God's Son Christ Is So Much Better Than The Angels

Hebrews 1:5-7

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?”

But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says:

“LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.”

And of the angels He says:

“WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS SPIRITS AND HIS MINISTERS A FLAME OF FIRE.”

(NKJV)

For the rest of chapter one the Holy Spirit is giving us a testimony about the greatness of Christ and that He is so much better than the angels. The angels are sent forth by God to minister to those who will inherit salvation. They know their place and purpose but mankind distorts what God has revealed about angels. Some in the first century worshiped angels and some do the same thing today. So God says His Son is greater than angels and we are to worship Jesus Christ.

In chapter one we find seven Old Testament quotes that the Holy Spirit uses in this epistle because it is written to Jewish Christians by the Apostle Paul. We will look at four of them in verses 5-7.

Verse 5:  For to which of the angels did He ever say: You are My Son, today I have begotten You?

• There are certain statements of Scripture that God has reserved for His Son.
• This is not said anywhere about the angels.
• God has one begotten Son. This makes His unique. No one has done what Jesus did, is doing, and will do.
• The quote is found in Psalm 2:7.
• Two points are being made: Christ is God's beloved Son and God raised His Son from the dead to live forevermore.

Christ is God's beloved Son.

• Psalm 2:7 (NKJV) I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.
• Isaiah 42:1 (NKJV) Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
• Mark 1:11 (NKJV) Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
• Mark 9:7 (NKJV) And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!

God raised His Son from the dead to live forevermore.

• Psalms 2:7 (NKJV) I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.
• Acts 13:33 (NKJV) God has fulfilled this for us... in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.
• Romans 1:4 (NKJV) Jesus Christ our Lord was “declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”
• Another aspect of Christ being begotten of God is His virgin birth as the Son of God, (John 1:14).

Verse 5:  And again: I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son?

• God never said this to any of His angels.
• The quote is found in 2 Samuel 7:14 (NKJV) I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me.
• This is an unique relationship between the Father and the Son. In Christ we can call God Father but we are not called “the Son.” In Christ we are children of God, (Romans 8:16).
• The Gospel of Mark records Jesus calling God Father in these passages Mark 8:38; 11:25-26; 13:32; 14:36 (NKJV). In the four Gospels we find Father recorded 193 times in the (NKJV). Except for a few of the references Jesus is the one speaking.
• While Jesus was on the earth He spend many hours in prayer to His Father. This was their sweet fellowship with one another. Luke 5:16 (NASB) But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.
• Because Christ is God's Son He has inherited everything that is God's. In Christ we are joint heirs with Him (Romans 8:16-17).

Verse 6:  But when He (God) again brings the Firstborn (Christ) into the world, He says: Let all the angels of God worship Him.

• The quote is from Deuteronomy 32:43, (Brenton) Let all the angels of God worship Him and Psalm 97:7, (Brenton) ...worship Him, all ye His angels. 
• The Septuagint is a Greek version of the Old Testament.
• Hebrews 1:6 (NIV84) And again, when God brings His Firstborn into the world, He says: Let all God's angels worship Him.
• Christ is God's Firstborn in position (Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:15, 18; Revelation 1:5). Also, the word firstfruit is applied to the resurrected Christ (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23).
• In the past when did God bring Christ into the world?
• In the future when will God bring Christ into the world?
• What does God tell His angels to do when He brings the Firstborn into the world?
• The word worship means to revere and adore Christ. Psalm 2:12 says to kiss the Son.

Verse 7: And of the angels He says: Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire.

• The quote is from Psalm 104:4.
• The context of Psalm 104 is that God is the Creator of all things. As we remember from our last lesson Christ and the Holy Spirit helped create all things.
• The Godhead created the angels. 
• Christ's “goings forth are from of old, from eternity” (Micah 5:2 NKJV).
• The angels ministered to Jesus (Mark 1:13; Luke 22:43; John 1:51).
• The angels will come with Jesus when He returns for His Church (Matthew 25:31; 2 Thessalonians 1:7).
• There are many angels around the throne who worship the Lamb who was slain (Revelation 5:11-12).

So God has in these last days spoken to us by His Son. The Father is telling us who His Son is and that we are to look unto Him, the Author and Finisher of our faith. In Christ we can draw near to God with a true heart in full assurance of faith. Christ is so much better than the angels of God.