Jesus Better than Angels, Part 1

If you hear the Bible, Hebrews chapter one, hopefully that you can sing that song that your soul is satisfied in him alone. The Bible tells us in 1 Peter chapter two, verse number six, that he who believes in him will never be disappointed. It's a quotation from Isaiah chapter 28, verse number 16, which says that he who believes in him will never be disturbed or never run away or never be in a hurry. And Peter helps us understand that the reason you're never disturbed and the reason you're never in a hurry to run away is simply because he is the ultimate desire of your soul.

You'll never be disappointed in Jesus Christ. You just can't be. And that's why we just sing about how he satisfies the soul of man. We need to understand that in the book of Hebrews, we see Christ as supreme and sufficient. The supremacy and sufficiency of Christ is what the book of Hebrews is about. Because he is so far above everything else and anyone else. And because he is sufficient for every need that you have, he is the desire of your soul. You should worship him and honor him. And so as we study the book of Hebrews, it's really all about in verse one, everything that the father spoke of, the prophet spoke of was about the coming of Messiah.

Everything in the Old Testament was about preparation for the Messiah, the announcement, the anticipation of the Messiah. And then once he gets here, he arrives and is presented to us. That's what verse two is about in Hebrews chapter one, because Hebrews one, one to three is a summation of the entire book of Hebrews. That's why we spent 11 weeks or 12 weeks plus a review to help you understand how important it is. And so once he has arrived, the one who was anticipated has now arrived, okay? He is the one who is to be worshiped and adored.

Because he is the heir of all things, he is the inheritor, he is the creator, he is the radiator, he is the representor, the purifier, the ruler, that's who he is. And so he is to be adored. And so now the writer of Hebrews is gonna show you how great he is. He's greater than the prophets, he's greater than the angels, that's what he's gonna talk about now, greater than Moses, greater than any Old Testament sacrifice, greater than the old covenant because he ushered in the new covenant. He is supreme, and because he's supreme, he's absolutely sufficient for everything in your life.

This is a marvelous book. It's the wildest ride we can ever be on because it's the ride that centers on the Christ. It helps us understand who he is. So let me read to you verses four, five, and six because that's hopefully what we're gonna get through today.

We'll see, Hebrews 1 verse four, having become as much better than the angels as he has inherited a more excellent name than they, for to which of the angels did he ever say, you are my son, today I begotten you. And again, I will be a father to him and he shall be a son to me. And when he again brings the firstborn into the world, he says, and that all the angels of God worship him. These three verses are going to be for you extremely important. Now, it's not that other verses in the Bible are not that important.

They're all important, right? Because it's the word of God. But these three verses can be very technical, but yet extremely practical. And I'm gonna show you both ends of the spectrum. We're gonna get technical with you this morning so that you can understand the text and then we'll get very practical for you this morning. So when you leave here, you say, ha, I got it. I'm good to go, all right? That's where we're gonna try and go. We want you to see how Christ is better than the angels in two areas.

Number one, his position. Number two, his preeminence. We're gonna begin there. We'll give you five words, but two this week, three next week. His position and his preeminence demonstrate he is greater than the angels because he is the king. The text begins with these words. Having become as much better than the angels. The word better used 13 times in the book of Hebrews. Some would say that the book of Hebrews is called the better book, okay? Because it emphasizes how better Christ is than anything and anyone else.

So you can call it the better book if you want to because that's exactly what it emphasizes. Christ is better than anything and anyone else. And so having become much better than the angels as he has inherited a more excellent name than they. So let me get really technical with you, okay?

Having become. People would tell you, there were different people who come to your house who would tell you that Christ was a created being. But the book of Hebrews tells us that he has become something. The word is used ginomai, which means a change in condition and emphasizes preexistence. Okay? A change in condition that emphasizes preexistence. So this one who is the radiator, the revelator, this one who is the inheritor, the creator, the ruler, the purifier, became something. So his position, number one, in the incarnation made him greater than the angels because he became something other than what he was before.

