Hebrews 1:4-13 Christ is in the Word & is the Word!

Bible Study Series: Jesus in Hebrews - Better by Far!

Bible Study Lesson: Hebrews 1:4-13 - Christ is in the Word & is the Word!

by I Gordon

Can you remember the movie Grease that came out in the late 1970's? Oh, you weren't born till a few decades after that? Ok. Well the main theme song had a chorus with the line 'Grease is the word, is the word that you heard. It's got a groove, it's got a meaning.' And yeah... I don't know much about that... but I do know that Christ is the word and that word certainly has meaning! And the writer of Hebrews would definitely agree. In the last message we saw 8 different ways that the writer exalted Jesus Christ in just the first three verses of Hebrews chapter 1. We will carry on today exploring the remaining verses that continue on this theme of the exalted and unmatchable Christ! In particular we will look at: 

• How Jesus is the theme of scripture - in both Testaments!
• How the New Testament writers interpreted patterns and prophecy of the Old Testament in light of Jesus
• How there is more in some Old Testament passages than initially meets the eye!
• And in doing so we will see that Jesus is better than the angels, He is God, He is eternal and is seated in glory awaiting the time of His full revelation to mankind!

But before getting into Hebrews 1:4-13, it is worth doing a little refresh on Christ and the focus of the Bible.

Jesus is the focal point of scripture

Jesus is the ultimate object and focus of scripture. Hopefully I haven't said anything new for you there! Just to give you a little background on my own discovery of this, I remember as a very young believer being asked to lead a home group study for the very first time. I was allowed to choose any topic I wanted so I did a study on the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah. I was fascinated by this. I had previously read Hal Lindsey’s book ‘The Promise’ which is on this very topic and shows clear prophecies, recorded hundreds of years in advance, that give detailed descriptions concerning the Messiah. The manner of His birth, the place of His birth, His life and character, and of course His death where they would pierce His hands and feet... it was and is all there for anyone who desires to look. This fascinated me... and still does! And this is something Jesus said He expects believers to understand as He said to the two on the road to Emmaus:

Luk 24:25-26 And He said to them, "O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! (26) "Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?"

The next pivotal moment in this journey came when I went off to Bible College as a three year old Christian. And I remember one day being in the College library, staring at just walls and walls of Christian books. As I tilted by head sideways and scanned the many titles, one caught my eye. I'm not sure why but I believe it was simply a 'God-thing'. The book that stood out to me was 'The Saving Life of Christ' by Major Ian Thomas. I took it back to my room and started reading. I remember ringing home and asking my Mum ‘Have you heard of someone called Major Ian Thomas?’ She said yes and that she had gone to hear him when he came to New Zealand in the 1970's. She also said that upon hearing him, she knew he had something she hadn't discovered yet. It was this book that initially showed me that it wasn't just the Old Testament prophecies that pointed to Jesus... the Old Testament stories pointed to Him as well! Of course Jesus Himself had already told us that all of the books point to Him:

Luk 24:44-47 Now He said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." (45) Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, (46) and He said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, (47) and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

Tip for young believers

So here is a tip for young believers and those not very familiar with God's word. Focus initially on the New Testament and get a good clear understanding of the essential truth taught concerning grace, the cross, the resurrection and the return of Jesus Christ. Once familiar with some key initial books like the gospel of John, Romans, Ephesians, Colossians etc then it is a real blessing to go back to the Old Testament and see how these important truths concerning Christ are given there through many stories, pictures and patterns. Many believers just read the New Testament and miss the blessing in the Old Testament that is available when you put the key in – and that key is Jesus! Then, and only then, can it be unlocked. Many historical books like Genesis, Exodus, Ruth, Esther, Nehemiah and others come alive with this key. So always remember that God has one main theme in all His books and the Old Testament is not just history. Accurate history it is, but God has many layers in all that He has given us and the ultimate focus of His word is His Son, Jesus Christ!

So with that, let's jump into the remaining verses in Hebrews 1. When you get to the New Testament and see how its writers used the Old Testament you see some interesting things, and that will be seen in this chapter!

Jesus is better than the angels

Heb 1:4-5 ...having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. (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 A FATHER TO HIM AND HE SHALL BE A SON TO ME"? 

The author of Hebrews will spend the remainder of the chapter showing the character of Christ and how He is better than the angels. We see in this passage the first of several ‘betters’ in Hebrews.¹ As we read through the book we will find that Jesus is better than the angels, His blood speaks a better word than Abel's and because of His work we have a better hope and covenant. But why did the author start with angels? Why say right from the start that Jesus is better than angels? Angels played an important role in the Old Testament and in Jewish thought. They were associated with the Exodus from Egypt (Exodus 14:19), the giving of the law (Gal 3:19), the entry into the Promised Land (Ex 23:20-23), the deliverance of key messages and prophecies (Dan 9, 10) and the general protection of the nation of Israel at various times (2 Kings 19:35, Dan 12:1). The general food chain went something like:

God -> Angels -> Humanity -> Dogs -> Cats ->…. all the way down to the bottom where you have cockroaches. 

