Better Than Angels

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... 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 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"?... 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. 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? (Hebrews 1:1–2:3)

The author of Hebrews insists Jesus is better—and he begins by showing the Son of God is greater than the angels His readers so revered.

A Culture Captivated by Angels

A 2016 Gallup study found that 72% of Americans believe in angels. When you add those who say there might be angels but aren't sure, the number rises to 84%. That means only 16 out of every 100 Americans deny their existence. More Americans believe in angels than believe in heaven, and more believe in angels than believe in aliens.

We see this everywhere in our culture—in Touched by an Angel, Angels in the Outfield, Angels in America, Angels Among Us, even Charlie's Angels (though I'm not sure that one counts). This isn't new, either. For many centuries there has been a strong belief in the reality of angels.

It goes deeper. A 2005 Baylor University study found that 55% of Americans believe they have been personally helped by a guardian angel, and one in five Americans—20%—believe they've had an actual physical encounter with something they would call an angel. There is clearly a strong opinion about angels in our day.

The Jewish View of Angels

Interestingly, that was also the case 2,000 years ago among the Jewish people. This letter was written to Christians who came out of the Hebrew faith, and they had a very mature, strongly established angelology.

The commentator William Barclay notes that the Jewish people believed angels were made of an ethereal, fiery substance, a blazing light. They believed angels were created on either the second or fifth day of creation, that they did not eat, drink, or beget children. They were sometimes thought immortal, though it was believed God could annihilate them. They believed God was surrounded by a heavenly host at all times—sometimes called the army of God, and always the instruments who brought His message to humanity. That is why the Greek word angelos and the Hebrew word for angel both mean "messenger."

The Jews believed angels could move between the spiritual and physical realms and that they possessed greater knowledge than humanity, especially concerning the future—not because they are prophetic, but because they dwell in the very presence of God and are privy to things we are not. John MacArthur writes that the Jews saw angels as the loftiest of all God's creation. Though humanity was made in God's image, Psalm 8 says we are made a little lower than the angels. In their view, to be above angels would be to be equal with God—which is precisely the point the author of Hebrews is about to make.

The High Christology of Hebrews 1

In the first four verses, the author jumps right into deep theology about the nature of Jesus—a very high Christology. He immediately establishes Jesus's supremacy above all things, which will be the burden of the first seven chapters. He keeps hammering that Jesus is better: better than angels, better than Moses, better than Abraham, better than the priesthood.

In just the first three verses he 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 establishes that Jesus fully dealt with the penalty, power, persistence, and presence of sin on the cross when He declared, "It is finished." And he tells us Jesus sits enthroned in heaven above all powers. We could spend weeks on each of these truths, but we'll keep going.

This is striking, because unlike virtually every other New Testament letter—which opens with a salutation and greeting—this book runs straight into the deep theology of who Jesus is, and then proves it from the Scriptures.

Why It Mattered to Defend the Greatness of Jesus

Since these Hebrew Christians held angels to be the loftiest of all creation, the author immediately establishes that Jesus is greater than angels. Why does this need defending? In their minds, angels were the highest of God's creation, and Jesus was a man who had lived and walked the earth. Some of the first readers were themselves eyewitnesses, or knew eyewitnesses, of the actual man Jesus of Nazareth. There was no question He was human.

But these Christians had left the temple, the sacrificial system, the priesthood, the feasts, and the fasts to follow Jesus. They had family and friends pressing them: "Why on earth would you leave everything to follow this man? He's just a man." There were people discouraging these early Christians from following Jesus faithfully.

It's fascinating to compare the two centuries. About forty years after this letter, in the second century, one of the early heresies was the opposite—that Jesus was completely divine but not truly a man. So the early creeds came to confess both His full humanity and His full deity. But here, the readers had no trouble with His humanity; they were being told He was only a man. The author refuses any such thinking. Jesus is not just a man. He is better than the priesthood, better than Moses and the law, better than Abraham, and better than the angels.

Jesus Has a Better Name and Identity Than Angels

Point one: Jesus Christ has a better name and identity than angels. This does not mean simply that the name "Jesus" is better. To the Jews, a name signified a person's nature—it spoke of who they were. So what name is in view here?

The author has already used it in verses one and two: God has spoken to us "by His Son." That is the identity he keys in on. Look at verse five: "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.'" To which of the angels did God ever say, "You are My Son"? Not one of them. Why? Because Jesus is greater than angels.

We see the same split in our own day. A 2015 Barna study found that 92% of Americans—nine out of ten—believe Jesus was a real, historic person who lived 2,000 years ago. But only 56% believe Jesus is God. Just as in the first-century Jewish community, people affirm the man but question whether He is more than a man. The author of Hebrews answers that question.

Why does it matter? If Jesus is just a man, then He is not the ultimate revelation of God, not the owner and sustainer of all things, not the manifestation of God's glory, grace, and truth. If He is just a man, He did not fully deal with sin on the cross, and He occupies no throne in heaven. But verses one through three say He is all of those things—so now the author defends that position by showing, from the Scriptures the readers already trusted, that Jesus is better.

Jesus as the Son of God Is Greater Than Angels

The author quotes Psalm 2:7—"You are My Son, today I have begotten You." For us in the 21st century, this can be challenging. If Jesus is equal with God, Creator, over all things, why does it sound as though He is lower than God, begotten as a Son?