In other words, God is a spirit but in the incarnation, God became a man. Now, understand this, it was a change of condition because he always existed. How do we know about the preexistence of Christ? Isaiah 9, 6. The child was born, the son was given because the son always existed. Why? Because he is El Gabor, the mighty God. So he always was there. Remember John chapter one? In John chapter one, what does it say? In the beginning was the word and the word was with God, the word was God. He was in the beginning with God.

All things came into being through him and apart from him, nothing came into being that has come into being. So in the beginning was the word and the word was with God, the word was God. Emphasizing his preexistence. And verse 14 says, and the word became flesh. Again, the word became ginomai. Having become, became is the word ginomai, emphasizing a change in condition. So the word now became something it wasn't before and what did it become? It became flesh. So that which was in the beginning now, which was the spirit, the spirit of God, became flesh, okay, and dwelt among us.

Notice it carefully. And we saw his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth, okay? And the cultists will say, well, he is the only begotten. So that means he is a child born of the father. Not true. Why? Because the word is monogenes, which means only begotten. And monogenes can refer to an only child born into a family. But in the Jewish context, it always refers to the son of choice or the unique son. How do we know that? Hebrews 11. Got your Bible? Go to Hebrews chapter 11, verse number 17.

By faith, Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. And he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son. Aha! Wait a minute. Abraham had another son, a firstborn son, whose name was Ishmael, right? But Isaac was a son of choice. He was the unique son. He was the monogenes. So now you see that Christ is the monogenes. He is the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth. He is the son of choice. Because he is the son of God, he preexisted in eternity past, changed his condition, became flesh and dwelt among us.

So by virtue of his incarnation, his position is greater than the angels because it says in Hebrews chapter one, this, these words, having become as much better than the angels as he has inherited a more excellent name than they. Name is character. Name is who you are. At the name of Jesus, every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the father. Okay? So he is greater than the angels by virtue of the fact that his incarnation gave him a name which was above all names, that every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Christ is Lord of all, that Christ is the king of all and that everyone bows before him.

Such a beautiful understanding of the greatness and preeminence of the Christ. His position through the incarnation made him greater than the angels. On top of that, his identity makes him greater than the angels. For to which of the angels did he ever say, verse five, you are my son, today I have begotten you. Listen carefully. What the writer of Hebrews does is quotes seven Old Testament passages in verses four to 18. Seven. To prove to Jewish people, because you're writing to Hebrews, right? Jewish people, that Jesus Christ not only is supreme and sufficient, but he truly is the Messiah.

Of Israel. And the Messiah who is God would be, by virtue of his existence, sufficient and supreme. So he's gonna use the Old Testament to prove his point. So it takes you back to Psalm chapter two, verse number seven, which is a Messianic Psalm. Every Jew will tell you that Psalm two is a Messianic Psalm. Right? He says, for to which of the angels did he ever say, you are my son. Now listen.

In the Old Testament, angels are called sons of God. In the New Testament, you and I are called sons of God. But never are angels, or you and me, ever called the son of God. Big difference. Today, I have begotten you. You are my son. Referring specifically, listen carefully, to the resurrection of the Messiah. How do we know that? Acts chapter 13. In Acts chapter 13, these words are spoken. Acts chapter 13, verse number 33 and 34, says, verse 32, and we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers.

That God has fulfilled this promise to our children, and that he raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, you are my son.

Today, I have begotten you. Speaking specifically of the resurrection, he raised his son. Okay? Again, Romans chapter one, verse number one, Paul, a bondservant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through the prophets and the holy scriptures, concerning his son, who was born of a descendant of David, according to the flesh, who was declared the son of God, with power, by the resurrection from the dead.

So he was declared to be the son of God, with power, through the resurrection, from his resurrection of the dead. So therefore, we understand, Psalm two seven speaks specifically of the resurrection, speaking of the identity of who this son is, it is the son of God, God in the flesh. Now, people would tell you, well, because he's called the son of God, he is a born one of God. So you need to understand this. And I've explained this to you before, but I'm gonna do it again, because there are three keywords I'm going to give you, three keywords you need to understand, that will change how you talk to people who come to your door, with white shirts on and dark ties, or just come because they have a magazine called the Watchtower in their hand.