Although, it should be said that this is controversial and somewhat disputed for if you ask a cat they will say the order is:

God -> Angels -> Cats -> Humanity -> … right on down to the bottom where you have Dogs.

Either way, angels are near the top beneath God. Clearly, angels were very important. But they have nothing on Jesus! Hebrews 1:5 makes this clear stating 'For to which of the angels did He ever say, "YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU"? And again, "I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM AND HE SHALL BE A SON TO ME"?' The answer is that God didn’t say to any of the angels that they were His son and that He was their Father. Now some of the cults tell us that Jesus was or is an angel. The Jehovah Witnesses believe that Jesus is the Archangel Michael in the Old Testament. Mormon theology includes the belief that Jesus and Lucifer (Satan - the fallen angel) were spirit brothers. Clearly they have not paid much attention to Hebrews 1 which is clear that Jesus is not angelic but is the son of God. And as we shall see, the writer specifically quotes verses to show that Jesus is God. 

Our passage also tells us that Jesus inherited a name greater than the angels. In fact, God bestowed on Him a name that is above every name. And everyone in heaven, on earth, or even under the earth (speaking of the deceased) will one day bow in worship before Him!

Php 2:5-11 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, (6) who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, (7) but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. (8) Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (9) For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, (10) so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, (11) and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Heb 1:6  And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, "AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM."

Having mentioned the JW's previously, how would they interpret a passage like this? They see that scripture calls Jesus 'the firstborn' so they think He must have been the first one born or created. But this is due to a lack of understanding of how scripture uses this term². As William MacDonald points out:

Firstborn may mean first in point of time (Luk 2:7) or first in rank or honor (Psa 89:27). It has the latter meaning here (Heb 1:6) and in Rom 8:29 and Col 1:15, Col 1:18.
Believers Bible Commentary

You will also note that all of the angels are commanded to worship Jesus. Worship in the Bible is for God alone (Ex 20:3, Deu 6:13, Isa 42:8, Matt 4:10). And yet Jesus is to be worshipped, again showing that He is God. You probably recall what happened when John tried to worship an angel in the book of Revelation! There was a very quick ‘whoa, whoa, whoa…' from the angel. 'Don’t even think about it' He said 'worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." In other words it is all about Jesus. All prophecy points to Him and is for His glory. Now this quote in Hebrews is from Psalm 97.7 and the entire Psalm is very interesting. We can't go into it now but I encourage you to read it³ as it is all about the 2^nd coming and on that day only the Son will be exalted with all of God's angels, and humanity still alive, worshipping Him!

Jesus is God

Heb 1:7-9 And of the angels He says, "WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS WINDS, AND HIS MINISTERS A FLAME OF FIRE." (8) But of the Son He says, "YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM. (9) "YOU HAVE LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS; THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE YOUR COMPANIONS."

Now there is something important to remember as we read the following quotations from the Old Testament and that is that every time it says 'he says' it is God the Father speaking. So we read 'But of the Son He says 'Your throne, O God, is forever and ever'. So it is God the Father speaking to His Son and you will see that God the Father calls Jesus, God. ‘Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness..’ 

Do we need to believe that Jesus is God?

So as a little related side note, is it important to believe that Jesus is actually God? Or can we just believe, as the JW's and others do, that Jesus was the first created being and is less than the Almighty? I recently had someone write in who went even further saying they 'believed in Jesus' but didn't believe that Jesus was God, or even that Jesus existed before being born to Mary! I tried to point several things out but got nowhere. This man was convinced of his position and that was all there was to it. Again, there is more than enough evidence in Hebrews 1 alone to show that Jesus is God for those who haven't closed their eyes. But what about the words of Jesus Himself? I have always found the following warning very telling and it is one that I have said to several JW's when they come-a-knocking:

Joh 8:23-24 And He was saying to them, "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. (24) "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."

What is interesting is that there is no 'He' in the Greek. John MacArthur writes: 

"I am He: "He" is not part of the original statement. Jesus' words were not constructed normally but were influenced by OT Hebrew usage. It is an absolute usage meaning "I AM" which has immense theological significance. The reference may be to both Exo_3:14 where the Lord declared His name as "I AM" and to Isaiah 40-55 where the phrase "I am" occurs repeatedly (especially Isa_43:10, Isa_43:13, Isa_43:25; Isa_46:4; Isa_48:12). In this, Jesus referred to Himself as the God (Yahweh—the Lord) of the OT, and directly claimed full deity for Himself, prompting the Jews' question of verse Joh_8:25. See note on verse Joh_8:58.