We need to understand what "Son" means. To the Jews this was no problem, because a son shares the exact nature of the one from whom he came. Jesus being the Son of God means He has the nature of God in human flesh. We know this is the meaning because in John's gospel, when Jesus proclaimed Himself the Son of God, the Jews took up stones to kill Him—they knew He was making Himself equal with God. His sonship is further illustrated by the quotation from 2 Samuel 7:14: "I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to Me a Son." Angels collectively might be called "sons of God," but only Jesus is the only begotten Son.

Point two: Jesus as the Son of God is greater than angels—because He has the very nature of God in human flesh. Though He is eternal, He only became the begotten Son of God when He came to earth. You and I did not exist before we were conceived; life begins at conception, and at that moment we become a new human being who never existed before. But Jesus pre-existed His conception. He lived in eternity past before He came down as a child born of the Virgin Mary.

Before the incarnation His title was different. John 1 tells us He was the Word of God, because the word is the fullest, most complete revelation of who an individual is, and Jesus is the most complete revelation of who God is. When the Word became flesh to dwell among us, He took the title "Son of God," for now He is the nature of God in human flesh—and He is greater than angels.

Angels Worship Him; Angels Are Messengers, Jesus Is King

Verse six says, "But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, 'Let all the angels of God worship Him.'" Jesus is the supreme firstborn, first in rank and above all things, and when He comes into the world He receives the worship of angels. You only worship one who is greater than you. We see this when the angels announce His birth to the shepherds in Luke's gospel, and we see it again in Revelation 5:11–14, where all the angels in heaven and on earth bow and worship Him.

In verses seven through nine, the author exercises his deep command of the Hebrew Scriptures, quoting Psalm 104 and Psalm 45: "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." Point three: angels are messengers; Jesus is King.

The Eternal, Uncreated Creator

To drive it home further, in verses ten through twelve the author quotes 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 remain... but You are the same, and Your years will not fail."

Angels are created beings—whether on the second day, the fifth day, or before, we don't know exactly when. But Jesus is the Creator who laid the foundation of the earth. This whole creation will one day perish, but He will endure. Point four: Jesus is the eternal, uncreated Creator and Sustainer of all things. Angels are mighty and awesome; Jesus is mightier and "awesomer"—not a word, but I created it today. He is over and above all things.

Verse thirteen continues: "But to which of the angels has He ever said, 'Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool'?" None. As Psalm 110:1 foretold, the Father seats the Son in the place of power, authority, and rule. No angel occupies such a place. Therefore verse fourteen calls angels "ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation." Jesus is the King who sits on the throne and dispatches the angelic messengers. They may be higher than us, but Jesus is higher than them all.

The Application: Give Earnest Heed

If I told you last week we'd reach chapter two, you'd have thought I was a liar—but here we are. Chapter two gives the application. Jesus is greater than angels; what does that mean for us?

"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?"

In the Jewish tradition, it was angels who carried the law of God to Moses. If the law delivered by angels was strong enough to judge those who rebelled, how much greater judgment awaits those who neglect the word of the gospel spoken by Jesus, who is greater than angels? The gospel of Jesus is, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Let me be very clear: the gospel, which brings salvation to those who repent, becomes a gospel of damnation to those who turn away. So give heed to the word of Jesus.

Honor the King More Than His Messengers

Point five: we must do well to honor the King more than His messengers. The Jewish Christians who received this letter honored the angels who brought the law. The author says you must honor the King more than His messengers. That may seem obvious to us, but consider this: 72% of Americans revere angels, while only 56% believe Jesus is God. More people honor the messengers than the One who sends them, the King of kings on a throne of glory. That is striking and challenging.

So a simple question: how can we honor the King this week—today, Monday, Tuesday? 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." And 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?"

Three ways to honor the King this week. First, do justly—do the right thing. What's the right thing? Read the Scriptures and you'll know. This gets harder every day. Some of you work where doing the right thing might cost you a promotion. A manager says, "We don't have to do that—let's just fudge the numbers," and you say, "I can't. I have to honor the King."

Second, love mercy. We all love mercy for ourselves. When someone cuts you off on the 15 freeway, you wish a cop were there. But when you cut someone off, you wave, "I'm sorry"—you want mercy. We must love mercy not only for ourselves but for others.

Third, walk humbly with God. We don't live in a place that values humility. We're told that to get ahead you must be assertive, strong, boastful, and proud. While those things might get you likes on Facebook, the Scriptures say God gives grace to the humble—which suggests it's far better to get a like from God than from Mark Zuckerberg.

May we honor the King this week. But we probably need His help to do so.

Closing Prayer

Lord, I confess right now that I need Your help. Apart from You I can do nothing, but the Scriptures say we can do all things through You who give us strength. So Jesus, would You strengthen us? Give us Your enabling power to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk in humility, that we would let our light so shine before our coworkers, neighbors, family members, and friends who don't know You, that they would see our good works and glorify You. These things—justice, humility, mercy—are not valued in the world we live in, which honors retribution and the gray margins. God, help us to walk this way and bring glory to Your name. Do work by Your power and by Your Spirit in our lives.

And it may be that this morning you realize for the first time your need for the saving grace of Jesus. He died on the cross to pay the penalty of sin, to deal with its power in death, to deal with its persistence in our lives, and one day to free us completely from its presence. If you'd like to be freed from the power and penalty of sin by the forgiveness of Jesus, pray with me where you are:

Dear Jesus, I recognize that I need You. I have failed You time and again, but I pray that You'd come into my life, forgive me of my sin, and help me to follow You by faith. In Jesus' name, amen.