How do you talk to them? Because they will say, he is the only begotten of the father, but you know what monogamous means, because we just told you, the son of choice, the son of preeminence, the unique son. Okay, that's monogamous. But this is the son of God. This is my son. Okay? There are three words that describe son. One is brifos, which is a child in the womb, or a newly born child. Then there is technon, which is a older child, beyond brifos, which is a younger child, just right out of the womb or in the womb.

And then there's weos. Why is that important? Because brifos, brifos and technon are never used of Christ as the son of God. He's never called the little born one of God, but he is the weos of God. And weos never ever deals with origin. It always speaks specifically of equality and position without exception. Christ is the weos of God. So when Peter makes the confession in Matthew chapter 16, thou art the Christ, the son of the living God. He is saying you are the Messiah and you are equal in nature to the living God.

In other words, you are the living God. The Messiah is the living God. And Christ said to him, no flesh, no blood reveal that to you. Only my father who was in heaven. Now remember John chapter five. If you got your Bible, turn to John chapter five. For those of you who go to Israel with me, we go to the pool of Bethesda and we speak on John five because it's paramount. It's where everything changed for Jesus during his earthly ministry. This is a man who's been paralyzed for 38 years. Christ heals him, tells him to take up his bed and walk.

He's healed. There's this great debate, who healed you? The man doesn't know who it is until Jesus reveals himself to him. Right? Then Jesus has a conversation with the religious establishment and says these words. Or verse 16, for this reason, the Jews are persecuting Jesus because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. He healed on the Sabbath. He specifically healed on the Sabbath. That's what he wanted to do. But he answered them. He said these words. Listen carefully. My father is working until now and I myself am working.

My father? My father is working and I myself am working. This is how he answers the Pharisees. Listen carefully. Verse 18, for this reason, therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him because he not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God his own father, which he did, making himself, what? Equal with God. So the Jews knew because no Jew would ever refer to God in a personal sense as my father. They only referred to God the father in a national sense, but never in a personal sense.

Because if they did, then they would be called the son of God, equal in nature to God, and that's blasphemous. So Jesus comes along and says, my father and I are working. Your father? You can't call God your father. That's blasphemous. You are claiming equality with God. That's how you know what weos means. See that? Then if you go over to John chapter 10, in John chapter 10, it says, these words, verse 30, I and the father are one, Jesus says.

And the Jews picked up stones and gave them to Stonium, and Jesus answered them, I showed you many good works from the father for which I, for them, for which of them are you standing? And the Jews answered him, for a good work we do not stone you, but for blasphemy, and because you being a man, make yourself out to be God. In other words, they knew he was claiming that he was God because he was one with the father. He was the son of God. We know that because weos is used several ways in scripture.

The Bible says that Barnabas was called the son of encouragement, the weos of encouragement. That does not mean that Barnabas' parents were called Mr. and Mrs. Encouragement, because that's not what it means. It means that Barnabas is equal in nature and position with encouragement, the son of encouragement. We before were Savior called the sons of disobedience. Now, our parents probably are disobedient, but that's not their name. We are equal in nature to being disobedient. When we're saved, we're called sons of the light.

The weos of the light equal in nature to the light. See that? So when Christ comes along and says, he is the son of God, not only is he the only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth, the son of choice, he is the son of God. He is the weos of God. He's not the brifos or technon of God, the little born one of God. He is the son who is equal in nature to God. That make sense? Now, hold on to that thought. You gotta hold on to it. Well, I know we're getting technical, and you're gonna sit there and say, okay, so what does this mean for me?

I'm gonna show you. You gotta take it through with me, okay? You gotta hold on to that thought. Jesus is the monogamous. Jesus is the weos. You gotta hold on to those. Why? Because it's gonna change the way you live your life from this day forward. You say, how's that gonna happen? You wait, I'm gonna show you. And so, the word of Hebrews says, Christ is greater than the angels because of his incarnation, his position. He became a change of condition. Flesh, dwelt among us. We beheld his glory. And in the incarnation, he was given a name which is above every name that every knee will bow, every tongue will confess, both in heaven and on earth, and under the earth.

