‘CHRIST IS GREATER THAN THE ANGELS!‘
Scripture - Hebrews 1:4-2:18
IN OUR LAST STUDY---‘CHRIST IS GREATER THAN THE PROPHETS ‘
Dr. DeLoach explained why Christ is greater than the prophets.
1st THE WORDS OF GOD’S SON---IS SUPERIOR TO
GOD’S PROPHETS BECAUSE---IT IS A STRONGER
AND MORE INCLUSIVE WORD !
Dr. DeLoach talked about how the Old Testament was God’s unfinished symphony
but when Jesus came, He was God’s final and superior Word to man! In the Old
Testament is the New Testament and Christ concealed, and in the New Testament is
the Old Testament and Christ revealed. And Christ being THE subject of the whole of
God’s word makes Him and His words far more superior than the words of the
prophets! And when the Son says it; that settles it!
2nd THE WORDS OF GOD’S SON IS GREATER THAN
THE WORD OF GOD’S PROPHETS---BECAUSE
THE SON CREATED AND OWNS THE UNIVERSE !
Here in Vs. 2 Dr. D spoke of Jesus being the “creator” of all things and the “heir” or
owner of all things! This makes His words infinitely better than words of the prophets
for He spoke things into existence by His words and He owns and is superior to all that
He spoke of!
3rd THE WORDS OF GOD’S SON ARE GREATER THAN
THE WORDS OF GOD’S PROPHETS---BECAUSE
HE SUSTAINS THE MATTER OF THE UNIVERSE !
Dr. DeLoach explained Verse 3 where it speaks of The Son “upholding all things” which
is the Greek word PHERON-as Jesus sustaining and maintaining all that He spoke into
existence. So not only did He speak the universe into existence, He sustains it and
maintains it which makes His word far greater than the Words of the Prophets!
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4th THE WORDS OF GOD’S SON IS GREATER THAN
GOD’S PROPHETS BECAUSE---HE REDEEMS MAN !
In verse 3 again, Dr. DeLoach explained how Christ’s words are greater than the words
of the prophets because he provided PURIFICATION FOR SIN and then SAT
DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF ‘THE MAJESTY’ IN HEAVEN !

THE PROPHETS OF GOD COULD ‘ SPEAK FOR GOD ‘ BUT THEY
INCAPABLE OF PERFORMING THIS MINISTRY OF REDEMPTION !

ONLY JESUS COULD ‘ PROVIDE PURIFICATION FOR OUR SINS ‘ !