So to spell it out, Jesus was essentially saying 'Unless you believe that I am the eternal I AM, Yahweh, you will die in your sins'. So yes, this does have HUGE ramifications upon salvation and to believe otherwise is believing in 'another Jesus' which is clearly warned against (Gal 1:6-8, 2 Cor 11:4) 

Now this quote in Hebrews saying 'Your throne, O God, is forever and ever' is from Psalm 45 which is noted as a royal psalm. That is, it is a psalm denoting and celebrating the wedding of the king. The Psalm gives praise for both the groom and the bride. But the interesting question is this - is the Psalmist just addressing an earthly king? Clearly not for the writer of Hebrews tells us that within it God the Father is speaking to God the Son. So the greater fulfillment is with Christ and His bride! Again, this is an awesome Psalm to study in more detail if you have time.⁴

Jesus is eternal

Heb 1:10-12 And, "YOU, LORD, IN THE BEGINNING LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH, AND THE HEAVENS ARE THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS; (11) THEY WILL PERISH, BUT YOU REMAIN; AND THEY ALL WILL BECOME OLD LIKE A GARMENT, (12) AND LIKE A MANTLE YOU WILL ROLL THEM UP; LIKE A GARMENT THEY WILL ALSO BE CHANGED. BUT YOU ARE THE SAME, AND YOUR YEARS WILL NOT COME TO AN END."

This is a quote from Psalm 102:25-27 and let me ask you a question concerning it... When you read this passage, who would you say is speaking to whom? Normally when we read a Psalm like this we think it is the Psalmist praying to God. We think that the Psalmist is saying to God that in the beginning He laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the work on His hands. And you would of course be wrong. The Psalmist wasn’t sharing his thoughts or prayers towards God. He was actually recording what he heard God the Father saying to His Son, Jesus - as Hebrews 1 tells us! This makes the Psalm all the more interesting. We read it and think that the Psalmist was declaring that this world would perish but that God would not. Actually, it is the Father encouraging Jesus, likely at the time of His greatest trial in the Garden before the cross when he sweated blood, that He would not come to an end. Look at the verses that proceed this which give the cry of Jesus at His most vulnerable time: 

Psa 102:23-24 He has weakened my strength in the way; He has shortened my days. (24) I say, "O my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days, Your years are throughout all generations.

This prayer would have likely been when He prayed 'Father, if it is possible, take this cup from Me. Yet not my will but thine be done'. Again, the Father is reassuring the Lord Jesus that despite what He had to endure for the salvation of mankind, His years would not come to an end. In fact, the Father says that both Heaven and Earth were made by the Son, and these would come to an end, but Jesus will not. This, we could say, is the real 'Climate Change' when the Son rolls up the present creation and changes it like you would an old garment! 

Application - Live with an Eternal Perspective

As an application, it does us well to remember that everything will be rolled up. Everything will be changed. We aren’t just dealing with climate change. We are talking about universe change! When decisions feel overwhelming, step back and consider them in light of eternity. Ask yourself "in view of eternity, does this really matter" and let that thought govern your decisions in the here and now. 

Jesus is seated in glory

Heb 1:13 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"? (14) Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?

Again the author of Hebrews quotes from the Psalms and this one is from Psalm 110. And again, it is another remarkable example of the Psalmist hearing and recording a conversation between the Father and the Son! It actually starts with King David saying 'The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." So the LORD (Yahweh/Father) said to someone who David called his Lord (Adonai/Jesus) to sit at His right hand. Again, this is amazing. We would think that David's Lord is Yahweh and yet this 'other' Lord is actually introduced as His Lord. And we know who that is - it is the Lord Jesus in the Old Testament even before His incarnation and birth in a manger in Bethlehem. You see, as the prophet Micah told us, this One that would be born in Bethlehem had many 'goings forth' stretching right back into eternity!

Mic 5:2  "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity."

And so today, the Lord Jesus is seated, in glory, in heaven. This is the highest throne, far above all His enemies, and He awaits the time of the end when all who oppose Him will be put in subjection under His feet. 

So Jesus is seated as King in Heaven. The author contrasts this with the role of Angels who are said to be 'ministering spirits'. Despite many books and a current fascination with them, they are God's servants and are not to get the glory and attention themselves. But their role is certainly interesting as they 'render service' to those who will inherit salvation. We don't see them, but they are there. You have probably heard about 'guardian angel's' and from this verse we can see that is one of their roles. They look out and guard believers as God's agents. Quite a cool thought really... but again, this is only included by the author of Hebrews as a side note as the focus of His attention is Christ!

Conclusion

So as we conclude, what have we seen? We have seen that all of the Bible is about Jesus. The writer of Hebrews has used 7 different quotes from the Old Testament to show us that the theme of scripture is Jesus Christ Himself! In fact we have seen that even Psalms which we could read and think are prayers of the Psalmist to God can actually be recordings of what God the Father says to God the Son! Yes, Jesus is better by far. So to recap this chapter, here’s a concise list giving 15 ways in which Jesus is portrayed in Hebrews 1:

And yes, again, all that in just one chapter! As Charles Spurgeon said: 

“Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega of the Bible. He is the constant theme of its sacred pages.” 

May we look for Him and learn to see Him in all of God's word. 

And may we give Him the glory due to His wonderful name. A name above all names. 

FOOTNOTES