We'll worship him because he's king. And knowing that, his identity is simply equal in nature to God because he is the son of God. You are my son. Today, I have begotten you. You prove to be the son of God through the resurrection from the dead. This is great stuff. This is so incredibly powerful. And then he says, and then he says these words. And again, and again, I will be a father to him and he shall be a son to me. Wow. Again, I will be a father to him, he will be a son to me. Now that's taken from 2 Samuel.

So now he didn't quote Psalm 2, now he quotes 2 Samuel chapter seven, a messianic psalm speaking of the son of David. Remember way back in 2 Samuel chapter seven? In 2 Samuel chapter seven, the Lord says these words to David. He says, when your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you who will come forth from you and I will establish his kingdom. And he shall build a house for my name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. That couldn't be Solomon.

That had to be the son of David, the seed, the promised seed, the Messiah. And I will be a father to him and he will be a son to me. So the right of Hebrews, right in the Jewish people, takes them back to the Davidic covenant. Quote 2 Samuel chapter seven, that every Jew knows is messianic, speaking not of Solomon, but of Messiah, the descendant of David, whose throne will be established forever. He says, look, his position in the incarnation, his position in terms of his identity makes him greater than the angels because of the special relationship he has with his father in heaven.

He is the son of God, he is the son of David and I will be a father to him and he will be a son to me. Speaking of the special, unique relationship the father has with the son. See that? So he goes from his position to his preeminence and says these words. Verse six, and when he again brings the firstborn into the world, he says, and let all the angels of God worship him. Let all the angels of God worship him. Now he quotes again from the Old Testament. Remember, he's quoted Psalm 2, seven, second Samuel chapter seven, and now he quotes Psalm 97, verse number seven.

Why is this important? If you've got your Bible, turn to Psalm 97, verse number seven. Psalm 97, verse, are you there yet? Are you turning there? I don't hear any pages turning. Keep turning. I wanna feel the breeze of the pages being turned from your seats all the way up here, all right? Psalm 97, verse number seven says, let all those be ashamed who serve great in images, who boast themselves of idols, worship him, all you gods. Wait a minute, worship him, all you gods? And the writer of Hebrews says, let all the angels of God worship him, quoting from Psalm 97, verse number seven.

Why does the writer of Hebrews say angels and the psalmist say gods, Elohim, plural? That's a good question, right? Yeah. Here's the answer. Remember, when the writer of Hebrews was writing, he would be quoting from the Greek Septuagint, written by those 70 scholars who translated the Old Testament Hebrew into Greek. So when he translated the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek, it's translated, worship him, all you angels. See, well, isn't that a little far-fetched? No, no, because you know Isaiah 7, 14, right?

This shall be a sign to you that a virgin shall conceive. The word is Alma. Nine times in the Old Testament. Eight times translated virgin, but this time translated young maiden in the Hebrew. So Isaiah 7, 14 says, and this shall be a sign to you, a young maiden shall conceive and bear a child. So what is it that a young maiden does that will be a sign? Young maidens conceive all the time. How can that be a sign? So when you read Matthew 1, 21, which is a Greek translation of Isaiah 7, 14, it says, and a virgin shall conceive, and the word is parthenos, which is virgin, and everybody knows that, without exception, a virgin shall conceive and bear a child.

Well, that's a sign. Now, how do the writers of the Old Testament, the Hebrew writers, know that Alma, translated young maiden, would be virgin in that context? Because they knew Genesis 3, 15. That the woman shall have a seed, and never in the history of man has a woman ever had a seed. The man carries a seed. So how can a woman have a seed unless she's a virgin and conceives? See that? So when they translated the Hebrew into Greek, they translated it parthenos, because the young maiden would be a virgin.

That would be a true sign, and you should call his name Emmanuel, God with us. So that's exactly what the writer of Hebrews does in Psalm 97, verse number seven, takes the translation of the Greek Septuagint and translated that all the angels will worship him. That's why he's greater than the angels. Make sense? You with me still? You better stay with me, because you gotta wait to the end. It's not how you begin, it's how you finish, right? You gotta finish strong. We're gonna finish really strong today.