THEREFORE---‘ THE WORDS OF GOD’S SON IS MUCH GREATER
THAN THE WORD OF THE PROPHETS BECAUSE THE SON ALONE
CAN REDEEM MAN !
1st Christ is better than the angels because He is given the title of Son.
I have three children, and two of them are sons. One is Taylor, he is 18 years old, you
may have seen him speak in the service during youth weekend, he’s the one with the
bowtie, who forgot his bible…and then I have sweet Cory who is 13. He has down
syndrome, autism, ADHD, turrets, he is a mixed bag of fun let me tell you…and when I
am being most affectionate in my tone and in my message toward them, I will say
“Son, I love you” or “Son, you make me so proud!”. It is a very warm, tender term
and I believe it is the same with Jesus. Remember when Jesus was baptized? God
did not say, this is Jesus in whom I am well pleased…He said, This is my Son, in
whom I am well pleased! But yet how unique, how much greater is it really to give
the title of son of God to Jesus when you find several instances in the old testament
where angels are given the same title? They are called the “sons of God”. In Genesis
6:2 we read about the Angels being called the “sons of God” and in Job we see them
called the “sons of God” 3 times. So Barnabas, the writer of Hebrews, quotes two
verses from Psalm 2:7 and 2 Samuel 7:14…and here is what we see.
3 reasons:
 Individually
 Begotten
 Context of Psalm 2:7
First, individually—angels are called “sons” plural, collectively and Jesus is given the
individual title of Son. Before I came to Second, 4 ½ years ago, I was a youth pastor
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for 15 plus years, I got the privilege of seeing many young boys, young men come
through my ministry…I would become so close to these boys as they went from 6th
grade to their Senior year that I would say to folks, these kids here, they’re like my
boys, like my sons or they would say to me as they were leaving the ministry as
seniors, “you have been like a father figure to me.” They were like my sons. But they
were never my son, individually. Taylor is my unique, individual son and Cory, he is my
very unique, individual son. But there is another reason Jesus has inherited a better
name in His title of Son and that is the word “begotten” vs. 5 says again, “You are
my son, today I have begotten you.” Begotten means-one of a kind or one and only.
Jesus is the “one of a kind-one and only” Son. No one bears the title of Son like
Jesus does in reference to God. John 3:16 says it clearly, “For God so loved the world,
that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish
but have everlasting life.” He truly is the one and only, one of a kind Son. But I think
there is even a greater reason to state that His title of Son is greater than the
angel’s title of sons and that is the context of Psalm 2:7 which is quoted here by
Barnabas. The Apostle Paul said in Acts 13:32-33 and I quote “And we preach to
you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, God has fulfilled this
promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is written in the second
Psalm, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.” vs. 34 “As for the fact that
He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay.” What is Paul and
Barnabas saying here? They are saying that the resurrection proves, it
authenticates, it shows that Jesus truly is the unique One, the One and Only, the
One of a kind Son, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Resurrection and the
Life, the true begotten Son of God! Jesus is greater than the Angels because He
has been given the unique title of Son!
2nd Christ is better than the angels because He is given the title of King.
The second reason he is greater than the angels is because he is given the title of King.
Look at verse 7, it says, “And of the angels He says, Who makes His Angels winds, and
His ministers a flame of fire.” At first glance I thought this verse was just saying
that Jesus makes or creates the very wind beneath His angels wings (‘Who makes His
Angels winds?’) and I also thought it meant that he gives the abilities, passion (flames
of fire) to His angels…those are true statements but that is not what this verse is
trying to communicate. It is saying that His angels are ‘like’ winds, like spirits, they
can go wherever, swiftly, even undetected and minister, serve those who God has
called them to minister to in a fiery, glorious, passionate way. They are servants of
the King.
And who is the King? Look at verse 8, “But of the Son (there’s that title again) He says,
‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the righteous scepter is the scepter of
His Kingdom!” This scepter is a royal scepter, that of a king, and, according to this
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verse it is a righteous scepter because Christ rules righteously—hating lawlessness.
Jesus is the King! Verse 13 and 14 complement these points of servants vs
King…let’s read them. “But to which of the angels has He ever said, sit at my
right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”? Who has
enemies but those who have power, those who rule, the King does, Jesus has
enemies and the writer of Hebrews says that King Jesus’ enemies will be made a
footstool under His feet, amen! Folks we know who our enemy is according to
Ephesians and it is the same enemy that Jesus has…it is not flesh and blood, let’s read
that familiar verse in Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness,
against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Our enemy is
defeated! Jesus our King, with the help of his fiery angels has the victory!
And then we see our title of servant given to the angels again in vs 14 where it says
“Are they (Angels) not ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake
of those who will inherit Salvation?” What a remarkable task angels have for us as
humans! I have been so aware after studying this lesson that we as believers have
angels that minister to us, not to unbelievers but to us-believers or those in the
process of becoming a believer. What a remarkable sense of peace and comfort we
should have knowing that these angelic beings by the command of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ are ready to render service to you and to me. So our Jewish friend and
writer of Hebrews, Barnabas, is explaining to us that Jesus is greater than the Angels
because He is given the title of King and they, angels, the title of servants to the King.
3rd Christ is better than the angels because He has been given the title of Lord
Let’s look at some key verses in our study in Chapter 2 starting in vs 1…it says “For
this reason”…and we must stop there and ask ourselves, ‘for what reason?’
Well, because Jesus’ words are greater than the prophets as mentioned last week in
verses 1-3—and we recapped those earlier. And because His titles are greater than
the angels—and we just discussed a few of those: Son and King… because of this… “we
must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away
from it.” I love the fact that Barnabas is putting himself in there as well by saying
we…and I am doing the same…me, you, we must pay much closer attention to what we
have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.
Heard from who? From our Lord and our Master Jesus Christ Himself, look at verse 3
(read it and 4)…’How will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at
the first spoken through the Lord…’ The master, God, There is no greater authority
that could speak…The one who is greater than the Prophets and Angels speaking
authoritatively to us about this salvation and not only did He speak it to us but ‘it was
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confirmed to us by those who heard’…no doubt, there were those in this congregation
reading this letter who were there when Jesus told the blind man to go wash in the
pool of Siloam and he was healed, no doubt there were those in this congregation who
had heard Jesus say to the lame “rise and walk, take up your mat, your sins are
forgiven you” and he rose to walk a new walk physically and spiritually, no doubt
some had heard Him say ‘I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the
Father except through me!’ They had all the authentication, all the evidence they
could ever need, the signs and wonders, the miracles, the gifts of the Spirit,
everything was pointing toward the authoritative word of our Lord, Jesus Christ…and
yet the writer was still warning them to pay attention to what they had heard so
that they would not drift away from it…
Why? Because it is so easy to drift away when we don’t pay attention even from
an authoritative word and return to what we know in our past, to what we are use
too especially when times get tough. If covering up our pain with alcohol or drugs is
something we have done in the past, and Jesus just doesn’t seem to be working for
us…we could drift away and return to it if we are not paying attention. If covering up
our loneliness with pornography and lust and fornication is something we have done in
the past and Jesus just doesn’t seem to be around for us…we might drift away and
return to it if we are not paying attention. So we must pay attention to the
authoritative words found in this book that can keep us from sin…DL Moody once said,
“This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book.” Christ, our
Lord is the Word made flesh and He is better than the angels because He is given the
title of Lord and, therefore, His words have much more authority than that of the
angels.
4TH Christ is better than the angels because He has been given the title of
Suffering Servant
Now, we do not see the words suffering servant here in this chapter but it is pointed
to, eluded to in our text… let’s read starting in vs. 5-8 (‘but now we do not yet see all
things subjected to him‘) Why is that? Because of sin, you see originally man was
created “a little lower than the angels” but they were not to remain that way,
ultimately, if sin had not entered in, they/ we would have shared in God’s glory in
a wonderful way. Satan knew that mankind would be lower than God for a little while
so he hurried and promised them glory ahead of time, “you will not surely die, take and
eat this fruit and become like God!”….that is why it says in vs 8 “But now, we do not yet
see all things subjected to him.” Look at verse 9, “But we do see Him (Jesus) who was
made for a little while lower than the angels…” ahhhh, now we see why this is so
important for Barnabas to explain Christ’s superiority to the angels. Why? Because He
came as a man, he came “a little lower than the angels”…remember, Jesus was fully God,
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yet He was fully man and because He was fully man then He could be our Suffering
Servant!! (finish reading vs. 9-10 STOPPING in 10 and going to Ch. 1 vs. 10-12 quickly)
5TH Christ is better than the angels because He is given the title of High Priest
To become the High Priest he had to become like us. Listen to how human he
became.
 Read, Vs. 11-12… Because He became fully man, we are His brothers and
sisters…we are family! Read 14
 Because He became fully man, He was our high priest!

Because He was fully God, He defeated sin and death for us when He became
the propitiation for our sins!

Christ became fully man, was tempted and therefore can come to the aid of us
all!
Brian Jones
MarriedLife Pastor
Second Baptist Church
Houston, Texas
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