Hebrews 1:4

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son... 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 at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels did He ever say: "You are My Son, today I have begotten You"?... But to which of the angels has He ever said: "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool"? Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. (Hebrews 1:4–2:1)

Why does the author of Hebrews begin by proving Jesus is greater than angels?

America Believes in Angels

A 2016 Gallup study found that 72% of Americans believe in angels. When you add those who say they're not sure, the number climbs to 84%—leaving only 16% who don't believe angelic beings exist. More Americans believe in angels than believe in heaven, and angels have even won out over belief in aliens. We see this everywhere in pop culture: Touched by an Angel, Angels in the Outfield, Angels Among Us, even Charlie's Angels—though I'm not sure that last one counts.

A 2005 Baylor University study found that 55% of Americans believe they've been personally helped by a guardian angel, and one in five believe they've had an actual encounter with an angel. This idea of beings who move between realms is deeply ingrained in us.

The Jewish View of Angels

Two thousand years ago, the Jews to whom this letter was written had a very well-developed angelology. Bible commentator William Barclay notes that first-century Jews believed angels were made of an ethereal, fiery substance like blazing light, created on the second or fifth day of creation. They believed angels did not eat, drink, or beget children, and that God was surrounded by a vast angelic host—His army and His messengers.

In fact, the word translated "angel" in both Hebrew and Greek literally means messenger. God would dispatch these messengers from His heavenly throne to bring His message to earth. Often, when they appeared in human form, their first words were "Don't be afraid"—because anyone would be startled by a sudden appearance. It was believed that angels carried the law from God to Moses, and that they had greater knowledge than men, especially of future things, because they stood in God's presence.

John MacArthur cites that the Jews saw angels as the loftiest of God's creation—to be above an angel, one would have to be equal with God. And that is precisely the point the author of Hebrews is making.

Hebrews Runs Straight Into Theology

We began looking at Hebrews 1 last week. Unlike most New Testament books, which open with a salutation—"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the saints in Ephesus, grace and peace"—Hebrews runs full speed into a deep theological treatise about who Jesus is. There's no greeting; the author simply launches into the supremacy of Christ.

Over the next several chapters—really through chapter 7—the author drives home one point: Jesus is better. He's better than angels, better than Moses, better than Abraham, better than the priesthood. That's why I'm calling this series Jesus Is Better.

In just the first three verses, the author establishes that Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God, the owner and sustainer of all things, the manifestation of all of God's glory, grace, and truth. He points to the cross, where Jesus fully dealt with the penalty, power, persistence, and presence of sin when He said "It is finished." And he points to Jesus enthroned in glory above all powers in heaven. That's a tremendous amount of substance for three opening verses.

Why Begin With Angels?

The author is writing to Christians who came out of Judaism, steeped in the Hebrew Scriptures. His message is: don't turn back to your old religious rituals and rites. That was the first covenant, the old covenant—but Jesus is better, and He has established a new and better way under the new covenant.

Since these readers already viewed angels as the highest of God's creation, the author moves quickly to show that Jesus is greater than angels. He starts in verse 3: Jesus "had by Himself purged our sins, and sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they."

These readers knew Jesus was a man. This letter was written within forty years of His ascension; many readers either were eyewitnesses or knew eyewitnesses. No one questioned His humanity. But some discouraging voices were asking: "Fine, He was a man—but was He anything more?" The Scriptures answer clearly: Jesus is fully man and fully God. The author leaves no room for the idea that He was merely a man.

A Better Name and Identity

Here is point number one: Jesus Christ has a better name and identity than angels. When the author says Jesus obtained a better name by inheritance, he doesn't mean the name "Jesus." To the Jewish reader, a name signifies identity—who you are in nature and essence, not just the word you're called by.

Look back at verses 1–2: God "has in these last days spoken to us by His Son." The greater name is the identity Son. We see this confirmed in verse 5: "For to which of the angels did He ever say: 'You are My Son, today I have begotten You'? And again: 'I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to Me a Son.'" Jesus is the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). No angel ever received the title Son of God.

This was a big deal to Jewish readers. When Jesus called Himself the Son of God, some took up stones to stone Him, because they understood He was claiming equality with God in authority, power, and nature. The son of an individual carries that individual's nature—so for Jesus to say "I am the Son of God" is to proclaim "I am God." Quoting Psalm 2:7, the author asks to which angel God ever said this. The answer: none.

The Modern Divide

In our day, 92% of Americans believe Jesus was a historical person who lived 2,000 years ago—nine of every ten people you meet. But only 56% believe Jesus was God. Among millennials, only 48% believe He may have been God. There's a clear divide: many will admit Jesus lived, but deny He is God.

This matters enormously. If Jesus is merely a man and not God, then He is not the ultimate revelation of God, not the owner and sustainer of all things, not the one who fully dealt with sin, and He does not sit enthroned in heaven. Every truth the author laid down in the first three verses collapses if Jesus is just a man. So the author sets out to prove it—using what was totally authoritative to his readers: the Scriptures. By my count, Hebrews cites the Old Testament about 99 times.

In our day, we have to go a step further and contend for the authenticity and authority of the Bible itself. The author of Hebrews presupposes his readers already accept Scripture's authority; we often must first establish why Scripture is authoritative before we can use it to show that Jesus is greater.

The Eternal Word Who Became the Son

The title "Son of God" can confuse people: if Jesus is begotten, doesn't that make Him lower than God? Here's the key. "Son of God" is Jesus' title after He came to earth as a man—but Scripture is clear (John, Colossians, Hebrews) that Jesus existed before He came.