So he says these words, and when he again brings the firstborn. Ah, okay, now you got another word, firstborn. We've already given you monogamies. We've already given you weos. Now we're gonna give you prototikos, which is the firstborn, because those people who come to your house with magazines with Watchtower written across the front of it will tell you that Jesus is the firstborn of his father in heaven, proving that he was a created being, creating that he's nothing greater than the angels, but he is, because he is the prototikos.

In Colossians chapter one, Colossians chapter one, verse number 15, Jesus is called the firstborn over all creation. In verse 18 of Colossians one, he is the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he may have preeminence, okay? So what does prototikos mean? Well, all you have to do is go back to the book of Genesis, which any Hebrew scholar would do, because you're gonna use the Old Testament to prove the validity of what's going on in the New Testament. So you go back to Genesis chapter 49, and it says these words, Jacob says to Reuben, you are my prototikos, you are my firstborn, my might and the beginning of my strength, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power, which is the definition of prototikos, he is the preeminent one, he is the special one, he is the unique one, it's a word of position, not of origin.

He is the prototikos, as defined by Jacob in describing Reuben as his prototikos, he is the firstborn, so too is Christ the firstborn over all creation, he's the firstborn of the dead, does that mean he was the firstborn ever resurrected? No, because he resurrected Lazarus, Jairus' daughter, the widow's son at Nain, three that we know of, there were those who were resurrected at the crucifixion, if you read the book of Matthew, you understand that there were many who were raised from the dead, there were those who were raised from the dead in the Old Testament, so was he the first resurrected one?

No, but of all those resurrected, he was the preeminent one, because he is the prototikos, makes sense? Makes sense to some of you, to others you're thinking, wow, I gotta go to lunch, man, this is way too much for me. So Christ is supreme, he is sufficient, he is greater than the angels, he is better than the angels because of his position and because of his preeminence, he says, the right view does, and when he again brings the firstborn into the world, when's he gonna do that? Again, what do you mean again?

He's coming again, the prototikos, the preeminent one's coming again, and when he comes again, he tells us that all his holy ones will be with him, and he says these words in the book of Matthew, 25th chapter, Matthew chapter 25, these words about Christ when the son of man comes again, Matthew chapter 25, these words, verse 31, but when the son of man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne, all the nations will be gathered before him and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left, and he will judge the nations of the world, but all the angels will be with him because he's in charge of all of them, he is the preeminent one.

Now, so what? You gotta ask that question, right? You come to church and your pastor throws out all these words you can't even spell, so why do we use words we can't even spell? Because they help us understand something. What do they do for us? How does this text help us? It helps you five ways. Are you ready? I got five minutes. Really, I only have three, but I'm gonna take five. Five. This set of verses is going to help you apologetically, it's going to help you authoritatively, it's going to help you apocalypticly, it's going to help you adoringly and amazingly.

You with me? First of all, it's gonna help you apologetically. Why? Because you have to defend the faith, have to. We have to guard the truth. We're the protectors of the truth, right? We're to guard it, we're to keep it, we're to defend it, we're to contend earnestly for the faith, once for all, delivered to the saints. Well, how do you contend for it if you don't know what it means, right? So when you go to work tomorrow, or you go to school tomorrow, and your school's filled with Mormons, or you go to work and you're filled with people who don't believe that Jesus is the son of God, or somebody comes to your door and debates with you that Jesus really is the firstborn of his father in heaven, how do you defend the faith?

What do you say? See? So it helps you apologetically, because you gotta be able to defend and guard the truth of God's holy word, so you must know the meaning of monogamies, weos, and prototokos in Hebrews 1, verses four to six, because it's gonna revolutionize the way you live apologetically. And every one of us needs to live that way, because we're protectors of the truth. Make sense? That's why you came, to learn. Not only that, not only do you live apologetically, but you live authoritatively.

You live authoritatively. We are to speak, Titus 2, 15, with all authority. We're to speak with all, you can't speak with authority unless you know what the text says. And when you know what the text says, you quote the text, and when you quote the text, the text in and of itself is authoritative, therefore, you live authoritatively. And God knows that we need people who go to school tomorrow to live authoritatively in the classroom. You need to go to work and live an authoritative life, because you know the truth, you know the God of truth, and you stand for that truth.

