “After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” 1:3. His single sacrifice of Himself accomplished the redemptive plan of God and so He could be seated at the right hand of God for His saving work was done.
The Hebrews whom the writer was addressing, held the angels of God in high esteem. But throughout this chapter the writer tried to show the pre-eminence of Jesus as being the Sovereign King over all things and over all beings.
[One final note. We may not realise it but we as believers belong to the family of God as His adopted children. St Paul had earlier written in Ephesians, Eph 1:5 “he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.“
We are more privileged than the angels because God tells us that He sees us as believers actually sitting with Christ at the right hand of God. Just ponder this truth to realise how privileged we are to be called “the children of God.” Eph 2:4 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
By the grace of God through what Jesus accomplished on the cross, He sees us now as being with Christ in the place of acceptance, of honour and of authority. In gratitude to Him we should be dying to self and letting Jesus impart His life in and through us, to His glory and praise!
The Writer Showed That Jesus Christ Was And Is A Better Messenger Than The Angels.
Blog No.512. Posted on Monday 08 January 2024.
holbeck 
512. JESUS CHRIST IS A BETTER MESSENGER THAN THE ANGELS. Hebrews 1:4-14
One of the features of the Epistle to the Hebrews is how Jesus is described as being ”better” in many ways to emphasise His pre-eminence in the universe. In chapter 1:4-14 He is described as being better than the angels in the following ways.
How Is Jesus Better Than The Angels?
i]. The Name He Has Inherited Is More Excellent Than Theirs
Heb 1:4 “having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.” The “name” in the Bible stands for all that the person is and has done. Jesus’ name is superior for God has made Him His heir as the Son, “whom he appointed the heir of all things.” Hebrews 1:2.
ii]. He Is The Son, Not Just A Messenger
Heb 1:5 “For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”? Angels were just ministering servants and did not belong to the family of God. Only of Jesus at His baptism did God declare, “You are my Son.” It was never said to any angel at any time. Jesus is the eternal Son of God.
iii]. He Is To Be Worshipped By Angels As The Divine King Of An Eternal Kingdom
Heb 1:6 “And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” 7 Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.” 8 But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the sceptre of uprightness is the sceptre of your kingdom.”
Angels had their place and functions in the purposes of God but they were to worship the Son, Jesus. The writer quotes Psalms 45:6 as God declaring this truth about Jesus, 6 “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.“ Jesus is the eternal Son of God and far superior to any angel.
iv]. He Was Anointed By God With The Oil Of Gladness
Heb 1:9 “You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”
The writer uses the word [chriō; χρίω] to describe Jesus being anointed by God and thus Jesus became known as the [Christos; Χριστός] the anointed One. Jesus’ “companions” probably were His disciples who were also anointed by the Holy Spirit but the anointing of Jesus was of much greater significance because of Who He was and because of the magnitude of the task He came to earth to fulfil as the Messiah.
v]. He As The Lord Created The Universe But He Himself Is Beyond Creation
Heb 1:10 And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, 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 like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.”
Jesus as the Creator made everything, as the apostle John wrote, “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” John 1:13. However Jesus stands above creation, for He is unchanging and never aging. His creation may begin to wear out but Jesus can change it if He so wills as the Sustainer of the universe. The creation is great but Jesus as the Creator-Sustainer is infinitely greater. He is supreme over the whole universe.
vi]. God Has Seated Him At His Right Hand In Glory
Heb 1:13 “And to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?”
The role of angels is here spelt out. They are to serve those who become saved. They are ministering spirits sent forth to serve and are not part of the family of God. It was only to Jesus that God said, “Sit my right hand.” This is the place of honour in the presence of God. Jesus had fulfilled the Father’s will in dying for the sin of humankind and making forgiveness available for the people of God. As the writer had penned a few verses before, “After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” 1:3. His single sacrifice of Himself accomplished the redemptive plan of God and so He could be seated at the right hand of God for His saving work was done.
The Hebrews whom the writer was addressing, held the angels of God in high esteem. But throughout this chapter the writer tried to show the pre-eminence of Jesus as being the Sovereign King over all things and over all beings.
[One final note. We may not realise it but we as believers belong to the family of God as His adopted children. St Paul had earlier written in Ephesians, Eph 1:5 “he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.“
We are more privileged than the angels because God tells us that He sees us as believers actually sitting with Christ at the right hand of God. Just ponder this truth to realise how privileged we are to be called “the children of God.” Eph 2:4 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
By the grace of God through what Jesus accomplished on the cross, He sees us now as being with Christ in the place of acceptance, of honour and of authority. In gratitude to Him we should be dying to self and letting Jesus impart His life in and through us, to His glory and praise!
The Writer Showed That Jesus Christ Was And Is A Better Messenger Than The Angels.
Blog No.512. Posted on Monday 08 January 2024.
Share this:
Related
About Jim Holbeck
Once an Industrial Chemist working for the Queensland Government but later an Anglican minister in Brisbane, Armidale and Sydney. Last position for eighteen years before retirement in 2006 was as the Leader of the Healing Ministry at St Andrew's Cathedral Sydney.