You and I did not exist until we were conceived. Your soul and spirit didn't float in the universe waiting for a body—the Bible teaches you were created from nothing by the power of God through your parents, becoming a living human being at conception. That's why we support ministries like Alternatives; life begins at conception, body, soul, and spirit—an awesome miracle. But Jesus did not come into existence; He simply came to earth. He has always lived.

Before His incarnation, John calls Him the Word of God. Why "the Word"? Because words are the fullest and most perfect expression of who we are—I don't truly know you until you speak. Jesus is the perfect, complete revelation of who God is. After the incarnation—God becoming flesh—He is called the Son of God: "You are My Son, today I have begotten You," and from 2 Samuel 7:14, "I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to Me a Son."

This is point number two: Jesus, as the Son of God, is greater than angels. Even though Psalm 8 says humanity was made a little lower than the angels, and Jesus took that humble position (Philippians 2), He remains greater than angels.

Angels Worship Him; Angels Are Messengers, Jesus Is King

Verse 6: "But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: 'Let all the angels of God worship Him.'" Firstborn means preeminent—highest in rank. Why is Jesus greater than angels? Because the angels worship Him, and you only worship one greater than yourself. We see this at His birth, when the heavenly host worships Him, and in Revelation 5:11–14, where every angel bows in worship before Jesus in the throne room of God.

Verses 7–9: "Of the angels He says: 'Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire.' But to the Son He says: 'Your throne, O God, is forever and ever... You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness.'" Here the author throws down verse after verse—Psalm 110, Psalm 2:7, 2 Samuel 7:14, Psalm 104, Psalm 45. Whoever wrote Hebrews knew his Bible.

This is point number three: angels are messengers; Jesus is King.

The Eternal, Uncreated Creator

Verses 10–12 quote Psalm 102: "You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will remain... but You are the same, and Your years will not fail." Angels, like the heavens and the earth, are created things—the rabbis debated whether on the second or fifth day. But Jesus is eternal. He is the Creator who laid the earth's foundation, and when all of history is folded up, He will remain.

This is point number four: Jesus is the eternal, uncreated Creator and sustainer of all things. There will never be a time when Jesus is not. Angels are mighty and awesome; Jesus is mightier and—I'll create a word—awesomer.

Verse 13: "But to which of the angels has He ever said: 'Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool'?" (Psalm 110:1). God never said that to an angel; He said it to the Son, who occupies a place of power and rule. Verse 14: "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?" Angels are powerful, but they are created messengers dispatched by the King who sits enthroned in heaven. They may be higher than humans, but they are lower than Christ, who is God and King.

The Application: Do Not Drift

So we arrive at Hebrews 2:1—yes, we made it to chapter 2: "Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him?"

The argument is this: if angels are mighty and awesome, and they carried the law from God to Moses, and that word was so strong and enduring that anyone who transgressed it was judged—how much greater the judgment for neglecting the word spoken by God Himself in Jesus? If we are judged for transgressing the law given through angels, how much more should we be punished for neglecting the very word God spoke when Jesus came and preached the gospel?

Therefore we should give diligent heed to the gospel. Its first word, Matthew 4:17, is "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." If we neglect the word of salvation and refuse to turn to God in repentance, the same gospel that is good news will condemn us—because it came directly from the mouth of God Himself.

Honor the King More Than His Messengers

Point number five: we must do well to honor the King more than His messengers. This may seem obvious, but consider the sad reality: a growing number of people revere angels yet deny that Jesus is God. Seventy-two percent of Americans say angels are real and powerful, but only 56% say Jesus is God. That's striking. May we be those who honor the King more than His messengers.

So how can we honor the King this week—Monday, Tuesday, at work, at school? Two verses come to mind. First, Matthew 5:16: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." May people see our good works and honor our Father.

But what good works? Micah 6:8: "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" To do justly means to do what is right, honorable, and ethical—and the best place to learn what is right is God's Word. As the years go by, it gets harder. Someone at work says, "We don't have to write down the actual numbers—just do this, you won't advance otherwise." And you say, "No, I have to walk in what's right."

To love mercy—every one of us loves mercy for ourselves. Here's a test: when someone cuts you off on the freeway, your first thought is, "I wish there were a cop." But when you cut someone off, it's "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." We love mercy for us; God calls us to extend it to others.

To walk humbly—our culture doesn't value humility; increasingly it looks down on it. But Scripture says God gives grace to the humble and draws near to the humble. Living with pride and boastfulness might give you likes on Facebook, but living with humility gives you a "like" from God—and that's a far better thumbs-up than Mark Zuckerberg's. May we, by God's grace, honor the King this week by walking justly, loving mercy, and living humbly.

Closing Prayer

Jesus, we come before You this morning in humility, asking for help. I acknowledge I cannot do these things in my own strength—I am powerless to walk in integrity, honor, and justice, to walk in humility, and to extend mercy. I need Your grace. Enable us by Your power to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly, and to let our light so shine before our neighbors, coworkers, family members, and friends who don't yet know You—that they would see our good works and glorify You, our Father in heaven.

It may be that this morning you recognize for the first time your need for the grace and forgiveness of Jesus, who dealt with all our failures and sin on the cross and offers forgiveness as a free gift. If you'd like to receive His grace today, pray with me: Dear Jesus, I recognize my need; save me, help me to turn from my sin, and to follow You. In Jesus' name, amen. God is good, church.