And you don't back down from those who say, well, you know, I don't really believe that Jesus is God. Really, let me show you how you know Jesus is God.

Take a right to the truth of God's holy word. Well, I believe that Jesus is the brother of Lucifer. That's what the Mormon states. Really? Bible says he's the firstborn of all creation, and he created everything in heaven and in earth and under the earth, he created everything. That means he created Lucifer. That means he can't be the brother of Lucifer, because he's the firstborn of all creation. He is the Wios of God, he is the monogamous. And when you say that, the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses are going, oh man, I'm just too confused, I can't stay with you, we gotta go.

Trust me, I've been there. You confuse them, because they don't understand. But you speak authoritatively, you live authoritatively, because you know the truth. Not arrogantly, but authoritatively, because you speak the truth. See that? So you live apologetically. You live authoritatively. You also live apocalypticly. That's a great word. Because the apocalypse, when he again brings the firstborn into the world, he's coming again. You live in light of the apocalypse. You live in light of the judgment of God.

You live in light of the fact that the firstborn of all creation, the firstborn of all creation, the preeminent one, is going to come again. And folks, you know and I know, we need to live that way. We don't live that way. We live in the here and now.

We don't live apocalypticly. We live in the here and now. And when we do that, everything that happens in the here and now destroys the way we live. But if you live apocalypticly, looking toward the heavens, knowing that Jesus is gonna come again, and you're waiting for him to arrive, you don't live on a horizontal plane. You live vertically, looking to the heavens, seeking him who is above, the preeminent one. See that? So not only do you live apologetically, but you live authoritatively. And when you live authoritatively and apologetically, you can't help but live apocalypticly because you know that the firstborn of all creation is going to come again.

And all the ages will worship him. And everything in heaven and earth will worship him. And everyone will bow down and say, worthy is the lamb who was slain to receive glory and honor and praise. Which means, number four, you live adoringly. You live a life of complete and utter worship of the king. So the book of Hebrews is about the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ. He's worthy of adoration. He's worthy of devotion. He's worthy of your love. He's worthy of your praise. So you live a life of adoration.

You live adoringly. You live every day adoring no one else, nothing else but the coming king. Listen, and my time is gone. But let me give you one more minute.

If you live, if you live a life apologetically, defending the faith, if you live a life authoritatively, apocalypticly, and adoringly, you will live amazingly. You will live the most amazing life known to man. And there's too many of us who live boring, dull, cold lives. That ought not to be. Why? Because he who believes in him is never disappointed, is never in a hurry to run away, is never, ever going to leave him because you adore him so, because of who he is. That's what the rite of Hebrews is trying to convey to you and me.

That's why he takes you back to the Old Testament. That's why he quotes the Old Testament. That's why he uses words that help us understand who Christ is because you need to live apologetically. You have to. I don't care where you work. I don't care where you go to school. I don't care where you live. I don't care who you are. You must defend the faith, contend for it earnestly. You must live authoritatively. No reason why you should not live a life of supreme authority and speak with authority because God's word you have hid, treasured in your heart.

You may not sit against him and you're gonna speak forth his word. You live authoritatively. You do that, you live apocalypticly. Jesus is coming. Come on. Come, Jesus, come quickly. And that life is a life that's lived in such a way that adores the Christ. That's the amazing life. You got that life? You can? You should? When our service is over, if you don't know this Christ who is the preeminent one, come up to our piano area. There'll be someone there to introduce you to Christ, that you might know how to live the amazing life.

Let me pray with you. Father, thank you for today. You are great. You are so great. You turn our world upside down. And Lord, for the most part, we go through life, we don't even think of you. Where we live as practical atheists, we make decisions as if you don't even exist. We make decisions and don't even pray about it. We do things, Lord, as if you're not even present with us. Forgive us. Forgive us, Lord. Help us to learn to adore you as our King, to live in the light of your coming again. I pray for those who are here today, that you'd bless them immensely.

That they would take your word, apply it to their lives, and live for their King. Pray in Jesus' name, amen.